LUconn wrote:U of Denver is so puzzling to me. I know it's probably a good television market but it says they won't be a football member. I really don't know anything about it at all but I would bet it's a commuter school. Just seems like there would be some better options
Some interesting tidbits on DU.
The university was founded in 1864 as the Colorado Seminary.
The 'Colorado Seminary' was founded as a Methodist institution and struggled in the early years of its existence. By 1880, the Colorado Seminary had been renamed the University of Denver. Although doing business as the University of Denver, DU is still legally named Colorado Seminary.
Denver is one of the few schools in the US that personally interviews every undergraduate applicant (with interviews in more than 25 cities per year), demonstrating that the university is very interested in the person, not just the applicant's credentials. The Hyde interview is named after an influential DU professor, Ammi Hyde, and most students describe the process as insightful rather than painful, so the interview should not be considered a deterrent for prospective students who are nervous that they will not perform well.
In the last two years, DU has also built and opened a new building for the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. Inside the building there are numerous classrooms, a large wine cellar, meeting rooms, and an all-purpose dining room that hosts numerous city and university events, weddings, and formal parties. The school helps DU rank near the top of all hotel schools in the United States. The program had its first graduating class in 1946.
School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management
The university has the second highest telescope in the world located at 14,148 feet near the summit of Mount Evans called the Meyer-Womble Observatory. This telescope is most commonly used by the university's Natural Science and Mathematics Department, and more specifically the Department of Physics and Astronomy at DU.
In reference to campus improvements to help DU athletics, as well as the Ritchie Center that was completed in 2000, DU completed the first ever lacrosse stadium that is specifically designed for the sport. As of now, construction is completed for a new soccer stadium on the DU campus that will also connect the School of Art.
Denver is a full NCAA Division I member, best known as a major power in winter sports. Ice hockey is DU's flagship spectator sport, with seven NCAA titles including back to back crowns in 2004 and 2005, and regularly selling out the new 6,000 seat Magness Arena on campus, the showpiece of the Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness. As of August, 2010, The Pioneers' 28 NCAA titles are in the top 8 of all NCAA schools in terms of total titles - behind Southern California (76), UCLA (71), Stanford (60), Oklahoma State (48), Arkansas (43), Michigan (31), and Penn State (30).
Ritchie Center Tower
Skiing is another strong sport at Denver, with 21 NCAA titles (more than any other school) with the Pioneers dominating the current decade. The Pioneers "three-peated" with NCAA titles in 2010, 2009 and 2008, won it in 2005 and as well as three consecutive titles from 2001 to 2003.