THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS 2013-2014

INVESTING IN TOMORROW… A HISTORY OF SUCCESS

THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTSAs the flagship campus of the Commonwealth’s university system, the University of Massachusetts is ranked in the top 40 of national public research universities. It is composed of twelve schools and colleges that offer over 100 undergraduate majors, 76 masters and 50 doctoral programs.

The campus sits on nearly 1,450 acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts and provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. The town of Amherst consistently appears on “Best College Town” lists and boasts an impressive array of international eateries, shops, and cultural events.

We have approximately 21,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students. Over the past ten years, undergraduate applications have more than doubled. In 2003, the campus had 16,000 undergraduate applications. For the class of 2017, we received 36,000 applications for 4,600 slots. We currently have the most academically accomplished student body in our 150-year history. The academic profile of our students is higher than many of our national peers including Colorado, Indiana, Oregon and Iowa State—and higher than flagships in New England like University of New Hampshire, University of Rhode Island, University of Maine and University of Vermont.

This fall, the campus opened the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community. The new complex expands overall capacity for on-campus housing and integrates classrooms, advising, faculty, and administration.

The key to any great research university is the quality of its faculty and UMass has an extremely high quality of faculty. For the last 10 years the university has ranked among the top 60 public research institutions in faculty awards, and also ranked among the top 40 public research institutions in National Academy memberships, which is all the more remarkable considering one of the three academies is restricted to members of medical school faculties.

UMass is one of only six institutions in Massachusetts designated as “Research University with Very High” research activity—or “Research 1”—and the only public one on the list. Within the Commonwealth, only MIT and Harvard surpassed us in National Science Foundation funding.

The university is proud of its network of approximately 235,000 living alumni around the world, many of whom are ardent Minutemen and Minutewomen fans.

As the Commonwealth’s flagship public land-grant university, the University of Massachusetts takes pride in its heritage and in meeting the land-grant mission—to provide an accessible, high quality education and to conduct programs of research and public service that advance knowledge and improve the lives of all people.

ATHLETICS, STUDENT-ATHLETES, AND PROGRAMSThe University of Massachusetts is committed to the sponsorship of a broad-based regionally and nationally competitive athletics program as an integral part of the university’s educational mission. The Department of Athletics promotes principles of good sportsmanship, honesty, and fiscal responsibility in compliance with university, state, NCAA, and conference regulations. It supports the university’s comprehensive commitment to diversity and equity, providing equitable opportunity for all students and staff.

Our goal is to provide each student-athlete a distinct educational, social, and athletic experience culminating in graduation. UMass currently offers 21 Division I sport programs (10 male and 11 female programs), supports more than 630 varsity student-athletes, and services the entire student population and various internal and external constituencies through the state-of-the-art campus recreation center and intramural programs.

UMASS TEAMS HAVE A STRONG HISTORY OF SUCCESS. • 24 NCAA tournaments in seven different sports and more than 38 conference championships since 2005.

• Eight conference championships and five NCAA tournaments in 2008-09.

• 23 Atlantic 10 softball conference championships and 21 NCAA appearances.

• Men’s lacrosse was the first New England team to reach the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship game.

• Men’s basketball reached the NIT Championship in 2008.

• In 2011, the Minutemen returned to a UMass packed Garden for the NIT final four under current coach Derek Kellogg.

• Men’s soccer played in the 2007 NCAA Soccer College Cup.

• Collected a league record six A-10 Commissioners Cups, given in recognition of the conference’s top overall athletic program.

The University of Massachusetts recognizes the special needs of Division I student-athletes and is committed to addressing those needs with a comprehensive academic support program that ensures student-athletes succeed to their highest academic abilities.

UMASS STUDENT-ATHLETES CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC SUCCESS, AS EVIDENT IN THE MOST RECENT NCAA ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE REPORT:• Men’s sports had a composite score of 972/1000, with all 10 teams’ multi-year rates above the cut score of 930.

• Women’s composite score was 986/1000, with all 11 teams at or above 964.

