The Chronology of the MAAC The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference continues to abide by the principles by which it was founded - quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics. During the last 31 years, the MAAC has certainly grown in stature athletically, becoming not only one of the most successful leagues in the East, but increasingly carving a very positive national reputation as well. These positive growth steps have all been accomplished while continuing to maintain its well-earned academic reputation. Following is a chronology of the MAAC from its formation in 1980 to the present: October, 1980 Fall, 1981 Wint./Spr., 1982 Spring, 1983 Fall, 1983 The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is founded. U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College, and Saint Peter s College are the charter members, and will begin competition in the fall of 1981. Jim McDermott is the MAAC Commissioner. The MAAC begins competition in Men s Cross-Country and Men s Soccer. The MAAC begins competition in Men s and Women s Basketball, Baseball, Men s Golf, and Men s Tennis. Both the Men s & Women s Basketball Tournaments are held at the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Fordham, Saint Peter s, and Iona are the first MAAC Men s Basketball teams to compete in post-season play in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Saint Peter s is the first MAAC women s basketball team to compete in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Iona is the first MAAC men s basketball team to win a post-season game, defeating St. Bonaventure in the first round of the NIT. Iona would then go on to fall to South Florida in the second round. LaSalle University and The College of the Holy Cross join the MAAC. The MAAC begins competition in three women s sports: Cross-Country, Tennis, and Volleyball. The MAAC now competes in 10 sports, 6 men s and 4 women s. February, 1984 The MAAC hosts its first Men s and Women s Swimming and Diving Championships. Spring, 1984 July, 1984 Spring, 1985 Spring, 1986 Spring, 1987 Softball is introduced as a MAAC sport for the first time. The MAAC receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Men s Basketball Tournament, where Iona is the first team to represent the MAAC. Don DiJulia becomes the second Commissioner of the MAAC. The women s basketball tournament leaves the Meadowlands and begins to rotate annually among each of the school s facilities. The MAAC receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Women s Basketball Tournament, and Holy Cross is the first team to represent the MAAC. The MAAC Men s Basketball Tournament Championship Game is televised on ESPN. This is the first telecast of what would become an annual event. The LaSalle Explorers defeat Villanova, Niagara, Illinois St., and Arkansas-Little Rock in the NIT before falling to So. Mississippi in the championship game, 84-80. Pete Harnisch of Fordham University earns MAAC Baseball Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive year and ECAC Pitcher of the Year. Harnisch is then drafted in the first round of Major League Baseball s amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
Spring, 1988 Summer, 1988 Fall, 1988 Spring, 1989 Fall, 1989 Spring, 1990 Fall, 1990 Wint./Spr., 1991 Wint./Spr., 1992 Fall, 1992 January, 1993 The MAAC sends two women s basketball teams to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever, as Fairfield wins the automatic bid and La Salle receives an at large bid. Richard Ensor becomes the third Commissioner of the MAAC, a post he continues to hold. The MAAC signs a television agreement with SportsChannel-NY. SportsChannel agrees to air eight men s basketball games during the 1988-89 season. LaSalle is the first MAAC team to participate in the Pre-season NIT. The Explorers would fall to Syracuse 92-76. The MAAC sends two women s basketball teams to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, as Holy Cross wins the automatic bid and La Salle receives an at large bid. La Salle defeats Connecticut, making them the first MAAC women s basketball team to win an NCAA Tournament game. Canisius College, Loyola College (Md.), Niagara University, and Siena College enter the MAAC to bring the total number of schools to 12, forming the largest conference in the nation at that time. The conference divides itself into two divisions, the North: Army, Canisius, Holy Cross, Fordham, Niagara, and Siena; and the South: Fairfield, Iona, La Salle, Loyola, Manhattan, and Saint Peter s. SportsChannel-NY announces that it will televise 13 men s basketball games during the 1989-90 season. The MAAC Men s Basketball Tournament moves to Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York. Almost 40,000 fans pack the Knick for the three day event. La Salle is the first MAAC team to advance in the NCAA Men s Tournament by defeating So. Mississippi. The Explorers, however, lost in the second round to Clemson, 79-75. Lionel Simmons of La Salle, who is named the consensus College Basketball Player of the Year, is selected by the Sacramento Kings as the seventh pick in the NBA Draft. Le Moyne College joins the MAAC as an associate member in the sport of baseball. SportsChannel agrees to air 12 MAAC Men s Basketball games in the upcoming 1990-91 season. Canisius distance runner Mary Beth Riley is presented the first-ever Hanes Her Way NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The women s basketball tournament is moved to Knickerbocker Arena, joining the men s tournament. The Marine Midland Bank/MAAC Men s and Women s Basketball Tournament enjoys a successful debut with both the men s and women s championship games being aired on television. The MAAC and SportsChannel increase their number of television games to 16, including televising the women s championship game, a MAAC first. Randy Woods of La Salle is selected by the L.A. Clippers in the first round of the NBA Draft. The MAAC, now consisting of eight full-time members: Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Loyola, Manhattan, Niagara, St. Peter s, and Siena, and one associate member: Le Moyne, adds Women s Soccer to the growing number of sports which it sponsors. The MAAC now sponsors 14 sports: seven men s and seven women s. The MAAC announces the formation of the MAAC Football League which will begin play in the fall of 1993. The newest I-AA football conference consists of Canisius,
