Sports in Massachusetts

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Alumni Stadium, home of the Boston College Eagles Alumni Stadium Boston College.jpg
Alumni Stadium, home of the Boston College Eagles
Fall River, Massachusetts native, Bert Patenaude (front row, center), scored the first hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history in 1930 for the United States. Usa team v paraguay.jpg
Fall River, Massachusetts native, Bert Patenaude (front row, center), scored the first hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history in 1930 for the United States.

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] The New England Revolution won the MLS Supporter's Shield in 2021 (the club's only major trophy to date). [5] Early basketball and volleyball was created in Massachusetts, which homes the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield), [6] and the Volleyball Hall of Fame (Holyoke). [6] 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.

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The Greater Boston region is the only city/surrounding area in American professional sports in which all facilities are privately owned and operated. The Patriots and Revolution both own Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Red Sox own Fenway Park, and TD Garden is owned by Delaware North, owner of the Bruins. The Celtics rent TD Garden from Delaware North.

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.

Notable athletes from Massachusetts

Massachusetts has produced several successful Olympians including Thomas Burke, James Connolly, and John Thomas (track & field); Butch Johnson (archery); Nancy Kerrigan (figure skating); Todd Richards (snowboarding); Albina Osipowich (swimming); Aly Raisman (gymnastics); Patrick Ewing (basketball); as well as Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, Bill Cleary, and Keith Tkachuk (ice hockey). [7] [8]

Notable soccer (or association football) players from Massachusetts include Bert Patenaude, Billy Gonsalves, Geoff Cameron, Miles Robinson, Sam Mewis, and Kristie Mewis. Patenaude and Gonsalves (both inductees of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and natives of Fall River, Massachusetts) [9] [10] played for the U.S. men's national team at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930 (hosted in Uruguay). Patenaude scored the first hat-trick in World Cup history. [11] The USMNT finished in third place. [12]

Sports Illustrated's 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Massachusetts

In 1999, Sports Illustrated published the fifty (50) greatest 19th and 20th century sports figures from each U.S. state. The criteria used was "not necessarily to where [the athletes] were born, but to where they first showed flashes of the greatness to come." The ten highest ranked Massachusetts athletes were as follows: [13]

RankNameSportHometownNotes
1. Rocky Marciano Boxing Brockton, MA Held the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956
2. Doug Flutie American football Natick, MA Played at Boston College; won the Heisman Trophy in 1984
3. Patrick Ewing Basketball Cambridge, MA Played at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School; 2× Olympic gold medalist (1984, 1992);
selected as one of the 75 Greatest Players in NBA History in 2021; Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
4. Bobby Carpenter Ice hockey Beverly, MA First U.S. player to jump from high school to NHL (in 1981)
5. Rebecca Lobo Basketball Southwick, MA Massachusetts' all-time leading high school basketball scorer (boys and girls); Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
6. Alberto Salazar Track & field Wayland, MA New York Marathon winner (1980–82); Boston Marathon winner (1982)
7. Tom Glavine Baseball Billerica, MA NL Cy Young Award (1991, 1998); 1995 World Series MVP; Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
8. Pie Traynor Baseball Somerville, MA Posted a career batting average of .320; Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
9. Harry Agganis Baseball
American football
Lynn, MA Played at Boston University; Boston Red Sox (1954–55); College Football Hall of Fame inductee
10. Johnny Kelley Track & field Arlington, MA Olympian; competed in the Boston Marathon over 50 times (winning twice)

Major league professional teams

Current teams

ClubLeagueSportVenue (capacity)FoundedChampionships
Boston Red Sox MLB Baseball Fenway Park (37,500)19019 World Series
Boston Bruins NHL Ice Hockey TD Garden (17,565)19246 Stanley Cups
Boston Celtics NBA Basketball TD Garden (18,625)194617 NBA titles
New England Patriots NFL Football Gillette Stadium (68,750)19606 Super Bowls
New England Revolution MLS Soccer19950 MLS Cups; 1 Supporters' Shield

