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Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
With 10 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is in its 29th year of competition during the 2009-10 academic year.
The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, FordhamUniversity, Iona College,Manhattan College and Saint Peter’s College. Competition followed one year later in the fall of 1981 with members competing in the sports of men’s cross country and men’s soccer. On January 2, 1982, Army traveled to Iona for the first MAAC men’s basketball game and the MAAC story had begun.
Today, Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Loyola University Maryland, Manhattan College, Marist College, Niagara University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s College, and Siena College. In addition, associate members the University of Detroit Mercy, Mount St. Mary’s University, Saint Joseph’s University, Virginia Military Institute andWagner College compete inmen’s lacrosse. St. Francis (N.Y.) College, Villanova University andWagner College are all associate members of the MAACWomen’sWater Polo League. Drake University and Sacred Heart University compete in women’s rowing, while the University at Albany, Boston University and the University of Hartford begin competition in women’s golf this season. The MAAC will support 24 sports and championships during the 2009-10 academic year.
The MAAC Basketball Championships return to the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, for 2010, with Bridgeport’s Arena at Harbor Yard preparing to host the 2011 championship. By having an excellent working relationship with various facilities, the MAAC has been able to attract a number of NCAAChampionship events.Most recently, theMAAC, Canisius College and Niagara University successfully hosted the 2004 and 2007 NCAADivision I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. All three parties will host that event again in 2010. The MAAC and Rider University co-hosted the 2009 NCAA Division IWomen’s Basketball Championship Regional at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, N.J., after recording the third highest attendance figure for the women’s championship with the First and Second Rounds in 2006.
MAAC Associate Sports
In June of 1995, the MAAC continued to develop opportunities for student-athletes as the conference announced the formation of the MAAC Men’s andWomen’s Lacrosse Leagues. The men’s league began compe- tition in the spring of 1996, while the women’s league commenced in the spring of 1997. The men’s league consists of four MAAC schools – Canisius, Manhattan, Marist, and Siena – and five associate members – Detroit Mercy, Mount St. Mary’s, Saint Joseph’s, Virginia Military Institute andWagner. The women’s league consists of MAAC institutions Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Niagara and Siena.
In 2002, theMAAC added theMAACWomen’sWater Polo League. The league ismade up of threeMAAC schools – Iona,Marist and Siena – as well as three associatemem- bers, St. Francis (N.Y.), Villanova andWagner.
Sacred Heart started participating in MAACWomen’s Rowing in the spring of 2008. Drake University will also join the league for the 2010 MAAC Championship.
In the summer of 2009, the MAAC added three associate members – Albany, Boston University and Hartford – to women’s golf, with the pro- grams starting competition against MAAC members Fairfield, Niagara and Siena in 2009-10.
Academics and Athletics
The MAAC prides itself on the accomplishments of its student-athletes in the classroom, as well as on the field. Mary Beth Riley, a 1991 graduate of Canisius, was the first recipient of the NCAAWoman of the Year Award. In the fall of 1998, ErinWhalen, a member of the Iona women’s rowing team, was awarded one of the nation’s 32 Rhodes Scholarships for aca- demic achievement and civic leadership. Jose Vargas, a Loyola student, was also awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1999.
First-class facilities are the rule with MAAC schools, as teams regularly play in top-notch arenas, such as Madison Square Garden, the IZOD Center, HSBC Arena, Times Union Center, the Arena at Harbor Yard and Sovereign Bank Arena. The other MAAC championships boast their share of outstanding locales as well, such as the fabled Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, where the cross country championships are contested, and Waterfront Park in Trenton, home of the 2008 and 2009 MAAC Baseball Championship. This year, theMAAC will take its women’s soccer champion- ship to Orlando, Florida, where it will conduct its post-season champion- ships at Disney’sWideWorld of Sports Complex. In 2010, the MAAC Volleyball Championship will be atWalt DisneyWorld. The MAAC Men’s andWomen’s Golf Championships will be held at Celebration Golf Club, located in Celebration, Florida, for the second consecutive year.
In the past several years, a number of the MAAC schools have also enjoyed success in NCAA Championships. MAAC schools have made a total of 74 NIT appearances and 43 NCAA appearances. In addition, Rider represented the league last season in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The MAAC currently possesses 13 automatic bids to NCAA Championships in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and women’s water polo. In 2007, the Marist women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to the eventual National Champion, the University of Tennessee. Last fall, the Iona men’s cross country team earned a second-place finish for the second straight year at the NCAADivision I Cross Country Championships. Canisius softball, Manhattan track, Manhattan and Marist baseball and Loyola soccer and lacrosse have also flourished on the national stage.
The MAAC has also been a leader in the forefront of technology, expanding the notoriety of the league into cyberspace. In 2007, the league reached an agreement with JumpTV, Inc. to sponsor the MAAC web page. Launched in November 1999, www.maacsports.com has been a great success, provid- ing fans with up-to-date contest results, multimedia content and an online merchandise store.
The MAAC President for the 2009-10 academic year is Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J., the President of Loyola UniversityMaryland. The Vice-President is Rev. Jeffrey vonArx, S.J., the President of Fairfield University. Bob Byrnes, Director ofAthletics atManhattan College, will chair the Committee onAthleticAdministration, and
Elizabeth Donohue,AssistantAthletic Director/SeniorWoman
Administrator atMarist College will serve as Vice Chair.
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