Iona, Saint Peter s, and Siena, as well as two new associate members Georgetown University and St. John s University. Wint./Spr., 1993 The MAAC and SportsChannel increase their television package to 17 games, including three women s games (tournament semi-finals and finals). The MAAC announces that Duquesne University and Marist College will become associate members and participate in the MAAC Football League s 1994 season. Fall, 1993 Iona wins the MAAC Football League Championship by going undefeated in league play (5-0), and hosts the inaugural ECAC Intercollegiate Football Conference I-AA Bowl, where they would fall to Wagner. Loyola captures the MAAC s first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Men s Soccer Tournament. The Greyhounds would go on to defeat James Madison, 1-0, before losing to eventual national champion, Virginia, 2-1. Anthony Russo of St. John s earns the prestigious National Football Foundation post-graduate scholarship. Russo, who finished as the third leading rusher in NCAA history, also earns first-team honors on the GTE Academic All-American team. Wint./Spr., 1994 The MAAC and SportsChannel increase their television package to 19 games, including five women s games (two regular season, tournament semis and final). The MAAC sends four teams to the post season. Loyola qualifies for the NCAA Tournament, while Canisius, Manhattan, and Siena compete in the NIT. Siena advances to the NIT semifinals, followed by record-breaking attendance, packing Madison Square Garden. The Saints lost to Villanova, but defeated Kansas St. in consolation game. Doremus Bennerman is awarded the 1994 NIT MVP award after scoring a record 53 points in Madison Square Garden. The first Key Bank MAAC Baseball Tournament is held in Heritage Park in Colonie, NY. The MAAC begins the NCAA play-in format for baseball and softball. The MAAC champion plays another conference s champion to determine who receives a bid to the NCAA Championships. Canisius softball team defeats UNC-Greensboro in the NCAA play-in to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Griffins would then lose to Arizona, defeat Rutgers in the losers bracket, then finally be eliminated by Texas A&M. Saint Peter s is defeated by Atlantic 10 Champion West Virginia in the baseball playin. Fall, 1994 Wint./Spr., 1995 The MAAC signs a television contract to air 8 football games over the 1994 season. The MAAC Football League Television Network consists of: WLIG TV-55 (Long Island), KBL Sports Network (Pittsburgh), Cable TV of Jersey City (Jersey City), Empire Sports Network (Buffalo), Home Team Sports (Washington D.C.), and WTZA Channel 62 (Poughkeepsie). Pepsi-Cola signs on as the title sponsor of the MAAC Football League. MAAC Football hits nation-wide television as Duquesne and Iona battle on Halloween night on ESPN2 in what would be called The Ghoul Bowl. Marist wins the MAAC Football League in their first year of play, while St. John s is the first MAAC team to win the ECAC Intercollegiate Football Conference I-AA Bowl by defeating Wagner, 34-14. The MAAC begins the NCAA play-in format for women s volleyball and men s soccer. The MAAC champion will play another conference s champion to determine who will receive a bid for the NCAA championship. Siena represents the MAAC in the volleyball play-in, losing to Princeton. Loyola falls to eventual Final Four participant Rutgers in the soccer play-in. The MAAC continues to increase its television exposure with 19 games on SportsChannel, including five women s games (two regular season).
The MAAC and Siena College host the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, NY. MAAC Tournament Champion. Saint Peter s is sent to the East Region, where droves of fans pack the Knick to show their support. The NCAA Basketball Selection Committee shocks the country by selecting MAAC regular-season champion, Manhattan, as a #13 seed in the Southeast Region. Manhattan becomes the first MAAC team to receive an at-large bid. Manhattan would go on to defeat Oklahoma in the first round before falling to Arizona State. Canisius defeats Seton Hall, Bradley, and Washington State en route to an NIT Final Four appearance. The Griffs fell to Virginia Tech and then to Penn St. in the consolation game. The MAAC and Host Communications, Inc. (HOST) sign a multi-year representation agreement for marketing and television efforts. Fairfield and Siena play in the first MAAC Women s Lacrosse game. Fairfield would win the game, 13-12. Canisius falls to UMass in softball play-in series, while Siena falls to the Minutemen in the baseball play-in. Fairfield announces that it will begin competition in the MAAC Football League in the fall of 1996. Summer, 1995 Fall, 1995 Wint/Spr., 1996 The MAAC announces the formation of the MAAC Men s and Women s Lacrosse Leagues. The men s league, which begins play in the spring of 1996, consists of five MAAC member schools: Canisius, Fairfield, Manhattan, Niagara, Siena, and associate members Marist College, Mount St. Mary s College, and Providence College. The women s league, which begins play in 1997, consists of the same MAAC member schools, and associate members Marist and Mount St. Mary s. MAAC announces that Marist College and Rider University will join the conference as full-time members, no later than the 1997-98 academic year. MAAC unveils new logo for the first time in 15 years. The three-color design, created by the MAAC with assistance from HOST, provides a more contemporary look. MAAC signs three-year agreements with Madison Square Garden Network and Empire Sports Network to televise MAAC basketball. The deal more than doubles the number of households that can now see MAAC basketball. MAAC earns an unprecedented eight appearances on ESPN and ESPN2. Included among those will be the women s championship game, which will be televised nationally for the first time on ESPN2. Pepsi-Cola signs on as title sponsor of MAAC Basketball television package. MAAC signs three-year deal with Spalding Sports Worldwide, making Spalding the official ball of the Conference. Loyola wins its seventh consecutive MAAC men s soccer title, but falls to Lafayette in double overtime of play-in match. Siena captures its third consecutive MAAC regular-season title and MAAC Volleyball Championship and defeats Colgate of the Patriot League in an NCAA Play-In to advance to the NCAA Women s Volleyball Tournament, where the Saints fall to Georgia Tech. MAAC announces the addition of men s and women s indoor track and men s and women s rowing as conference sponsored sports, increasing the number of MAAC sports to a record-high of 21. MAAC sends four teams to post-season play in men s basketball as Canisius falls to Utah in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, while Fairfield, Iona and Manhattan all earn NIT bids. The Manhattan women s team falls to Virginia in the opening round of the NCAA Women s Basketball Tournament. Fairfield captures the inaugural MAAC Men s Lacrosse League Title with a 7-0 mark in league play.