• The composite multi-year rate for UMass was 979, nine points higher than the national average of 970 for all Division I institutions.

• Our Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for the 2005-2006 cohorts was 80 percent, with a graduation rate of 64 percent for student-athletes (2005-06 cohort).

• Our institutional graduation rate (IPEDS) for that same cohort was 65 percent.

We are also dedicated to providing a program that fosters diversity and equity. Over the past eight years we have made tremendous strides in creating and implementing a comprehensive gender equity plan that reflects the overall student body both through participation numbers and scholarship budgets.

Minutemen BasketballThe Minutemen basketball team has a rich history of success, averaging more than 20 wins per season over the last 22 years and earning 14 postseason berths and seven consecutive NCAA Tournament bids. UMass captured five straight Atlantic 10 Championships and is the only school from the Atlantic 10 to reach the Final Four. Since 1992 the Minutemen have played in one Final Four, two Elite Eights and three Sweet 16s. UMass is only the second school in NCAA history to win five straight conference championships and five tournament championships in a row.

UMass alumni include basketball royalty. Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J.” Erving was selected one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history. NBA all-star Marcus Camby, who played for the Minutemen in the mid-1990s, was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame for his prowess on the court. Camby has had a decorated career spanning more than a dozen years in the NBA. In 2012-13, UMass officially retired his No. 21 jersey. Most recently, alum Gary Forbes has played in the NBA with the Nets, Nuggets, and Raptors.

COACHING STAFFFormer Minutemen point guard Derek Kellogg ’95 has led University of Massachusetts men’s basketball program as head coach since 2008, after serving as an assistant coach for 12 years, including eight years at the University of Memphis under former UMass head coach John Calipari.

Kellogg has compiled an 85-77 record with two NIT appearances, including the final four in 2011.

Marching Band The Minuteman Marching Band has long been a source of great pride for the University of Massachusetts and the Commonwealth. With more than 450 members, the band is one of the nation’s outstanding marching band programs. At every home football game, The “Power and Class” performs its traditional post game show for thousands of enthusiastic, dedicated fans who don’t leave the stadium until the last note. The band has played at the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Parade, and numerous America Grand National events. This year, the band will perform in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Minutemen FootballUMass football was the most dominant team in the Yankee Conference, which later became the Atlantic 10, and is now the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The Minutemen captured an unprecedented 22 conference championships, including back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. Overall, UMass has played in three national championship games and advanced to eight NCAA Tournaments. In the decade of the 2000s, UMass was the winningest program in the CAA and ranked in the national top 25 for 65 of 68 weeks from 2005 through 2010.

UMass has sent more than 50 players to NFL careers and more than 100 to other professional football destinations. In 2013, seven former Minutemen are on active NFL rosters, including second-round selection Vladimir Ducasse, an offensive lineman with the New York Jets, and Super Bowl Champions Victor Cruz (New York Giants) and James Ihedigbo (Baltimore Ravens).

The 2012 season marked a new era in UMass football history as the program played its first full Football Bowl Subdivision schedule. The program was certified during the summer of 2013 after a two-year transition period. Under head coach Charley Molnar, UMass has pulled in two of its strongest recruiting classes as it builds a foundation of strength. As part of his “Made in Massachusetts” effort, Molnar is putting an emphasis on recruiting Baystate talent.

COACHING STAFFLed by Charley Molnar, the UMass football staff is made up of coaches who have played and coached at the highest levels of college football and the National Football League. Additionally, the program added its first-ever dedicated strength and conditioning coach in January 2013 to help prepare players for the daily rigors of playing at the Football Bowl Subdivision.

ATHLETIC FACILITIESThe University of Massachusetts has several outstanding venues for athletic competition and student recreation. Short- and long-range plans will enable the university to recruit outstanding prospects and provide first-class support resources and state-of-the-art competition venues for coaches and student-athletes.