    Former teams

    ClubLeagueSportVenue (capacity)FoundedDissolvedChampionships
    Boston Braves MLB Baseball Braves Field (40,000)187119521 World Series
    Worcester Brown Stockings Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds 18801882
    Boston Reds Congress Street Grounds 18901891
    Boston Bulldogs NFL FootballBraves Field (40,000)19291929
    Boston Redskins Fenway Park (35,000)19321936
    Boston Yanks 19441948
    Boston Breakers USFL Nickerson Field (15,000)19831984
    Boston Rovers NASL Soccer Manning Bowl (21,000)19671967
    Boston Beacons Fenway Park (33,375)19681968
    Boston Minutemen Alumni Stadium (30,000)
    Nickerson Field (15,000)
    19741976
    New England Tea Men Foxboro Stadium (60,000)19781980
    New England Whalers WHA Ice Hockey Boston Garden (14,448)197219741 Avco World Trophy

    Major league professional championships

    Minor league or semi-professional clubs

    The Fall River Rovers soccer club (a semi-professional club in the Southern New England Soccer League) after winning the 1917 U.S. Open Cup Fall River Rovers.jpg
    The Fall River Rovers soccer club (a semi-professional club in the Southern New England Soccer League) after winning the 1917 U.S. Open Cup
    ClubSportsEstablished [lower-alpha 1] LeagueVenue
    Boston Bolts Soccer1986 USL League Two Alumni Field
    Boston Breach Esports2022 Call of Duty League
    Boston Cannons Lacrosse 2001 Premier Lacrosse League Harvard Stadium
    Boston City FC Soccer2015 USL League Two Malden Catholic High Stadium
    Boston Renegades Football 2015 Women's Football Alliance Harry Della Russo Stadium
    Boston Thirteens Rugby league 2009 USA Rugby League Irish Cultural Center
    Boston uprising Esports 2018 OWL Citizens Bank Opera House
    Massachusetts Pirates Indoor football 2018 Indoor Football League Tsongas Center
    New England Free Jacks Rugby union 2018 Major League Rugby Veterans Memorial Stadium
    New England Revolution II [lower-alpha 2] Soccer2019 MLS Next Pro Gillette Stadium
    PWHL Boston Ice Hockey2023 Professional Women's Hockey League Tsongas Center
    Springfield Thunderbirds Ice hockey 2016 American Hockey League MassMutual Center
    Western Mass Pioneers Soccer1998 USL League Two Lusitano Stadium
    Worcester Railers Ice hockey2017 ECHL DCU Center
    Worcester Red Sox Baseball2021 International League Polar Park
    1. The year the organization was established in Massachusetts.
    2. Currently branded as "Revolution II".

    College sports

    Holy Cross takes on Boston College in 1916 at Fenway Park. BC won the game, 17-14. Holy Cross vs Boston College (Fenway Park 1916).jpg
    Holy Cross takes on Boston College in 1916 at Fenway Park. BC won the game, 17–14.
    Julius "Dr. J." Erving at UMass Julius Erving UMass.jpg
    Julius "Dr. J." Erving at UMass
    The Holy Cross Crusaders won the NCAA basketball championship in 1947 def. Oklahoma. Bob Cousy (All-American and NBA Hall-of-Famer) is in the front row, second from left NCAA champions 1947 Holy Cross (1963 NCAA Basketball Championship program).jpg
    The Holy Cross Crusaders won the NCAA basketball championship in 1947 def. Oklahoma. Bob Cousy (All-American and NBA Hall-of-Famer) is in the front row, second from left

    NCAA: Divisions I and II

    SchoolNicknameDivisionConference
    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 [14]
    Merrimack College Warriors I Northeast Conference [lower-alpha 1] /Hockey East
    Stonehill College Skyhawks I Northeast Conference/Independent (men's ice hockey)/New England Women's Hockey Alliance
    American International College Yellow Jackets I/II Atlantic Hockey/Northeast-10 Conference
    Bentley University Falcons I/II Atlantic Hockey/Northeast-10 Conference
    Assumption University Greyhounds I/II Northeast-10 Conference/New England Women's Hockey Alliance

    In addition to the schools listed here, Franklin Pierce University, a full Division II member 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 as a D-I program in the New England Women's Hockey Alliance.

