2021 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships Program
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Together, we have the power to drive. We’re proud to bring you the Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Ride On Our Strength. STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION W elcome Letters.........................................8 Feature Story.............................................12 MAAC Chronology. .....................................17 MAAC Commissioner..................................18 The MAAC Story..........................................22 Time Out for Black Lives............................24 Operating Structure. .................................30 NCAA Tournament Brackets......................34 MAAC Championship Brackets..................36 Final Statistics and Results.......................38 Record Book..............................................41 Commissioner’s Cup..................................43 Academic Honor Roll.................................89 MAAC Basketball Honor Roll......................89 Championship History. ..............................96
TEAMS Canisius College........................................44 Fairfield University. ...................................48 Iona College. .............................................52 Manhattan College. ...................................56 Marist College. ..........................................60 Monmouth University.................................64 Niagara University.....................................68 Quinnipiac University. ...............................72 Rider University.........................................76 Saint Peter’s University.............................80 Siena College.............................................84
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The official 2021 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships Program is published by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and GO.
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MAAC STAFF Commissioner.................................................................Richard J. Ensor, Esq. Deputy Commissioner. ............................................................. Jessica Grasso Interim Deputy Commissioner. .................................................... Lauren Eads Associate Commissioner/Men’s Basketball....................... Jordan Confessore Assistant Commissioner/New Media.....................................Valerie McQuade Director of Women’s Basketball Operations. ...............................Caitlin Lowe Director of Championships. ...................................................... Kelsey Nugent Director of Championships. .................................................Harold Bentley III Director of New Media/Communications................................... Bill Hanousek Director of New Media/Communications.........................Matthew LaRochelle Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials....................................... Mike Kitts Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officials.................... Debbie Williamson Associate Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officials............Bonnie Petus Chairman & CEO, Van Wagner Group................................. Richard M. Schaps Chief Operating Officer, Van Wagner Group. .............................. John Massoni Executive Vice President. ...............................................................Mike Palisi Senior Vice President................................................................... Mark Donley Vice President ................................................................................Tim Curran Vice President, Marketing & Operations....................................Diana LePore Senior Marketing Coordinator. ............................................ Christian Martino 800 Third Ave. 28th Fl., New York, NY 10022 • 212.699.8400
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March 8, 2021
Dear MAAC Basketball Fans: Welcome to the 40 th annual Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships! 2021 marks the second year that the MAAC’s premier event is being hosted by Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. And what a year it has been for college sports as America has fought the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic! Sports have not been immune to the struggles and pain caused by the pandemic and the MAAC has worked with the NCAA to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staffs in staging its basketball championships under these unique conditions. We all remember the dramatic end of the 2020 championships following game three of the women’s quarterfinals. Following the Fairfield Stags 72-56 win over the Siena Saints the MAAC announced the cancellation of the championships. This decision was painful, but necessary, as the NCAA and all Division I conferences recognized the need to shut down college sports for the safety of participants and fans. As we start the 2021 championships we do so after careful study of safety procedures working in tandem with our institutional medical teams, and state and local health authorities. Unfortunately, this has meant that no fans can attend the championships. We understand the disappointment that this decision means to the families and fans of the MAAC teams. The decision was made with great care by the conference membership based local and state guidelines. Fortunately, the MAAC’s ESPN partners will ensure that all championship games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. I want to thank all the MAAC’s partners and co-hosts for their efforts this year. