There’s no doubt that New York City is a major hub for college basketball. One of the programs in New York City that is sometimes overlooked is the Columbia Lions. As an Ivy League program without much history of success, it’s common to find cheap Columbia basketball tickets. But the Lions are still an NYC team that literally plays on Broadway. The Lions have been around for more than a century and have the potential to rise to the top of the Ivy League in any given year. When the Lions have a strong performance, even if it's not frequent, Columbia basketball tickets start selling like hotcakes.

Once Upon a Time

Believe it or not, there was once a time when Columbia had a top-flight basketball program. Before the NCAA Tournament was used to determine the national champion, the Lions were retroactively named national champions in 1904, 1905, and 2010. Columbia basketball also made an Elite Eight appearance in 1948 and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1951 and 1968. However, for decades during the latter part of the 20th century and the early part of the 21st century, the Lions struggled to make any noise within the Ivy League, much less on a national stage.

Signs of Hope

Fortunately for the Lions, Columbia’s long string of losing seasons didn’t last forever. Head coach Kyle Smith provided hope for the Lions during the 2010s. In 2014, Smith led Columbia to third place in the Ivy League and the CIT quarterfinals. Two years later, the Lions became CIT champions, knocking off UC Irvine in the title game, giving Columbia its first-ever postseason tournament championship. It may not be the peak of college basketball success, but it was a huge stepping stone for the program and a sign that Columbia basketball can become something special.