Current Athletic and Recreation FacilitiesMULLINS CENTERThe Mullins Center is home to UMass men’s basketball, women’s basketball and ice hockey teams. Opened in 1993, the arena has a capacity of 9,493 for basketball and 8,389 for hockey. It is also used for convocations, commencement, cultural events, conferences, concerts, and fine arts productions. In addition to the main arena, the Mullins Center includes an Olympic-sized ice hockey practice rink and features two state-of-the-art video boards and an in-house production facility

The center was the site for the 1995 NCAA women’s volleyball championship and has had sellout basketball crowds on more than 60 occasions, including the first 55 games in facility history.

DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT TO NCAA REGULATIONSCompliance with NCAA and conference rules is a campus-wide priority with strict oversight by the chancellor, who regularly meets with the director of athletics, reviews proposed NCAA legislation, financial audits, graduation rate reports, and APR reports; participates in Atlantic 10 CEO meetings; and certifies the institution’s compliance per Bylaw 30.3.

RECREATION CENTER/RECREATION FIELD SPACEThe Recreation Center opened in October 2009 and instantly became the hub of student life on campus. Constructed at a cost of $55 million, the nearly 120,000-square-foot facility boasts basketball courts, three floors of cardio equipment, free weights, three exercise rooms, a jogging track and courtside café, to name just a few of the resources. The university also has a substantial inventory of athletic field space with 16 fields on over 65 acres devoted to varsity athletics, club sports, intramurals, and recreational activities.

GARBER FIELDGarber Field is home to UMass men’s lacrosse and field hockey teams, and was formerly the home of the UMass women’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s soccer teams. Garber features a new press box and signage celebrating the teams’ glorious histories. It has hosted more than 25 NCAA tournament events in lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey. The grass on the field was replaced in 1997 with a state-of-the-art artificial turf surface. Permanent lighting was also installed, allowing UMass teams to play home night games. In addition to field hockey and lacrosse games, many teams, including football, practice on the turf at Garber Field during the winter months. Garber Field was the site of the 2003 NCAA women’s field hockey championship.

As part of the transition from FCS to FBS football, the university underwent a compulsory compliance review and evaluation in the fall of 2012 conducted by the Mid-American Conference. They concluded that the UMass athletics department has implemented a highly effective rules compliance program and is absolute in its commitment to abiding by NCAA rules and regulations.

SOFTBALL COMPLEXThe UMass Softball Complex has been the home of the Minutewomen softball team since spring 2000. In 2007, the field saw the addition of a permanent grandstand, with chair-back seating for close to 500 fans. Overall, more than 1,000 fans can pack the complex with outfield seating. A press box was added in 2009 for television and radio broadcasts. Facilities include two batting cages, a bullpen that can accommodate three pitchers, heated dugouts, lockers in the UMass dugout, and dugout restrooms. The surface features a state-of-the-art drainage system that can accommodate six inches of rain per hour. In 2012, the field was named after the late Hall Of Fame coach Elaine Sortino in honor of her impact on UMass softball and all of UMass Athletics.

RUDD FIELDHome of the UMass men’s and women’s soccer teams, Rudd Field opened in fall 2002. The field, with a capacity of 2,000, drew sellout crowds during the men’s soccer team’s run to the NCAA College Cup in 2007. The field includes a 120- by 75-yard sand-based natural turf playing surface. The scoreboard features 100 percent solid state electronics, and provides message centers and sponsor panels. Funding for Rudd Field was made possible by a commitment from the Rudd Family Foundation.

TRACK AND FIELD COMPLEXThe UMass Track and Field Complex was officially dedicated September 23, 2006. Hailed as one of the premier facilities in the Northeast, the complex includes a nine-lane, 400-meter synthetic surface track; a steeplechase water-jump area; long- and triple-jump areas; high-jump and pole vault areas and a state-of-the-art timing system. The facility is located at the north end of Stadium Drive adjacent to the university’s softball complex and the Rudd Soccer Complex. Additionally, a separate throwing events area has been installed west of nearby McGuirk Alumni Stadium, featuring two shot put circles, a javelin lane and a hammer/discus circle.

CURRY HICKS CAGEOpened in 1931, the Curry Hicks Cage was home to UMass basketball and various other sports, including volleyball, until the opening of the Mullins Center. The Curry Hicks Cage seats 4,000 and is still used for practice sessions by the men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as the track and field teams.