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), Atlantic City, Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, the Atlantic City Sports Commission, MEET AC, Monmouth University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s Univerity, and the MAAC have worked diligently to create a first-class event for our student-athletes and coaches. Included in these acknowledgements are the MAAC’s hospitality hosts at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, The Claridge – A Radisson Hotel and the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel. This annual event is a showcase of college basketball that conference membership looks forward to each March. Playing in the NCAA Tournament is a life-long goal of MAAC athletes and coaches, and that is why the level of play is so intense as 21 teams chase the elusive bid that starts the “Road to the Final Four.” The pressure is real and the stakes high for all 21 MAAC teams as they get a shot to punch their ticket to the “Big Dance.” This year the “Big Dance” will be hosted exclusively in Indianapolis for the men and San Antonio for the women and the MAAC championship winners are ready to ‘Dance’. We also want to remind our basketball fans that the KeyBank Center along with the MAAC, Canisius College and Niagara University will host the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds in Buffalo, NY. I want to thank all of those who have worked tirelessly to make the event a memorable experience, with special thanks to the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall General Manager, Jim McDonald and his staff, CRDA Executive Director Matt Doherty, Atlantic City Sports Commission’s Dan Gallagher, Casey Sickler from Meet AC, Michelle Perry the MAAC’s design and operations consultant at Game Changers Consultants, Dave Siroty and Dave Popkin from Front Porch Athletics and MAAC Properties sponsorship team from Van Wagner Entertainment. Lastly, I would like to thank the sponsors and local community for your support. We look forward to exciting MAAC basketball this week, as well as showcasing Atlantic City through our broadcast partner, ESPN, to a national audience of sports fans. Thank you for your continued support and enjoy the championships!
Sincerely,
Richard J. Ensor Commissioner
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March 8, 2021
Welcome to the 2021 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. We are once again honored to host the championships at Atlantic City’s Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. In light of the dramatic changes to public health due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have updated and enhanced many of our cleaning services and safety protocols to ensure the security and safety of everyone entering through our doors. Our entire team has been tirelessly preparing with local, county and state officials to update our current operating protocols by creating and implementing new policies and guidelines to address the many new requirements set forth by the State of New Jersey Department of Health officials and the CDC. The health and safety of our employees, partners, customers and guests is our number one priority and our team is committed to upholding these required standards of cleanliness throughout our facility. We are eager to welcome this tournament back as our first event, especially since it was cut short last year. Thank you for joining us this week! We wish all the student-athletes and coaches good luck this week and look forward to your return in the future.
Sincerely,
Jim McDonald General Manager
March 8, 2021
Welcome! Hercules Tires is proud to again serve as the title sponsor of the 2021 MAAC Basketball Championships.
With this being the most challenging basketball season in recent memory we would like to commend the hard work and perseverance of all of this year's participants who were driven to successfully navigate through never before seen challenges, and still make it to the coveted championships all while pursuing academic excellence. That's no easy feat. At Hercules Tires our goal is simple, to empower drivers with confidence knowing they are riding on the proven power and sustained strength of Hercules. We understand and admire the unwavering drive to reach a goal against the odds and we pride ourselves on being led by our guiding principles: Excellence in Everything We Do, Respect for the Individual, Leadership by Example and Rewards Tie to Performance. All of the same characteristics we think exemplify the athletes within the MAAC Conference. We also understand there is strength in numbers and know that this unforgettable journey to this year's championships would not have been possible without the support of the MAAC community of passionate students, alumni, faculty, staff and fans because Together We Have The Power To Drive. Congratulations to all.
Sincerely,
Nakia Medlin Director of Marketing Hercules Tires
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March 8, 2021
Welcome to the 2021 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. On behalf of Meet AC and the Atlantic City Sports Commission, I am pleased to welcome you back to our beautiful seaside destination. We are thrilled to welcome back the championships in Atlantic City at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall and continue our partnership for years to come. The week will be full of the finest college basketball featuring elite student athletes battling for a bid to the NCAA Tournament, while providing you with a clean, safe and healthy environment. Your hard work, preparation and dedication will finally be put in to play in our iconic shore town. Our hospitality awaits your arrival. Best of luck as you battle at the Boardwalk!
