Framingham State Rams

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Framingham State Rams
Logo
UniversityFramingham State University
ConferencesMassachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) (Primary) and Little East Conference (LEC) (Field Hockey)
NCAADivision III
PresidentF. Javier Cevallos
Athletic directorThomas Kelley[1]
LocationFramingham, Massachusetts
First year1968[2]
Varsity teams14 (6 men's, 8 women's)
Football stadiumBowditch Field
Basketball arenaAthletic and Recreation Center
Ice hockey arenaLoring Arena
Baseball stadiumBowditch Field
New England Baseball Complex (early season games)
Softball stadiumMaple Street Field
Soccer stadiumMaple Street Field
Lacrosse stadiumMaple Street Field
Volleyball arenaAthletic and Recreation Center
MascotSam the Ram
NicknameRams
ColorsFSU Gold   and FSU Black  [3]
Websitewww.fsurams.com/landing/index

The Framingham State Rams are composed of 14 varsity teams (6 men's, 8 women's) representing Framingham State University in intercollegiate athletics. All teams compete at the NCAA Division III level and all teams compete in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), except for field hockey, which plays in the Little East Conference (LEC).

Background[]

Men's programs include baseball, cross country, football, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer. Women's programs include cross country, lacrosse, softball, basketball, field hockey, outdoor track and field, soccer, and volleyball. Club sports that the university offers include Cheerleading, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Rugby, and Women's Rugby. The university also offers a wide variety of intramural programs that include everything from badminton, to golf, to dodgeball. There is also a state-of-the-art athletic and recreation center which opened in 2001 that includes basketball courts, a volleyball court, and a weight room.[4]

In 2007, the women's soccer team was awarded the NCAA Sportsmanship Award.[5]

Nickname[]

Framingham State University adopted its mascot the ram in 1967, after a school-wide vote on what should represent the school. It came at the same time as the school, which had been all female up until 1964, added its first male athletics team.[6] In one of the logos it shows a ram running down a hill, which represents the 282 foot (86 meter) high Bare Hill, where Framingham State University sits atop.[7] The mascot's name is Sam the Ram.

Sports sponsored[]

A football signed by the 1975 Framingham State Rams football team after defeating Curry College, 16–8

NCAA Division III Sports[]

Men's Sports Women's Sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross country Field hockey
Football Lacrosse
Ice hockey Outdoor track and field
Soccer Soccer
Softball
Volleyball

Club Sports[]

Men's Sports Women's Sport
Lacrosse Rugby
Rugby
Co-ed Sport
Cheerleading
The banners at Framingham State's Athletic and Recreation Center with their MASCAC accomplishments as of Fall 2021.

Baseball[]

The Framingham State Rams baseball team’s home field is Bowditch Field in Framingham, Massachusetts, however most early season home games are played at the New England Baseball Complex (NEBC) in Northborough, Massachusetts.

Accomplishments

Men's basketball[]

Accomplishments

  • MASCAC Regular Season Champions - 1978-79, 1979–80, 1983-84 [8]
  • MASCAC Tournament Runner Up - 2000-01, 2001–02, 2004–05
  • NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament Qualifier - 1978-79, 1979–80, 1983–84
  • NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament Regional Second Place Team - 1978-79

Women's basketball[]

Accomplishments

  • MASCAC Regular Season Champions - 2013-14, 2019–20, 2021-22 [9]
  • MASCAC Tournament Runner Up - 2013-14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017-18
  • MASCAC Tournament Champions - 2019-20, 2021-22 [9]

Men's cross country[]

Accomplishments

Women's cross country[]

Accomplishments

  • Yankee Small College Conference NECA Tournament Champions - 2011

Football[]

In 1972 the football team played its first game.[10]

In 1978 the football team played its first home game.

