Program Profile: East Carolina

C-USA since 1966
Colors: Purple and Gold
Mascot: Pirates

You needn’t worry about these Pirates plundering any type of booty in the near future. Despite having legendary Lou Holtz’s son Skip at the helm, they’ve only won half their games in the past two seasons. Granted that’s up from the one or two win seasons they’d been settling for, but eight wins are not unheard of even as recently as the ‘90’s.

The administration is trying to enthuse its students nonetheless. Through pushing membership in the Student Pirate Club its (small) student section is sold out for most games. Fridays are “Paint It Purple” Fridays in which students are encouraged to wear purple. Since 2002 the team has taken the field to the tune of “Purple Haze”. They’re anticipating hoisting a traditional “No Quarter” flag between the third and fourth quarters in an intimidating display of spiritedness. I really want to support these efforts because put it all together and they have potential, but right now they’re trying too hard.

Being a new school, their mascot and colors have no obscure origins. They picked a Pirate because they’re on the coast and named it Pee Dee after the river. The students themselves picked Old Gold and Royal Purple in 1909. For a school that’s trying so hard I think it’s interesting I can find no evidence of a fight song.