Sincerely,
Larry Sieg President and CEO
March 8, 2021
On behalf of the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, (CRDA), we welcome back the MAAC teams and coaches to historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for five action-packed days of the 2021 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Basketball Championship. Although last year’s event was shortened due to the pandemic, we are excited to have the tournament return to our venue again this year. We are confident that our building management team, Spectra Venue Management, will provide a safe environment to play this championship event. We look forward to a continued partnership with MAAC for years to come. When the time is right, we invite you and your fans to come back and visit our destination to experience all the great amenities and attractions we have to offer. Mark your calendar for our popular Atlantic City Restaurant Week, rescheduled to October 3–8, 2021. Visit our website at www.doatlanticcity.com for a listing of all upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Matthew J. Doherty Executive Director Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
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F E AT U RE S T O RY
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RETURN TO ATLANTIC CITY A Year Like No Other By Taylor O’Connor
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The date was March 13, 2020. The New York Post headline read “The day the sports world stopped” with the classic phrase atop the back page now saying that there were “no more” sports in town. The paper was of course referring to the day prior, March 12, when sports across the United States came to a screeching halt. The 2020 MAAC Basketball Championships began like any other. The conference returned to its New Jersey roots, with the championships being hosted in the Garden State for the first time since 2003. Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall was dazzling with the new MAAC Basketball Championship logo spread throughout the venue. The MAAC was in the midst of completing its first year of a three-year contract in Atlantic City when everything started to change. On the night of March 11, the MAAC announced that for the first time in its 39-year history there would be no fans in attendance for the rest of the championship. The reason – COVID-19. Players, coaches, administrators, and fans all reacted to the news, astonished at what was happening. The MAAC Championships were about to look different from any other year in history, and that was only the beginning. Social media was ablaze the morning of March 12. Sports leagues were postponing their seasons, NCAA conferences were canceling their tournaments. Everybody was clinging to their phones as new
announcements came out seemingly every other minute. The MAAC started the day, albeit with no fans, with a 12:00 p.m. women’s basketball matchup between Fairfield University and Siena College. The Stags would go on to beat the Saints 72-56 in what would be the final MAAC basketball game of the season. Around 2:00 p.m. that day, the MAAC announced that the 2020 Basketball Championships, along with all sports taking place that spring, had officially been canceled. MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor walked up to the podium at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall and broke the news to reporters that had gathered. “It was certainly the saddest moment of my career in college sports to shut down the championships,” said Ensor. “As I addressed the media, I was thinking of all the efforts of the teams and coaches, especially the graduating seniors, and how their dreams and aspirations were abruptly ended by the shutdown. I also thought about the tremendous effort that had gone into staging the event in Atlantic City by arena staff, CRDA, and the MAAC staff. A tough day in a week of debate and consulting with the MAAC leadership and my peer commissioners had led to the decision, which while appropriate, was still incredibly hard to deliver to the teams and media.” As Ensor was wrapping up questions, one reporter asked about his message to seniors who may not ever get the chance to play in another
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NCAA game. Ensor, taking a second, responded simply “I can’t tell you how much I personally regret having to do this, I share their pain.” Fast forward about 360 days later. The world is a different place than it was on March 12, 2020, but the MAAC is making its return to Atlantic City and Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the 2021 championships. The 2020–21 season is a historic one for the conference in more ways than one. Not only has the MAAC navigated through one of the most unfamiliar and treacherous times in sports history, but it has done so on its 40 th birthday. The MAAC celebrates 40 years of excellence in academics and athletics this season, dating back to 1980 when the conference was founded by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College, and Saint Peter’s College. On Jan. 2, 1982, Army travelled to Iona for the first ever MAAC men’s basketball game – the MAAC story had begun. Since then, the MAAC Basketball Championships have made several stops across the Northeast. The first ever championships were held at the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Pat Kennedy’s Iona