The Framingham State Rams football program has seen several successful seasons in recent years. The Rams won the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular season championship four straight years (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013).[11] In 2011, 2012, and 2013 the team also took the title as New England Football Conference (NEFC (now Commonwealth Coast Football)) Bogan Division champions, and outright champions in 2012. In 2010, the program won its first Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast Bowl. The Rams participated in the 2013 NCAA Division III Football Championship, losing to SUNY Cortland in the first-round.[12] In 2014 the Rams were MASCAC Champions & ECAC North Atlantic Bowl Champions winning against RPI 42–36 in Overtime. In 2015 the Rams were MASCAC Champions and participated in the 2015 NCAA Division III Football Championship, losing to Wesley College 42–22. In 2016 the Rams won the New England Bowl v.s. Salve Regina winning 37–34. In 2017 the Rams were MASCAC Co-Champions and won the 2017 New England Bowl Series against Curry College 48–14. In 2018 the rams were MASCAC Champions and participated in the 2018 NCAA Division III Football Championship losing to Brockport State in the first round 40–27. In 2019 the Rams were MASCAC Champions and participants in the 2019 Division III Football Championship losing to Wesley College in first round 58–21. In 2021 the Rams went 8-2 (8-0 in MASCAC play) in the regular season and were MASCAC Champions along with being participants in the 2021 Division III Football Championship. However the Rams lost to Muhlenberg College in the first round 45-0.

Head coach Thomas (Tom) Kelley '76 coached the Framingham State Rams football team for 2 years as head coach in his first stint from 1982-1984. He later returned to the rams football program as head coach for 13 years from 2007 until 2020 going 107-59-1 (.643) in his second head coaching stint. In his second stint he won 9 MASCAC regular season championships, won 4 bowl games, and took the rams to 5 NCAA Division III Football Championship appearances. He currently serves as the athletic director at Framingham State University.[13][14]

Accomplishments

Field hockey[]

Accomplishments

Men's ice hockey[]

Accomplishments

  • ECAC Division III Champions - 1979

Women's lacrosse[]

Accomplishments

Men's soccer[]

Accomplishments

Women's soccer[]

Accomplishments

Softball[]

Accomplishments

Women's volleyball[]

Accomplishments

  • MASCAC Regular Season Champions - 1991, 1992, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 [23]
  • MASCAC Tournament Runner Up - 2005, 2013, 2017, 2019
  • MASCAC Tournament Champions - 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021 [23][24]
  • NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament Qualifier - 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021
  • Massachusetts State Colleges Women's Volleyball Champions - 1972-73

Facilities[]

All teams compete on campus at the Athletic and Recreation Center for indoor sports or Maple Street Field for outdoor sports,[25] except for the baseball and football teams who play off-campus at Bowditch Field in Framingham, and the men's ice hockey team who skates at the Loring Arena (also off-campus) also in Framingham.[26]

