The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst ; 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 compete in NCAA Division I sports competition primarily as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference . UMass is one of only 16 universities in the nation that plays Division I FBS football and Division I men's ice hockey (six of which are in the Big Ten Conference ). The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure.
130-485: UMass will join the Mid-American Conference as a full member beginning in 2025; the men's football team had previously competed as a football-only member in that conference from 2013 to 2015. When athletic teams were first fielded by Massachusetts Agricultural College, the popular nickname was "Statesmen", in honor of the roles of Massachusetts statesmen in the founding of the country. Although "Aggies"
260-536: A $ 100,000 out-of-court settlement with three attorneys who represented Memphis season ticket holders and threatened a lawsuit over the vacated 2007–08 season. Also as part of the settlement, Calipari donated his near-$ 232,000 bonus to the Memphis scholarship fund. On March 30, 2009, four days after Memphis' season ending loss to Missouri in the NCAA tournament , multiple sources reported that Calipari would agree to be
390-676: A 30–1 record, their only loss to Indiana by a buzzer-beater and went 16–0 in conference play. In the SEC tournament, Kentucky lost in the championship game to Vanderbilt 71–64. In the NCAA Tournament, Calipari's team was selected as the overall #1 seed in the tournament, representing as the South Region #1 seed. Kentucky avenged the early season loss to Indiana beating them in the Sweet Sixteen 102–90, and knocked off Baylor in
520-436: A MAC member in men's swimming & diving. Appalachian State joined MAC field hockey, and SIU Edwardsville (SIUE) joined in men's soccer. SIUE was initially announced as joining in both men's soccer and wrestling in 2018, but less than a week after the initial announcement, the conference indicated that SIUE men's soccer would immediately join. SIUE wrestling joined on its originally announced schedule. On March 5, 2019,
650-755: A full member of the football-sponsoring portion, the American Athletic Conference , ending its membership in the Atlantic 10 at that time. The Chicago State Cougars were an affiliate for men's tennis until joining the Western Athletic Conference , which sponsors that sport, in July 2013. The conference unveiled the addition of women's lacrosse to its sport sponsorship in November 2019. Lacrosse began competing under
780-414: A member in that sport from 2005 until dropping field hockey after the 2016 season. Binghamton University is an affiliate in men's tennis. In June 2017, SIU Edwardsville (SIUE) was invited to become an affiliate member in both men's soccer and wrestling in 2018. When Buffalo suddenly dropped four sports, including men's soccer, SIUE's move in that sport was made immediately. The UMass Minutemen joined
910-509: A member of that country's women's four. Head coach Jim Dietz coached the 1988, 1992 and 2000 Olympic teams and was a member of the 1972, 1976, and 1980 Olympic teams. The women's tennis team were A-10 champions in 2001 and 2017, and New England Champions in 1996. In May 1984, the Athletic Department decided to discontinue funding seven varsity sports. These sports were men's and women's tennis, golf, skiing and men's wrestling. It
1040-538: A member of the 1996 and 2004 Team USA Women's Soccer Teams. The softball team has solidified itself as the top sports program at UMass over the last 30-plus years. The program was started in 1974 and in just five seasons became a national power. From 1978 to 1980 the Minutewomen softball team reached the EAIAW Tournament each year, winning it twice. In three seasons (1974, 1978 and 1980) they played in
1170-614: 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 beginning with the 2012 season. The team also announced it would play its home schedule at Gillette Stadium during renovations at McGuirk Stadium , and be bowl-eligible in 2013. The 2011 team remained in the CAA Conference of the FCS. The school cited
1300-707: 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 located in Illinois, Indiana , and New York . For football , the MAC participates in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision . The MAC is headquartered in the Public Square district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio , and has two members in
1430-615: A move to the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mid-American Conference in April 2011 and became a full member in 2013. In March 2014, the MAC and UMass announced an agreement for the Minutemen to leave the conference after the 2015 season due to UMass declining an offer to become a full member of the conference. In the agreement between the MAC and the university, there was a contractual clause that had UMass playing in
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#17327934397281560-488: A mundane 2–3 zone , or man to man defensive tactics to gain a defensive edge. Due to the use of four seven foot front court players, Kentucky has had the ability to display their defensive shot blocking presence. One notable statistic is that, from 2002 to 2018, all 25 players coached by Calipari who chose to enter the NBA draft after their first season were drafted in the first round. This streak started with Dajuan Wagner at
1690-409: A new NCAA Division I Men's Basketball record for most victories in a season, a record that now belongs to the 2011–2012 Kentucky Wildcats due to NCAA violations that vacated all of Memphis' wins. The nine consecutive 20-win seasons and the nine consecutive postseason appearances would have been the most in school history, though that officially stands now at seven because of the vacated 2007–08 season. He
1820-407: A new requirement that at least 5 conference football games would have to be scheduled each season, university president Raymond Walters saying they "...regretfully resign...as the university could not continue under the present setup..." The membership was steady for the next two decades except for the addition of Marshall University in 1954 and the departure of Western Reserve in 1955. Marshall
1950-875: 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
2080-542: 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 . Cruz and safety James Ihedigbo , also a UMass product, both started Super Bowl XLVI . In
2210-529: A shooting guard with range so limited he made one 3-pointer all season (Jim McCoy), a 6-foot-3 power forward (Will Herndon), and a left-handed center who stood all of 6–7 ( Harper Williams ). Somehow, that collection of marginal talent went 30–5 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. In the Sweet 16 matchup with Kentucky in 1992, official Lenny Wirtz issued Calipari a controversial technical foul for being outside