Gaels captured the first ever men’s title with a 66-61 victory over the Saint Peter’s Peacocks – Rory Grimes was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The Gaels would go on to win three of the first four conference tournaments. On the women’s side, Mike Granelli and Tournament MVP Blanche Jones led the Saint Peter’s Peahens team to a 65-51 win over Army to cap the 1982 season. The Peahens would go on to capture the first three MAAC titles on the women’s side under Granelli. Granelli, considered one of the greatest coaches in MAAC history, would go on to win nine conference championships with Saint Peter’s. The MAAC Tournament would go on to make stops in Albany, New York; Buffalo, New York; Trenton, New Jersey; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Last season, the MAAC’s biggest stage
RETURN TO ATLANTIC CITY returned to New Jersey – the home of Monmouth University, Rider University, and Saint Peter’s University. “MAAC basketball is all about the connection fans feel to the member schools, the student-athletes and coaches, and to the game of basketball,” said Commissioner Ensor. “The MAAC Strategic Plan sought to identify a neutral site for championships in a destination city, which lead to the selection of Atlantic City, a place that has an abundance of first-class hotels and restaurants, casino attractions, a historic arena that is eager to host college basketball events, and an active sports commission to support the championships and the fans traveling to New Jersey.” In recent years, theMAACMen’s andWomen’s Basketball Championships have shown excitement, history, and dominance. You might remember the Quinnipiac women’s team making six consecutive title games from 2014–19, winning four championships in the process. Take that a step further for the Iona men’s program, who made the title game every year from 2013–19 and collected five MAAC titles along the way, including a record four consecutive MAAC Championships from 2016–19. There’s good, there’s great, then there’s dominant. This year is different though, nobody knows what to expect. It has been a year shrouded in mystery, a year where we dove head first into the unknown. It’s been a bumpy ride, sure, there have been over 300 changes to the basketball schedules alone. Who will win? We don’t know that. One thing we do know is that, with this year, you have to expect the unexpected. So here we are in Atlantic City – one year after “The day the sports world stopped”, ready to crown our newest champions. The MAAC is back, and we’re ready for anything.
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MAAC CHRONOLOGY The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is founded. U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College, and
WINTER & SPRING 1995 FALL 1980 SUMMER 1988 WINTER 2007 2019 WINTER
Saint Peter's College are the charter members, and will begin competition in the fall of 1981.
Richard Ensor becomes the third Commissioner of the MAAC, a post he continues to hold.
Iona College becomes only the first team in MAAC history to four-peat on the men's side at the 2019 MAAC Basketball Championships in Albany, NY. Rickey McGill becomes the first MAAC men's basketball player to win four MAAC titles. Quinnipiac wins its third title in a row as the MAAC women's basketball champions. 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. 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.
SEE FULL TIMELINE
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M A C COMM I S S I O N E R
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RETURN TO ATLANTIC CITY Richard J. Ensor, Esq. MAAC Commissioner
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Albany, NY, and the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. The MAAC announced in 2018 that Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ had been selected to host the 2020–22 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. The inaugural Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships in the world-famous venue was cut short when the COVID-19 Pandemic caused the cancellation of March Madness and all remaining college sports for the 2019–20 academic year. The cancellation also ended the hosting of its inaugural coed Esports Championships in Atlantic City in the Adrian Phillips Theater, which is part of Boardwalk Hall. The MAAC did conduct the championships the following month for the following games online: League of Legends; Overwatch; Rocket League; and, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Marist College was the overall winner of the MAAC Esports Championships presented by New Jersey Army National Guard and was named the Program of the Year. MAAC champions will receive bids in the future to the national tournaments for the games under the MAAC’s membership in the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF). Instrumental in the expansion of MAAC sports offerings to reflect the MAAC’s commitment to Division I membership and diversity, Ensor guided efforts within the MAAC beginning in 1992 to add women’s soccer, in 1996 men’s lacrosse, and in 1997 women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s indoor track and rowing. In 1998, the MAAC added outdoor track and field and women’s golf, and in 2002–03 it added women’s water polo. Esports was added in 2020. The league currently sponsors 23 sports and is awarded automatic or play- in bids to 15 