BOYDEN GYMMany varsity sports teams have their offices, locker rooms, and academic centers in Boyden Gym. Most of the support units for UMass Athletics are based in Boyden Gym, including business operations, compliance, marketing, media relations, and sports medicine. Boyden also has a 9,000-square-foot varsity weight room, while the third floor features six full basketball courts, and the basement has racquetball and squash courts.

Football Facilities

GILLETTE STADIUMSince making the move to the Football Bowl Subdivision, UMass has a five-year agreement to play home games at Gillette Stadium, a state-of-the-art multi-purpose stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 20 miles southwest of Boston. Gillette Stadium has a maximum capacity of 68,756, including more than 60,000 in-stadium chair-back seats, 6,000 club-level seats and 87 luxury suites. Beginning in 2014, UMass will play a split schedule with home games at both Gillette Stadium and McGuirk Stadium on campus.

Gillette Stadium features two massive HD video boards, including the second-largest in the country, after only Cowboys Stadium in Dallas; NFL caliber press and broadcast facilities; and a variety of spectator amenities. The stadium can be “scaled” to effectively handle various crowd sizes.

In addition to being the home of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium has hosted the New England Revolution soccer franchise, the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship (with NCAA outdoor sports record attendances) the Massachusetts High School Super Bowl, various concerts and special events.

MCGUIRK ALUMNI STADIUMMcGuirk Alumni Stadium was the primary home of Minutemen football from 1965 to 2011. With a capacity of 17,000 fans, McGuirk Stadium has been a definite home field advantage for UMass over the years, as the Minutemen have claimed 22 conference titles since its opening. McGuirk has hosted five NCAA Tournament FCS Football Playoff games including a standing-room-only sellout crowd for the memorable win over New Hampshire in 2006. With the completion of the Football Performance Center and the new Martin and Richard Jacobson Press and Skybox Complex, UMass football will return to McGuirk Stadium beginning in 2014 when home games will to be played at both McGuirk Stadium and Gillette Stadium.

A FieldTurf playing surface was installed at McGuirk Stadium for the 2007 football season. Permanent high definition television-level lighting was installed in the stadium for the 2008 football season, permitting the Minutemen to play night games at home on a regular basis. A new video scoreboard was installed in 2009.

Along with the football team, the UMass women’s lacrosse team plays its home games at McGuirk and in 2008 hosted a record crowd of 13,722 for a men’s lacrosse game against top-ranked Syracuse. The stadium is also the site of the university’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies.

NEW AND FUTURE FACILITIES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Rowing BoathouseLocated on the banks of the Connecticut River, the UMass Rowing Boathouse is the home for Minutewomen Varsity Rowing. The facility opened for the 2013-14 season and features three bay doors with direct access to the water, meeting and team spaces, and a climate controlled environment for instruction, workouts, and other team events or boat maintenance.

Champions Center Basketball Practice FacilityThe UMass Basketball Champions Center will be the new home for the men’s and women’s basketball teams when completed in 2014. The center will provide new office space, meeting rooms, locker rooms, weight room, and training facilities for both programs. Additionally, the entry area will include the Legacy Hall Experience, a two-story structure that will feature reception areas, catering kitchens, and room to chronicle great moments in the proud history of UMass Athletics.

Football Performance CenterThe UMass Football Performance Center broke ground in April 2013 and is expected to be completed in time for the 2014 season. The 55,000-square-foot facility will include locker rooms, meeting rooms, coaches’ offices, sports medicine resources, a dedicated weight room, a recruiting/reception area, and a video center, among other amenities.

Renovations will also be made to the existing locker rooms to better accommodate visiting teams, support staff, and officials.

Martin and Richard Jacobson Press and Skybox ComplexUnder construction at the same time as the UMass Football Performance Center, the Martin and Richard Jacobson Press and Skybox Complex will replace the original press box built in 1965. The 5,800-square-foot facility has been designed to handle modern operations of Football Bowl Subdivision games with an eye toward television broadcasting.