[4] The Chieftains gained national attention in early 1952 when the basketball team defeated the Harlem Globetrotters.

The 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) twins led Seattle to the NIT in Madison Square Garden in 1952,[7] and then onto its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1953.

[8] Upon graduation, Eddie and Johnny opted for the diamond and played together in the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1953 to 1958.

[12] Seattle was led by consensus All-American and future NBA Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor of Washington, D.C., who was named most outstanding player of the tournament.

Notable basketball alums include Eddie Miles, Tom Workman, Rod Derline, and Clint Richardson, who won an NBA title with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983.

Tennis player Tom Gorman led SU before leading the USA Davis Cup teams in the 1970s.

Janet Hopps (tennis) and Pat Lesser (golf) were trailblazers in the advancement of women's sports in the 1950s competing nationally as a part of the men's teams.

[14] Two months later, SU voluntarily downgraded its athletic program from NCAA Division I to the small-college NAIA,[15][16][17] the Chieftains competed at this level for the next 21 years.

Under the leadership of university president Stephen Sundborg, SJ, Seattle changed its nickname from Chieftains to Redhawks in January 2000.