EDISON, NJ (Mar. 9, 2024) – With the regular season concluding on Saturday afternoon, the field has officially been determined for the 2024 Hercules Tire Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Basketball Championship. The annual conference tournament will take place from March 12-16 at historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The league’s top-five teams will earn a bye in the opening round. Team’s clinching an opening round bye are regular season champions and top overall seed, No. 25 nationally ranked Fairfield University (28-1, 20-0 MAAC), No. 2 Niagara University (18-12, 15-5 MAAC), No. 3 Siena College (17-11, 14-6 MAAC), No. 4 Manhattan College (18-11, 11-9 MAAC), and No. 5 Canisius University (16-13, 11-9 MAAC).
The championship commences with the opening-round on Tuesday, March 12. Kicking-off the 2024 championship will be No. 8 Rider University (9-20, 6-14 MAAC) and No. 9 Iona University (11-18, 6-14) at 10:30 a.m. The Broncs swept the Gaels during the regular season, giving them the higher seed in the tournament. Rider won the first meeting on January 4, in Lawrenceville, NJ, 63-56 and took the second meeting on February 15, 45-43. The winner will meet No. 1 Fairfield in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 13 at 1:00 p.m.
The second contest of the opening round will put No. 7 Quinnipiac University (12-17, 9-11 MAAC) against No. 10 Saint Peter’s University (7-22, 4-16 MAAC) at 12:45 p.m. The Bobcats took the regular season series against the Peacocks, winning 50-39 on January 4 at home in Hamden, CT and then edging the Peacocks in Jersey City, NJ, 46-40 on February 8. No. 2 Niagara awaits the winner of the game for a date in the quarters on March 13 at 3:30 p.m.
The opening round will conclude at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon with a matchup between No. 6 Mount St. Mary’s University (13-16, 10-10 MAAC) and No. 11 Marist College (6-24, 4-16 MAAC). The visiting side was triumphed in both regular season contests between the teams creating a series split. The Red Foxes won the first meeting back on January 18 in Emmitsburg, MD, 45-44. In the second meeting, the Mountaineers picked up a comfortable 72-57 road win in Poughkeepsie, NY, on February 22. The advancing team will have a day off before battling No. 3 Siena in the first game of day two’s quarterfinals on Thursday, March 14 at 1:00 p.m.
The last predetermined game of the championship will be the last quarterfinal round game on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. between No. 4 Manhattan and No. 5 Canisius. The Jaspers took the head-to-head matchup with the Golden Griffins during the regular season, winning both meetings by one possession. On January 20 in Buffalo, NY, Manhattan won 58-55 and on February 22 in Riverdale, NY, they won 54-51.
All games during the 2024 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship will broadcast live on ESPN+. Saturday’s championship title game will air live for a national audience on ESPNU at 3:30 p.m.
| Round |
Game |
Matchup |
Date |
Times |
Network |
| Opening Round |
Game 1 |
No. 8 Rider vs. No. 9 Iona |
March 12 |
10:30 AM |
ESPN+ |
| Opening Round |
Game 2 |
No. 7 Quinnipiac vs. No. 10 Saint Peter's |
March 12 |
12:45 PM |
ESPN+ |
| Opening Round |
Game 3 |
No. 6 Mount St. Mary's vs. No. 11 Marist |
March 12 |
3:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 4 |
No. 1 Fairfield vs. Winner Game 1 |
March 13 |
1:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 5 |
No. 2 Niagara vs. Winner Game 2 |
March 13 |
3:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 6 |
No. 3 Siena vs. Winner Game 3 |
March 14 |
1:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 7 |
No. 4 Manhattan vs. No. 5 Canisius |
March 14 |
3:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
| Semifinal |
Game 8 |
Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 7 |
March 15 |
11:00 AM |
ESPN+ |
| Semifinal |
Game 9 |
Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 |
March 15 |
1:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
| Championship |
Game 10 |
Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9 |
March 16 |
3:30 PM |
ESPNU/+ |
The 2023-24 campaign culminates with the 2024 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 12-16 at Atlantic City's Historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the fifth consecutive year dating back to 2020. For all information regarding the 2024 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit
MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on Twitter.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on
Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram and
Threads or visit
MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.