October wasn’t just about midterms and fall colors at Georgetown—it was also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Across the Hilltop, Georgetown’s athletic teams were “turning pink” more than any year yet.
This year, teams were finding their own creative ways to show solidarity, from bows to jerseys and foam fingers to fan prizes. The difference this year, coaches said, was the athletes’ passion behind it.
“The focus is not simply on wearing a pink jersey, but on really trying to draw attention to the fact that this horrible disease is not something they want their teammates, parents, siblings, etcetera to have to go through,” Al Lattell, executive director of Cooper Athletics Leadership Program, said. “They have the power as student-athletes to really move the needle in terms of drawing awareness.”
Georgetown women’s teams led the charge this fall, uniting across sports to turn their games into platforms for awareness.
Women’s golf repped pink bows during their October tournaments as a subtle but powerful show of unity, while Georgetown’s field hockey set the tone early in the month with pink jerseys at their Oct. 3 home game.
At Shaw Field, women’s soccer took things further on Oct. 22, wearing special pink and gray jerseys for their home game against Villanova.
“Our team and staff all know somebody—a friend or a family member—affected, and anything we can do to raise awareness can only help,” Dave Nolan, head coach of the women’s soccer team, said “It hits harder with a team of female athletes, so we appreciate all the support we can gather in this fight.”
Forward for the team, Jocelyn Lohmeyer (MSB ’28), described how the month prompted more reflection among teammates, including conversations in the locker room about family, loss, and gratitude that go far beyond the usual soccer talk.
“It is always a good reminder that we are playing for something bigger,” Lohmeyer said.
At McDonough Arena, women’s volleyball hosted a full-on pink out match on Oct. 25, complete with pink warm-up shirts, bows, and jerseys. Fans were encouraged to wear pink as a simple way to turn the stands into a sea of support.
Football fans haven’t been left out either. At their Oct. 4 home game, the first 150 fans won pink towels and foam fingers, while cheerleaders swapped their usual white bows for pink ones. Many players are keeping the momentum going all month with small-but-mighty acts of wearing pink cleats and gloves.
The swim and dive team (GUSD) has gone all-in this year, and not just in the pool. On Oct. 17, they competed in pink suits and caps for their annual Breast Cancer Awareness meet. Before that, on Oct. 15, they hit Red Square with one of the campus’s most beloved fundraisers: “Come Pie GUSD,” where they collected and donated $871 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
“Everyone was really excited to support a good cause,” Brendan Hodgens (CAS ’28), member of the swim and dive team said. “The chance to pie someone on the team definitely encouraged more students to donate.”
Some sports, like men’s basketball, are in the off-season in October. The Hoyas traditionally host a pink out during a regular season February game, where players and fans alike take on Capitol One Arena in pink jerseys.
For women’s basketball, Breast Cancer Awareness month carries especially deep meaning. The team dedicates its annual pink game in February to their last head coach, Tasha Butts, who passed away from breast cancer in 2023.
“It’s something that really brings us together,” said Brianna Scott (GRAD ’26), graduate student on the women’s basketball team. “We do community service for people who have cancer, and we try to give back to those still struggling.”
The team’s motto that season,“Tasha Tough,” has remained part of their identity.
“We said it after every huddle,” Scott said. “We wear pink jerseys, pink shoes, pink laces, and pink headbands.”
Across Georgetown, that same spirit has grounded Hoyas this October. For many athletes, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has become more than a campaign, but a moment to pause and appreciate teammates, family, and friends. In the rush of competition and classes, the flashes of pink around the Hilltop serve as reminders of gratitude and love.
“This support is all about honoring and remembering to love the people around you. You don’t know what could happen to them,” Scott said.
