Thursday proved to be a sad day for many college basketball fans as the sport lost its oldest and most special fan. Loyola University chaplain Sister Jean died at the age of 106. Sister Jean led a life of faith, service and basketball.
She was a sensation on the sidelines at March Madness. The basketball world respected and loved her intensity, attitude and passion for the game. She enjoyed sudden fame after the 2018 NCAA tournament. She was known for her motto – Worship, Work, Win.
44th U.S. President Barack Obama has always been an avid basketball fan. He shared an emotional message after Sister Jean’s death. Barack Obama took to X, and penned a heartfelt message.
March Madness won’t be the same without Sister Jean. Thinking about the Loyola University Chicago community and everyone who loved this remarkable woman. https://t.co/9O09E9zdMA
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 10, 2025
“March Madness won’t be the same without Sister Jean. Thinking about the Loyola University Chicago community and everyone who loved this remarkable woman,” Barack Obama posted. He reshared the report of Sister Jean’s death along with a somber embrace.
Fans also joined the Ex-POTUS in paying respects to the dearly departed.
“Legends like Sister Jean remind us that purpose and positivity never age. Her light reached far beyond basketball it inspired belief itself,” one user replied.
“Sister Jean was more than just a good-luck ritual—she was a legend embroidered into the very fabric of March Madness itself. Loyola-Chicago’s heart, the folks who worshipped her energy, the kids who glimpsed her smile before tipoff—they’re all feeling the weight now. The tourney loses a beacon, a soul, a walking miracle that reminded us every single tournament bracket has more than stats—it’s faith, grit, legacy. The game’s darker without her light,” one fan remembered Sister Jean fondly.
“College basketball keeps losing its authentic characters while chasing money. The sport feels increasingly corporate without figures like Sister Jean,” another said.
“Legends don’t retire, they ripple through those they inspired,” another fan commented.
What made Loyola Chicago’s Sister Jean so iconic?
Sister Jean became an international celebrity when Loyola University Chicago unexpectedly went on a Final Four run in 2018. She cheered from courtside in her special basketball outfit – a letterman jacket, a burgundy and yellow scarf and Nike kicks.
She served as Chaplain to the Loyola Chicago Ramblers. As Jean cheered for her school in the miraculous run, Michigan ended the Ramblers’ Cinderella run but Jean’s energy on the sideline won people’s hearts.
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