Grabbing Your A-10tion
Massachusetts Minutemen
Location: Amherst, Mass.
Founded: 1863
Enrollment: 23,570
Nickname: Minutemen
Colors: Maroon and White
Chancellor: John V. Lombardi
Director of Athletics: John F. McCutcheon
Joined the A-10: 1977
Driving distance from Charlotte: 794 miles
Website: www.umassathletics.com
Sports in which the 49ers and Minutemen will compete: Baseball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Cross-Country, Women’s Cross-Country, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, Softball, Women’s Tennis, Men’s Track and Field, Women’s Track and Field
Other Sports: Field Hockey, Football, Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Rowing, Men’s and Women’s Swimming
Recent League Tournament Titles: Softball (2005, 2003-1995); Men’s Soccer (2001); Women’s Tennis (2001); Women’s Indoor Track (2001)
Recent NCAA appearances: Softball (2005); Men’s Soccer (2001); Softball (2005-1995)
Notes: UMass enjoyed a 13-year reign as regular-season softball champs from 1991-2004 and were tournament champs in 15 of the last 17 years. They have earned an NCAA berth in 14 of last 17 years, including three trips to the College World Series. Women’s soccer advanced to 1993 NCAA Final Four.
1.) What a Site ... Amherst is a New England town nestled near the beautiful Berkshire Mountains and located between four major East Coast cities. The haven of Amherst is a half hour drive from Springfield, Mass., home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, an hour from Hartford, Conn., two hours from the bustle of Boston and just over two and a half hours to the Big Apple, New York City. Commonly called the Pioneer Valley, Amherst offers tree-lined streets filled with more than 50 stores, shops and restaurants. Edward B. Fiske, of the New York Times, called Amherst one of the nation’s “ten best college towns.”
2.) Alums ... From actor Richard Gere and singer Natalie Cole to the president of General Motors, Jack Smith, UMass alumni cover virtually every field. Other alums include actor Bill Pullman (Twister), entertainer Bill Cosby (graduate school), University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino, Jack Welsh, president of General Electric Co., writer Stephen T. Whitestone (“The Pebble and the Penguin”) and World Cup goalkeeper Briana Scurry.
3.) The Doctor is In ... Julius Erving, one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players of all-time, soared on the hardcourt for the Minutemen. Erving played two seasons at UMass (1969-70, 1970-71), before leaving for the bright lights of professional basketball. Erving in two seasons, amassed 1,370 points (26.3 ppg) and 1,049 rebounds (20.2 rpg). Overall, the Minutemen have had 14 players selected in the NBA Draft, including 1996 National Player of the Year Marcus Camby.
4.) Final Four ... Speaking of Marcus Camby, the 1996 National Player of the Year led UMass to the 1996 Final Four, the last time an A-10 school reached the prized quartet. Eight of the A-10’s 14 schools have been to a men’s basketball final four, including Charlotte, which went the distance in 1977, in their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. La Salle and Temple have both been to the Final Four, twice.
5.) Read me a prose ... Some notable literary figures lives have centered on the town of Amherst. Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst and never strayed far from the town. Noah Webster, yes as in Webster’s Dictionary, lived in Amherst (1812-1822) and was one of the founders of Amherst College. Poet-novelist Helen Hunt Jackson, and poets Robert Frost and Robert Francis all called Amherst home at some point in their lives.
6.) Softball, anyone ... The UMass softball team has been to three College World Series’ since 1992. In fact, UMass enjoyed a 13-year reign as A-10 Regular-Season Softball Champs before Fordham grabbed the title in 2005. Still, UMass softball won the 2005 A-10 tournament title to earn its 11th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. In 1999, UMass’ Danielle Henderson was named the Honda Award Winner as the nation’s best softball player.
7.) Hey, Hey, Hey ... Looking down the long list of famous alums from A-10 schools, Bill Cosby’s name stands out, because he’s an alum of two A-10 schools. Most are familiar with Cosby’s ties to Philly and that he takes in many a Temple basketball game. Yet, the great comedian is listed as an alum for both Temple and UMass. What in the name of Fat Albert is going on around here? Simple really. Cosby earned his undergrad degree from Temple, but went to graduate school at UMass.
8.) What’s in a name ... The University of Massachusetts was not the school’s given name nor was the Minutemen the recognized nickname. In November of 1879, the Massachusetts Agricultural College, the Aggies, played its first football game defeating cross-town rival Amherst College, 4-0. Massachusetts Agricultural College became Massachusetts State College on March 26, 1931. The school would again change names in 1947, when University of Massachusetts was adopted. The nickname was changed a year later when the Aggies became the Redmen. It was not until the spring of 1972 when the nickname would become its current one, the Minutemen.
9.) A League of its Own ... UMass participates in the Five College Consortium, which links the school with Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, and Smith College in Northampton. The agreement lets students take up to three courses per semester at any of the other campuses.
10.) Home court advantage ... UMass basketball plays its home games at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center. Opened in 1993, the Minutemen won their first 27 games at the arena and 38 of the first 39 contests. In addition, the Minutemen have won nearly 80 percent of their games at the Mullins Center. The 9,000-seat state-of-the-art facility contains an Olympic-size practice ice skating rink available to students for FREE skating. The largest crowd on hand for a Mullins Center event, a Phish concert that drew 10,661 people.
