TULSA, Okla. – It has been 365 days since the Oral Roberts men's basketball team made its historic run to the Sweet 16 after defeating No. 7 Florida in Indianapolis.
 
Since its inception in 1965, the ORU men's basketball team has been a household name in the city of Tulsa. With names like Anthony Roberts and Richard Fuqua building the foundation, the ORU program has made eight NIT and six NCAA Tournament appearances. After 13 years since their last NCAA Tournament trip, the Golden Eagles returned to the Big Dance in March 2021.
 
The Golden Eagles earned their trip to Indianapolis by winning the 2021 Summit League Championship to draw the No. 15 seed and face No. 2 Ohio State. What seemed to be a daunting task against the Buckeyes, turned into a shining moment. The Golden Eagles were about to do something that had only been done eight times before and that was knock off the two seed, as a 15 seed, in the first round, 75-72. ORU was the first 15 seed to win a first round game since 2016.
 
Two days later, the Golden Eagles faced No. 7 Florida in the second round on March 21, 2021. What had only been done once before in NCAA Tournament history was achieved once more. ORU had etched its name in unthinkable fashion by eliminating the No. 7 Florida Gators, 81-78, to advance to the Sweet 16.
 
This historic run has since changed ORU Athletics forever. The athletic department hosted two watch parties inside the Mabee Center for the games that gave fans a chance to come together and cheer on the Golden Eagles. Approximately 8,000-plus came through the doors to witness history. The ORU men's basketball twitter account trended No. 1 worldwide twice. It is estimated that Oral Roberts University and ORU Athletics saw almost $300 million of media exposure.
 
Shortly after the tournament, a significant monetary gift was given to begin construction of the new Mike Carter Athletic Center that would move ORU to the top of the Summit League in facilities and rival power conferences. The new building is destined to house a new 10,000 sq. ft. weight room, Eli academic center for all sports, along with offices and two practice gyms for men's and women's basketball. The facility is on pace to be completed in early 2023.
 
The excitement continued into the 2021-22 basketball season in the city of Tulsa as the athletic department saw over 3 million impressions in advertising and had an 87 percent increase in season ticket sales as new season ticket accounts grew by 567 percent. Champions Club members went up by 86 percent and sponsorship sales skyrocketed by 95 percent.
 
After the renovation of the Mabee Center in the summer of 2021, ORU hosted Oklahoma State and in-town rival Tulsa later in the year. The OSU game was announced a sellout, making it the first sellout of the Mabee Center since 1997. Throughout the season, ORU led the Summit League in attendance with more than 60,000 fans watched the Golden Eagles play 15 home games.
 
As we look back to what happened on this day 365 days ago, the impact of two hours and two minutes of basketball changed the way the world knows and looks at ORU Athletics. The future is bright! Those wanting to join in on the fun are encouraged to visit www.oruathletics.com/donate.