2340-867: A silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics as a member of Team USA and the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason MVP with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2012 NHL playoffs. He also was starting goalie of the Stanley Cup Champion Kings in 2014. Makar won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2019-2020 as the NHL's most outstanding first-year player. He went on to win the Stanley Cup in
2470-492: A sport that it last sponsored in 1995, for the 2014 season. The new affiliates for 2014–15 were Binghamton in men's tennis and Longwood in field hockey. On July 1, 2017, one associate member left the MAC, another associate member dropped one of its two MAC sports, and two new schools became associate members. Northern Iowa wrestling moved from the MAC to the Big 12 Conference . Missouri State dropped field hockey, but remained
2600-463: A suite of major changes to the conference's competitive format across multiple sports in response to fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic . Specific to men's and women's basketball, the following changes took effect in 2020–21 and will continue through at least 2023–24: The following are the most recent conference champions of each MAC sport. Champions from the previous academic year are indicated with
2730-569: A varsity sport after the 2009 season, the 2008 Minutemen skiing team won the United States Collegiate Skiing and Snowboard Association National Championship (the first time in 23 years an Eastern Coast team had won). Many of the eliminated varsity sports programs continue at the club sports level. Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference ( MAC ) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with
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#17327934397282860-627: Is 57–22 (.721), and in the NIT is 15–6 (.714). His teams have made 23 NCAA tournament appearances (21 officially, due to two later being vacated), including reaching the Sweet Sixteen 15 times (13 officially, due to two later being vacated), the Elite Eight 12 times (10 officially, due to two later being vacated), the Final Four six times (four officially, due to two later being vacated),
2990-427: Is 790–251 (.759), which accounts for the 4 vacated wins (and one vacated loss) in the 1995–96 NCAA Tournament at UMass, and the 38 vacated wins (and 1 vacated losses) at Memphis in the entire 2007–08 season. Calipari's actual on-the-court record without vacated games is 855–261 (.766) ****The 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic . On February 26, 2011, after Kentucky beat
3120-594: 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 (until Boston College ended the annual game in 2012), UMass' basketball rivalry with Boston College is called the " Commonwealth Classic ." Notable UMass basketball alumni include Camby, Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving , Iona head coach Rick Pitino , and Boston College head coach Al Skinner . Camby, Roe, Williams, Stéphane Lasme and Gary Forbes were each named Atlantic 10 player of
3250-636: The AIAW Women's College World Series . From 1980 through the 2013 season, the team was led by head coach Elaine Sortino . Since its conversion from the AIAW to the NCAA, UMass has played in 21 NCAA tournaments, and has made three trips to the College World Series (1992, 1997, and 1998). They have had players named as All-Americans on 32 different occasions. The team has also dominated the Atlantic 10 , winning 23 conference championships. Of
3380-512: The Big 12 Conference as a wrestling-only member. At the same time, four schools became single-sport MAC members— Bellarmine in field hockey, Georgia Southern and Georgia State in men's soccer, and Valparaiso in men's swimming (the school does not include diving in its men's aquatics program). In 2022, West Virginia men's soccer was scheduled to leave the MAC for single-sport membership in Conference USA (CUSA). However, due to
3510-598: The Florida Gators in Rupp Arena , Calipari was recognized for his 500th career victory as a Division I men's basketball coach. Over the course of the next few months, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions (COI) and the University of Kentucky exchanged letters debating whether Calipari had indeed reached the 500-win milestone. Due to games vacated by the NCAA in two different seasons (the 1996 season at UMass and
3640-760: The Horizon League , were announced as incoming associates at the same time the MAC announced the addition of lacrosse. RMU was announced as an incoming associate in late June 2020, shortly after the school announced it would join the Horizon League in July 2020. In June 2020, SIUE announced that it would leave the MAC men's soccer league in 2021 to rejoin its previous men's soccer home of the Missouri Valley Conference . It remains in MAC wrestling to this day. Also in 2021, Missouri left MAC wrestling and returned to its former home of
3770-775: 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 first showed steady improvement after resuming competition, with breakthrough years occurring in 2003 and 2004, when the team reached the Hockey East Tournament semifinals and finals, respectively. UMass Men's Ice Hockey appeared in their first NCAA Men's Ice Hockey tournament (16 Teams) in
3900-515: 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
4030-471: The NCAA Division I all-time winningest coaches list. Calipari lettered two years at UNC Wilmington before transferring to Clarion University of Pennsylvania , from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing. He played point guard at Clarion during the 1981 and 1982 seasons, leading the team in assists and free throw percentage. From 1982 to 1985, Calipari was an assistant at
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4160-654: The Ohio State Buckeyes , 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. They have been Atlantic 10 champions 3 times, in 2001, 2007 and 2017. In 2017 UMass Men's soccer
4290-636: The Philadelphia 76ers . Calipari became head coach at the University of Memphis in 2000. In Calipari's first nine years as head coach at Memphis, he won 214 games (38 wins were vacated) and posted seven consecutive 20-win seasons, plus one more in his final season (including an NCAA record four consecutive 30-win seasons, though the third season was vacated and this record no longer holds). He also earned seven consecutive postseason bids (plus one in his final season). His 2007–2008 team's 38 victories set
4420-568: The United States men's national under-19 basketball team in July 2017. Calipari coached Kentucky to four Final Fours , in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. He also led UMass and Memphis to the Final Four in 1996 and 2008 respectively; those appearances were later vacated , though Calipari was cleared of wrongdoing in both cases. As a college coach, Calipari has twenty-nine 20-win seasons, eleven 30-win seasons, and five 35-win seasons. As of April 2024, with 856 official wins, Calipari ranks 9th on
