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2017 MAAC WATER POLO
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THE MAAC STORY: EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS & ATHLETICS
Academics andAthletics
TheMAACprides itself on theaccomplishmentsof itsstudent-athletes
in the classroom, as well as on the field. Mary Beth Riley, a 1991
graduate of Canisius, was the first recipient of the NCAAWoman of
theYearAward. In the fall of 1998, ErinWhalen, amember of the Iona
women’s rowing team, was awarded one of the nation’s 32 Rhodes
Scholarships for academic achievement and civic leadership.
In 2015, all eleven Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schools had
at least one team that posted multi-year APR’s in the top 10% of all
squads in each sport, with Fairfield, Siena, Canisius and Niagara
having 6, 6, 5, and 4 teams respectively in the top 10% in each sport.
Monmouth’s women’s tennis team is one of 129 teams that have
earned Public Recognition Awards each of the 10 years they have
been awarded.
First-class facilities are the rule with MAAC schools, as teams
regularly play in top-notch arenas, such as Madison Square Garden,
the Barclays Center, the MassMutual Center, the IZOD Center, First
Niagara Center, Times Union Center, the Webster Bank Arena,
MoheganSunArena,andtheSunNationalBankCenter.Thisyear,the
MAAC will take the men’s and women’s cross country championship
to Orlando, Florida at the ESPNWide World of Sports Complex. The
2017MAACMen’s andWomen’s Golf Championships will be held at
Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course.
In the past several years, a number of the MAAC schools have
also enjoyed success in NCAA Basketball Championships. MAAC
schools have played in a total of 85NITgames and 83NCAAgames.
In 2015, Siena College’s women’s 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 theWomen’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) where Siena fell
toLouisiana-Lafayette. In2014, Sienamen’s basketball teamclaimed
the league’s first basketball postseason title in its history by winning
the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) title. In 2013, the MAAC had
a record six men’s basketball programs participate in postseason
play- Iona (NCAAChampionship), 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 2007, the Marist women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet
16 before falling to the eventual National Champion, the University of
Tennessee. The Red Foxes have recorded an additional five NCAA
wins since their run in 2007.
The MAAC has also been a leader in the forefront of technology,
expanding the notoriety of the league into cyberspace. In 2007, the
league reached an agreement with JumpTV, Inc., nowNeuLion, Inc.,
to design and host theMAACweb page. MAACSports.comhas been
a great success, providing fans with up-to-date contest results, live
and on-demand video and an online merchandise store. The MAAC,
in conjunction with NeuLion, launched an iPhone app in February
2011, followed by Android and iPad apps that were released during
the 2011-12 academic year.
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 - are currently part of the network, which broadcast over 400
live events in 2014-15.
In May 2014, the MAAC continued to grow its partnership with
ESPN3 announcing the launch of the MAAC Branded ESPN3
Channel. All MAAC and school produced ESPN3 broadcasts are
viewable as live or archived contents for all MAAC sports. During
the 2014-15 season, the MAAC schools of Fairfield, Monmouth,
Rider, and Siena broadcasted a total 49 combined school produced
broadcasts. Canisius and Iona began school producing broadcasts
along with the other four schools in 2015-16. The initiative increases
the MAAC’s long-term partnership with ESPN and is concurrent with
the development of school based production facilities on many of the
conference’s member campuses.
The MAAC President for the 2016-2017 academic year is Dr.
Brennan O’Donnell, the President of Manhattan College. The Vice-
President is Gregory G. Dell’Omo, the President of Rider University.
Commissioner Rich Ensor serves as the league’s Secretary/
Treasurer. , Eugene Doris Director of Athletics at Fairfield University,
will chair the Committee onAthleticAdministration, and Traci Murphy,
Senior Woman Administrator at Canisius College will serve as Vice
Chair.