    1. Merrimack will leave the Northeast Conference in July 2024 to join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

    NCAA: Division III

    SchoolNicknameDivisionConference
    Amherst College MammothsIII 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 BeaversIII New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
    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 CougarsIII New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
    Curry College ColonelsIII Commonwealth Coast Conference/Commonwealth Coast Football
    Dean College BulldogsIII New England Collegiate Conference
    Eastern Nazarene College LionsIII New England Collegiate Conference
    Elms College BlazersIII New England Collegiate Conference
    Emerson College LionsIII New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference/Eastern College Athletic Conference
    Emmanuel College SaintsIII Great Northeast Athletic Conference
    Endicott College GullsIII Commonwealth Coast Conference/Commonwealth Coast Football/New England Collegiate Conference
    Fitchburg State University FalconsIII Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference
    Framingham State University Rams III Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
    Gordon College Fighting ScotsIII Commonwealth Coast Conference
    Lasell University LasersIII Great Northeast Athletic Conference
    Lesley University LynxIII New England Collegiate Conference
    Mount Holyoke College LyonsIII New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
    Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts TrailblazersIII Eastern College Athletic Conference/Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
    Massachusetts Maritime Academy BuccaneersIII 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
    Nichols College BisonIII Commonwealth Coast Conference/Commonwealth Coast Football/New England Collegiate Conference
    Regis College PrideIII Great Northeast Athletic Conference
    Salem State University Vikings III Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
    Simmons University SharksIII Great Northeast Athletic Conference/North Atlantic Conference
    Smith College PioneersIII New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
    Springfield College PrideIII New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
    Suffolk University RamsIII Great Northeast Athletic Conference
    Tufts University Jumbos III New England Small College Athletic Conference
    University of Massachusetts Boston BeaconsIII Little East Conference/New England Hockey Conference
    University of Massachusetts Dartmouth CorsairsIII Little East Conference/Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
    Wellesley College BluesIII New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
    Wentworth Institute of Technology PanthersIII Commonwealth Coast Conference/Great Northeast Athletic Conference
    Western New England University Golden BearsIII Commonwealth Coast Conference/Commonwealth Coast Football
    Westfield State University OwlsIII 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 University LancersIII Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference

      NAIA

      SchoolNicknameConference
      Fisher College Falcons Independent

      USCAA

      SchoolNicknameConference
      Bay Path University WildcatsIndependent
      Hampshire College Black Sheep Yankee Small College Conference

      NJCAA Division II

      SchoolNicknameRegion
      Massasoit Community College Warriors21

      NJCAA Division III

      SchoolNicknameRegion
      Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Shockers21
      Bristol Community College Bayhawks21
      Bunker Hill Community College Bulldogs21
      Holyoke Community College Cougars21
      Mass Bay Community College Buccaneers21
      Northern Essex Community College Knights21
      Quinsigamond Community College Chiefs21
      Roxbury Community College Tigers21
      Springfield Technical Community College Rams21

      High school

      Matt Hasselbeck (Pro-Bowl NFL quarterback) playing at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts Matt Hasselbeck XBHS.jpg
      Matt Hasselbeck (Pro-Bowl NFL quarterback) playing at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts

      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. [15] 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. [15]

      Related Research Articles

      Boston College High School is an all-male, Jesuit, Catholic college preparatory high school for grades 7–12 in Boston, Massachusetts. It is located on Columbia Point in Dorchester.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bert Patenaude</span> American soccer player (1909–1974)

      Bertrand "Bert" Arthur Patenaude was an American soccer player who played as a forward. Although it was formerly disputed, he is officially credited by FIFA as the scorer of the first hat-trick in World Cup history. He is a member of the United States Soccer Hall of Fame.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Gonsalves</span> American soccer player

      Adelino William Gonsalves was an American soccer player, sometimes described as the "Babe Ruth of American Soccer". He spent over 25 years playing in various American professional leagues and was a member of the U.S. squad at the FIFA World Cup in 1930 and 1934. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Hockomock League</span> High school athletic league in Massachusetts

      The Hockomock League is an interscholastic high school athletic league located in Southeastern Massachusetts, founded in 1932. The league took its name from a historic, freshwater swamp which served as a fortress for the Wampanoag native tribe during the King Philip’s War. The Wampanoags revered the area, naming it, “Hockomock,” an Algonquin word meaning, “Place where spirits dwell.” Today, the Hockomock Swamp is a protected environmental area and many local businesses, agencies and organizations use the Hockomock moniker to refer to their association with this region.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association</span>

      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).

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Xaverian Brothers High School</span> Private, day, college-prep school in Westwood, , Massachusetts, United States

      Xaverian Brothers High School (XBHS) was founded in 1963 by the Xaverian Brothers. It is a private, Catholic secondary school for boys at grades 7 to 12. Located within a 36-acre (150,000 m2) campus in Westwood, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Xaverian is sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers religious order and offers a college preparatory program. The school attracts students from more than 60 communities in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

      Maimonides School is a coeducational, Modern Orthodox, Jewish day school located in Brookline, Massachusetts. The school was founded in 1937 by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik and his wife Tonya Soloveitchik. It is named after Rabbi Moses Maimonides.