4550-487: The University of Kansas under Ted Owens and Larry Brown . Calipari had several jobs as the lowest coach in the pecking order when Ted Owens hired him as a volunteer assistant for the Jayhawks' 1982–83 season, including serving food at the training table. "I was blessed to have the chance. Can you imagine being 22, 23 and your first opportunity to be around the game is at a program like Kansas?" From 1985 to 1988, he
4680-413: The Western Athletic Conference in all sports, including soccer. Also in 2022, the MAC gained another affiliate when another Chicago institution, UIC , joined for men's swimming & diving. Ultimately, Chicago State's tenure as a MAC affiliate lasted only for the 2022 season, as the conference dropped men's soccer at season's end. 2023 saw UIC adding men's tennis to its affiliate membership, as well as
4810-747: The Yankee Conference , the Atlantic 10 , and the Colonial Athletic Association , which are basically three incarnations of the same conference, and now the FBS Mid-American 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
4940-549: The baseball team was Yankee Conference champions in 1952, 1957, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1978, 1979, and 1980, and Atlantic 10 champions in 1980, 1994, 1995, and 1996. They reached the NCAA tournament in 1954 , 1955 , 1956 , 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971 , 1973, 1978, 1995, and 1996 , and the College World Series in 1954 and 1969 . The team, since the termination of many men's teams (including football and baseball) in 1996 at Boston University , has become
5070-617: The dribble drive motion offense that was invented by former Pepperdine basketball coach Vance Walberg . On January 21, 2008, Calipari led the Tigers to the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll for only the second time in school history. In 2006 and 2008, Memphis earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. In 2008 , Calipari's Tigers advanced to the national championship game , their first under his leadership. They also won 38 games,
5200-417: The 1996 NCAA tournament and Final Four standing vacated after Marcus Camby was ruled ineligible due to his contact with a sports agent. ** ^ The NCAA vacated 38 wins and 1 loss from Memphis's 2007–08 season under Calipari due to violations of NCAA rules. *** ^ Under current NCAA official records, Calipari's record as of March 19, 2023,
5330-708: The 2 MAC schools (Ball State and Miami) joining the MVC as affiliates for that sport. However, shortly after dropping men's swimming, the MAC announced it would begin sponsoring a new sport, women's rowing, in 2025–26. Accordingly, it brought on 3 new affiliates for that sport: Delaware , High Point , and former football affiliate Temple . School names, nicknames, and colors listed here reflect those used during each school's MAC tenure. School names, nicknames, and colors listed here reflect those used during each school's MAC tenure. Full members Full members (non-football) Associate members (football only) One of
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5460-739: The 2004–05 academic year, both joining Conference USA in all sports. In May 2005, the Temple Owls in Philadelphia signed a six-year contract with the MAC as a football-only school and began play in the East Division in 2007. The Louisville Cardinals were a MAC affiliate for field hockey for a number of years when Louisville was a member of the Metro Conference and Conference USA, winning two MAC tourney titles in 2003 and 2004. The Missouri State Bears , Evansville Purple Aces , and Southern Illinois Salukis participate in
5590-495: 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. This was followed by over a decade of losing seasons, which included the firing of longtime coach Don Cahoon and the hiring and subsequent firing of head coach John Micheletto. In 2018-2019, under current coach Greg Carvel , and with the help of top recruits Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro ,
5720-493: The 2012 Summer Olympics. Another notable player is Rashida Timbilla, who is now one of the all-time greatest players in program history. She played for Umass Amherst from 2012 to 2016. Timbilla along with Jennifer Butler were the only two players to ever reach 1,000 rebounds in Umass women's basketball history. Timbilla also was ranked among the program's top-10 lists in 14 different categories. The field hockey program's first season
5850-415: The 2012–13 school year, and began full conference play in 2013–14. Old Dominion did not begin MAC competition until 2013–14, when it left the Colonial Athletic Association (which had sponsored wrestling, but no longer does so ) for Conference USA (which has never sponsored the sport). Old Dominion discontinued wrestling in April 2020. On July 1, 2013, Florida Atlantic's men's soccer program moved with
5980-651: The 2021-22 season, also becoming only the third defenceman to win the Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy in the same season. Sheary played for the 2015/16 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins . The men's lacrosse team 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
6110-511: The 8th overall NCAA Championship for Kentucky. By doing so, John Calipari became the 5th head coach to win an NCAA Championship at Kentucky (an NCAA record), and the first coach to do so at the school since Tubby Smith in 1998. Following the 2012 championship, UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart announced on May 4 that Calipari's contract had been renegotiated. Under the new contract, Calipari will make up to $ 8.0 million annually (not including bonuses), which further cements his status as one of
6240-496: 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
6370-602: The Big East/ American for 2013–14), and Massachusetts replaced Temple as a football-only member in the MAC East Division. On September 19, 2012, the MAC announced Missouri , Northern Iowa and Old Dominion would join as wrestling affiliates; as the Southeastern and Missouri Valley Conferences do not sponsor wrestling. Missouri and Northern Iowa participated only in the conference tournament in
6500-579: The Cats to their 12th victory of the season and the program's 2,000th victory ever. Kentucky won its 44th SEC Regular Season Championship in 2009–10, with a 14–2 conference record. Calipari's team followed this up with the UK's 26th SEC Tournament Championship, with an overtime defeat of Mississippi State, 75–74, in the SEC Tournament title game. In the NCAA Tournament, however, No. 1 seed Kentucky (East Region)
6630-470: The Elite Eight 82–70, to advance to their second consecutive Final Four. In the Final Four in New Orleans , Kentucky first faced their in-state rival, the Louisville Cardinals and Rick Pitino , winning 69–61. Two days later, in the National Championship game, Kentucky played in another early season rematch against the Kansas Jayhawks , winning a hard-fought contest 67–59. The win secured Calipari his first NCAA Championship, an NCAA record 38-win season, and
