A winning culture in sports is something that is cultivated from the ground into a structural system and eventually evolves into a tradition.

This is what A&T has symbolized. A&T‘s winning tradition dates back to the 1950s.

In the 1950s, A&T was in the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament. In 1958 and 1959, the Aggies Men’s Basketball team made it to postseason play, two consecutive years.

The Aggies also made appearances in 1962 and 1964.  Al Attles played basketball at A&T in the 1950s.

Eventually, Attles went on to the NBA.

He was the second African American Head coach to win a championship in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. In the 1970s, the Aggies Men’s Basketball team went to the NCAA tournament six times.

In each of those seasons, they won the regular season championship. In the 1980s, the Aggies Men’s Basketball team posted seven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 1982-1988.

During the 90s, the Men’s Basketball team also posted back-to-back appearances in the NCAA tournament in 1994-95, and most recently in 2013 under Head Coach Cy Alexander.

The Women’s Basketball Team won three consecutive regular season championships from 1988-90. In 1994 and 2009, the Aggies women’s basketball team made NCAA appearances as well.

The team won three more consecutive MEAC conference championships from 2008-10 under former head coach Patricia Cage-Gibbs. Gibbs was hired by A&T to revamp the Lady Aggies Basketball program. The Lady Aggies only recorded 51 wins from 1997-2005.

Richard Armstrong, played running back for the Aggies in the 60s, and he eventually went on to the NFL.

Armstrong played for the Kansas City Chiefs and won the Super bowl in 1969. Elvin Bethea, Pro Football Hall of Famer also played for the Aggies in the 1960s.

Bethea played in the NFL from 1968-1983 for the Houston Oilers. In 1968, 1990, and 1999, the Aggies won The Black College National Championship.

In 1986, 1991, 1992, 1999, and 2003, the Aggie football team won the MEAC Conference Championship.

A&T has always had a strong winning tradition.  Although there was a slight drop off, A&T athletics is making its way back to being held as both an academic and athletic powerhouse.  

Our Aggies athletic teams cannot always do it alone. Support should be showed thoroughly when our athletic teams are competing on and off the playing field.  

There is nothing stronger than a 12th man. We at A&T have great AGGIE Pride about just being an AGGIE, and showing it through support and action is always comforting.

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• Tremayne Farmer, Contributor