announced the winners of the 2003-04 Spirit Awards. The Spirits honor the very best in the world of college basketball, both on the court and off.
The University of Kentucky took home three Spirit Awards, the most of any school, including Best College Basketball Fans, and Best Athletic Department Website, www.ukathletics.com. UK was edged out by the University of Southern California by just three votes for .
The most popular winner, with 42% of the vote for Favorite Team Nickname, was the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin? Cajuns. The University of Arizona was well represented in The Spirits, as GoAZCats.com was chosen as the Best College Basketball Fansite and Lute Olson was voted Favorite Coach in College Basketball. Duke University, which won two Spirit Awards, was voted the nation?s Ultimate College Basketball School.
56 teams, representing 20 conferences, were nominated in The Spirits? 16 categories. The nominations were selected through an initial round of voting open to CollegeHoopsnet.com writers and message board readers. The final voting was open for 7 days, with fans around the country filling out ballots on CollegeHoopsnet.com.
FINAL 2004 SPIRIT AWARDS RESULTS
1) Best Arena for College Basketball
WINNER – DUKE (Cameron Indoor Stadium)
2nd Place – RUTGERS (Louis Brown Athletic Center)
2) Best College Basketball Fans
WINNER – KENTUCKY
2nd Place – RUTGERS
3) Favorite Team Nickname
WINNER – LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE Ragin’ Cajuns
2nd Place – UC IRVINE Anteaters
4) Favorite Team Logo
WINNER – GONZAGA
2nd Place – TEXAS
5) Favorite Team Mascot
WINNER – WESTERN KENTUCKY (Big Red)
2nd Place – ST JOSEPH’S (The Hawk)
6) Favorite Team Uniforms
WINNER – NORTH CAROLINA
2nd Place – OREGON
7) Favorite Cheerleading Squad
WINNER – KENTUCKY
2nd Place – ARIZONA
8) Favorite Dance Team
WINNER – SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
2nd Place – KENTUCKY
9) Favorite Pep Band
WINNER – FLORIDA A&M
2nd Place – STANFORD
10) Best Athletic Department Website
WINNER – KENTUCKY (www.UKAthletics.com)
2nd Place – PEPPERDINE (www.PepperdineSports.com)
11) Best Conference Website
WINNER – BIG TEN (www.BigTen.org)
2nd Place – IVY LEAGUE (www.IvyLeagueSports.com)
12) Best College Basketball Fansite
WINNER – www.GoAZCats.com
2nd Place – www.MiamiHawkTalk.com
13) Game of the Year
WINNER – OKLAHOMA STATE 64 / ST JOSEPH’S 62 – March 27th
2nd Place – STANFORD 80 / ARIZONA 77 – February 7th
14) Favorite Coach in College Basketball
WINNER – LUTE OLSON (Arizona)
2nd Place – BOB KNIGHT (Texas Tech)
15) Fans Choice: Coolest Team of the Year
WINNER – ST JOSEPH’S
2nd Place – UCONN
16) Ultimate College Basketball School
WINNER – DUKE
2nd Place – ARIZONA
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