Canisius falls to Princeton in the softball play-in series, while Siena falls to Bucknell in the baseball play-in. MAAC announces that Duquesne and Wagner College will compete as associate members in the MAAC Women s Lacrosse League beginning in 1997. MAAC selects Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, NY and Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, NY as the sites for the Marine Midland MAAC Men s and Women s Basketball Tournaments. Buffalo and Albany will host the tournaments on an annual rotation basis for a six-year span beginning with Buffalo in 1997 and Albany in 1998. St. Joseph s University (PA) is granted admission to the MAAC Men s Lacrosse League for the 1997 season, increasing the league to nine members. Summer, 1996 Fall, 1996 Winter, 1997 Spring, 1997 Fall, 1997 Conference signs five-year deal with Citizens Telecom to become the official long distance and telecommunications company of the MAAC. Fairfield becomes a member of the MAAC Football League, bringing the total number of teams to nine. Loyola captures its eighth straight MAAC men s soccer championship, but loses, 3-2 to Fordham in the NCAA play-in game. Siena wins its fourth consecutive MAAC volleyball title, but falls to Hofstra in the NCAA play-in round. The MAAC, along with Canisius and Niagara, were selected by the NCAA Division I Men s Basketball Committee to serve as hosts for the First and Second rounds of the 2000 NCAA Tournament at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo. Fairfield University s men s basketball team becomes the first eighth seed to win the MAAC Tournament championship. The Stags then give top seed North Carolina all it could handle in the first round of the NCAA East Regional before falling to the Tar Heels. Saint Peter s women s team becomes the first team to go unbeaten in the MAAC since the adoption of the home-and-home round-robin schedule en route to their seventh MAAC Tournament crown. Manhattan College sweeps both the men s and women s crowns as the MAAC Indoor Track and Field Championship is conducted for the first time in six years. The MAAC is one of 26 conferences selected to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women s Volleyball Championship. Marist College wins both the men s and women s titles at the inaugural MAAC Rowing Championships held at Orchard Beach Lagoon in Bronx, NY. MAAC announces that Quinnipiac College will join the Men s Lacrosse League for the 1999 season. MAAC adds Outdoor Track and Field to its schedule of championships for the 1997-98 academic year. The addition brings the total number of sports sponsored by the league to 23. The formation of the MAAC Hockey League is announced at a press conference in Hartford in September. The new league, the fifth in NCAA Division I, will begin play in the 1998-99 season and will feature three MAAC members Canisius College, Fairfield University and Iona College as well as Connecticut schools, Quinnipiac College, University of Connecticut, Sacred Heart University, American International College and the College of Holy Cross. Fairfield s women s soccer team becomes the first MAAC school to earn a berth in the NCAA Women s Soccer Championship. The Stags, who lost to third-seeded UConn in the first round, defeated Central Connecticut, 2-1in the NCAA Play-In match to gain the spot. Rider, competing in its first-ever MAAC season ends the eight-year reign of Loyola by winning the men s soccer championship with a 2-0 win over the Greyhounds in the title game. The Broncs then become the first MAAC team to win an NCAA Play-In
game by knocking off Atlantic 10 champion Dayton, 3-1. Rider lost to #3 seed SMU, 1-0 in the first round. Iona s men s cross country team finished 13th at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. MAAC individual champion Sean Lynch of Manhattan also competes in the meet. Fairfield becomes the second MAAC school to compete in the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship. The Stags, who snapped Siena s four-year stranglehold on the title, earned the conference s automatic berth in to the tournament before falling to Ohio State in the opening round. Winter, 1998 Spring, 1998 Summer, 1998 Fall, 1998 The Marine Midland MAAC Basketball Tournament returns to Albany where a new tournament attendance record is set as 46,652 pack the Pepsi Arena during the fiveday event. Also set were new men s and women s championship game marks as 3,889 watch as Fairfield defeats Loyola for the women s crown. The next evening, 10,667 spectators look on as Iona knocks off local favorite Siena in the men s title contest. The MAAC moves the site of it baseball championship to Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY where Le Moyne captures the conference crown with a 9-1 victory over Marist College in a rain-shortened event. Niagara University captures its first-ever women s conference title by defeating Canisius, 2-1 in the MAAC Softball Championship. The Purple Eagles would go on to defeat Northeast Conference champion Robert Morris in the NCAA best-of-three playin series to advance to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship becoming just the second MAAC team to reach the NCAA Tournament. Niagara would fall to two-time defending national champion Arizona and Hawaii. The MAAC announces that it will