The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC, /ˈmæk/) is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference consisting of ten schools coming from various parts of the northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.
The members are all relatively small private institutions, many of them Catholic or formerly Catholic; the only exception being the private but secular Rider University.
The conference headquarters is located in Edison, New Jersey. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference sponsors 22 sports and has many associate member institutions.
Richard J. Ensor is the commissioner of the MAAC, a post he has held since 1988.
The conference 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 officially began the next year, in the sports of men’s cross-country and men’s soccer.
Competition in men's and women's basketball began in the 1981-1982 season. In 1984, the MAAC received an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, where Iona was the first team to represent the MAAC on the men's side. In 1982, Saint Peter's was the first women's basketball team to represent the MAAC in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
The conference currently possesses 14 automatic bids to NCAA Championships. In 2013, the MAAC will become eligible for its 15th NCAA Championship when Women's Rowing will fulfill qualifying requirements.
MAAC teams have achieved national and international acclaim in many sports. In the summer of 2002 the Marist men's varsity eight boat advanced to the semifinals of the Temple Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta. In 2007, the Marist women's basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Women's NCAA basketball tournament. In the fall of 2009, the No. 11 Iona men's cross country team finished tied for eighth place at the NCAA Championship race, extended the Gaels' streak to eight straight Top 10 national finishes. In basketball MAAC teams have made a total of 77 NIT appearances and 47 NCAA appearances.
The league added football in 1993, and discontinued it following the 2007 season.
From 1997 to 2003, the MAAC sponsored ice hockey. At that time, the hockey league split from the MAAC and changed its name to Atlantic Hockey. Also in 1997, Marist College and Rider, which were both a part of the Northeast Conference, moved the majority of their intercollegiate athletic programs to the MAAC with the intent the MAAC would enhance media exposure and competition to their men's and women's Division I basketball programs.
In September 2011, the conference announced the launch of MAAC.TV, the league's first broadband network. The MAAC is also in the midst of a three-year agreement to have their March men's and women's basketball conference tournaments held at the MassMutual Center.
Read more about Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: Sports, Football, Facilities, Notable Sports Figures
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