Sports
Sister Jean retires as Loyola Chicago basketball chaplain due to health concerns
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Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved chaplain for Loyola Chicago’s men’s basketball team, is retiring at 106 years old due to health concerns, according to the school’s student newspaper.
Sister Jean, who has become a staple in the college basketball community and an important member of the Ramblers’ family since first being named team chaplain in 1994, has entered retirement just weeks after celebrating her 106th birthday.
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the Loyola University men’s basketball chaplain and school celebrity, sits for a portrait in The Joseph J. Gentile Arena, on Jan. 23, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Vice president of communications Christian Anderson confirmed to The Loyola Phoenix earlier this month that Schmidt would no longer serve in official duties. He did not expand on Sister Jean’s health concerns.
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“Sister Jean is retiring and stepping back from official duties at Loyola,” Anderson told the student newspaper. “We are mindful of Sister’s privacy in regards to health and can’t comment beyond what was mentioned in her [Aug. 21] message.”
In a message to the student body on her birthday, Sister Jean explained her absence on campus.
“Birthdays are special days, and this one is also very special. In fact, I am unable to be there because I have a bad summer cold and other health issues so it has been decided that I should not go to Lake Shore Campus to be with you on my birthday. That makes me very sad, but you can still celebrate.”
Sister Jean looks on as the Loyola Ramblers defeat the Drake Bulldogs in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 6, 2022. (Jeff Curry/USA Today Sports)
Sister Jean served as the team’s chaplain for 30 years, but came into the spotlight during Loyola’s improbable Final Four appearance in the 2018 NCAA championship tournament.
In 2023, she traveled to New York for the team’s first-round matchup in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. She was 103 when she made the trip.
During that trip, she made an appearance on “Fox & Friends,” where she shared the three simple things she attributes to living a long and healthy life.
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt speaks to the press during her 103rd birthday celebration at her new namesake, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM Plaza, next to the Loyola Red Line station in Chicago, on Aug. 21, 2022. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
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“Well, I tell people when they ask me that question that I eat well, I sleep well and, hopefully, I pray well,” she said at the time.
“My basketball team, it keeps me young. All these young people keep me young at heart. I can’t walk, but they keep me young at heart,” she added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor almost had a perfect night in his squad’s dominant 57-20 win over Florida International at the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium Friday.
Why wasn’t it a perfect night for Traylor? He couldn’t avoid getting drenched.
Traylor, 57, knew what was coming as the clock was winding down in the fourth quarter. He was about to get doused with water by his players.
So, the head coach took off toward the end of the sideline, hoping to escape the oncoming shower.
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UTSA Roadrunners head coach Jeff Traylor tries to run away from UTSA Roadrunners wide receiver Jamel Hardy (13) to avoid a Gatorade bath after the ServPro First Responder Bowl between the FIU Panthers and the UTSA Roadrunners at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Dec. 26, 2025. (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The attempt to escape was futile as Traylor made it to the end of the sideline, turned around and saw wide receiver Jamel Hardy Jr. coming after him. Traylor was held up by a reporter and then got drenched.
In a last-ditch effort to avoid the water, Traylor fell down onto a ServPro mat near the sideline, which ended up being costly. Traylor was mobbed by his players and found himself at the bottom of an impromptu dogpile, creating a hilarious scene.
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UTSA Roadrunners head coach Jeff Traylor gets a Gatorade bath from UTSA Roadrunners wide receiver Jamel Hardy (13) after the ServPro First Responder Bowl between the FIU Panthers and the UTSA Roadrunners at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Dec. 26, 2025. (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
While at the bottom of the dogpile, Traylor got another bucket of water dumped on him by defensive lineman Kaian Roberts-Day.
Aside from unsuccessfully evading his players in celebration, Traylor had a good night. UTSA won handily in its sixth consecutive bowl appearance.
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FIU went up 14-0 early, but UTSA stormed back to tie at 14 before the first quarter ended, and it never looked back.
UTSA had a 310-93 advantage in total yards in the first half. Quarterback Owen McCown threw three touchdown passes, and running back Will Henderson III scored three times.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The Boxing Day weekend continues with some great matches this Saturday!
The day began with Manchester City grabbing a 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest to go one point clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. However, the Gunners then regain their two-point lead at the summit with a 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, while reigning champions Liverpool beat Wolverhampton Wanderers by 2-1 thanks in part to Florian Wirtz‘s first goal for the club.
Finally, we finished the day with fourth-placed Chelsea losing to third-placed Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge, 2-1.
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