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#17327934397286760-406: The Final Four team in Calipari's final UMass season in 1995–96 as a squad "with one superstar (Marcus Camby) and a collection of complementary parts". By winning both the Atlantic 10 regular season and conference tournament championships from 1992 to 1996, UMass became the second team in college basketball history to win 5 consecutive regular season and conference tournament championships ( NC State
6890-408: The Final Four, UK fell to the eventual NCAA Champions, UConn , by one point, 56–55, finishing with a final record of 29–9. In this third season, Kentucky landed another No. 1 recruiting class with four consensus five star players: Anthony Davis , Marquis Teague , Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kyle Wiltjer . Kentucky came into the season ranked #2 in the country. They finished the regular season with
7020-435: The Hall of Fame Tip-Off classic, which resulted in UMass becoming the first New England college basketball team to be voted #1 in the Associated Press poll. During Calipari's tenure at UMass, the program became one of the most dominant in college basketball despite recruiting just one McDonald's All-American ( Donta Bright ) and having only two players drafted by an NBA team ( Lou Roe and Marcus Camby ). Forde recalled
7150-541: The MAC as a football-only member for two more seasons if UMass declined a full membership offer. UMass announced that it would look for a "more suitable conference" for the team. UMass became an independent member of FBS football beginning with the 2016 season. The UMass football team competed at the NCAA Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) level until 2012, and won one national title in that subdivision in 1998. The Minutemen were national finalists in 1978 and 2006. UMass has competed in four football conferences over its history,
7280-403: The MAC as a football-only member in July 2012; the university announced that the team would leave the MAC at the end of the 2015 season due to contractual issues. Meanwhile, Temple ended its affiliation with the MAC in football and joined the Big East for football in July 2012. Following the split of the Big East into football-sponsoring and non-football conferences in July 2013, Temple became
7410-416: The MAC banner with six teams in the 2021 season with MAC members Akron, Central Michigan and Kent State joined by associate members Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris, and Youngstown State. Eastern Michigan became the seventh women's lacrosse member when it added the sport in the 2022 season. At the end of the 2022 season, the MAC discontinued men's soccer as a sponsored sport. While the conference realignment of
7540-542: The MAC for men's swimming and diving. In 2012, the West Virginia Mountaineers joined the Florida Atlantic Owls and Hartwick College Hawks as men's soccer affiliates. Florida Atlantic departed upon joining Conference USA in 2013. Hartwick's contract was not renewed by the MAC in 2015. Nine schools are wrestling affiliates; most became affiliates when the MAC absorbed the former Eastern Wrestling League in 2019. Appalachian State University and Longwood University are associates in field hockey; Missouri State had also been
7670-406: The MAC in 2013, and an independent football member of FBS beginning with the 2016 season. UMass ice hockey has a long history dating back to 1908. The team competed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference 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
7800-411: The MAC was contracted to provide a team for each of five college football bowl games : the Bahamas Bowl , LendingTree Bowl , Famous Idaho Potato Bowl , Camellia Bowl (later renamed the Salute to Veterans Bowl ) and Quick Lane Bowl (later renamed the GameAbove Sports Bowl). The MAC also has secondary agreements with several ESPN-owned bowls . The MAC champion receives an automatic berth in one of
7930-476: The MAC. In July, the conference announced that it would begin sponsoring women's rowing for the 2025–26 season; full members Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and UMass would be joined by affiliate members Delaware, High Point, and Temple. There are twelve public universities with full membership: Sixteen schools have MAC affiliate membership status as of 2024. On July 1, 2012, Temple joined the Big East Conference for football only (the school's other sports would join
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#17327934397288060-425: The Minutemen are members 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
8190-431: The Minutemen had their most successful season in team history, achieving a #1 national ranking at times during the season. Despite faltering in the Hockey East Tournament, they nevertheless qualified for the NCAA tournament and advanced to their first-ever Frozen Four in Buffalo. They defeated Denver in overtime (4-3) in the national semifinals, then fell (3-0) to national champions Minnesota Duluth. For his performance during
8320-444: The NCAA John Vincent Calipari ( / ˌ k æ l ɪ ˈ p ær i / ; born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach at the University of Arkansas . He was the head coach at the University of Kentucky from 2009 until the end of the 2023–2024 season, which he led to one NCAA National Championship in 2012 . He has been named Naismith College Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2008, and 2015), and
8450-406: The NCAA Championship Game three times (twice officially, with the 2008 Championship Game appearance while at Memphis being vacated by the NCAA), winning the NCAA Championship at Kentucky in 2012, and finishing NCAA Runner-Up in 2014. As a college coach, Calipari has twenty-nine 20-win seasons (28 officially) and eleven 30-win seasons (10 officially). He has also coached six teams to the NIT, winning
8580-403: The NCAA because Camby had accepted about $ 28,000 worth of gifts, in particular a gold chain, from two sports agents who were luring him to enter the NBA draft after his Sophomore season. Calipari helped accelerate the construction of the Mullins Center , UMass' basketball and hockey facility. He also reached out to eastern Massachusetts and Boston to enlarge the fan base. Before moving on to
8710-547: The NCAA tournament in 1983 (semifinals), 1984 (semifinals), 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and 2017. They have been Atlantic 10 Champions in 2000, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. UMass began its men's soccer program in 1930. They have reached the NCAA tournament 4 times, in 2001, in 2007, 2008 and in 2017. In 2007 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. They were defeated by
