UMass Minutemen
Encyclopedia
The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst
in NCAA
Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and athletes only; women's teams and athletes are known as Minutewomen. The Minutemen and Minutewomen primarily compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Minutemen
ice hockey
team competes in Hockey East
, while the Minutemen men's lacrosse
team has been a member of the Colonial Athletic Association
conference since 2010. The football team confirmed a move to the Football Bowl Subdivision's Mid-American Conference
in April 2011 and will become a full member in 2013.
and players such as 1996 National Player of the Year Marcus Camby
, Harper Williams and Lou Roe
, the Minutemen participated in the NCAA Tournament
each year between 1992 and 1998, and reached the Final Four
in 1996. However, a subsequent NCAA investigation found that Camby illegally accepted a total of $28,000 from sports agents that were attempting to lure him into the NBA Draft
after his Sophomore season, and the school was forced to vacate its Final Four appearance as well as return their 1996 NCAA Final Four trophy. Camby eventually repaid the school the $151,000 in lost Final Four revenue that came as a result of the NCAA's ruling. While a Final Four banner still hangs from the rafters of the Mullins Center in defiance of the NCAA's ruling, the appearance is marked with an asterisk in official record books, even though it was noted that there was absolutely no institutional wrongdoing.
First played in 1905 and held annually since 1995, UMass' basketball
rivalry with Boston College
is called the "Commonwealth Classic
."
Notable UMass basketball alumni include Camby, Basketball Hall of Fame
r Julius Erving
, Louisville
head coach Rick Pitino
, and Boston College
head coach Al Skinner
. The current coach of the Minutemen is Derek Kellogg
. Camby, Roe, Williams, Stephane Lasme
and Gary Forbes
were each named Atlantic 10 player of the year.
Derek Kellogg
was also a point guard for the Umass Minutemen from 1992 to 1995. He played under John Calipari
and was an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers
before becoming a head coach at his alma mater. With the football team joining the Mid-American Conference the men's and women's basketball teams will play four non conference games (two home and two away) each year against MAC teams as long as the football team is a member of the MAC.
, the Atlantic 10, and the Colonial Athletic Association
, which are basically three incarnations of the same conference. UMass has captured a total of 22 conference championships, the most recent one being a share of the CAA title in 2007.
The 2006 season was the final season under which the football team competed in the Atlantic 10, as the A-10 Football Conference disbanded after the season with all current teams moving to the CAA. They defeated Montana
, 19–17, to advance to the championship game (first since 1998). UMass fell to Appalachian State
in the national championship game by a score of 28–17 and finished the season with a record of 13–2.
Historically, the program has competed in three major bowl games, compiling a record of 1–2. In 1964, UMass played in the Tangerine Bowl
in Orlando, Florida
, losing to East Carolina
, 14–13. They then played in the 1972 Boardwalk Bowl
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
and defeated UC Davis
, 35–14, in a game played inside the Atlantic City Convention Center
. Also, the 1979 Division I-AA title game was then known as the Pioneer Bowl
and was played in Wichita Falls, Texas
. The Minutemen fell to Florida A&M
in that game by a score of 35–28.
UMass football has sent several players to the NFL
. Some of their most successful players there include quarterback
Greg Landry
, running back
Marcel Shipp
, and tight end
Milt Morin
. Class of 2010 members that went on to the NFL include offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse
and wide receiver
Victor Cruz
.
On November 30, 2010, the Boston Herald
reported that the Mid-American Conference
was exploring the possibility of adding the Minutemen for football. This would upgrade UMass from the FCS to the FBS. This report was later confirmed by an article in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio
), going on to report UMass will become a member of the MAC in 2012, and bowl-eligible beginning in 2013.
In April 2011, UMass confirmed that it was moving to the FBS and play in the MAC. For 2012, the team would play its home schedule at Gillette Stadium
during renovations at McGuirk Stadium. The 2011 team remained in the CAA Conference of the FCS. The 2012 team will play FBS opponents. The team will be bowl-eligible in 2013. The school cited the changing landscape of the FCS, especially in the Colonial Athletic Association
, with Hofstra and Northeastern dropping their football programs in 2009, Rhode Island's going to the lower-profile Northeast Conference
, Georgia State and Old Dominion joining the CAA, and Villanova considering a move to the Football Bowl Subdivision's Big East Conference.
Another A10 member, Temple
, plays football in the MAC.
at the Division II level through 1979, when the program was ceased due to the absence of an on-campus facility that could support ice hockey. Ice hockey returned in 1993 with the opening of the Mullins Center
, and the team began competition in 1994 at the Division I level in the Hockey East
Conference. The year 1993 is considered the beginning of the "modern era" of UMass Hockey.
