Sports in Massachusetts

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] 6 Super Bowls (New England Patriots),[3] and 10 World Series (9 Boston Red Sox, 1 Boston Braves).[4] Early basketball and volleyball was created in Massachusetts, which homes the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield),[5] and 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 Celtics Basketball 1946 National Basketball Association TD Garden (18,600)
Boston Bruins Ice hockey 1924 National Hockey League TD Garden (17,600)
Boston Red Sox Baseball 1901 Major League Baseball Fenway Park (37,500)
New England Patriots Football 1960 National Football League Gillette Stadium (68,750)
New England Revolution    Soccer 1996 Major League Soccer Gillette Stadium (68,750)[lower-alpha 1]
  1. Capacity for soccer is normally restricted to 20,000.

Minor league or semi-professional clubs
Club Sports Established[lower-alpha 1] League Venue
Boston Cannons Lacrosse (Outdoor) 2001 Major League Lacrosse Harvard Stadium
Boston Pride Ice hockey 2015 National Women's Hockey League Warrior Ice Arena
Boston Renegades Football 2015 Women's Football Alliance Dilboy Stadium
Boston Storm Women's Lacrosse 2016 United Women's Lacrosse League "Barnstorming" format
Boston Thirteens Rugby league 2009 USA Rugby League Irish Cultural Center
Lowell Spinners Baseball 1996 New York–Penn League
(Short-Season A Minor League Baseball)		 Edward A. LeLacheur Park
Massachusetts Pirates Indoor football 2018 National Arena League DCU Center
New England Free Jacks Rugby union 2018 Major League Rugby Union Point Sports Complex
New England Revolution II[lower-alpha 2] Soccer 2019 USL League One Gillette Stadium
Springfield Thunderbirds Ice hockey 2016 American Hockey League MassMutual Center
Western Mass Pioneers Soccer 1998 USL League Two Lusitano Stadium
Worcester Railers Ice hockey 2017 ECHL DCU Center
  1. The year the organization was established in Massachusetts.
  2. Currently branded as "Revolution II".

Defunct or relocated professional clubs
Club Sports Founded League Venue
Boston Blazers (defunct) Lacrosse (Indoor/Box) 2007 National Lacrosse League TD Garden
Boston Braves (moved to Milwaukee and became the Milwaukee Braves, would move again to Atlanta and are now the Atlanta Braves) Baseball 1871 Major League Baseball South End Grounds/Braves 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 (defunct) Ice hockey 1971 American Hockey League Boston Garden
Boston Breakers (moved to New Orleans 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 Breakers (defunct) Soccer 2001 Women's United Soccer Association Nickerson Field
Boston Breakers (defunct) Soccer 2009–2017 Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Premier Soccer League Elite
National Women's Soccer League		 Harvard Stadium/Dilboy Stadium/Jordan Field
Boston Bulldogs (defunct) Football 1929 National Football League Braves Field
Boston Lobsters (defunct) Tennis 1974 World TeamTennis Harvard University Bright Arena
Boston Reds (defunct) Baseball 1890 Major League Baseball Congress Street Grounds
Boston Reds (defunct) Baseball 1884 Major League Baseball Dartmouth Grounds
Boston Yanks (defunct) Football 1944 National Football League Fenway Park
Lowell Devils (relocated to become the Albany Devils in 2010) Ice hockey 1998 American Hockey League Tsongas Center
New England Riptide (defunct) Softball 2004 National Pro Fastpitch Martin Softball Field
New England Surge (defunct) Indoor football 2007 Continental Indoor Football League DCU Center
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
North Shore Spirit (defunct) Baseball 2003 Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball    Fraser Field
Springfield Falcons (relocated to become the Tucson Roadrunners in 2016) Ice hockey 1994 American Hockey League MassMutual Center
Springfield Indians (relocated to become the Worcester IceCats in 1994) Ice hockey 1935 American Hockey League Springfield Civic Center
Worcester Blades (league folded) Ice hockey 2010 Canadian Women's Hockey League Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice 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
Worcester Tornadoes (defunct) Baseball 2005 Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball Fitton Field
Worcester Worcesters (defunct) Baseball 1880 Major League Baseball Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds

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/Hockey East
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 Northeast Conference/Hockey East
American International College Yellow Jackets I/II Atlantic Hockey/Northeast-10 Conference
Bentley University Falcons I/II Atlantic Hockey/Northeast-10 Conference
Assumption College Greyhounds II Northeast-10 Conference
Stonehill College Skyhawks II Northeast-10 Conference[lower-alpha 1]

In addition to the schools listed here, Franklin Pierce University, located near the state border in Rindge, New Hampshire, plays its men's and women's ice hockey home games in Massachusetts on the campus of The Winchendon School. FPU plays men's hockey in the Northeast-10 and women's hockey in the New England Women's Hockey Alliance.

  1. Stonehill will add women's ice hockey in 2021–22 as a member of the New England Women's Hockey Alliance.

NCAA: Division III
School Nickname Division Conference
Amherst College Mammoths III Eastern College Athletic Conference/New England Small College Athletic Conference
Anna Maria College Amcats III Great Northeast Athletic Conference/Eastern Collegiate Football 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/Commonwealth Coast Conference/
Commonwealth Coast Football
Brandeis University Judges III University Athletic Association/Intercollegiate Fencing Association
Bridgewater State University Bears III Eastern College Athletic Conference/Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference/
Little East Conference
Clark University Cougars III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Curry College Colonels III Commonwealth Coast Conference/Commonwealth Coast Football
Dean College Bulldogs III New England Collegiate Conference
Eastern Nazarene College Lions III New England Collegiate Conference
Elms College Blazers III New England Collegiate Conference
Emerson College Lions III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference/Eastern College Athletic Conference
Emmanuel College Saints III Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Endicott College Gulls III Commonwealth Coast Conference/Commonwealth Coast Football/New England Collegiate Conference
Fitchburg State College Falcons III Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference
Framingham State College Rams III Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
Gordon College Fighting Scots III Commonwealth Coast 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
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 Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Newbury College Nighthawks III New England Collegiate Conference
Nichols College Bison III Commonwealth Coast Conference/Commonwealth Coast Football/New England Collegiate Conference
Pine Manor College Gators III American Collegiate Athletic Association
Regis College Pride III Great Northeast Athletic 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/New England Hockey Conference
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs III Little East Conference/Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
Wellesley College Blues III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
Wentworth Institute of Technology Panthers III Commonwealth Coast Conference/Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Western New England College Golden Bears III Commonwealth Coast Conference/Commonwealth Coast Football
Westfield State College Owls III Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
Wheaton College, Massachusetts Lyons III New England Women's and Men's Athletic 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

    NAIA
    School Nickname Conference
    Fisher College Falcons Sunrise Athletic Conference

    High school
    Main article: Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association

    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) (1942–78) and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Council (MIAC) (1950–78).

    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
    1. "Stanley Cup Winners". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
    2. "Celtics History – Championship Wins". National Basketball Association. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
    3. "Super Bowl History". National Football League. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
    4. "World Series Winners, Records, and Results and Postseason Series". Retrieved 2014-10-30.
    5. "Volleyball pushed as official team sport of Mass". Boston Herald. 2009-10-04. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
    6. http://www.americaeast.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14000&ATCLID=669426
    7. "Tuesday’s school roundup: MIAA votes to add rugby for 2016-17", Boston Globe, Eric Russo, May 6, 2015.
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