8840-538: The NIT Championship at Memphis in 2002 . He is one of only four coaches in NCAA Division I history to direct three different schools to a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The platoon system established under John Calipari not only provided life for the University of Kentucky's basketball team in 2014, but it also provided an important defensive weapon. The platoon system was introduced in 2014, and consisted of playing 10 men in legions of five. Each platoon includes three ball-handlers and two taller players. Since 2009,
8970-407: The New Jersey Nets, Calipari became the second winningest coach in UMass history behind Jack Leaman . In 2010, then- ESPN.com writer Pat Forde , in his "Forde Minutes" column, said of the 1992 team: Calipari's greatest strength as a coach is his ability to create teams that play together. His 1992 Massachusetts team remains one of the most overachieving units The Minutes has ever seen, featuring
9100-456: The New Jersey Nets, Calipari directed profanities at Star-Ledger sports reporter Dan Garcia and referred to him as a "Mexican idiot". Garcia sued for $ 5,000,000 for emotional distress. Though the case was dismissed and Calipari apologized for his remarks, he was still fined $ 25,000 by the NBA. The 1997–98 season was a lone bright spot for the Nets in the late 1990s. The team played well under Calipari, winning 43 games and qualifying for
9230-442: The Olympics include Judy Strong in 1980 and 1984, Patty Shea in 1988 and 1996, Megan Donnelly in 1998, and Pam Bustin in 1996. Pam Hixon was the head coach of Team USA in 1996. Hilary Rose competed on the British team in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. Former UMass assistant coach Shannon Taylor competed for Team USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and was a member of the USA National Team in 2013. The football team began
9360-592: The SEC Tournament title game. As a result, Kentucky received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament (East Regional). During the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky would go on to defeat No. 1 overall seed Ohio State , 62–60, in the Sweet-16. In the Elite Eight, Calipari's team would avenge an early season loss to North Carolina , by defeating the Tar Heels, 76–69, securing Kentucky's first Final Four appearance since 1998. In
9490-455: The UMass softball team Sortino won over 1,000 games. In her career, UMass posted 21 30-win seasons, seven 40-win campaign and one 50-win season. Since 2000 the softball team has played its home games at the state-of-the-art 1,000-seat UMass Softball Complex . The facility was renamed to Sortino Field in 2012 in honor of former coach Sortino. The men's swimming and diving team's first season
9620-496: The US swimming team in the 1940 Summer Olympics. The women's rowing program has been highly successful. The team has been 16 time A-10 champions, and some team members have been selected to the U.S. National Team, including Sara Jones who competed in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. The team won 4th place in the 1998 NCAA Championships. UMass alumnus Julia Richter won the silver medal at the 2012 London Summer Olympics for Team Germany as
9750-462: The University of Kentucky Director of Athletics, Mitch Barnhart, formally introduced John Calipari as the new coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats. During the press conference, Calipari spoke at length about his relationships with former UK basketball players and coaches, and also in his difficulties in accepting the UK job, largely due to his deep emotional ties with both the city of Memphis and University of Memphis. Calipari stated, "Coming to UK
9880-425: The University of Memphis, and ended when Kentucky Wildcat Jarred Vanderbilt was not drafted until the second round. From 1988 to 1996 at UMass, Calipari led the Minutemen program to five consecutive Atlantic 10 titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, including periods where the program was ranked first nationally. He finished with a 193–71 record overall, with a 91–41 record in Atlantic 10 conference games. Calipari
10010-400: The University of Memphis. Calipari is famous for popularizing the dribble drive motion offense, developed by Vance Walberg , which is sometimes known as the "Memphis Attack". In his 31 official seasons (32 seasons overall) as a collegiate head coach, Calipari's record is 855–263 (.765). His NCAA-adjusted (the records of two appearances being removed) official record in the NCAA tournament
10140-619: The Wildcats have been on the top of the high school basketball recruiting mountain. Recruiting has always been paramount for John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats . According to The Washington Post , Calipari's teams have been a defensive powerhouse, historically ranking in the top 50 in Ken Pomeroy's defensive debate. Because of his successful recruiting John Calipari is able to bring in elite talent, and does not have to use
10270-425: The announcement that James Madison would be joining as an affiliate for field hockey in 2024. In 2024, the Missouri Valley Conference announced it would begin sponsoring men's swimming & diving for the 2024–25 season. At the time, the MAC men's swimming programs consisted of 2 MAC schools and 5 affiliates from the MVC; correspondingly, all of these programs would move to the MVC for the following season, with
10400-489: The calendar year of their title. In sports in which regular-season and tournament champions are recognized, "RS" indicates regular-season champion and "T" indicates tournament champion. Fall 2024 Winter 2024–25 Spring 2025 Total revenue includes ticket sales, contributions and donations, rights and licensing, student fees, school funds and all other sources including TV income, camp income, concessions, and novelties. John Calipari * Vacated by
10530-552: The championship game in Philadelphia . It was the first time any team had ever defeated the #4, #3, and #2 seeded teams on its way to facing #1 Virginia in the championship. The women's lacrosse team's first season was in 1976 where the program quickly rose to prominence. They reached the USWLA Semifinals in 1978, and were USWLA runner up in 1979. The Minutewomen reached the AIAW semifinals both in 1980 and 1981. They were NCAA Champions in 1982, and have been selected for
10660-502: The changing landscape of the FCS, especially in the Colonial Athletic Association , with Hofstra and Northeastern dropping their football programs in 2009, Rhode Island considering a move 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. The football team became a football-only member in
10790-543: The choice of nickname into question for the derogatory connotations of the name. The administration began requesting that the name be used as little as possible, and by the end of the 1972 spring semester, the Board of Trustees chose to change the nickname to Minutemen , one of the choices that was a finalist in 1948. The name was chosen for its ties to the history of the Commonwealth, as the Minutemen were instrumental in