The program has shown steady improvement since it resumed competition, with breakthrough years occurring in 2003 and 2004, when the team reached the Hockey East Tournament semifinals and finals, respectively. The program is now nationally ranked on a regular basis. UMass Men's Ice Hockey appeared in their first NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament (16 Teams) in the 2006-07 season and won their first NCAA Tournament game against Clarkson (1-0 OT) before losing to Maine (3-1) in the Regional Final.
The UMass hockey team is nicknamed "The Mass Attack."
The 2009-10 Minutemen team entered their 15th season in Hockey East hoping to improve upon their on and off 2008-2009 season. Six of the ten top goal scorers return this year with Senior Brett Watson as team captain. The Mass Attack gave the BU Terriers their first on the road loss in almost a year in the Hockey East opener on October 16, 2009 at the Mullins center with a final score of 3-2. The Terriers had not lost on the road since November 2008, also to the Minutemen, final score 5-1.
Rivals of the UMass Minutemen are the BC Eagles, the UNH Wildcats, and more recently, the Boston University Terriers.
reached the NCAA Championship Game
in 2006, where they lost to the #1 ranked and undefeated Virginia Cavaliers
. UMass, unseeded in the tournament, had to defeat three seeded teams (Cornell
, Hofstra, Maryland) to make it to the championship game in Philadelphia. It was the first time any team had ever defeated the #4, #3, ad #2 seeded teams on its way to facing #1 Virginia in the championship. On February 13, 2008, members of the men's lacrosse team were involved in an off campus brawl which led to the suspension of eight players and the arrests of three. The players in question participated in the beating of three college-aged males with lacrosse sticks and bottles at a North Pleasant Street residence.
, 1-0. On their road to the Final Four, they first won the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Dayton, Ohio
, and then went on to beat Boston University
, #1 ranked Boston College
, Central Connecticut State, and Illinois at Chicago
. They finished the season 17-8-1, setting program records for wins and furthest advancement into the NCAA Tournament.
, has become the fourth team (in addition to the traditional Boston College
, Harvard, and Northeastern) in the baseball version of the Beanpot tournament held at Fenway Park
. The baseball team plays its home games at Earl Lorden Field
.
UMass has had 17 players later reach the major leagues. The best known are starting pitcher Mike Flanagan, relief pitcher Jeff Reardon
, shortstop Gary DiSarcina
, and relief pitcher Ron Villone
.
Since its conversion from the AIAW to the NCAA UMass has played in 19 NCAA Tournaments, and has made 3 trips to the College World Series. They have had players named as All-Americans on 24 different occasions. The team has also dominated the Atlantic 10, winning 21 of the last 24 conference championships. Of the notable softball alumni one of the school's most famous is pitcher Danielle Henderson
who pitched in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia and led the United States
to a gold medal. Henderson also won the 1999 Honda Sports Award
, given annually to the top Collegiate Softball player in the country.
In her tenure as coach of the UMass Softball team Sortino has won over 1,000 games. In her career, UMass has posted 21 30-win seasons, seven 40-win campaign and one 50-win season. Sortino has never had a losing season at the helm of the UMass softball program.
Since 2000 the Softball team has played its home games at the state of the art 1,000 seat UMass Softball Complex
.
In 2008 Minutemen skiing took home the United States Collegiate Skiing and Snowboard Association National Championship (The first time in 23 years an Eastern Coast team has won).
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and athletes only; women's teams and athletes are known as Minutewomen. The Minutemen and Minutewomen primarily compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Minutemen
UMass Minutemen men's ice hockey
The UMass Minutemen men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Minutemen are a member of Hockey East. They play at the 8,387-seat William D. Mullins Memorial Center in...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team competes in Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
, while the Minutemen men's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team has been a member of the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
conference since 2010. The football team confirmed a move to the Football Bowl Subdivision's Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
in April 2011 and will become a full member in 2013.
Basketball
UMass is a member of the Atlantic 10 basketball conference, of which it was regular season co-Champion in 2007. This marked the first time it won or shared the league title since the last of its five consecutive Atlantic 10 championships in 1996. During the 1990s, the men's basketball team was known as one of the finest in the nation, holding the number one ranking in national polls for extended periods. Under the leadership of then-head coach John CalipariJohn Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
and players such as 1996 National Player of the Year Marcus Camby
Marcus Camby
Marcus D. Camby is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game...
