Lehigh Mountain Hawks The Lehigh Mountain Hawks are the athletic teams representing Lehigh University in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania , United States . The Hawks participate in NCAA Division I competition as a member of the Patriot League . In football , Lehigh competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision ( FCS ) , still frequently known by its former designation of Division I - AA . Nickname , logo , and mascot . The athletic teams of Lehigh ( founded in 1865 ) were known as the Engineers until the 1995 - 1996 academic year . Some believe that this nickname was a reference to the Lehigh Valley Railroad , not to the school ' s academic engineering program . However , there was also a logo of a giant Lehigh Engineer looking through a surveyor ' s transit while an airliner flew over him and a diesel passenger train steamed beneath his feet in use at Lehigh during the 1950s and 60s . As the university expanded following the advent of coeducation in 1971 , while the number of engineering students remained steady , the percentage of students enrolled in engineering declined from 50 % to about 30 % . As a result , during the school ' s 1988 appearance in the men ' s NCAA basketball tournament , TV commentators were encouraged to refer to the school by its colors , Brown and White . Beginning in the 1980s and until 1995 , the team used a logo of a train locomotive with an " L " on the front . In November 1995 , the school introduced the Mountain Hawk as a mascot , replacing the " L train " , which stemmed from a popular , student - based movement to come up with a suitable mascot ; the Mountain Hawk was officially voted in as the new mascot by the Lehigh Student Senate soon after . Controversy arose the following year , when the school ' s nickname was changed to the Mountain Hawks . Many alumni and students , including various members of Lehigh ' s Marching 97 , still object , though the school ' s athletes were cited as being strong supporters of this change . The school still lists all three nicknames ( Engineers , Brown & White , and Mountain Hawks ) in its media guides . In November 2008 , just before the 144th game against Lafayette , the mascot was given the name " Clutch . " The name was chosen after a long contest of name suggestions and voting . Rivalries . Lehigh is especially known for its football rivalry with Lafayette College , the most frequently - played matchup in college football history . Baseball and softball . Lehigh has very successful programs in both baseball ( men ) and softball ( women ) , having won both Patriot League titles in 2006 and advancing to the NCAA playoffs . Basketball . Lehigh is also competitive in men ' s and women ' s basketball . Both teams play in Stabler Arena . The men ' s and women ' s teams both won the Patriot League championship in 2010 . The Men ' s team went on to the NCAA Tournament , losing in the first round to top - ranked University of Kansas . The Mountain Hawks men ' s basketball team is best known for its first - round game in the 2012 NCAA Men ' s Division I Basketball Tournament as a # 15 seed on March 16 , 2012 against the # 2 seed Duke Blue Devils . Despite being a heavy underdog , thanks to C . J . McCollum ' s 30 - point heroics , the Mountain Hawks pulled off the stunning upset , defeating the Blue Devils 75 - 70 and making it only the sixth time that a 15th seed has defeated a 2nd seed . Football . The varsity football team competes at the Division I FCS level . Lehigh is a highly respected FCS program with a rich tradition . Lehigh won the 1977 Division II National Championship by defeating Jacksonville State 33 - 0 in the Pioneer Bowl . The Engineers were 1979 1 - AA National Runners - up after falling to Eastern Kentucky in the title game . Lehigh has ten Patriot League championships , which is the most amongst league members . The program has also enjoyed seven FCS playoff appearances : 1980 , 1998 , 1999 , 2000 , 2001 , 2004 , 2010 and 2011 . Lehigh is also part of the most played rivalry in college football . The Mountain Hawks have met the Lafayette Leopards 148 times . Lafayette leads the all - time series 76 - 67 - 5 . The game is traditionally played on the Saturday before Thanksgiving . Football games are well - attended at Lehigh ' s Goodman Stadium which has been voted the best place to watch a Patriot League football game for the past six years . Tailgate parties are a big part of the experience , attracting many students and alumni who attend the games . Lacrosse . Lehigh ' s lacrosse team competes in the seven - team Patriot League . The Mountain Hawks have a strong tradition in lacrosse , though they have not appeared in any of the present NCAA championships since its formation in 1971 . Lehigh has accumulated seven national lacrosse titles under the former USILA national title format and strongly contributed to the growth of lacrosse in Pennsylvania . Soccer . Both the men ' s and women ' s soccer teams are highly competitive . The 2006 Men ' s team had a 15 - 2 - 3 overall record and became the first Patriot League team to go a perfect 7 - 0 in league play . They advanced to the third round of the NCAA play - offs before losing to the number - one seed . The women ' s team was Patriot League co - champion in 2005 and is coached by Manny Oudin . Wrestling . Lehigh ' s wrestling team competes in the EIWA ( The Patriot League does not sponsor wrestling ) . Lehigh has a strong tradition in wrestling , and often wins the league and places in the top 10 at the NCAA National Championships . Lehigh is considered one of the best private schools in the country for wrestling , having had 26 national NCAA individual champions and 121 All - American s . Its last national champion was Zach Rey . Lehigh alumni coach wrestling at many institutions , including Jason Kutz ( 1998 ) , head wrestling coach at East Stroudsburg University ; Chris Ayres ( 1999 ) , head wrestling coach at Princeton University ; Cory Cooperman ( 2006 ) , assistant wrestling coach at Rutgers University ; Troy Letters ( 2006 ) , and Derek Zinck ( 2006 ) , assistant wrestling coaches at Princeton University . In 2006 , the wrestling team marked its fifth straight EIWA championship . The current head coach is Pat Santoro and the team ' s home in Grace Hall is often referred to as " The Snakepit " .