Springfield College (Massachusetts) - Athletics

Athletics

See also: New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference, Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics League, Pilgrim League, and Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association

Springfield College is known as the "Birthplace of Basketball", a game created by alumnus and faculty member James Naismith under the founding head of the Physical Education department Luther Gulick Jr. in 1891. Gulick is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which is named for Naismith.

Alumnus William G. Morgan, invented of the game of volleyball.

On February 9, 2008 the Springfield Wrestling team achieved their 900th victory. Springfield College joined Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Oregon State as the only schools to have achieved this milestone.

Stagg Field serves as the College's main athletic field; it was named after former coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg who briefly coached Springfield and went on to play a pivotal role in the development of modern football. The baseball team plays at Berry-Allen Field.

In 1940 Springfield was one of eight teams to make the 1940 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

In 2006 and 2007, the school hosted the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Final Four.

The Men's Volleyball team has 6 national titles since the inception of the Division III national championship in 1998, under Head Coach Charlie Sullivan.

The Springfield College Women's Basketball team of 2004–2005, made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division 3 basketball tournament.

Women's basketball, coached by Noami Graves, has won several conference tournament championships, including the season of 2006.

Springfield College graduates Rusty Jones G '86 and Jon Torine '95 participated in Super Bowl XLI as the Head Strength and Conditioning coaches of the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.

The Springfield College Women's Field Hockey Team has won the NEWMAC (New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference) title for five consecutive years (2004–2008).

The men's lacrosse team competes in the Pilgrim League, where it has won the conference championship in 2010, 2009 and 2008.

Springfield's Women's Swimming and Diving Team has won the NEWMAC Conference title for ten consecutive years (2001–2010) in the Division III Conference.

Springfield's Men's soccer team were voted National College Champions by the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association in 1946, 1947 and 1957. This was before the NCAA championship soccer tournament in 1959.