, Harper Williams and Lou Roe
Lou Roe
Louis "Lou" Marquel Roe is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2nd round of the 1995 NBA Draft. Roe played in two NBA seasons with the Pistons and Golden State Warriors. In his brief NBA career, he appeared in 66 games and scored a total of...
, the Minutemen participated in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
each year between 1992 and 1998, and reached the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
in 1996. However, a subsequent NCAA investigation found that Camby illegally accepted a total of $28,000 from sports agents that were attempting to lure him into the NBA Draft
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
after his Sophomore season, and the school was forced to vacate its Final Four appearance as well as return their 1996 NCAA Final Four trophy. Camby eventually repaid the school the $151,000 in lost Final Four revenue that came as a result of the NCAA's ruling. While a Final Four banner still hangs from the rafters of the Mullins Center in defiance of the NCAA's ruling, the appearance is marked with an asterisk in official record books, even though it was noted that there was absolutely no institutional wrongdoing.
First played in 1905 and held annually since 1995, UMass' basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
rivalry with Boston College
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
is called the "Commonwealth Classic
Commonwealth Classic
The Commonwealth Classic, also known as Commonwealth Cup or Governor's Cup , is the title of the basketball rivalry between Boston College and the University of Massachusetts. The name refers to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the New England state in which both universities are located...
."
Notable UMass basketball alumni include Camby, Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
r Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
, Louisville
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
head coach Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
, and Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
head coach Al Skinner
Al Skinner
Albert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...
. The current coach of the Minutemen is Derek Kellogg
Derek Kellogg
-External links:*** from The Republican* from The Boston Globe...
. Camby, Roe, Williams, Stephane Lasme
Stephane Lasme
Yann Ulrich Stephane Lasme is a Gabonese professional basketball player. Lasme played NCAA college basketball at the University of Massachusetts , and he was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round, 46th overall, in the 2007 NBA Draft...
and Gary Forbes
Gary Forbes
Gary Orlando Forbes is a Panamanian professional basketball player who plays for the Denver Nuggets. The 6 ft 7 in, swingman played college basketball initially at the University of Virginia, then transferred to the University of Massachusetts following his sophomore season at Virginia.-High...
were each named Atlantic 10 player of the year.
Derek Kellogg
Derek Kellogg
-External links:*** from The Republican* from The Boston Globe...
was also a point guard for the Umass Minutemen from 1992 to 1995. He played under John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
and was an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers
Memphis Tigers
The Memphis Tigers represent the University of Memphis in Division I of the NCAA. They are members of C-USA and currently feature nine women's sports and nine men's sports...
before becoming a head coach at his alma mater. With the football team joining the Mid-American Conference the men's and women's basketball teams will play four non conference games (two home and two away) each year against MAC teams as long as the football team is a member of the MAC.
Football
The UMass football team competed at the NCAA Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) level until 2011, and won one national title in that subdivision in 1998. The Minutemen were national finalists in 1978 and 2006. UMass has competed in three football conferences over its history, the Yankee ConferenceYankee Conference
The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. It once sponsored competition in many sports, but eventually became a football-only league...
, the Atlantic 10, and the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
, which are basically three incarnations of the same conference. UMass has captured a total of 22 conference championships, the most recent one being a share of the CAA title in 2007.
The 2006 season was the final season under which the football team competed in the Atlantic 10, as the A-10 Football Conference disbanded after the season with all current teams moving to the CAA. They defeated Montana
Montana Grizzlies football
The Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference, where it is a founding member, since 1963...
, 19–17, to advance to the championship game (first since 1998). UMass fell to Appalachian State
2006 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team
The 2006 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University in the college football season of 2006–2007. The team was coached by Jerry Moore and the Mountaineers played their home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina.The football team competes in...
in the national championship game by a score of 28–17 and finished the season with a record of 13–2.
Historically, the program has competed in three major bowl games, compiling a record of 1–2. In 1964, UMass played in the Tangerine Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, losing to East Carolina
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
, 14–13. They then played in the 1972 Boardwalk Bowl
Boardwalk Bowl
The Boardwalk Bowl is a post-season college football game held at the former Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The game featured an annual matchup between Pennsylvania Military College and the United States Merchant Marine Academy, known as the "Little Army–Navy Game"...
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
and defeated UC Davis
UC Davis Aggies football
The UC Davis Aggies football team represents the University of California, Davis in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision intercollegiate competition...
, 35–14, in a game played inside the Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City Convention Center
The Atlantic City Convention Center is a large convention center located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Opened in 1997, the center includes of showroom space, 5 exhibit halls, 45 meeting rooms with of space, a garage with 1,400 parking spaces, and an adjacent Sheraton hotel.-History:The Center was...