conduct its 1998 Volleyball Championship at the beautiful, state-of-the-art, Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The tournament bracket is expanded to 10 teams for the first time in league history. MAAC basketball goes global as an All-Star men s team tours Japan during an eight-game exhibition in July. The team travels to six cities over a 14-day period which includes Fukuoka, Kobe, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Fukui. The list of hosting NCAA events grows by two for the MAAC as the NCAA Competition Committee approves the recommendation for the league to host the 2002 Division I Wrestling Championships along with Rider and Siena. The MAAC, together with Iona and Manhattan, is chosen to host the 1998 NCAA Division I Cross Country East Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, NY. MAAC expansion continues as La Salle University and Le Moyne College join the MAAC Football and Women s Lacrosse Leagues, respectively, for the 1999 season. Also, the MAAC Hockey League announces that it will become a 10-team conference for the 1999-2000 season with the addition of Bentley College and Mercyhurst College. The MAAC is awarded NCAA automatic bids for baseball, women s soccer and men s and women s tennis. The MAAC renews its television agreement with Madison Square Garden Network and signs a renewal agreement with ESPN, which will carry the men s basketball championship games through the year 2002. Erin Whalen, an Iona College senior and member of the women s rowing team, was awarded one of the nation s 32 Rhodes Scholarships for academic achievement and civic leadership, becoming both Iona s and the MAAC s first recipient of the prestigious award. Jose Vargas, a Loyola student, is also awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. In only its third season of varsity action, the Fairfield football team captures its first MAAC Football League title with a 6-1 record. Two seasons ago the Stags entered the MAAC Football League after a 1-8 season.
Quinnipiac and Iona face off in the first-ever MAAC Hockey League game in Quinnipiac s Q-Cup Tournament. The Braves post a 5-1 win over the Gaels. The MAAC, along with Siena College, was recommended to host the NCAA Men s Basketball Tournament East Regional in 2003. The event, when approved by the NCAA Championship Cabinet, will be held at Albany s Pepsi Arena. The MAAC hosts its volleyball championship at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex and Fairfield wins the title. Winter, 1999 Spring, 1999 Summer, 1999 Fall, 1999 The Marine Midland MAAC Basketball Tournament returns to Buffalo for the second time. A new attendance record is set during the women s championship game as 4,447 were present to witness Saint Peter s defeat Siena for the crown. Siena upends Saint Peter s for the men s crown. Siena becomes the first MAAC team to participate in the Women s NIT. The Saints defeat Georgetown in the first round played at the Pepsi Arena. Siena falls to Wisconsin in the second round. Holy Cross wins the inaugural MAAC Hockey Championship before a sell-out crowd at the Hart Center in Worchester, Massachusetts. The MAAC Baseball Championship returns to Dutchess Stadium and Siena defeats Rider for the championship crown. The Manhattan softball team wins the MAAC Softball Championship at Marist. It is the first time that a No. 4 seed has won the championship. The Jaspers fall to UMass and LIU-Brooklyn in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament. The MAAC announces that its 1999 Men s Soccer and 2000 Men s and Women s Golf Championship will be held at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The MAAC announces the expansion of its partnership with broadcast.com, which will cybercast 150 basketball games (90 men, 50 women and 10 tournament) and 17 hockey games. The MAAC hosts its men s soccer championship at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex. Fairfield wins their first-ever MAAC Championship title, but falls to Illinois- Chicago, 1-0, in the NCAA Play-In game. The Fairfield women s soccer and volleyball teams each win their third consecutive MAAC Championship. The women s soccer team loses to Boston College, 4-1, in the first round of the NCAA s and the volleyball team falls to Michigan in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Iona men s cross country team places ninth at the NCAA Championships, and junior Vinny Mulvey finishes in 23rd place to earn All-America honors. In November, the MAAC debuts its new website www.maacsports.com hosted by TotalSports. Winter, 2000 The HSBC MAAC Basketball Tournament returns to Albany and Iona defeats No. 1 seed Siena for the men s crown. Iona advances to the NCAA Tournament and Siena receives an NIT bid. On the women s side, Saint Peter s wins their second consecutive MAAC championship. Fairfield is invited to play in the Women s NIT. The University of Connecticut hosts the Easton/MAAC Hockey Championship in Storrs, CT. UConn defeats Iona in the championship game to claim their first-ever MAAC Championship before a sell-out crowd at UConn s Ice Arena. Spring, 2000 The MAAC sponsors the inaugural Men s and Women s Lacrosse Championship at Fairfield University. MAAC Associate member St. Joseph s University wins the men s crown and Manhattan College claims the women s championship.