10920-503: The coach's box during a crucial UMass possession. Kentucky went on to face Duke in the next round in one of the greatest games in college basketball history, won on a last-second shot by Christian Laettner . In 1993, UMass defeated defending NCAA champion and preseason #1 North Carolina in the pre-season NIT in Madison Square Garden . The following year #3 UMass defeated defending NCAA champion and #1 Arkansas in
11050-496: The conference announced that it would be adding the seven former members of the Eastern Wrestling League as affiliate members in wrestling, making the MAC the second-largest wrestling conference for academic year 2019–20. With the addition of women's lacrosse, the MAC added affiliate members Detroit Mercy , Robert Morris , and Youngstown State in the 2020–21 academic year. UDM and YSU, all-sports members of
11180-752: The current full member schools, the University at Buffalo , is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). All members of the MAC are classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" except for the University at Buffalo, Kent State University , and Ohio University , which are classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". Member schools are also ranked nationally and globally by various groups, including U.S. News & World Report and Times Higher Education . The Mid-American Conference sponsors championship competition in 9 men's and 13 women's NCAA sanctioned sports, with women's lacrosse becoming
11310-420: The early 2020s did not affect the MAC's core membership up to that time, it significantly impacted the amount of men's soccer sponsoring programs within the conference, and ultimately led to the conference lacking enough teams to maintain its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Of the four full MAC members that sponsored men's soccer in the 2022 season, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan moved
11440-701: The early stages of the American Revolution . Though there was some controversy in the 1990s over the mascot being perceived as "a symbol of oppression," the mascot has remained the Minutemen and Minutewomen. The school's colors are maroon and white. Its mascot is Sam the Minuteman , a colonial based on the Concord Minute Man's imagery. A primary member of the Atlantic 10 Conference , the University of Massachusetts sponsors teams in ten men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports, with
11570-421: The era of the now-defunct Bowl Championship Series (BCS), one MAC team appeared in a BCS bowl game. In 2012 , NIU qualified by being ranked in the top 16 (15th) in the season's final BCS standings, and also higher than at least one champion of a conference that received an automatic berth in a BCS game. In the 2012 season, two such conference champions were ranked below NIU: Big East champion Louisville , who
11700-640: The first game and the team started poorly. With the Nets underachieving at 3–15, the Nets traded Cassell to the Milwaukee Bucks , while the Nets acquired Stephon Marbury from the Minnesota Timberwolves . After two more losses, Calipari was fired as head coach with the team at 3–17. He finished his tenure with an overall record of 72 wins and 112 losses and a .391 overall winning percentage. He then joined Larry Brown as an assistant coach for
11830-402: The first year. Miami University and Western Michigan University took the place of those charter members for the 1948 season. The MAC added the University of Toledo (1950), Kent State University (1951), and Bowling Green State University (1952). The University of Cincinnati resigned its membership February 18, 1953, with an effective date of June 1, 1953. Cincinnati's decision was based on
11960-597: 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 . UMass (Massachusetts Agricultural College) played its first varsity basketball game in 1900. Today,
12090-424: The head coach at the University of Kentucky , after UK's head coach, Billy Gillispie , was fired after two unsuccessful seasons at the school. Calipari rejected a counter offer by Memphis for Kentucky's 8 year, $ 31.65 million contract. According to university officials, John Calipari signed a written contract on March 31, 2009. The contract was worth $ 34.65 million over 8 years, plus incentives. On April 1, 2009,
12220-684: The ice hockey program competing in the Hockey East Association and men's lacrosse in the Colonial Athletic Association . On February 29, 2024, UMass announced it would become a full member of the Mid-American Conference starting on July 1, 2025. UMass's men's lacrosse team will remain in the A-10, while the ice hockey team will remain in the Hockey East; the MAC does not sponsor either sport. Initiated in 1877,
12350-588: The largest in Division I-A with the re-admittance of Marshall and NIU in 1997 and addition of the Bulls from the University at Buffalo in 1998. The University of Central Florida , a non-football all-sports member in the Atlantic Sun Conference at the time, joined for football only in 2002, becoming the first football-only member in conference history. Marshall and Central Florida left after
12480-495: The leadership of then-head coach John Calipari 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
12610-433: The men's semi-finals and championship regularly drawing large crowds at Quicken Loans Arena. In 2007, the MAC also announced a format change for both tournaments, bringing all twelve men's and women's teams to Cleveland. The MAC also co-hosted the 2007 Women's Final Four at Quicken Loans Arena after successfully hosting the 2006 NCAA Women's Basketball Regional at the same facility. On May 12, 2020, Steinbrecher announced
12740-410: The most highly compensated college basketball coaches in the country. In April 2019, Calipari agreed to a "lifetime" contract with Kentucky, centered on a 10-year coaching extension, and a lifetime paid ambassadorship when he retires. On April 9, 2024, Calipari announced he would be leaving Kentucky, but did not immediately announce plans to retire or accept another job. On April 10, 2024, Calipari
12870-670: The most regular-season wins in NCAA history (his 2011–12 Kentucky team would also go on to win 38 games). His team, however, would lose to the Kansas Jayhawks , 75–68, in overtime . This team later had its entire season record vacated by the NCAA because the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers the SAT college admissions test, invalidated Derrick Rose 's score on that test. Despite this, Rose still denies any wrongdoing. The NCAA began to investigate
