Athletics
Mount Carmel competes in the Chicago Catholic League (CCL). The school's forerunner, St. Cyril, was one of the eight founding members of the league in 1912, and Mount Carmel is one of five remaining charter members. Mount Carmel is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and teams are stylized as the Caravan.
Mount Carmel sponsors interscholastic athletic teams in: baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors ice hockey and rugby.
The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
- Basketball: 1984–85
- Football: 1980–81, 88–89, 89–90, 90–91, 91–92, 96–97, 98–99, 99–2000, 00–01, 02–03, 12-13
- Wrestling: 1991–92, 92–93, 93–94
Prior to the IHSA recognizing water polo, Mt. Carmel won the state championship sponsored by Illinois Water Polo in 1975.
The Ice Hockey club has amassed 5 state championships (1979, 86, 87, 88, 90) and a Catholic League record 20 Kennedy Cups.
The eleven state football championships, and the combined 14 top 2 finishes are both the second highest totals in Illinois history.
Mount Carmel's football team has won a record 13 Chicago Prep Bowl Championships in 1927, 1933, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1960, 1967, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1993, 2001 and 2011.
The 1932 game was not played when the Public League champion refused to play; Mount Carmel claims this as a forfeit championship. The school also claims a championship in 1939, though the game ended in a tie.
In 1908, the first ever basketball game played by DePaul University was a game against St. Cyril's on January 7, 1908.
In 1916, St. Cyril's and Hyde Park High School competed in the first ever dual boxing meet between Cook County schools.
In 1995, Mt. Carmel's wrestling team was in contention for its fourth consecutive state championship. After winning its regional tournament, the IHSA disqualified the team from further participation, claiming the team had violated the cap on tournament participation. Mt. Carmel filed suit in court, and a Cook County judge determined that the IHSA was following its rules arbitrarily, and ordered the Association to restore Mt. Carmel to the state tournament. An hour after the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on an IHSA appeal, and sided with Mt. Carmel, the IHSA suspended the dual team state tournament. The IHSA attempted to appeal to the original judge. When that failed, the tournament was cancelled.
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