The MAAC men s and women s golf championship is held at Disney s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. The Iona men win their first-ever MAAC crown and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Marist College captures the MAAC Baseball Championship with an 11-5 victory over Fairfield in a rain-shortened event. The Red Foxes defeat McNeese State for their first-ever NCAA Regional win, but they are eliminated following their 8-7 loss to East Carolina in 11 innings. Canisius College claims the MAAC Softball Championship and advances to the NCAA Tournament. The Griffs snag a 3-2 victory over Bethune-Cookman before being eliminated from the Tournament with a 2-1 loss to Iowa. Summer, 2000 Fall, 2000 Winter, 2001 Spring, 2001 Summer, 2001 Fall, 2001 The MAAC Ice Hockey League is recommended to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Championship by the NCAA Division I Men s Ice Hockey Committee. The MAAC Conference will be the fifth conference to receive an automatic bid, when approved by the NCAA Championships Cabinet. The MAAC hosts its men s and women s cross country championship at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex. Iona wins their 15th MAAC Men s Championship title, while Marist wins the women s crown. The MAAC, along with member schools Iona and Manhattan, host the 2000 NCAA Division I Men s and Women s Northeast Cross Country Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, NY. The Gaels men s cross country team places second in the event, and senior Vinny Mulvey finishing in fifth place. Iona wins their second consecutive men s basketball title in the 2001 HSBC MAAC Basketball Tournament in Buffalo. Iona advances to the NCAA Tournament and falls to Mississippi, by just two points, 72-70. On the women s side, Siena wins their firstever MAAC championship. Fairfield receives an automatic bid, the league s third one in 20 years. Mercyhurst wins the 2001 Easton/MAAC Hockey Championship in Storrs, CT and earns the conference s first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Championship Cabinet approved the recommendation that the MAAC, along with Siena College, to host the NCAA Men s Basketball Tournament East Regional in 2003. The MAAC, along with Canisius and Niagara, were also approved to host the NCAA Men s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds in 2004. The MAAC men s and women s golf championships are held at Disney s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. The Iona men win their second straight MAAC crown and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Saint Peter s College claims the MAAC Softball Championship and advances to the NCAA Tournament. Marist College wins all three MAAC Commissioner s Cups, the third school to win all three honors in conference history. The MAAC named the sites for future MAAC Basketball Tournaments to be the Sovereign Bank Arena in 2003, the Pepsi Arena in 2004 and the HSBC Arena in 2005. The MAAC renews its television agreement with Madison Square Garden Network, with MSG televising 22 league contests, including men s basketball, women s basketball and ice hockey through the 2003-2004 season. The MAAC hosts its women s soccer championship at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex. Loyola wins its fifth MAAC Championship title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Loyola wins its eighth MAAC Men s Soccer Championship title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Greyhounds advance to the Sweet 16.
Fairfield wins its fifth consecutive MAAC Volleyball Championship title and represents the MAAC in the NCAA Tournament. Winter, 2002 Spring, 2002 Siena, the seventh seed, wins four straight game to capture the men s basketball title in the 2002 HSBC MAAC Basketball Tournament in Albany. The Saints won the NCAA Opening Round Game with an 81-77 victory over Alcorn State. Siena then became the 16 seed in the East but lost to eventual national champion Maryland, 85-70. On the women s side, Saint Peter s wins the MAAC championship. Siena is invited to play in the Women s NIT. The MAAC men s and women s golf championships are held at Disney s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. The Iona men win their third straight MAAC crown and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Siena claims the women s championship for the second consecutive year. The Manhattan men s lacrosse program and the Le Moyne women s lacrosse program both won the 2002 MAAC Championship and earned the conference s first automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Marist wins its third straight MAAC Baseball Tournament and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Summer, 2002 The MAAC adds women s water polo, giving the conference a league-record 26 sports. Fall, 2002 Winter, 2003 Spring, 2003 Fall, 2003 The MAAC hosts its volleyball championship at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex for the second time. Manhattan wins its first MAAC Championship title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Iona wins its 12th straight MAAC men s cross country championships title while Manhattan claims the women s crown. The MAAC, Iona and Manhattan also host the 2002 NCAA Division I Northeast Cross Country Regional at Van Cortlandt Park. Fairfield and Siena both earn spots in the National Invitation Tournament, with the Saints picking up victories over Villanova and Western Michigan before falling to Alabama-Birmingham in the round of 16. The Siena women s basketball program defeated Seton Hall in the first round of the WNIT, before falling to Creighton in the second round. The MAAC and Siena College co-host the 2003 NCAA Division I Men s Basketball East Regional at Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY. The MAAC, Canisius College and Niagara University co-host the 2003 NCAA Division I Men s Frozen Four at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY. The MAAC men s and women s golf championships are held at Disney s Magnolia Golf Course. The Loyola men win its sixth MAAC crown and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Siena claims the women s championship for the third consecutive year. The Mount St. Mary s men s lacrosse program and the Le Moyne women s lacrosse program both won the 2003 MAAC Championship and earned the conference s automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Rider wins its first MAAC Softball Championship and advances to the NCAA Tournament. The MAAC hosts its men s soccer championship at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex. Saint Peter s wins its first-ever MAAC Championship title, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Iona men s cross country team finishes fourth at the NCAA Championships. It is the highest team finish for the Gaels in program history and the highest finish by any Iona team at a national championship event.