NCAA championships [baseball, softball, tennis (m&w), golf (m&w), basketball (m&w), lacrosse (m&w), rowing (w), soccer (m&w) water polo (w), and volleyball (w)]. Additionally, MAAC men’s and women’s cross country have access to the NCAA championship through a regional qualifier race. Over half the MAAC sponsored sports now have direct access to NCAA Championships for the first time in the history of the conference. (Up from 13 sports and two automatic bids in 1988). To award its fans, arena partners and membership, provide staff training and networking, the MAAC during Ensor’s tenure has been very aggressive in seeking out opportunities to host NCAA Championships in various sports. With member schools it has served as a co-host of the 1995, 2000, 2004, 2007 and 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds at the Times Union Center and the KeyBank Center 2014 2 nd & 3 rd rounds, respectively, and the 2003 NCAA Men’s
A proven leader in intercollegiate sports, event management and sport law for over three decades, Richard J. Ensor was named the third Commissioner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in August 1988. Ensor has provided leadership in a period of conference realignment and growth in intercollegiate athletics and the MAAC. During his tenure the MAAC has secured a stable membership base, expanded the number of championships conducted and developed an extensive marketing program cemented with broadcast agreements with ESPN, a web paged hosted by SIDEARM Sports and secured championship venues such as the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, NJ and Disney Sports Attractions. During a time of tumultuous realignment, health and financial challenges within NCAA Division I conferences the MAAC remains a homogenous association of private institutions of similar size and funding, which are committed to student-athlete excellence both on the playing fields and in the classroom. The MAAC’s graduation rate is yearly in the top 25% of all leagues and in August 2020 the MAAC again received a NCAA Public Recognition Award for its member schools placing in the top 10% in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate for student-athletes. Ensor is a past member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and past president of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA). He serves on the boards of the Sports Lawyers Association, WBCA, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Philadelphia Sports Congress, and NACDA’s IAAA ADs. He has just completed a two-year term on the NCAA DI Council where he served as chair of the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee on which he will remain with a recent 4-year term renewal. Since 2017, Ensor has served on the Arizona State University Sports Law and Business Program National Advisory Board. In 2020, Ensor was named a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors for a three- year term. The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women’s basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women’s basketball. Under Ensor’s direction, the MAAC has focused efforts to showcase its member institutions in its annual men’s and women’s basketball championship. Since 1990 with the support of the MAAC Council of Presidents and the league’s athletic administrators and coaches the MAAC has held its premier event in state of the art playing facilities such as the Times Union Center in
Basketball East Regional at the Albany, NY arena and the 2003 and 2019 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four at the Buffalo venue. Additionally, the MAAC co-hosted the 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2016 NCAA Northeast Cross Country Regional at Van Cortlandt Park – Bronx, NY. In 2002, the MAAC was a co-host of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship at the Times Union Center, and it repeated as host in 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The MAAC co-hosted the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ in 2006 and then hosted the Trenton Regional at the same site in 2009. In 2013 the MAAC hosted the regional again, this time at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT, and in 2018 and 2019 it co-hosted the regional again at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY with Siena College. Upcoming hosting commitments include the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY, which will be co-hosted with Canisius College and Niagara University. In 2020, the MAAC was awarded additional future NCAA hosting opportunities including the 2023 Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds and the 2023 Women’s Basketball Regionals at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY which will be co-hosted with Siena College. The MAAC, alongside the Ivy League, was also selected to host the 2025 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship Finals (Divisions I, II, and III) at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, NJ. In 2026, the MAAC along with Canisius College and Niagara University will host the NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Ensor, who spearheads the league’s marketing efforts, has sought to tie the conference’s strong academic image into its marketing campaign. The MAAC hascarved a well-earned niche as an athletic conference that balances quality academics and athletics.