13000-436: The nearby Akron area . The conference ranks highest among all ten NCAA Division I FBS conferences for graduation rates. The five charter members of the Mid-American Conference were Ohio University , Butler University , the University of Cincinnati , Wayne University (now Wayne State University), and Western Reserve University, one of the predecessors to today's Case Western Reserve University . Wayne University left after
13130-448: The newest sport in 2020–21. As of the 2024–25 school year, 16 schools are associate members for four sports. As the MAC is an FBS conference, its full members are subject to the NCAA requirement that FBS members field teams in at least 16 NCAA-recognized sports. However, as of 2017, the MAC itself required sponsorship of only four sports: football, men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball. This may have since changed, as UMass
13260-548: 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. Henderson returned to her alma mater when she was named associate head coach in 2013. In her tenure as coach of
13390-513: The other 2 teams in its pod every season. Additionally, every team in the MAC will be guaranteed to face every other team in the MAC at least once every three years. The MAC Football Championship Game , which previously matched the winner of the East Division against the winner of the West Division, will instead pit the two teams in the MAC with the highest conference winning percentage. The pods are as follows: Bowl games In 2017,
13520-537: The playoffs on the last day of the season. The Nets were seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference and lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 playoffs in three straight games. The 1998–99 season was delayed for three months due to an owners' lockout of the players. When the abbreviated 50-game season began, the Nets were a choice by experts as a surprise team. However, Sam Cassell was injured in
13650-787: The regular season, Makar was awarded the school's first-ever Hobey Baker Award . UMass spent the next season in the national rankings and was in line to return to the tournament the following year, but the season was cut short in March by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minutemen won their first National Hockey Championship in the 2021 NCAA tournament, beating St. Cloud State by a score of 5–0. UMass alumni who have played/are playing professional hockey include Cale Makar , Mario Ferraro , Conor Sheary , Jonathan Quick , Thomas Pock , Greg Mauldin , Justin Braun , and Casey Wellman , among others. Quick also won
13780-544: The rest of its athletic program to Conference USA, and Chicago State's men's tennis team followed the rest of its sports to the Western Athletic Conference . The 2014–15 school year saw one affiliate member leave for another conference and two new affiliates join. The Hartwick men's soccer team left the MAC for the Sun Belt Conference , which had announced in February 2014 that it would reinstate men's soccer,
13910-481: The so-called "New Year's Six" bowl games associated with the College Football Playoff under either of the following circumstances: The first "Access Bowl" berth in 2014 went to Boise State (MW); the 2015 berth went to Houston (American). The MAC got its first berth in 2016 with Western Michigan, who had an undefeated regular season that year and finished ranked at No. 15 in the AP Poll . During
14040-619: The sport to the Missouri Valley Conference , and Akron moved it to the Big East Conference . The MAC eliminated its East and West divisions for football in January 2024. The divisions had already been eliminated for other sports in 2020. Later that year, in late February, it was announced that the UMass Minutemen and Minutewomen will join the conference as a full member beginning in 2025, returning UMass football to
14170-483: The tenuous future of CUSA at that time, West Virginia opted instead to join the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) in 2022 as that league reinstated men's soccer. Georgia Southern and Georgia State, both full SBC members, also returned men's soccer to their home conference in 2022. In response, the MAC announced that Chicago State would join as a men's soccer affiliate as of the 2022–23 season, as the Cougars prepared to depart
14300-629: The test and contacted the ETS. Because the NCAA had begun to investigate, ETS decided to review the test. The ETS sent three letters to Rose's family's former address in Chicago (instead of his dorm in Memphis) to ask that Rose verify some information on his test. Because he did not reply to the letters, ETS invalidated his SAT. This happened even though the NCAA investigated and reported that they could not find significant evidence to prove that Rose did not take
14430-433: The test. Because the ETS had invalidated the test, the NCAA retroactively declared Rose ineligible. To this day, the official position of the NCAA is that Rose did take his own SAT. If not for the vacated wins, Calipari would be the winningest coach in Tigers history, as he would have 252 wins to Larry Finch 's 220. On May 28, 2010, John Calipari, Derrick Rose, and University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson reached
14560-650: The trophy 4 times. Western Michigan has won the trophy three straight years (2018–2020) as well as six of seven years from 2014 to 2020 (2014–2016, 2018–2020). In August 2010, Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that the Mid-American Conference men's and women's basketball tournaments would remain in Cleveland at the venue then known as Quicken Loans Arena and now as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse through 2017. Both tournaments have flourished since moving to Cleveland in 2000, with
14690-766: The year of 2016, a former Umass minutemen Tajae Sharpe was invited to the NFL Combines , and subsequently was drafted to play in the NFL. 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
14820-641: The year. Derek Kellogg was 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. Kellogg coached from 2008–2017. The women's basketball program began in 1968. They have reached the Women's NIT in 1995 and the NCAA tournament in 1996 and 1998 . Former players Tamara and Alisha Tatham competed for Team Canada in
14950-503: Was accepted as a new conference member effective in 2025 despite not sponsoring women's volleyball. Future members in gray. Future member in gray. Notes: On November 30, 2023, the MAC approved a new scheduling format for football effective for the 2024 season, eliminating its East and West Divisions for the first time since 1996 in favor of a pod-based protected rivalry system. Under the new system, teams will be divided into 4 pods of 3 teams each, and each team will be guaranteed to face
15080-402: Was also used, by 1948 the school, which had changed its name to the University of Massachusetts the year before, decided a new nickname was in order. From the leading choices, Redmen was chosen, both for the roles Native Americans served in the history of the Commonwealth and for their "strength and fierceness in defending his lands." However, by 1972, Native Americans in the region were calling
