This story is part of a series on the 100th anniversary of Fordham’s historic Rose Hill Gym.
As the historic gym enters its second century, it has a newfound identity—and momentum.
“How about Rose Thrill, man!” After raucous home crowds seemed to will the men’s basketball team to a pair of impressive victories in January 2023, head coach Keith Urgo started a postgame press conference with those words. The name stuck.
As the gym enters its second century, Ram fans have high hopes. The recently completed Cura Personalis fundraising campaign focused new attention on athletics, especially basketball. Donors contributed to the New Era Fund, which supports the women’s and men’s teams. And a rejuvenated student section fired up players and fans alike.
Here are three recent wins for Fordham basketball.
A Record Three-Year Run
The men’s team achieved its highest three-year win total since joining the Atlantic 10 in 1995. The highlight? Going 25-8 in 2022–2023, just one win shy of the famed 1970–1971 team’s 26-3 record.
An Atlantic-10 Surge
The Rams reached the semifinals of the A-10 Tournament at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in 2023. “It was great,” recalled Nikhil Mehta, a fan who graduated that year. “On the way to the games, you had ‘let’s go Fordham!’ chants ringing throughout the [subway] cars.”
Revived Ram Spirit
With slogans like “It’s a great day to be a Ram!” and shout-outs to fans for their support, Urgo has helped build a spirited culture on and off the court. And the men’s team’s 2022–2023 performance led to a 113% rise in ticket sales last season.
For Sam Jones, a Fordham senior who helps run an Instagram page to publicize games and other events, the energy around athletics has been “an absolute dream.”
“It changes your college experience—just to be walking around campus and hear, ‘Oh, are you going to the basketball game?’” he said. “I love it.”
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