UP Fighting Maroons

The UP Fighting Maroons are the collegiate varsity teams of the University of the Philippines, primarily off Diliman, which plays in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country.

The Fighting Maroons moniker, though, is more commonly used to refer to the men's basketball team (see Team monikers below).

History
UAAP Founding Member
UP is one of the founding members (1938) of the UAAP. It was also a founding member and the originator of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the year 1924.

UP was a perennial contender for the overall championship in the UAAP. The team last won the UAAP Seniors Overall Championship in the 1997–1998 season, two years before the University last hosted the competitions prior to its centennial.

The UAAP has eight member schools and hold tournaments in fifteen sports. Only four of the eight member schools participate in all of the fifteen sports. UP is one of the four schools. They compete in all of the sports of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Team identity

Team monikers
Prior to the establishment of the NCAA in 1924, the sports press have been referring to the collegiate teams by the color of their uniforms. School varsity teams were called the Blue and Whites, the Red and Whites, the Green and Whites and in the case of UP, the Maroon and Greens. In the late 1930s, schools started to adopt mascots and the sports press would now refer to their varsity teams by the name of their mascots. Sportswriters wrote about the games played by the Blue Eagles, the Green Archers, the Red Lions in their sports articles for their news dailies. In the case of UP, the varsity team was called the UP Parrots when the school adopted the parrot as its mascot. Sometime in the 1990s, the moniker UP Parrots was changed to UP Fighting Maroons when the parrot was dropped as the team mascot. The new moniker revived the old (vintage 1920s) name Maroons, and the adjective "fighting" was added to describe the kind of spirit that the varsity teams of UP have when they participate in the arena of competitive sports.

The other official varsity team names which are sourced from the school's official student publications are as follows:

Other Varsity Teams:
 Pep Squad
 Filipiniana Dance Troupe

Team logo 

Prior to July 2015, there is no official logo for the UP Fighting Maroons, thus the University Seal is used in uniforms of the university's student athletes. UP System registered trademarks such as the Oblation and sometimes the university seal were used to represent the university's varsity team in UAAP broadcasts. A new logo representing the varsity team had to be designed after UP College of Human Kinetics Dean Ronnie Dizer told ABS-CBN Sports, the official broadcaster of the UAAP, that the Oblation logo is no longer allowed in UAAP coverage.

On July 20, 2015 a set of six logos were released by the University of the Philippines. The new main logo uses the clench fist as a primary symbol with the teams initials UMP. The logo according to the university highlights the "institution’s unique history and tradition – catalysts for change and defenders of the people.” The letter "M" is incorporated at the bottom part of the fist. The M design of the main logo is named the "M Cut". A partial version of the logo which composes only of the fist with the M Cut of the main logo may be used where the name of the team or the university is not required to be shown.

In addition, an internal, secondary, and tertiary logos were also revealed. The internal logo is in shape of the Oblation, the secondary logo is a geometric shapes arranged in a form of a fist, and the tertiary logo composes of a man and a woman raising and clenching one of their fists, named Isko & Iska. The later two logos, the secondary and tertiary are used for marketing and promotional purposes.

The proposal for the new brand identity was initiated by Mandy Reyes and Pete Jimenez of Nowhere to Go but UP, an alumni organization. The design team is composed of the following: Dan Matutina (along with Bernice de Leon-Yumul, Joanna Malinis, and Raxenne Maniquiz of Plus63 Design Co.), Kay Aranzanso, Ralph Guibani, and AJ Dimarucot.

June 20, 2015 leaked proposal

Prior to the July release of the new logos, one of the proposals for a new logo for the UP Fighting Maroons were unofficially released on June 15. The logo released on June 15 features a warrior holding a shield with the inscription "UP" in baybayin on his left hands aiming to throw a spear with his right hand.

UP alumnus and Supreme Court Spokesman Atty. Theodore Te, criticized the logo and remarked that "There is a reason why there is an Oblation in every UP campus. And so many clenched fists too. That is the spirit behind the oblation: service and sacrifice; the giving of self. It is the same spirit that moves every UP student and alum to raise a fist or offer a hand and not see any contradiction." Jojo Robles of The Standard another UP alumnus, agreed with Te's comments and implied that the logo violated trademark of a vinegar manufacturer which he didn't name and called on the manufacturer to sue the designers. The new logo was negatively received by UP netizens.

The university clarified that the logo is still to be revised and the final version of the logo was released a month later on June 20, 2015.

Championships
The following table shows the number of championships in the UAAP, unless otherwise specified. It can be noted that UP has titles in all but one (beach volleyball) of the disciplines in the UAAP program and the University boasts of successful swimming and athletics programs, with 33 and 23 titles apiece in the league (36 for swimming if one includes NCAA). UP also holds the most titles in badminton (14) in the UAAP.