Winter, 2004 Spring, 2004 Summer, 2004 Fall, 2004 Winter, 2005 Spring, 2005 Summer, 2005 Fall, 2005 Manhattan wins its second consecutive MAAC men s basketball championship title. The Jaspers defeated Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Wake Forest in the second round. Niagara earns a spot in the National Invitation Tournament, with the Purple Eagles picking up a victory over Troy State before falling to Nebraska. The Marist women s basketball program took home its first-ever women s basketball championship title. The MAAC, Canisius and Niagara co-host the 2004 NCAA Division I Men s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY. The MAAC men s and women s golf championships are held at Disney s Magnolia Golf Course. The Loyola men win its seventh overall MAAC crown and receive a berth to the NCAA Tournament. Siena claims the women s championship for the fourth straight season. The Providence men s lacrosse program and the Manhattan women s lacrosse program both won the MAAC Championship and earned the conference s automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Luis Flores of Manhattan is drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round (55 th overall) of the NBA Draft. The MAAC named the sites for future MAAC Basketball Tournaments to be Pepsi Arena in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and the Arena at Harbor Yard in 2007. The NCAA named the MAAC and Rider as co-hosts for the one of the first and second round sites for the 2006 NCAA Division I Women s Basketball Championship. The MAAC, along with Canisius and Niagara, were also approved to host the 2007 NCAA Division I Men s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds. The MAAC hosts its cross country championships at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex for the second time. The Iona men s program wins its 14 th consecutive MAAC title, and then finishes ninth at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship. Marist wins the women s race. Iona wins its first MAAC Volleyball Championship, and earns the league s automatic bid to the NCAAs. Niagara wins the MAAC men s basketball championship title, and the Purple Eagles make their first appearance in the NCAA Championship in 35 years. The Canisius women s basketball program took home its first-ever women s basketball championship title. The MAAC men s and women s golf championships are held at Disney s Palm Golf Course. The Loyola men win its eighth overall MAAC crown and receive a berth to the NCAA Championship. Siena claims the women s championship for the fifth consecutive season. Deng Gai of Fairfield signs a rookie free agent contract to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. The MAAC sponsors a men s basketball All-Star Tour to China. Twelve studentathletes from the 10 member institutions represented the league in seven games over two weeks. The Iona men s and women programs captures the 2005 MAAC Men s and Women s Cross Country Championships at Van Cortlandt Park. The men won their 15 th consecutive MAAC Cross Country Championship and their 19 th overall.
Fairfield wins the 2005 JetBlue Airways MAAC Women s Soccer Championship at Disney s Wide World of Sports Complex. The win gave the fifth-seeded Stags their sixth overall league title and first since 1999. Siena wins its first MAAC Volleyball Championship since 1996, and earns the league s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Winter, 2006 Spring, 2006 Summer, 2006 Fall, 2006 Winter, 2007 Summer, 2007 Fall, 2007 Winter, 2008 Iona wins the MAAC men s basketball championship title, the Gaels seventh league title in school history and first since 2001. The Maroon and Gold play Final Four contender LSU in the first round of the NCAA Championship. Marist earns its second women s basketball league title in three years. The Red Foxes take on Georgia in the first round of the NCAAs. Marist wins its first-ever MAAC Softball Championship and advances to the NCAA Championship. Manhattan takes home its first MAAC Baseball Championship title. With the win, the Jaspers advance to their first NCAA Regional since 1957. The NCAA names the HSBC Arena will be one of the sites for the first and second round sites of the 2010 NCAA Division I Men s Basketball Championship. The MAAC, Canisius and Niagara will serve as hosts for the event. The NCAA recommends that the Sovereign Bank Arena serve as one of the regional sites for the 2009 NCAA Division I Women s Basketball Championship. The MAAC and Rider will serve as co-hosts for the event. The MAAC Men s and Women s Soccer Championships were held conjointly at Fairfield, with both championship games on ESPNU. Niagara took home the women s title, while the Stags earned the men s title. Marist earns its third women s basketball league title in four years. The Red Foxes became the first women s program in league history to advance to the Sweet 16, falling to eventual National Champion Tennessee. Niagara wins the MAAC men s basketball championship title, the Purple Eagles second league title in school history in three years. Jared Jordan of Marist was selected 45 th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2007 NBA Draft. Jordan is later traded to the New York Knicks. The Iona men s cross country earned a second-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championship, the highest finish at the national championship by an Iona College athletic program. The MAAC earned two bids to the 2007 NCAA Men s College Cup, with Loyola using the league s automatic bid and Saint Peter s earning an at-large bid. The Greyhounds advanced to the second round before falling to the University of Maryland, 0-0 (4-2 on penalty kicks). The MAAC Volleyball Championship was televised for the first time on ESPNU. Siena defeated Fairfield, 3-2, to win its third consecutive league title and seventh in school history. Marist claimed its fourth women s basketball league title in five years. The Red Foxes, ranked 22 in the nation, earned a seven seed in the New Orleans Region of the 2008 NCAA Division I Women s Basketball Championship. Siena won its third MAAC men s basketball championship title. The Saints, a 13 th seed in the Midwest, earned an 83-62 victory over #4 Vanderbilt University. Rider received a bid to the inaugural College Basketball Invitational. The Broncs lost in the first round to Old Dominion University, 68-65.