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system for the intercollegiate sports association. He represented the CCA DI membership on the Council from 2017–19. Ensor had previously served on the previous CAA Council and in January 1996, he served as Chair of the Division I-AA NCAA Convention/Business Session. Since 2016 he has served on the NCAA Nominating Committee. He previously served on the Division I Championships Cabinet where he chaired the exempted events subcommittee. Ensor has also served on the NCAA Division IAA Governance Committee and on NCAA committees dealing with playing season exemptions, athletic certification, and the regulatory culture of the NCAA, governance restructuring and antitrust issues. Ensor was appointed in 1996 and 2003 to a one-year termas the chair of the IAA commissioners. From 1999–2003 he served Secretary/Treasurer of the Ice Hockey Collegiate Commissioners Association. In 2007 Ensor extended his involvement with national issues when he was appointed to a 5-year term on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. The committee is charged with annually selecting teams, seeding, bracketing and operating the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship including the Final Four. In 2019 Ensor completed a 2-year term as chair of the NCAA Division Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee, which is charged with guiding the governance of the sport within the association. His term was extended in September 2019 to a four- year extension on the committee. In September 2020, Ensor was named as a member of the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions which is committed to preserving fairness and credibility within college sports. In 2001 Ensor was named by the American Football Foundation as its Commissioner of the Year and in 1999 he was presented a Distinguished Service Award from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers and in 1998 was inducted into the Saint Peter’s University Hall of Fame. He also is a member of the Monsignor Donovan HS Hall of Fame. In 1996, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Sport Management Program named Ensor as the recipient of the VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 1989, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities named Ensor as one of the “Leaders of Service” in its Bicentennial Series publication. In 1993, Ensor was honored by NACWA as a “Good Guy” for his efforts regarding gender equity. In 2004 Ensor received a Mouscar from Walt Disney World for his efforts to make dreams happen for the MAAC’s student- athletes participating in championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports. In 2016, he was honored by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for his leadership in basketball and contributions to the game. The WBCA has honored Ensor twice for his contributions to women’s basketball with the coach’s association’s Presidents Award in 2014 and as its Administrator of the Year in 2015. Ensor and his wife Deirdre, who are the parents of four children reside in Lanoka Harbor, NJ.
In 2017 the MAAC expanded it brand internationally with the launch of the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic in Northern Ireland. Manhattan College was the first MAAC team to participate in the MTE which was also the first regular season NCAA Division I basketball game ever played in Europe. The MAAC hosts with the BBHOF several basketball MTEs including the Mohegan Sun Classic and one-day events in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami, Toronto and Atlantic City. The Belfast Classic developed out of the MAAC’s partnership with the Sports Changes Life Foundation in Belfast. The primary goal of the Sport Changes Life Foundation is to provide an opportunity for raising the aspiration of young people on both sides of the Atlantic so that they can live out their dreams and guide them as sport changes their lives. The foundation mission is built on inspiration, hope and victory. SCL works in disadvantaged communities to help young people find a path to a brighter future with the help of international student-athletes, the Victory Scholars, many of whom have playedmen’s and women’s basketball in the MAAC. Building on its success in Europe, the newly reformulated partnership from Belfast, now named Inspirus, announced in 2020 that college basketball will make its debut in the Middle East in future years. A 1975 graduate of Saint Peter’s University, Ensor has served in many administrative capacities in college sports including positions