Lights, Camera, MAACtion

Joining the MAAC brings fierce local rivalries, exceptional athletic opportunities and unique fan experiences to past and present Pioneers.

From the Winter 2024 issue of Sacred Heart University Magazine

Athletes at Sacred Heart are in the midst of a major change now that the University has moved into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The transition guarantees a world of new possibilities for students, coaches and athletes. The change also provides an added layer of security during an uncertain time for collegiate athletics. With conference realignment and the introduction of name, image and likeness rights for athletes, finding a stable home for Sacred Heart’s student-athletes and coaches was of the utmost importance to Athletic Director Judy Ann Riccio.

“It is my chief responsibility to make sure our student-athletes are put in the best positions to succeed,” she says.

From that point of view, leaving the Northeast Conference and joining the MAAC this past July was an easy decision for Riccio and SHU.

Riccio, who has served as Sacred Heart’s athletic director since 2021, knew that the vision of the MAAC correctly aligned with the University’s vision to become more prominent in the collegiate athletic landscape. In addition to this partnership benefiting the strategic goals of the University, the MAAC also allows SHU athletics to compete on a local stage like never before. Fans will enjoy heated matchups against local rivals such as Fairfield, Quinnipiac and Iona on a much more consistent basis.

“For my first time as a coach, my team and I get to play against opponents 30 minutes up and down the road,” says Sacred Heart Women’s Basketball Coach Jessica Mannetti. “So many of my players have played with or against girls on the Fairfield and Quinnipiac teams since their elementary years.”

Mannetti and Riccio share the same passion for the importance of these local rivalries and how they will change campus athletics for years to come.

“These must-attend games,” Riccio says, speaking of matchups against SHU’s Connecticut rivals, “will ignite students’ passion to support their fellow classmates like never before.” The phrase
“it just means more” is often invoked when speaking of rivalry games, especially those on the collegiate level, and for student-athletes and coaches alike at SHU, there’s no greater motivator than local bragging rights.

The MAAC will also bring a slew of new challenges as well as opportunities for teams to compete for more prestigious hardware. Winning one of the MAAC’s conference championships
brings with it greater respect on a national scale. “As new kids on the block, we’re ready to step up and face this challenge head on and demand respect,” Coach Mannetti says of how she’s
preparing her team for the new level of competition during their inaugural season in the MAAC.

SHU’s move to the MAAC will also allow the University to pursue a diverse and dynamic new pool of talented recruits and future student-athletes. A more prestigious conference with greater challenges not only means more meaningful success on the court or field but unlocking a more sought-after group of recruits. “We know we have state-of-the-art facilities, a beautiful campus and a new arena to play in, but joining the MAAC gives us that extra boost in
recruiting battles,” Mannetti says.

The first home meeting of SHU women’s basketball vs. Fairfield is February 8. The duel at the brand-new William Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center should bring a level of buzz and excitement unlike anything the Park Avenue campus has ever experienced.