2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships Digital Program

THE MAAC STORY

THE MAAC STORY

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Story

events with the ECAC, including the highly successful HV Gamer Con 2019 in Albany, NY. In 2022, the MAAC held its first in-person Esports Championships at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City. Team champions were Iona (Rocket League), Marist (Overwatch and League of Legends), and Quinnipiac (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate). Marist was named the 2022 Program of the Year. Esports returns to the Showboat Hotel in 2023 as the sports continues to grow at member schools.

Basketball team became the first MAAC Women's Basketball program to make it to a postseason championship game. The Saints advanced all the way to the title contest of the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) where Siena fell to Louisiana-Lafayette. In 2007, the Marist Women's Basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to the eventual National Champion, Tennessee. The Red Foxes have recorded an additional five NCAA wins since their run in 2007. The Saint Peter's Men's Basketball team claimed the 2017 CollegeInsider. com Postseason Tournament (CIT) title, to become the first MAAC program to win a national postseason championship since Siena's Men's Basketball team in 2014. The Saints earned the league's first basketball postseason championship in its history by winning the 2014 College Basketball Invitational (CBI). In 2013, the MAAC had a record six Men's Basketball programs participate in postseason play – Iona (NCAA Championship), Niagara (NIT), Canisius, Fairfield, Loyola, and Rider (CIT). Canisius and Loyola both advanced to the Quarterfinal Round, while Rider reached the second round. In 2012, the MAAC had two teams advance to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship for the first time in 16 years, with Loyola earning the league's automatic bid and Iona garnering an at-large bid. In baseball in 2021, the MAAC received its first at-large selection to a NCAA regional in conference history when Fairfield Baseball earned the third-seed in the Austin Regional. The Stags made it all the way to the Austin Regional Final, defeating fourth-seeded Southern and second-seeded Arizona State. Fairfield began the regular season 28-0 in conference play and finished 39-5 overall. The MAAC has also been a leader in the forefront of technology, expanding the notoriety of the league into cyberspace. In 2017, the league reached a conference wide agreement with SIDEARM Sports (extended in 2020), to design and host the MAAC web page. MAACSports.com has been a great success, providing fans with fresh content, up-to-date results, live and on-demand video, and an online merchandise store. The site was redesigned in the fall of 2021. In September 2011, the conference announced the launch of MAAC.TV, the league's first broadband network. Eight schools (Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Rider, and Saint Peter's) were part of the original network. In May 2014, the MAAC continued to grow its partnership with ESPN by announcing the launch of the MAAC Branded ESPN+/3 Channel. All MAAC and school produced digital contact can be viewed through this channel. In the 2017-18 academic year the MAAC entered into a new eight-year agreement with ESPN and produced a total of 325 events on the ESPN family of networks. The first MAAC events on ESPN+ were men's & women's lacrosse games produced by Monmouth University. The 2018 Baseball Championship was the first MAAC championship to air entirely on ESPN+. As a part of the current MAAC-ESPN partnership ESPN+ will become home to hundreds of MAAC games, championships, and shows that are easily accessible to MAAC fans throughout the country. Under the ESPN agreement, 2019-20 marked the first year that all MAAC institutions had school production facilities and by the end of 2024-25 the conference and schools will produce over 700 collegiate athletic events and shows on the ESPN family of networks. The MAAC President for the 2022-23 academic year is Rev. James J. Maher, President of Niagara University. The Vice-President is Judy D. Olian, PhD, President of Quinnipiac University, Commissioner Richard J. Ensor, Esq. serves as the league's Secretary/Treasurer, Marianne Reilly, Director of Athletics at Manhattan College, will chair the Committee on Athletic Administration, and Elizabeth Donohue, Associate Director of Athletics/SWA/Compliance at Marist College, will serve as Vice Chair.

