Ulster Elks

Ulster Elks was an Irish men's basketball team based in Jordanstown, Northern Ireland. The team competed in the Irish Super League and National League Division 1 and played its home games at the Ulster University Sports Centre. They also played in the Basketball Northern Ireland Premier League. The team was a division of Ulster Elks Basketball Club and was directly associated with Ulster University.

Ulster Elks
Founded2005
Folded2020
HistoryUniversity of Ulster
2005–2008
Ulster Elks
2008–2020
ArenaUlster University Sports Centre
LocationJordanstown, Northern Ireland
Team colorsBlue & white

History

The University of Ulster at Jordanstown Men's Basketball Club was founded in 1984. Previously, Ulster Polytechnic occupied the Jordanstown site and had a very strong tradition in men's collegiate basketball. UUJ experienced the greatest success out of the four UU campuses at collegiate level in men's and women's basketball, with six Men's Irish intervarsity championships won during the 1990s and early 2000s.[1]

In 2005, UU appointed Andrew O'Hare as full-time Basketball Development Officer. This led to the development of a UU Basketball Management Board, a range of junior partner clubs, a satellite development programme, residential and day camps, intramural basketball, basketball scholarships and the transition of UU into Basketball Ireland national competitions.[1] Between 2005 and 2007, the University of Ulster competed in the National League Division 1.

In 2007, the team entered the Irish SuperLeague for the first time.[2] The team was renamed Ulster Elks for the 2008–09 season.[3][4] In January 2011, Elks made their first appearance in a National Cup semi-final.[5]

Following the 2010–11 season, Elks withdrew from the SuperLeague and joined the Basketball Northern Ireland Premier League for the 2011–12 season. For the 2012–13 season, the Patrick O'Neill-coached Elks returned to the National League Division 1, but also competed in the Ulster Premier League and Division 1 of the Universities league.[6] They went on to win the 2013 National League D1 Northern Conference championship.[7]

Elks continued on in the Northern Ireland Premier League between 2013 and 2016 before re-entering the National League Division 1 for the 2016–17 season.[8][9] They continued on in the National League Division 1 in 2017–18,[10] 2018–19[11] and 2019–20.[12]

The Elks name was discontinued in 2020.[13][14][15] In 2022–23, Ulster University won the Division One championship and earned promotion to the Super League.[16]

References
  1. Interview with UU Men's SuperLeague team head coach Deirdre Brennan
  2. Limerick stun Ballina as Superleague begins
  3. Ulster Elks Basketball Going Solo
  4. Brennan is ready for lift-off with Elks in Super League
  5. Ulster Elks looking to reach their first final
  6. Currently your Ulster elks Men's Basketball team play in three competitions...
  7. Ulster Elks National League D1 Northern Conference champions 2013!
  8. ULSTER ELKS ENTER NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR 2016/2017
  9. Expanded basketball league is unveiled
  10. FIXTURES ANNOUNCED FOR BASKETBALL IRELAND NATIONAL LEAGUE SEASON
  11. "PREVIEW: We look ahead to this weekend's games". BasketballIreland.ie. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  12. "2019/20 Season Launch And National Cup Draw This Wednesday". BasketballIreland.ie. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  13. "2020/21 Super League and Division One fixtures released". BasketballIreland.ie. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  14. "MNCC 2020-21 season fixtures" (PDF). Basketball Ireland. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  15. "InsureMyVan Division 1 – 2021/22 Fixtures". ireland.basketball. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  16. "Ulster University seal promotion to the InsureMyVan.ie Super League with 95-86 overtime win over Limerick Sport Eagles". ireland.basketball. 1 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
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