Spring, 2008 Summer, 2008 Fall, 2008 Winter, 2009 Spring, 2009 Summer, 2009 Fall, 2009 Canisius qualified for the NCAA Men s Lacrosse Championship for the first time in school history with a 14-5 victory over Virginia Military Institute in the MAAC Championship. The Griffs faced No. 3 Syracuse University in the first round live on ESPNU, the first nationally televised game in program history. Canisius, the 2008 MAAC Softball Champion, defeated Long Island University, 3-2, in the first elimination game of the 2008 NCAA Regional in Hempstead, N.Y. The victory marked the Griffs fifth NCAA win in school history and first since 2000. Rider won its first MAAC baseball title and a trip to the NCAA Championship. The Broncs took on No. 5 national seed and host Cal State Fullerton in the first round, live on ESPNU. Jason Thompson of Rider was selected 12 th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2008 NBA Draft. Senior Andrew Ledwith finished third overall in leading Iona to a second-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championships. The Maroon & Gold earned runnerup status at nationals for the second straight year while earning a podium position for the fourth straight year. The MAAC once again earned two spots in the NCAA Men s College Cup, as Fairfield captured the league s automatic bid while Loyola claimed the No. 9 seed as an at-large team. Loyola men s soccer players Tennant McVea and Milos Kocic were named NSCAA All-Americans, becoming the first Loyola players in 14 seasons to garner the prestigious honor. McVea was named to the first team, while Kocic earned secondteam recognition. The MAAC set a new attendance record of 50,820 for the 2009 Citizens Bank MAAC Men s and Women s Basketball Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. The Marist women s basketball team was given the 12 th seed in the Trenton regional of the 2009 NCAA Division I Women s Basketball Championship. Marist s Rachele Fitz was named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press, the first Red Fox to earn this honor. Siena was awarded the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region of the 2009 NCAA Division I Men s Basketball Championship and eliminated eighth-seeded Ohio State in a 74-72 double overtime victory in the first round in Dayton. Siena s Kenny Hasbrouck was named to The Associated Press All-America honorable mention team, becoming the first Siena player to make AP All-America since Marc Brown in 1991 and just the third in the program s Division I history. The Fairfield University women s lacrosse team earned its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament with a 16-10 win over Sacred Heart University in the NCAA Play-In Game on Lessing Field. Siena freshman Dan Paolini was one of eight second baseman in the nation selected to the prestigious Louisville Slugger s Freshmen All-American Team. The MAAC announces the addition of the University of Detroit Mercy to the MAAC Men s Lacrosse league, starting competition in the 2009-2010 season. The MAAC added three associate members the University at Albany, Boston University and the University of Hartford to women s golf, with the programs starting competition in 2009-2010. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announces the addition of Drake University to the MAAC Women s Rowing league, starting competition in the 2009-2010 season. Niagara wins its first-ever MAAC Volleyball Championship title and a berth into the NCAA Championship.
