Sports in Massachusetts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sports in Massachusetts have a long history with both amateur athletics and professional teams. Most of the major professional teams have won multiple championships in their respective leagues. Massachusetts teams have won 5 Stanley Cups (Boston Bruins), 16 NBA Championships (Boston Celtics), 3 Super Bowls (New England Patriots), and 7 World Series (6 Boston Red Sox, 1 Boston Braves). Massachusetts is also the home to the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield), the Volleyball Hall of Fame (Holyoke), and the Cape Cod Baseball League. It is also home to prestigious sports events such as the Boston Marathon and the Head of the Charles Regatta. The Falmouth Road Race in running and the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic in bicycle racing are also very popular events with long histories.

The PGA Deutsche Bank Championship and the Champions Tour Bank of America Championship are regular professional golf tour stops in the state. Massachusetts has played host to 9 US Opens, 4 US Womens Opens, 2 Ryder Cups, and 1 Senior Open.

Many colleges and universities in Massachusetts are active in college athletics. There are a number of NCAA Division I members in the state for multiple sports: Boston College , Boston University, Northeastern University, Harvard University, College of the Holy Cross, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Club Sports Founded League Venue
Boston Red Sox Baseball 1901 Major League Baseball: American League Fenway Park
New England Patriots Football 1960 National Football League: American Football Conference Gillette Stadium
Boston Celtics Basketball 1946 National Basketball Association: Eastern Conference TD Banknorth Garden
Boston Bruins Ice Hockey 1924 National Hockey League TD Banknorth Garden
Boston Cannons Lacrosse (Outdoor) 2001 Major League Lacrosse Nickerson Field
Boston Blazers Lacrosse (Indoor/Box) 2007 National Lacrosse League: Eastern Division TD Banknorth Garden
Brockton Rox Baseball 2002 Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball Campanelli Stadium
Lowell Spinners Baseball 1996 Single-A Minor League Baseball Edward A. LeLacheur Park
North Shore Spirit (defunct) Baseball 2003 Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball    Fraser Field
Worcester Tornadoes Baseball 2005 Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball Fitton Field
Cape Cod Frenzy Basketball 2004 American Basketball Association TBA
Bay State Warriors Football 2001 Independent Women's Football League Hormel Stadium
Mass Mutiny Football 2001 National Women's Football Association English High School
New England Surge Indoor football 2007 Continental Indoor Football League DCU Center
Lowell Devils Ice Hockey 2006 American Hockey League Tsongas Arena
Springfield Falcons Ice Hockey 1994 American Hockey League MassMutual Center
Worcester Sharks Ice Hockey 2006 American Hockey League DCU Center
Boston Braves Rugby league 2006 American National Rugby League
New England Riptide Softball 2004 National Pro Fastpitch Martin Softball Field
New England Revolution    Soccer 1995 Major League Soccer Gillette Stadium
Western Mass Pioneers Soccer 1998 United Soccer League Second Division    Lusitano Stadium
Cape Cod Crusaders Soccer 1994 USL Premier Development League Barnstable Stadium Field
Boston Lobsters Tennis 1974 World TeamTennis Harvard University Bright Arena
New England Hurricanes Paintball 2000 National Professional Paintball League
Boston Breakers (on hiatus) Soccer 2001 Women's United Soccer Association Nickerson Field
Boston Braves (NFL)/Boston Redskins (moved to Washington, D.C. and are now the Washington Redskins) Football 1932 National Football League Braves Field/Fenway Park
Boston Braves (moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and became the Milwaukee Braves, would move again to Atlanta, Georgia and are now the Atlanta Braves) Baseball 1871 Major League Baseball South End Grounds/Braves Field
New England Whalers (joined the National Hockey League and moved to Hartford, Connecticut and became the Hartford Whalers, would move again to Raleigh, North Carolina and are now the Carolina Hurricanes) Ice Hockey 1972 World Hockey Association Boston Arena/Boston Garden/The Big E Coliseum/MassMutual Center
Boston Yanks (defunct) Football 1944 National Football League Fenway Park
Boston Breakers (moved to New Orleans, Louisiana and became the New Orleans Breakers, would move again to Portland, Oregon and become the Portland Breakers for the rest of the team's existence) Football 1983 United States Football League Nickerson Field
Boston Braves (AHL) (defunct) Ice Hockey 1971 American Hockey League Boston Garden