. Also, the 1979 Division I-AA title game was then known as the Pioneer Bowl
Pioneer Bowl
The Pioneer Bowl is a bowl game between football teams from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and 2007 and is one of two bowl games between historically black colleges and universities...
and was played in Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
. The Minutemen fell to Florida A&M
Florida A&M Rattlers football
The Florida A&M Rattlers are the college football team representing the Florida A&M University. The Rattlers play in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.-National championships:*1938*1942*1950...
in that game by a score of 35–28.
UMass football has sent several players to the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Some of their most successful players there include quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Greg Landry
Greg Landry
Gregory Paul Landry is a former American football player and coach who played quarterback in the National Football League from 1968 to 1981 and again in 1984...
, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Marcel Shipp
Marcel Shipp
Marcel Cornelius Shipp is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played in the NFL from 2001-2008 for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2001, and played with them...
, and tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Milt Morin
Milt Morin
Milton Denis Morin was a professional American football tight end in the National Football League. After college at the University of Massachusetts, he played for the Cleveland Browns for ten seasons...
. Class of 2010 members that went on to the NFL include offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse
Vladimir Ducasse
-New York Jets:Immediately after the Jets selected Ducasse, they released Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca. Ducasse and Matt Slauson, a second-year backup, will compete for Faneca's old job in training camp....
and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Victor Cruz
Victor Cruz (American football)
Victor Cruz is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was an undrafted free agent signed by the Giants in the offseason...
.
On November 30, 2010, the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
reported that the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
was exploring the possibility of adding the Minutemen for football. This would upgrade UMass from the FCS to the FBS. This report was later confirmed by an article in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
), going on to report UMass will become a member of the MAC in 2012, and bowl-eligible beginning in 2013.
In April 2011, UMass confirmed that it was moving to the FBS and play in the MAC. For 2012, the team would play its home schedule at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
during renovations at McGuirk Stadium. The 2011 team remained in the CAA Conference of the FCS. The 2012 team will play FBS opponents. The team will be bowl-eligible in 2013. The school cited the changing landscape of the FCS, especially in the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
, with Hofstra and Northeastern dropping their football programs in 2009, Rhode Island's going to the lower-profile Northeast Conference
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
, Georgia State and Old Dominion joining the CAA, and Villanova considering a move to the Football Bowl Subdivision's Big East Conference.
Another A10 member, Temple
Temple Owls football
The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference...
, plays football in the MAC.
Ice hockey
UMass ice hockey has a long history dating back to 1908. The team competed in the Eastern College Athletic ConferenceEastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
at the Division II level through 1979, when the program was ceased due to the absence of an on-campus facility that could support ice hockey. Ice hockey returned in 1993 with the opening of the Mullins Center
Mullins Center
The William D. Mullins Memorial Center, also known as the Mullins Center, is a 10,600 seat multi-purpose arena, located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Mullins Center is the home of UMass Minutemen Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, and Men's Ice...
, and the team began competition in 1994 at the Division I level in the Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
Conference. The year 1993 is considered the beginning of the "modern era" of UMass Hockey.
The program has shown steady improvement since it resumed competition, with breakthrough years occurring in 2003 and 2004, when the team reached the Hockey East Tournament semifinals and finals, respectively. The program is now nationally ranked on a regular basis. UMass Men's Ice Hockey appeared in their first NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament (16 Teams) in the 2006-07 season and won their first NCAA Tournament game against Clarkson (1-0 OT) before losing to Maine (3-1) in the Regional Final.
The UMass hockey team is nicknamed "The Mass Attack."
The 2009-10 Minutemen team entered their 15th season in Hockey East hoping to improve upon their on and off 2008-2009 season. Six of the ten top goal scorers return this year with Senior Brett Watson as team captain. The Mass Attack gave the BU Terriers their first on the road loss in almost a year in the Hockey East opener on October 16, 2009 at the Mullins center with a final score of 3-2. The Terriers had not lost on the road since November 2008, also to the Minutemen, final score 5-1.
Rivals of the UMass Minutemen are the BC Eagles, the UNH Wildcats, and more recently, the Boston University Terriers.
Lacrosse
The UMass men's lacrosseLacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
reached the NCAA Championship Game
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
in 2006, where they lost to the #1 ranked and undefeated Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers
The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams officially representing the University of Virginia in college sports. The Cavaliers compete in 25 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. UMass, unseeded in the tournament, had to defeat three seeded teams (Cornell
Cornell Big Red men's lacrosse
The Cornell Big Red Men's Lacrosse team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. Cornell competes as a member of the Ivy League, of which they have won 23 conference championships. The Big Red have appeared in the NCAA tournament 22...