at his alma mater, Saint Louis University and Seton Hall University. In 1982, Ensor was awarded a Master’s degree in sports management with honors from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. An attorney, Ensor graduated from Seton Hall University’s School of Law in 1987 and was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in June of that year. He has taught as an Assistant Professor in Sport Management at UMass, where his concentration was on sports marketing and sports law, and as an adjunct at Seton Hall School of Law. Ensor is amember ofmany professional associations, including the American Bar Association. In addition, Ensor is a member of sport-related associations such as the Sports Lawyers Association, the New Jersey Bar Association Sports Law Committee, the American Bar Association, Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, Philadelphia Sports Congress, NACDA and the CAANJ. In 2017, Ensor was first elected Treasurer of the Sports Lawyer’s Association and his term was extended another three years in 2020. He has published in the areas of Sport Law, and Sport Marketing. In 1994 Ensor served as chair of the New Jersey Bar Association Sport Law Committee. A member of the Collegiate Commissioner’s Association (CCA), Ensor served as President of the association from 2007–09. He will serve as chair of the CCA DI Subdivision for 2019–21. Ensor has been involved in NCAA governance since 1999 when he began a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Management Council, a segment of the new national governing
In 2016, the MAAC announced a new 8-year agreement with ESPN which includes broadcasts annually on ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN+ including men’ and women’s basketball and championships from ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL. The deal also formalizes the launch of ESPN3 school production facilities at all MAAC schools which will produce upwards to 600 broadcasts a year by 2025- 26. The MAAC assisted with the launch of ESPN+ in April 2018, as it had done previously with ESPNU and ESPN3. Ensor has long championed as association with ESPN’s brand, and in the first-year of the new agreement the MAAC broadcasted 325 competitions, including 32 on the new ESPN+ VOD platform, 281 on ESPN3, 11 on ESPNU and 1 on ESPN. In 2019, the MAAC announced a new sponsorship sales representation 8-year agreement with Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment which will manage the multimedia rights and negotiate and execute corporate sponsorships on the Conference’s behalf. Van Wagner will work to enhance event-driven experiences for the Conference while creating a year-round brand presence for sponsors, member institutions and their fan bases through sponsorship sales, promotions, event production, broadcast rights and marketing initiatives. The MAAC, along with Walt Disney World Resorts, enters its 21 st year of hosting MAAC Championships in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The championship operation at Disney allows the MAAC to provide its participating student-athletes, their families, and fans a world- class sports championship experience. During the championship weekend in Disney, student-athletes have access to the playing facilities, on-site hotels, theme parks, and an awards banquet held after hours in one of Disney’s theme parks. These are designed to provide lasting memories for the student-athletes, recruiting opportunities for the coaches and world- class broadcasts. The new agreement continues ESPN live broadcasting elements for all championships and events. ESPN’s state-of-the-art studios broadcast highlights of MAAC championships throughout all Disney World Resort hotel properties on the ESPN channels and MAAC.TV In conjunction with Disney Sports and ESPN the MAAC has co-hosted the Orlando Invitational (previously the Advocare/Old Spice Classic) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex since 2006. This eight- team tournament, which is held over Thanksgiving weekend, continues to draw elite Men’s Basketball teams to compete. One MAAC school is included in the field each year. Iona College will represent the MAAC in the 2021. The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships are also held at Walt Disney World. The golf hosting agreement at Disney was recently extended through the 2022 championships. For The 2020 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Golf Championships was cancelled but the championships will return to Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course in April 2021.