Note: Poomsae is a coed event. Most number of championships in each division is in italics.
* includes both UAAP & NCAA titles
** does not include NCAA titles

Streaks

 Current/Active Championship Streak(s):
 None

 Longest Championship Streak(s) (4 years and over):

Women's Badminton – 6 (1995–2000) (UR) 
Men's Athletics – 5 (1963–1967) and (1975–1979)
Women's Swimming – 5 (2009–2013)
Men's Swimming – 5 (2003–2007) 
Women's Fencing – 5 (2000–2004)
Baseball – 5 (1977–1981) (UR)  
Men's Football – 5 (1973–1977)  

Boys' Athletics – 4 (2010–2013)
Women's Basketball – 4 (1980–1983) (UR)
Men's Badminton – 4 (1997–2000) (UR)
Women's Judo – 4 (1999–2002 and 2006–2009)  (UR)
Women's Table Tennis – 4 (1997–2000) 
Men's Volleyball – 4 (1977–1980) 

(UR) means UAAP Record.
The team has another streak from 1996–1999 (4).
Includes 1 co-championship (1977 with FEU).
Includes 2 co-championships (both with UST).

Double championships
A double crown is achieved when the Seniors (Men's and Women's) and Juniors (Boys' and Girls') win the championship of the same sport in the same year in the UAAP.

 Seniors:
 Badminton: 4 (consecutive: 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01)
 Swimming: 4 (1993–94, 1997–1998, 2010–2011, 2013–2014)
 Judo: 3 (consecutive: 1995–96 and 1996–1997, 2007–08)
 Volleyball: 2 (1977–78, 1979–80)
 Football: 1 (2015–2016)
 Baseball/Softball: 1 (2001–2002)
 Table Tennis: 1 (1998–1999)

These are "double crowns" of a different nature.

 Men's & Boys'
 Basketball: 2 (NCAA: 1925–26 and 1926–27)
 Men's & Girls'
 Swimming: 2 (2006–07 and 2007–08)

Rankings history
The following tables show the rankings history of the teams in the UAAP.

Seniors Division
 Gold border denotes overall championship season.

Fencing and Women's Tennis were demonstration sports in 1996–97, and is not included in the calculation of points for the overall championship.
This placing is due to forfeiture of La Salle games. See UAAP Season 68 for details.
Beach volleyball was a demonstration sport in 2006–07, and is not included in the calculation of points for the overall championship.

Juniors Division

Team sports

Basketball

Notable players
 Fortunato "Fort" Acuña, 1968 UAAP MVP and PBA player and coach
 Frederick "Eric" Altamirano, 1986 UAAP MVP, Former head coach in the pro league (PBA); current head coach in the collegiate league (UAAP – NU Bulldogs) 
 Ronald "Ronnie" Magsanoc, PBA player; Assistant coach in the pro league (PBA) and head coach in the collegiate league (NCAA – San Beda Red Lions)
 Venancio "Benjie" Paras, Jr., only Rookie MVP of the Philippine Basketball Association
 Eduard "Poch" Juinio, current Assistant Coach of UP Men's Senior Basketball Varsity Team
 Paolo Mendoza, scored 69 points while playing for the Junior Maroons.
 Paul Ryan Gregorio, Former head coach in the pro league (PBA – Meralco Bolts)
 Joseller "Yeng" Guiao, Head coach in the pro league (PBA); Won multiple championships in PBA (Red Bull and Rain or Shine)
 Jose "Joe" Lipa, Jr., former head coach in the pro league (PBA) and collegiate league (UAAP)
 Dolreich "Bo" Perasol, Head coach in the pro league (PBA) and collegiate league (UAAP – Ateneo and current UP head coach)
 Bryan Gahol
 Bea Daez, Host of Upfront at Uaap, Abl Courtide Reporter, and collegiate league (Uaap – Up), UAAP Season 80 Basketball Analyst
 Bruce Quebral, former collegiate league (UAAP – UP Fighting Maroons) former in pro league (PBL) and former PBB Housemates
 Paul Desiderio, captain of #16Strong Men's Basketball Team that competed in the UAAP Finals after 32 years

Volleyball

Men's

Women's

Beach volleyball
The school has men's and women's beach volleyball teams.

Men's

Women's

Football

Men's

Women's

Baseball

Softball

See also
University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
UAAP Cheerdance Competition

References

External links
 UP Fighting Maroons Web Site
 UP Athletics Web Portal
 UP Fighting Maroons Basketball News and Updates

University of the Philippines Diliman Fighting Maroons
Category:College sports teams in Metro Manila
Category:Shakey's V-League
Category:Spikers' Turf

fr:UP Marrons Combattants