The college's combination of academic and athletic success has garnered Merrimack the #4 ranking in the country among NCAA Division II schools in the Top 100 Collegiate Power Rankings that are published by the National College Scouting Association. In addition, Merrimack finished 96th in the overall NCSA Power Rankings across all three NCAA divisions.
During the 2019–20 season Merrimack began their four-year transition from Division II to Division I and became a full Division I member in the 2023–24 season, making Merrimack eligible for all NCAA tournaments.[4]
In 2024 the school announced the school would join the MAAC the football team would become a FCS independent.
History
Highlights of Merrimack athletic history include four national championships: the 1978 men's hockey team won the Division II men's ice hockey championship; the 1994 women's softball team won the Division II Women's College World Series and men's lacrosse won the 2018 and 2019 National Title. In 2006, Merrimack football became Northeast-10 co-champions and received their first NCAA Division II playoff bid to go on to win their first NCAA playoff game. In 2012, Merrimack men's tennis became Northeast-10 champions, led by senior captains Max Eppley and Sean Pahler, and first-year head coach Sean Tully. This was Merrimack's first-ever men's tennis championship.[5] In 2019 the college announced they would move up to Division I and join the NEC. The men’s basketball team would win the NEC regular season in just their first year. Many of the other programs would also see success in their first couple of seasons showing the school could compete at the DI level. In 2024 the women’s bowling team would become the first non hockey team to make the Division I tournament. Later that year it was announced the school would leave the NEC to join the Metro athletic conference.
Merrimack College participates is 25 varsity sports at the Division one level. The Men’s hockey team had been competing at the DI level since the mid 80s. But in 2019 it was announced the school would move all their programs to the Division I level and join the Northeast conference. In 2023 the school added 2 new programs these included men’s volleyball and women’s bowling. In 2024 the school announced they would join the MAAC. But the field hockey program would stay in the NEC and the football team would become a independent due to the MAAC not sponsoring football.
The Merrimack college men’s basketball team seen a fair amount of success in the division II level making the NCAA tournament 11 times. But they made an even bigger splash in 2019-2020 in their first Division I season. When they would go 14-4 in conference and 20-11 overall to win the NEC regular season. This was the first time in history a transitioning team had ever won a regular season title in their first year. The warriors would also win the NEC tournament in 2023 but could not go to the NCAA tournament because of NCAA transition period.
The Merrimack college men’s ice program has the most history out of all the programs. It was one of the first sports to be recognized as a varsity program back in 1954. They won numerous ECAC 2 championships in the 1960s and 1970s. Then in 1978 they became the first team in school history to win a national championship beating Lake forest 12-2. In 1985 they would become the first Merrimack program to move to DI. From 1987-89 they would win 3 straight ECAC east titles. Then in 1989-90 they officially joined hockey east where they still are to this day.
Merrimack College men's soccer team made school history in 2012 with the program's first-ever NCAA Division II national tournament berth. After finishing in first place in the Northeast-10 regular season, the men's soccer team went on to win the first round of the tournament against rivals Franklin Pierce University, but were knocked out the following round by Northeast-10 rivals Southern New Hampshire University. The 2012 men's soccer team was led by head coach Anthony Martone and assistant coaches Derek Valego, Michael Allen, Eric Ernst and Sam Nunes. The team was led on the field by captains Alejandro Fuchs of Caracas, Venezuela and Nelson da Graca of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Merrimack men’s lacrosse team seen much success in the late 2010s making 5 straight D2 tournament appearances from 2015-2019. They would make the final four in 2015 and 2016. They would then be national runners up in 2017. But in 2018 they would get over the hump and beat Saint Leo 23-6 to win their first national championship. They would then go back to back beating limestone 16-8 in 2019. Closing out their time at the D2 level on top.
Merrimack college softball seen incredible success at the division II level. Especially in the 90s. As they would win 6 conference tournament titles and 7 regular season titles during this decade. To add to that in 1994 they would go 45-4 and win the national championship. They would have 15 total appearances in the NCAA tournament at the d2 level.
NCAA championships
Merrimack versus Boston College (Andrew Braithwaite pictured)
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