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Basketball Regionals at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY which will be co-hosted with Siena College. The MAAC, alongside the Ivy League, was also selected to host the 2025 Women’s Rowing Championship Finals (Divisions I, II, and III) at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, NJ. In 2026, the MAAC along with Canisius College and Niagara University will host the Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. In March 2018 the MAAC hosted the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Albany Regional with Siena College for the second time since 2015 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. The Albany Regional was the highest attended site out of the four regions with over 20,000 fans in attendance over the two days of competition. During the 2016–17 academic year, the MAAC hosted the NCAA Division I Cross Country Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park with Iona and Manhattan, the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY with Canisius and Niagara, which marked the fifth time that all three parties partnered for this same event (2004, 2007, 2010, and 2014), and the 2017 NCAA Division I, II, & III Rowing Championships with the Ivy League at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, NJ. The MAAC, Canisius, and Niagara successfully hosted the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Second and Third Rounds at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY. The MAAC and Fairfield hosted the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regional at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT. The MAAC and Rider co-hosted the 2012 NCAA Rowing Championships at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, NJ and also co-hosted the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The MAAC and Rider co-hosted the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship Regional at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ, after recording the third highest attendance figure for the women’s championship with the First & Second Rounds in 2006. In March of 2017, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the field of teams for the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic, a college basketball tournament held in conjunction with the MAAC, Sport Changes Life, Rory McIlroy’s Foundation, the Rory Foundation, and The SSE Arena, Belfast. The two-day tournament was held December 1–2, 2017 and featured Holy Cross, Manhattan, La Salle, and Towson. After a successful inaugural event, the Sport Changes Life Foundation announced the second annual Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic to be held November 29–December 1. The 2018 event featured an expanded field to eight schools. The schools competed in two four-team brackets, with campus round games in the United States leading into two tournament brackets in Belfast aptly named ‘Samson’ and ‘Goliath’ after the iconic Harland and Wolfe cranes in the Titanic quarter ship yard of Belfast. Marist represented the MAAC in the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic. In June of 1995, the MAAC developed new opportunities for student-athletes as the conference announced the formation of the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse leagues. The men’s league began competition in the spring of 1996, while the women’s league commenced in the spring of 1997. Since their inception as associate sports leagues, both Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse have been upgraded to full MAAC sports. The men’s league currently consists of six MAAC schools (Canisius, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Quinnipiac, and Siena along with two associate members Detroit Mercy and St. Bonaventure). The women’s league features competition among nine MAAC institutions (Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Niagara, Quinnipiac, and Siena). The 2017 Men’s Lacrosse Championship game aired on ESPNU and Sirius XM for the first time in history. In the spring of 2014, the MAAC expanded the championship field to six teams in Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Volleyball, Women’s Lacrosse, Softball, and Baseball.
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40 th year of competition during the 2020–21 academic year The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, 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 travelled to Iona for the first MAAC Men’s Basketball game and the MAAC story had begun. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. The MAAC supports 24 sports and championships during the 2020–21 academic year; in addition, the MAAC champion earns automatic qualification to the NCAA Championship in 15 sports. In addition, associate members include the University of Detroit Mercy and St. Bonaventure University in Men’s Lacrosse. La Salle University, Long Island University, St. Francis Brooklyn, Villanova University, Virginia Military Institute, and Wagner College in Water Polo. Drake University, Jacksonville University, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, and Stetson University compete in Women’s Rowing. La Salle University, the University at Albany, University of Dayton, and the University of Hartford are members in Women’s Golf. On June 1, 2018, the MAAC announced that the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ was selected to host the 2020–22 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships. The MAAC Council of Presidents unanimously accepted the facility’s bid to host the championships at their May 30 th meeting in New York City. Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall will host the MAAC Basketball Championships for the first time in history and the Championships will return to the state of New Jersey for the first time since 2003, when they were played at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. A total of nine MAAC Men’s Basketball Championships and five Women’s Basketball Championships have been held in New Jersey, including the inaugural event in 1982 at what was the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford. In response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the MAAC canceled the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships that were being held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, midway through the third day of competition. This was the first time the championships were ever canceled. The last game of the season and championship had the Fairfield women’s basketball team defeat Siena 72-56 in the quarterfinals. The NCAA also cancelled the Division I 2020 Men’s and Women’s Championships and later all spring sports as college sports reacted to the health threats posed by the pandemic to its student-athletes, coaches and fans. By having an excellent working relationship with various facilities, the MAAC has been able to attract a number of NCAA Championships. The MAAC is slated to host three NCAA Championships from 2020–22. Along with Siena, the MAAC was chosen to host the 2020 Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside Canisius and Niagara, the MAAC will host the 2022 Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. In 2020 the MAAC was awarded additional future NCAA hosting opportunities including the 2023 Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds and the 2023 Women’s
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