2023 MAAC Rowing Championship Program

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 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. 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 Academics and Athletics

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