, Hofstra, Maryland) to make it to the championship game in Philadelphia. It was the first time any team had ever defeated the #4, #3, ad #2 seeded teams on its way to facing #1 Virginia in the championship. On February 13, 2008, members of the men's lacrosse team were involved in an off campus brawl which led to the suspension of eight players and the arrests of three. The players in question participated in the beating of three college-aged males with lacrosse sticks and bottles at a North Pleasant Street residence.
Men's Soccer
UMass Men's soccer led by Captains Junior Goalkeeper Zack Simmons, Senior Defender Kenny Cook, and Junior Midfielder Mike Desantis reached NCAA Men's College Cup in 2007. They were defeated by the Ohio State BuckeyesOhio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
, 1-0. On their road to the Final Four, they first won the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, and then went on to beat Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, #1 ranked Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, Central Connecticut State, and Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
. They finished the season 17-8-1, setting program records for wins and furthest advancement into the NCAA Tournament.
Baseball
The Minutemen baseball team, since the abolition of many men's teams (including football and baseball) in 1996 at Boston UniversityBoston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, has become the fourth team (in addition to the traditional Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, Harvard, and Northeastern) in the baseball version of the Beanpot tournament held at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. The baseball team plays its home games at Earl Lorden Field
Earl Lorden Field
Earl Lorden Field is a baseball field located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. The field is home to the UMass Minutemen baseball team of the Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. The field is named after former UMass baseball coach Earl Lorden...
.
UMass has had 17 players later reach the major leagues. The best known are starting pitcher Mike Flanagan, relief pitcher Jeff Reardon
Jeff Reardon
Jeffrey James Reardon , nicknamed "The Terminator" for his intimidating presence on the mound and 98 mph fastball, is a former professional baseball relief pitcher from 1979-1994 who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati...
, shortstop Gary DiSarcina
Gary DiSarcina
Gary Thomas DiSarcina is a front office executive and a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was raised in Billerica, Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. DiSarcina was drafted by the California Angels in the 6th round of the 1988 amateur draft...
, and relief pitcher Ron Villone
Ron Villone
Ronald Thomas Villone Jr. is a Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently with the Somerset Patriots. He has not been on the same team for more than two years in his major league career and due to his many baseball travels, some of his teammates have affectionately referred...
.
Softball
The UMass Softball team has solidified itself as the top sports program at UMass over the last 30 plus, years. The program started in 1975 and in just four short seasons would become a national power. From 1978 to 1980 the Minutewomen softball team reached the EAIAW Tournament each year, winning it twice. In those two seasons (1978 and 1980) they played in the AIAW World Series. Since the 1980 season the team has been led by legendary head coach, Elaine Sortino.Since its conversion from the AIAW to the NCAA UMass has played in 19 NCAA Tournaments, and has made 3 trips to the College World Series. They have had players named as All-Americans on 24 different occasions. The team has also dominated the Atlantic 10, winning 21 of the last 24 conference championships. Of the notable softball alumni one of the school's most famous is pitcher Danielle Henderson
Danielle Henderson
Danielle Henderson is an American former All-American right-handed softball pitcher from Commack, New York. She played for the UMass Minutewomen from 1996 to 1999 and was an Olympic champion for Team USA softball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics...
who pitched in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia and led the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to a gold medal. Henderson also won the 1999 Honda Sports Award
Honda Sports Award
The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
, given annually to the top Collegiate Softball player in the country.
In her tenure as coach of the UMass Softball team Sortino has won over 1,000 games. In her career, UMass has posted 21 30-win seasons, seven 40-win campaign and one 50-win season. Sortino has never had a losing season at the helm of the UMass softball program.
Since 2000 the Softball team has played its home games at the state of the art 1,000 seat UMass Softball Complex
UMass Softball Complex
The UMass Softball Complex softball field located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts. It has served as the home of the University of Massachusetts Minutewoman softball team since the spring of 2000. The field officially opened on April 1, 2000, when...
.
National titles
UMass has won two NCAA championships. The Minutemen won the NCAA national title in Division I-AA (now FCS) football in 1998, and the Minutewomen won the national title in Division I women's lacrosse in 1982.In 2008 Minutemen skiing took home the United States Collegiate Skiing and Snowboard Association National Championship (The first time in 23 years an Eastern Coast team has won).
NCAA Division I Teams - Men's
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football (Division I FBS)
- Ice Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Swimming & Diving
- Track & Field
NCAA Division I Teams - Women's
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Field Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Rowing (Crew)
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming & Diving
- Tennis
- Track & Field