      Three popular American sports were invented in New England. Basketball was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian, in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1895. Paintball was invented in 1981 in Henniker, New Hampshire.

      David W. Shea is an Irish-American sportscaster, who is best known as the former ice hockey announcer for Hockey East and the Boston Bruins. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame on November 19, 2008.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Westford Academy</span> Public school in the United States

      Westford Academy is the public high school for the town of Westford, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1792 and is one of the oldest public high schools in the United States.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Boston</span> Historically prominent sports teams

      Boston, Massachusetts, is home to several major professional sports franchises. They include the Red Sox (baseball), the Celtics, and the Bruins. The New England Patriots and the New England Revolution play at Gillette Stadium in nearby Foxborough, Massachusetts.

      Milton High School is a public high school located in Milton, Massachusetts, United States, educating grades 9 through 12 with over a thousand students enrolled.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Cod Regional Technical High School</span> Public vocational/technical school in Harwich, Massachusetts, United States

      Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, also known as Cape Tech, Cape Cod Tech, Lower Cape Tech, and sometimes abbreviated as CCT, is a public vocational and technical high school located in Harwich, Massachusetts, United States.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop Connolly High School</span> Private, coeducational school in Fall River, , Massachusetts, United States

      Bishop Connolly High School was a co-educational Catholic high school in Fall River, Massachusetts.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelmsford High School</span> School in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, United States

      Chelmsford High School is a public, coeducational high school founded in 1917. The current building is located in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, United States, and was built in 1974. Before 1974 the high school was located in the current McCarthy Middle School building. It serves as the public high school for students in grades nine through 12 and has been ranked among the top 500 schools in the nation by Newsweek.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">Millis High School</span> Public high school in Millis, Massachusetts, United States

      Millis High School is a public high school in Millis, Massachusetts, United States. The school building consists of both the middle school and high school.

      <span class="mw-page-title-main">East Boston High School</span> Public high school in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

      East Boston High School is a public high school located in the neighborhood of East Boston in Boston, Massachusetts. Specifically, the school is situated in the Eagle Hill Historic District. East Boston High is part of the Boston Public Schools system.

      The Bay State Games are an Olympic-style athletic event for amateur athletes in the state of Massachusetts, which includes several divisions and allows athletes of all ages to compete. The Games are divided into Summer and Winter Games. The Summer Games include 25 sports and are usually held in late July. The Winter Games include three different sports and are usually held in late January or early February. The Bay State Games is a member of the National Congress of State Games. Kevin Cummings currently serves as executive director.

      Monomoy Regional High School is a regional secondary school located in Harwich, Massachusetts, United States, and within Monomoy Regional School District. Monomoy Regional High School serves approximately 625 students in grades 8-12 from the towns of Chatham and Harwich.

      for the composer, see Mildred Barnes Royse

      References

      1. "Stanley Cup Winners". Hockey Hall of Fame . Retrieved October 19, 2009.
      2. "Celtics History – Championship Wins". National Basketball Association . Retrieved October 19, 2009.
      3. "Super Bowl History". National Football League . Retrieved October 19, 2009.
      4. "World Series Winners, Records, and Results and Postseason Series" . Retrieved October 30, 2014.
      5. Le Miere, Jason (October 23, 2021). "New England Revolution win 2021 MLS Supporters' Shield". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
      6. 1 2 "Volleyball pushed as official team sport of Mass". Boston Herald . October 4, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
      7. "25 Olympians from Massachusetts". GoLocalWorcester. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
      8. "Ranking the Top 50 Athletes from Massachusetts". May 30, 2017.
      9. Jose, Colin (1998). The American Soccer League: The Golden Years of American Soccer 1921–1931. Scarecrow Press. pp. 11, 477.
      10. Foulds, Alan E. (2005). Boston's Ballparks & Arenas. University Press of New England. p. 53.
      11. Williams, Jack (July 19, 2015). "Bert Patenaude, the forgotten hero who scored the first ever World Cup hat-trick". The Guardian. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
      12. "Timeline".
      13. "The 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Massachusetts" Sports Illustrated (December 27, 1999)
      14. http://www.americaeast.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14000&ATCLID=669426
      15. 1 2 "Tuesday's school roundup: MIAA votes to add rugby for 2016–17", Boston Globe, Eric Russo, May 6, 2015.