15210-435: Was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh under Roy Chipman and Paul Evans . From 1988 to 1996, he was head coach at the University of Massachusetts . From 1996 to 1999, he was head coach and Executive VP of basketball operations for the NBA 's New Jersey Nets . During the 1999–2000 season , he was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers under coach Larry Brown, before moving on to his next position at
15340-636: Was decided to cut the funding because the money available to them was not enough to keep them on a truly competitive level. The money saved was to be used to make other sports stronger. Posters saying, "SOS: Save Our Sports," appeared all over campus. Men's and women's tennis ultimately survived, for a few years at least. Before being eliminated after the 2002 academic year, UMass had highly successful varsity programs in men's water polo (4th place national finish in 1995, with 6 appearances in NCAA tournaments), women's water polo, men's and women's gymnastics, men's tennis and women's volleyball. Before being eliminated as
15470-414: Was expelled from the conference in 1969 due to NCAA violations. The first major expansion since the 1950s took place in the mid-1970s with the addition of Central Michigan University and Eastern Michigan University in 1972 and Ball State University and Northern Illinois University in 1973. NIU left after the 1985–86 season. The University of Akron joined the conference in 1992. The conference became
15600-508: Was in 1935. They have been Atlantic 10 Conference champions 16 times. The women's team began their program in 1976. They were the Atlantic 10 Champions in 2001. Diver Angelique Rodríguez competed on the Puerto Rican Olympic teams in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. Although UMass did not have a women's swim team at the time, Dorothy Donnelly practiced with the men's team in the late 1930s and early 1940s. She competed on
15730-464: Was in 1975, when it quickly rose in national prominence. From 1977 to 1980, the field hockey team qualified for the AIAW national tournament, which was a precursor to the NCAA. The team has qualified for the NCAA tournament 26 times, reaching the Final Four four times (1983, 1987, 1992) and the Finals in 1981. They have been Atlantic 10 champions 16 times. Minutewomen who have competed for Team USA in
15860-535: Was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. He was previously the head coach at the University of Massachusetts from 1988 to 1996, the NBA 's New Jersey Nets from 1996 to 1999, the University of Memphis from 2000 to 2009, and the University of Kentucky from 2009 to 2024. He was the head coach of the Dominican Republic national team in the summers of 2011 and 2012, as well as
15990-628: Was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 1992, 1993, and 1996. He was also named the Naismith , NABC , Basketball Times & Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 1996. He led UMass to its first-ever appearance in the Final Four with the play of the John R. Wooden Award winner and Naismith College Player of the Year Marcus Camby , although this appearance was later vacated by
16120-844: Was named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2006, 2008, and 2009. In 2008, he was named Naismith College Coach of the Year , receiving the honor for the second time. In 2009, he was named Sports Illustrated College Basketball Coach of the Year. He built a national program by recruiting blue chip players from the Eastern part of the country, such as Dajuan Wagner from Camden (NJ), Darius Washington Jr. from Orlando (FL), Rodney Carney from Indianapolis (IN), Shawne Williams from Memphis (TN), Joey Dorsey from Baltimore (MD), Chris Douglas-Roberts from Detroit (MI), Antonio Anderson from Lynn (MA), Robert Dozier from Lithonia (GA), Derrick Rose from Chicago (IL), and Tyreke Evans from Aston (PA). While at Memphis, Calipari popularized
16250-969: Was named the head coach at Arkansas, signing a 5-year deal worth $ 7 million a season. The deal also includes a signing bonus of $ 1 million, annual $ 500,000 retention bonuses, and incentives based on the Razorbacks' NCAA Tournament performances. National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion * ^ UMass had its 4–1 record in
16380-630: Was ranked 22nd, and Big Ten champion Wisconsin , who was unranked. NIU lost to Florida State in the Orange Bowl . Football rivalries involving MAC teams include: In addition, Central Michigan , Eastern Michigan , and Western Michigan compete for the Michigan MAC Trophy , which is awarded to the team with the best head-to-head record each year. Since the inception of the trophy in 2005, Western Michigan has won 7 times, Central Michigan has won 5 times, and Eastern Michigan has won
16510-540: Was the easy part, it was leaving the city of Memphis that was the hard part." He went on to refer to the University of Kentucky coaching position as his "dream job". Calipari became the 22nd coach overall at Kentucky, and just the 7th coach in the last 79 years for the Wildcats. In his first year as head coach, Calipari had a highly touted recruiting class, including the No. 1 overall rated recruit, John Wall , plus fellow 5-star recruits, DeMarcus Cousins , Eric Bledsoe , and Daniel Orton . On December 21, 2009, Calipari led
16640-527: Was the first team since 1991 Rutgers Men's soccer to win the Atlantic 10 Regular season and Conference championships outright, in the same year. The women's soccer program began in 1978. The Minutewomen have won 4 Atlantic 10 championships (1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997). They have been selected to the NCAA tournament 15 times, reaching the Women's College Cup 6 times (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 (finalist), and 1993). Alumnus Briana Scurry received gold medals as
16770-691: Was the first). The Calipari Room, a classroom in the Du Bois Library at UMass, is so named in recognition of donations from the Calipari family. In the 1996–97 season , John Calipari replaced Butch Beard as head coach of the New Jersey Nets. After a 26–56 debut season, the Nets made a major draft-day trade in June 1997, acquiring Keith Van Horn , Lucious Harris and two other players in exchange for Tim Thomas . In 1997, while coaching
16900-574: Was upset by West Virginia in the Elite 8, to finish the season at 35–3. In his second season at Kentucky, Calipari recruited the No. 1 rated point guard in the 2010 class, Brandon Knight . In addition to Knight, Calipari also signed two other 5-star recruits, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb . In 2010–11, Kentucky finished the regular season with a record of 22–8, with a 10–6 record in SEC regular season play. UK would go on to win its second consecutive SEC Tournament Championship, defeating Florida, 70–54, in
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