Chris Sale to have his jersey retired by #DunkCity (formally known as Florida Gulf Coast University)

Dunk City (FGCU) to retire Chris Sale's jersey

By Mike Bertha

January 20, 2015

Before 2013, you probably hadn't heard of Florida Gulf Coast University. Since 2013, FGCU has been mostly known for this:

And this:

But now that the #DunkCity fever has subsided a bit, you shouldn't just associate them with Dick Vitale voiceovers. That's where Chris Sale comes in. The White Sox ace led the nation in strikeouts as a junior at FGCU in 2010 and earned National Player of the Year honors from Collegiate Baseball.

Three All-Star appearances, 44 wins, a 22.9 WAR mark and three seasons with Cy Young votes later and #DunkCity is ready to put Sale in the rafters, so to speak.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, Sale will become the first former student-athlete in FGCU history to have their number retired. The ceremony will take place at halftime of the FGCU men's basketball game against Northern Kentucky.

"For me it's kind of mind blowing to think about this," Sale said. "Coming here in 2007 doesn't seem like that long ago. You don't think this kind of stuff is going to happen when you're starting out or when you're going through it. But, what an honor, it's very humbling. It's something that I take with a lot of appreciation. I appreciate the fact that FGCU is doing this for me, it's really awesome. It's going to be a fun event and it's going to be something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. My son will be here, my family, my parents and my wife - it will be a fun experience for all of us."