2022 MAAC Men's Soccer Championship Program

The MAAC Story 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) is in its 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 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 traveled to Iona for the first MAAC Men’s Basketball game and the MAAC story had begun.

In 2022, the MAAC returned to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, successfully completing the championships with no COVID limitations for the first time since moving to Atlantic City. Saint Peter’s men and Fairfield women captured the championship trophies and moved on to the NCAA March Madness field of 68. Saint Peter’s would go on to become Cinderella of the tournament, making MAAC and NCAA history along the way. A No. 15 seed, Saint Peter’s became the first MAAC program (men or women) to advance to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, defeating No. 2 Kentucky (85-79 OT), No. 7 Murray St. (70-60), and No. 3 Purdue (67-64). The Peacocks were also the first ever 15 seed in NCAA history to advance to the Elite Eight.

By having an excellent working relationship with various facilities, and a top reputation for hosting events, the MAAC has been able to be awarded several future NCAA Championships. Alongside Canisius and Niagara, the MAAC successfully hosted the 2022 Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. The MAAC and Siena College will host the 2023 Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds and the 2024 Women’s Basketball Regionals at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. The MAAC, alongside the Ivy League, was also selected to host the 2025 Women’s Rowing Championship Finals (Divisions I, II, and III) at Mercer Lake 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.

Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. The MAAC supports 24 sports and championships during the 2022-23 academic year; in addition, the MAAC champion earns automatic qualification to the NCAA Championship in 15 sports. In addition, associate members include Long Island University, Sacred Heart University, Virginia Military Institute, and Wagner College 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, Long Island University, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, and Stetson University compete in Women’s Rowing. La Salle University, Loyola University Chicago, the University at Albany, University of Dayton, and the University of Hartford are members in Women’s Golf.

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

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 30th 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.

7 Championship History | Championship Central | #MAACSoccer | @MAACSports

6 @MAACSports | #MAACSoccer| Championship Central | Championship History