Winter, 2009 Spring, 2010 Summer, 2010 Fall, 2010 Winter, 2010 The MAAC named the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., as the site for the 2012-2014 MAAC Basketball Championships. The MAAC set a new attendance record of 53,569 for the 2010 Citizens Bank MAAC Men s and Women s Basketball Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. Marist claims its fifth straight MAAC Women s Basketball Championship. Iona advances to the WNIT, while Fairfield earns a spot in the inaugural Women s Basketball Invitational. Siena wins third consecutive MAAC Men s Basketball Championship title with a 72-65 overtime victory over Fairfield. Fairfield advances to the quarterfinals of the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The MAAC Women s Golf Championship fields six teams for the first time. Siena wins its 10th straight title. The Iona softball team earns its first berth in the NCAA Championship after winning its first MAAC title since 1985. The MAAC announces the addition of the Jacksonville University to the MAAC Men s Lacrosse league, starting competition in the 2010-2011 season. The MAAC announces the addition of Robert Morris University to the MAAC Women s Rowing league, starting competition in the 2010-2011 season. The MAAC utilizes the new Broadcast Center at the rebranded ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World to broadcast the semifinal and final matches of the 2010 MAAC Volleyball Championship to a national audience on ESPN3. The MAAC begins its partnership with TicketLeap through the 2012-2013 season to sell tickets to eight league championships. The MAAC Swimming and Diving Championships at the Burt Flickinger Center at Erie Community College in Buffalo, New York was the first championship to use TicketLeap to sell tickets for the three-day event. The MAAC announces the launch of the league s iphone app, which will bring users instant updates from MAACSports.com. The free download app, available exclusively through the iphone App Store, provides news, scores, standings and schedules. No. 19 Marist clinches an NCAA tournament bid for the sixth straight season with a 63-45 victory over Loyola in the title game of the 2011 Spark Energy MAAC Women s Basketball Championship. The Red Foxes extend their nation-best winning streak to 26 games by winning the MAAC title for the sixth consecutive year. Marist earns a 10 seed in the NCAAs and defeats Iowa State in the first round before falling short of upsetting second-seeded Duke in the second round. Saint Peter s earns its first MAAC title since 1995 with a 62-57 victory over Iona in the title game of the 2011 Spark Energy MAAC Men s Basketball Championship. The Peacocks secure the school s first NCAA Tournament berth in 16 years. Saint Peter s Lovro Bilonic becomes the first male swimmer in MAAC history to swim at the NCAA Championships. Bilonic, who qualified in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke, goes on to win a heat in the 200 breast with a time of 1:56.99. Iona s Leonard Korir wins the 2011 NCAA Men s Indoor Track and Field 5,000- meter national championship, becoming the first national champion in Iona athletics history. Loyola earns a bid in the Women s NIT and picks up a first-round win over Old Dominion. The Greyhounds exit in the second round following their loss against Virginia. Manhattan is selected to play in the Women s Basketball Invitational, earning the No. 5 seed in the East region. The Lady Jaspers reach the WBI semifinals with wins over Sacred Heart and Wright State.
Fairfield earns a spot in the National Invitational Tournament, picking up a first round victory at Colorado State. Both Iona and Rider are chosen to play in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The Gaels advance to the CIT Final, hosting Santa Clara at the Hynes Athletics Center. Spring, 2011 Summer, 2011 Fall, 2011 Winter, 2011 Spring, 2012 Summer, 2012 Fall, 2012 Canisius wins its first league title in program history with its 13-8 victory over Fairfield in the 2011 MAAC Women s Lacrosse Championship. Iona s Leonard Korir wins his second NCAA National Championship of the 2010-11 school year with a first-place finish in the 10,000-meter run at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The MAAC announces the addition of VMI to the MAAC Women s Water Polo league, starting competition in the 2011-2012 season. The MAAC and ESPN announce a six-year rights agreement extension for enhanced coverage of MAAC men's and women's basketball across multiple national platforms. In total, the deal features a record 80 national appearances over 40 scheduled contests, an increase of 25% from last year's schedule and the most ever for the MAAC. All 10 member institutions will receive a minimum of three men's basketball and one women's basketball appearance this year. The MAAC had two teams participate in the 2012 NCAA Division I Men s Basketball Championship, with Iona earning an at-large bid to play in the First Four while Loyola, the MAAC Champion, played in the tournament with the conference s automatic bid. Two more men s basketball teams played in the postseason when they were selected to participate in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Manhattan and Fairfield represented the league in the event, with the Stags advancing to the semifinals. Marist, the 13 seed, won their fifth NCAA Tournament game when the Red Foxes defeated fourth-seeded Georgia in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Division I Women s Basketball Championship. Two more women s basketball teams advanced to the postseason, as Fairfield earned a bid to the WNIT and Manhattan reached the semifinals of the Women s Basketball Invitational. The MAAC and Rider successfully hosted the 2012 NCAA Rowing Championships at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, New Jersey. Three MAAC performers qualified to compete in the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship: Iona s Mitch Goose in the men s 5000-meter run, Manhattan s Anastas Papazov in the men s hammer throw and Saint Peter s Isaiah Harris in the men s triple jump. Four MAAC baseball players were selected in the 2012 MLB draft Iona s Chris Burke (18 th round by San Diego Padres), Fairfield s Mark Bordonaro (25 th round by Seattle Mariners), Manhattan s Anthony Vega (30 th round by Baltimore Orioles) and Niagara s Wynton Bernard (35 th round by San Diego Padres). The MAAC added Butler University as an associate member for women s golf, starting competition in the 2012-13 season. Two former MAAC Men s Lacrosse players were drafted into the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Canisius Simon Giourmetakis and Detroit s Joel Matthews. The MAAC Cross Country Championships were carried on ESPN3, as Iona repeated as the men's and women's champions at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.
The MAAC opened the 2012-13 basketball season on Nov. 9 with the 2012-13 Preseason Awards Shows on ESPN3. The women s show took place at Marist, the defending MAAC Champion, while the men s show was hosted at Iona, last year s regular season champion. The MAAC Men s Soccer Championship final also aired on ESPN3, with fans watching Niagara earn the league s automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division I Men s Soccer Championship with a 1-0 victory over Loyola in the title match.