[edit] College sports

[edit] NCAA

School Nickname Division Conference
Boston College Eagles I Atlantic Coast Conference/Intercollegiate Fencing Association/Hockey East
Boston University Terriers I America East Conference/Hockey East
Northeastern University Huskies I Colonial Athletic Association/Hockey East
Harvard University Crimson I Ivy League/ECAC Hockey/Intercollegiate Fencing Association
College of the Holy Cross Crusaders I Patriot League/Atlantic Hockey
University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen/Minutewomen I Atlantic 10 Conference/Hockey East
Merrimack College Warriors I/II Hockey East/Northeast Ten Conference
University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks I/II Hockey East/Northeast Ten Conference
Williams College Ephs I/III New England Small College Athletic Conference
American International College Yellow Jackets II Northeast Ten Conference/Hockey East
Assumption College Greyhounds II Northeast Ten Conference/ECAC Northeast
Bentley College Falcons II Northeast Ten Conference/Atlantic Hockey
Stonehill College Skyhawks II Northeast Ten Conference/ECAC Northeast
Amherst College Lord Jeffs/Lady Jeffs III Eastern College Athletic Conference/New England Small College Athletic Conference
Anna Maria College Amcats III Commonwealth Coast Conference
Babson College Beavers III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Bay Path College Wildcats III North Atlantic Conference
Becker College Hawks III North Atlantic Conference
Brandeis University Owls III North Atlantic Conference/Intercollegiate Fencing Association
Bridgewater State College Bears III Eastern College Athletic Conference/Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference/Little East Conference/New England Football Conference
Clark University Cougars III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Curry College Colonels III New England Football Conference/ECAC Northeast
Eastern Nazarene College Crusaders III Commonwealth Coast Conference
Elms College Blazers III North Atlantic Conference
Emerson College Lions III Eastern College Athletic Conference/Great Northeast Athletic Conference/North Atlantic Conference
Emmanuel College Saints III Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Endicott College Gulls III New England Football Conference/Commonwealth Coast Conference
Fitchburg State College Falcons III New England Football Conference/ECAC Northeast
Framingham State College Rams III New England Football Conference/ECAC Northeast
Gordon College Fighting Scots III Commonwealth Coast Conference/Eastern College Athletic Conference
Lasell College Lasers III North Atlantic Conference
Lesley University Lynx III North Atlantic Conference
Mount Holyoke College Lyons III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Mount Ida College Mustangs III Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Trailblazers III Eastern College Athletic Conference/Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buccaneers III Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference/New England Football Conference
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Beavers III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference/New England Football Conference/Intercollegiate Fencing Association
Newbury College Nighthawks III Eastern College Athletic Conference/Northeast Collegiate Volleyball Association
Nichols College Bison III Commonwealth Coast Conference/New England Football Conference/ECAC Northeast
Pine Manor College Gators III Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Regis College Pride III Commonwealth Coast Conference
Salem State College Vikings III Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference
Simmons College Sharks III Great Northeast Athletic Conference/North Atlantic Conference
Smith College Pioneers III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Springfield College Pride III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Suffolk University Rams III Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Tufts University Jumbos III New England Small College Athletic Conference
University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons III Little East Conference
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs III Little East Conference/New England Football Conference
Wellesley College Blues III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Wentworth Institute of Technology Panthers III Commonwealth Coast Conference/Eastern College Athletic Conference
Western New England College Golden Bears III Commonwealth Coast Conference/New England Football Conference/ECAC Northeast
Westfield State College Owls III New England Football Conference
Wheaton College, Massachusetts Lyons III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Wheelock College Wildcats III North Atlantic Conference/Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Engineers III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Worcester State College Lancers III Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference/New England Football Conference

[edit] NAIA

School Nickname Conference
Fisher College Falcons Sunrise Athletic Conference
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