Sports in Massachusetts

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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 6 Stanley Cups (Boston Bruins),[1] 17 NBA Championships (Boston Celtics),[2] 4 Super Bowls (New England Patriots),[3] and 9 World Series (8 Boston Red Sox, 1 Boston Braves).[4] Early basketball and volleyball was created in Massachusetts, which homes the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield),[5] the Volleyball Hall of Fame (Holyoke),.[5] Massachusetts also houses 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 Tour Deutsche Bank Championship is a regular professional golf tour stop in the state. Massachusetts has played host to nine U.S. Opens, four U.S. Women's Opens, two Ryder Cups, and one U.S. 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, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Major league professional teams

Club Sports Founded League Venue (Capacity)
Boston Red Sox Baseball 1901 Major League Baseball Fenway Park (37,500)
New England Patriots Football 1959 National Football League Gillette Stadium (68,750)
Boston Celtics Basketball 1946 National Basketball Association TD Garden (18,600)
Boston Bruins Ice hockey 1924 National Hockey League TD Garden (17,600)
New England Revolution    Soccer 1995 Major League Soccer Gillette Stadium (68,750)

Minor league or semi-pro clubs

Club Sports Founded League Venue
Brockton Rox Baseball 2002 Canadian-American Association Campanelli Stadium
Lowell Spinners Baseball 1996 Single-A Minor League Baseball Edward A. LeLacheur Park
Worcester Bravehearts Baseball 2014 Futures Collegiate Baseball League Fitton Field
Cape Cod Frenzy Basketball 2004 American Basketball Association TBA
New England Intensity Football 2004 Independent Women's Football League Medway High School
Boston Militia Football 2007 Women's Football Alliance Somerville High School
New England Surge Indoor football 2007 Continental Indoor Football League DCU Center
Springfield Falcons Ice hockey 1994 American Hockey League MassMutual Center
Boston Cannons Lacrosse (Outdoor) 2001 Major League Lacrosse Harvard Stadium
Boston Blazers Lacrosse (Indoor/Box) 2007 National Lacrosse League TD Garden
Boston Thirteens Rugby league 2009 USA Rugby League Irish Cultural Center
New England Riptide Softball 2004 National Pro Fastpitch Martin Softball Field
Western Mass Pioneers Soccer 1998 USL Premier Development League 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 Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps 1940 Drum Corps International

Defunct or relocated professional clubs

Club Sports Founded League Venue
Boston Breakers (defunct) Soccer 2001 Women's United Soccer Association Nickerson Field
Boston Breakers Soccer 2008 Women's Professional Soccer Harvard Stadium
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
Boston Reds (defunct) Baseball 1890 Major League Baseball Congress Street Grounds
Boston Reds (defunct) Baseball 1884 Major League Baseball Dartmouth Grounds
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 Bulldogs (defunct) Football 1929 National Football League Braves Field
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
North Shore Spirit (defunct) Baseball 2003 Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball    Fraser Field
Boston Braves (defunct) Ice hockey 1971 American Hockey League Boston Garden
Lowell Devils (relocated to become the Albany Devils in 2010) Ice Hockey 1998 American Hockey League Tsongas Center
Springfield Indians (relocated to become the Worcester IceCats in 1994) Ice Hockey 1935 American Hockey League Springfield Civic Center
Worcester IceCats (relocated to become the Peoria Rivermen in 2005) Ice Hockey 1994 American Hockey League Worcester Centrum
Worcester Sharks (relocated to become the San Jose Barracuda in 2015) Ice hockey 2006 American Hockey League DCU Center

College sports

NCAA: Divisions I and II

School Nickname Division Conference
Boston College Eagles I Atlantic Coast Conference/Hockey East
Boston University Terriers I Patriot League/Hockey East
Northeastern University Huskies I Colonial Athletic Association/Hockey East
Harvard University Crimson I Ivy League/ECAC Hockey
College of the Holy Cross Crusaders I Patriot League/Atlantic Hockey
University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen/
Minutewomen
I Atlantic 10 Conference/Hockey East
University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks I America East Conference/Hockey East[6]
Merrimack College Warriors I/II Hockey East/Northeast Ten Conference
American International College Yellow Jackets I/II Atlantic Hockey/Northeast Ten Conference
Bentley University Falcons I/II Atlantic Hockey/Northeast Ten Conference
Assumption College Greyhounds II Northeast Ten Conference/ECAC Northeast
Stonehill College Skyhawks II Northeast Ten Conference/ECAC Northeast

NCAA: Division III

School Nickname Division Conference
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 New England Collegiate Conference
Becker College Hawks III New England Collegiate Conference
Brandeis University Owls III North Atlantic Conference/Intercollegiate Fencing Association
Bridgewater State University Bears III Eastern College Athletic Conference/Massachusetts State Collegiate 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 Lions III Commonwealth Coast Conference/Eastern College Athletic Conference
Elms College Blazers III New England Collegiate 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/New England Collegiate 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 Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Lesley University Lynx III New England Collegiate 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 Collegiate Athletic Conference
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buccaneers III Massachusetts State Collegiate 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
Newbury College Nighthawks III New England Collegiate Conference
Nichols College Bison III Commonwealth Coast Conference/New England Football Conference/ECAC Northeast
Pine Manor College Gators III Great South Athletic Conference
Regis College Pride III New England Collegiate Conference
Salem State College Vikings III Massachusetts State Collegiate 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 New England Collegiate Conference
Williams College Ephs III / I New England Small College Athletic Conference
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Engineers III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Worcester State College Lancers III Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference/New England Football Conference

NAIA

School Nickname Conference
Fisher College Falcons Sunrise Athletic Conference

High school

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The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) is an organization that sponsors activities in thirty-three sports, comprising 374 public and private high schools in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The MIAA is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), which writes the rules for most U.S. high school sports and activities. The MIAA was founded in 1978, and was preceded by both the Massachusetts Secondary School Principals Association (MSSPA) (1942-1978) and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Council (MIAC) (1950-1978).

Rugby will become the MIAA's 35th sport in 2016, following a 2015 MIAA vote that passed by a wide majority.[7] As of 2015, there are 19 boys’ teams and 5 girls’ teams across the state, with the majority of the Catholic Conference schools fielding rugby teams.[7]

References

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  6. http://www.americaeast.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14000&ATCLID=669426
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Tuesday’s school roundup: MIAA votes to add rugby for 2016-17", Boston Globe, Eric Russo, May 6, 2015.