UMass Minutemen

Infobox college athletics
name=UMass Minutemen
logo=UMassMinutemen.pnguniversity=University of Massachusetts Amherst
conference=Atlantic 10
division=Division I
director=John McCutcheon
city=Amherst
state=Massachusetts
stateabb=MA
teams=21 varsity teams
stadium=Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium
arena=William D. Mullins Memorial Center
mascot=Sam the Minuteman
nickname=Minutemen/Minutewomen
fightsong=Fight Mass
color1=Maroon
color2=White
hex1=8B0000
hex2=FFFFFF
pageurl=http://umassathletics.com/
pagename=umassathletics.com

The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst in NCAA Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. 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 primarily compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Minutemen ice hockey team competes in Hockey East, while the Minutemen football team has been a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association football conference since 2007.

Basketball

UMass is a member 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 1990's, 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 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 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 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, UMass' basketball rivalry with Boston College is called the "Commonwealth Classic."Notable UMass basketball alumni include Camby, Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, and Boston College head coach Al Skinner. The current coach of the Minutemen is Derek Kellogg. Camby, Roe, Williams, Stephane Lasme and Gary Forbes were each named Atlantic 10 player of the year.

Derek Kellogg was also 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.

Football

The UMass Football team competes at the NCAA Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) level, having won one national title in that subdivision in 1998. The Minutemen were national finalists in 1978 and 2006. UMass has competed in three football conferences over its history, the Yankee Conference, the Atlantic 10, and the Colonial Athletic Association (which are basically 3 incarnations of the same 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 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.

Ice Hockey

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 the Mullins Center, and the team began competition 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 has shown steady improvement since it resumed competition, with breakthrough years occurring in 2003 and 2004, when the team reached the Hockey East Tournament semifinals and finals, respectively. The program is now nationally ranked on a regular basis. UMass Men's Ice Hockey appeared in their first NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament (16 Teams) in 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.

The UMass hockey team is nicknamed "The Mass Attack."

Lacrosse

The UMass men's lacrosse 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 the championship game in Philadelphia. It was the first time any team had ever defeated the #4, #3, ad #2 seeded teams on its way to facing #1 Virginia in the championship.

Men's Soccer

UMass Men's soccer led by Junior Goalie Zach Simmions and Junior Midfielder Mike Desantis reached NCAA Men's College Cup in 2007. They were defeated by 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, #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.

National titles

UMass has won two NCAA championships. The Minutemen won the NCAA national title in Division I-AA (now FCS) football in 1998, and the Minutewomen won the national title in Division I women's lacrosse in 1982.

NCAA Division I Teams - Men's

*Baseball
*Basketball
*Cross Country
*Football (Division I FCS)
*Ice Hockey
*Lacrosse
*Skiing
*Soccer
*Swimming & Diving
*Track & Field

NCAA Division I Teams - Women's

*Basketball
*Cross Country
*Field Hockey
*Lacrosse
*Rowing (Crew)
*Skiing
*Soccer
*Softball
*Swimming & Diving
*Tennis
*Track & Field