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 and 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball First and Second 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 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. 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 shipyard of Belfast. Marist represented the MAAC in the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic. In 2022, the MAAC brought its first women’s basketball games to Ireland when the MAAC ASUN Men’s and Women’s Basketball Challenge was conducted in the National Basketball Arena located in Dublin. The Marist and Rider women’s teams competed in this first ever regular season women’s games hosted in Europe alongside the men’s teams from Niagara and Rider. 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MAAC canceled all spring sport competitions, practices, and other athletic related activities for the remainder of the 2020 Spring semester. Later the decision was made to move the fall 2020 sports into the winter of 2021 providing scaled back schedules and expanded championship formats as the pandemic continued to restrict athletic competition. This was the first time a season of sports competition was ever canceled in the MAAC. The MAAC Council of Presidents approved bylaws to launch an Esports League and Championships in 2020. The presidents approved Esports as an official MAAC co-ed club sport. The decision came after two years of evaluation and co-sponsorship of

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 42 nd 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. 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. 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, 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 Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ was selected to host the 2020-22 MAAC Men's & Women's Basketball Championships. In 2020 Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall hosted the MAAC Basketball Championships for the first time in history and the Championships returned 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 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 the 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 often hosted NCAA Championships. In 2023, the MAAC and Siena College will host the NCAA Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds and the 2024 Women's Basketball Regionals at the MVP 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. In March 2018 the MAAC hosted the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball 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

Academics and Athletics

The MAAC prides itself on the accomplishments of its student-athletes in the classroom, as well as on the field. Mary Beth Riley, a 1991 graduate of Canisius, was the first recipient of the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. In the fall of 1998, Erin Whalen, a member of the Iona Women's Rowing team, was awarded one of the nation's 32 Rhodes Scholarships for academic achievement and civic leadership. Despite the challenges of a global pandemic in recent years, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom at high rates. Following a one-year hiatus, the NCAA announced the latest four year Academic Progress Rates (APR) and 41 MAAC teams achieved perfect APR scores (1,000) – 30 women’s and 11 men’s, while 10 league sports saw an increase in their average rate since the last annual report was announced in 2020. According to the 2020-21 data, Siena College led all MAAC institutions with six teams earning a perfect mark. Fairfield University and Iona College followed with five teams apiece, while Marist College was next with four perfect scores. Five conference programs recorded three flawless scores; they included Canisius College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, and Rider University. Manhattan College registered two teams with a score of 1,000, while a quartet of associate member teams achieved perfect scores. Women's lacrosse had the highest MAAC multiyear average at 995, while women’s rowing (+7) and men’s cross country (+6) had the highest improvements in women's and men's sports, respectively, and men’s basketball improved by five-points, jumping to 971 from its 2020 score. Overall, the MAAC’s four-year average remained static from the last report in 2020 (983), which ranked tied for 15th nationally amongst the other 32 Division I conferences. First-class facilities are the standard within the MAAC, as teams regularly play in top-notch arenas, such as Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, MassMutual Center, KeyBank Center, MVP Arena (former Times Union Center), Webster Bank Arena, Mohegan Sun Arena, and Sun National Bank Center. In October of 2022, the MAAC announced three year partnerships with Clover Stadium for the MAAC Baseball Championship and SPIRE Academy for the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships. The Clover Stadium agreement made Pomona, NY the home of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 MAAC Baseball Championships. The SPIRE partnership made Geneva, Ohio the host site for the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships for 2024, 2025, and 2026. In the past several years, several the MAAC schools have enjoyed success in national postseason play. Saint Peter's Men's Basketball made March Madness history in 2022 when they became the first ever 15-seed and MAAC Men's Basketball program to reach the Elite Eight. The Peacocks defeated second seeded Kentucky, seventh-seeded Murray State, and third-seeded Purdue on their historic run. In 2018, Quinnipiac Women's Basketball picked up its third NCAA Tournament win in the last two years. The Bobcats defeated Miami in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 UConn in the Second Round. In 2017, Quinnipiac won its first NCAA Championship game in program history and became the first MAAC women's basketball program to advance to the Sweet 16 since Marist in 2007. The Bobcats defeated Marquette and Miami en route to their Sweet 16 appearance against South Carolina. In 2015, Siena's Women's

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JIM WHELAN BOARDWALK HALL | ATLANTIC CITY

2023 | HERCULES TIRES MAAC MEN’S & WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 25