| |
| School Name: | Saint Mary's College of California |
| Location: | Moraga, California |
| Arena: | McKeon Pavilion |
| Capacity: | 3,500 |
| Conference: | West Coast |
| Head coach: | Randy Bennett |
Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and administered by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. It is known for its Liberal Arts education, including its Great Books and Seminar programs, its business program, which in recent years has become the college's most popular program, and nursing program, partnered with Samuel Merritt College, whose campus is in Oakland. Recently the college has garnered mild national attention for its men's basketball program. The college is located in Moraga; a small, suburban community located about 12 miles east of Oakland.
The nickname of sports teams at Saint Mary's is the Gaels. Saint Mary's College was once known for its American football team. In 2004, however, after a long period of decline, the football team was finally disbanded after a dismal 1-11 2003 season. Because of Title IX they were required to devote more funds to the school's other growing programs. Saint Mary's is currently well known for its basketball, baseball and women's volleyball teams. Almost all of the Division I varsity teams compete in the WCC. In 2001 the women's basketball team played in the NCAA tournament and advanced to the second round. In March 2005, the men's basketball team also competed in the NCAA championship tournament, though it lost its first game. The men's basketball team has gained national attention for its turnaround, going from two wins in 2001 to 25 in 2005. The women's volleyball team has played in the post season for the past three years, advancing to the "Sweet Sixteen" in 2004.