  • Athletic and Recreation Center - Located on the southeastern end of the main campus of Framingham State University, attached to Dwight Hall, the Athletic and Recreation Center opened in November, 2001 and is home to the men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team. Built at a cost of $12 million the facility features two full-length basketball courts, a volleyball court and seating for 1,000 spectators at home volleyball and basketball games. The second floor of the Athletic and Recreation Center houses a weight room equipped with nautilus machines, cardiovascular equipment, and free weights, as well as two all-purpose rooms which are used for aerobics and dance classes.[27]
  • Maple Street Field - Located around a half a mile (0.8 km) southwest from the main campus of Framingham State University on 220 Maple Street, Framingham, Massachusetts, the Maple Street Field is home to the men's and women's soccer teams, the women's lacrosse team, the field hockey team, and the softball team. Maple Street Field is owned and operated by Framingham State University and in the summer of 2014 the Maple Street Field underwent a $4.5 million renovation and the project updated the existing game field, added a second multi-sport softball/practice turf field, lights, two scoreboards (one for each field), and the construction of an auxiliary athletics building. The auxiliary athletics building which is located between the two fields provides heated bathrooms for athletes and spectators, team rooms for the participating teams, as well as a ticket booth, and concessions area.[28]
    • Game Field (Turf) - Home to the men's and women's soccer teams, the women's lacrosse team, and the field hockey team the game field located on the west end of the complex, features a 4-lane track, goal posts for football practice, goals for field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer, bleachers with a seating capacity of 900, a fully enclosed two-tiered press box, and a turf field with lines for football, lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey. In addition, the existing game field was outfitted with lights to allow for games and practices to be held at night. The bleachers, the press box, the turf field, the scoreboard, and the lights were added as a part of the $4.5 million renovation in summer of 2014.[28]
    • Softball/Practice Field (Turf) - Home to the softball team, the new multi-sport turf field, located on the east end of the complex, opened in summer of 2014 has a softball field and a practice field on it. The softball/practice field has a multi-sport scoreboard, covered dugouts as well as a bullpen area beyond the left field fence. When the portable 6 foot fence is in place for softball in spring, the dimensions are 200 ft (61 meters). down the lines and 220 ft (67 meters). to center field. When the fence for softball is not in place after spring, the turf has space for a regulation football field which is mainly used for practice by softball and other sports teams.[28]
  • Bowditch Field - Located on 475 Union Avenue, Framingham, Massachusetts around a mile (1.61 km) southeast away from the main campus of Framingham State University, Bowditch Field is home to the football and baseball teams. The complex is owned by the City of Framingham and operated by the City of Framingham Division of Parks and Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Bowditch Field also serves as the headquarters for the City of Framingham Division of Parks and Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Bowditch Field opened in the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression, and is home to a turf football field, a natural-grass baseball field, 4 tennis courts, 2 basketball courts and a track and field practice area.[29][30]
    • Football Field (Turf) - Located on the south end of the complex, the football field features a natural turf playing surface, with a 6-lane track, and modern stands capable of accommodating 3,500-5,300+ spectators.[29][30] The original 1930s bleachers along with the entire stadium were replaced and renovated in 2010.[31] The stadium features a press box, a scoreboard, and lights for night games.
    • William D. Carey Baseball Field (Grass) - Located on the north end of the complex, the baseball field is an NCAA regulation sized natural-grass baseball field with dimensions of 346 ft (105.5 meters) to left field, 364 ft (111 meters) to center field, and 305 ft (93 meters) to right field.[29][30][32]
  • Edward F. Loring Ice Arena - Located on 165 Fountain Street, Framingham, Massachusetts, around 2 miles (3.22 km) south away from the main campus of Framingham State University, Loring Arena is home to the men's ice hockey team. The arena is a City of Framingham owned skating facility, operated by the City of Framingham Division of Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Loring Arena opened in November 1963 as a seasonally operated facility, and one of the first municipally owned arenas in the area. Loring Arena underwent a complete renovation beginning in May 2017. The $6 million renovation and expansion project was completed in the fall of 2018 and included a dedicated locker room and storage space for the FSU ice hockey program.[33]

Bowditch Field and Loring Arena are used not only by the Framingham State Rams baseball, football, and men's ice hockey teams respectively but the Framingham High School Flyers for their baseball, football and men's/women's ice hockey teams as well respectively.

In addition to playing their home games at Bowditch Field the Framingham State Rams baseball team also play their early season home games at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Massachusetts, around 12 miles (19.3 km) away.

Note: men's and women's cross country along with women's outdoor track and field do not have a home course or a home track (no home meets) respectively as of fall 2021.

Framingham State Rams athletic facilities locations
[Interactive fullscreen map]
Locations of the sports at the athletics facilities used by the Framingham State Rams athletic teams in relation to campus, 2021-2022 Blue pog.svg Campus Center (McCarthy Center) Gold pog.svg Athletic and Recreation Center (on-campus, owned and operated by Framingham State University) [34] Black pog.svg Maple Street Field (off-campus, owned and operated by Framingham State University) [34] Green pog.svg Bowditch Field (off-campus, owned and operated by the city of Framingham) [34] and White pog.svg Loring Arena (off-campus, owned and operated by the city of Framingham).[34] M = Men's W = Women's

References[]

  1. ^ https://boxscorenews.com/framingham-state-head-football-coach-tom-kelley-retires-from-coaching-p155498-376.htm [1]
  2. ^ https://www.framingham.edu/academics/henry-whittemore-library/special-collections-archives/university-history/history-part2
  3. ^ https://www.framingham.edu/Assets/uploads/about-fsu/marketing-and-communications/documents/071517_EMG-Branding_StyleGuide_final.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  4. ^ "Framingham State College". 2009-07-10. Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  5. ^ a b "Framingham State Women's Soccer Honored By NCAA". 2008-05-26. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ McNamara, Brittney. "Framingham State ram takes its place on campus". MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  7. ^ "FSU History - Part 1". Blank. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  8. ^ "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ a b "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ News, Lenny Megliola/Special to the. "MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA". www.metrowestdailynews.com. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  11. ^ "Football - Past Seasons and Career Records". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ "2012 Football Schedule". Framingham St. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  13. ^ "Framingham State Head Football Coach Tom Kelley Retires from Coaching". boxscorenews.com. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  14. ^ Staff Reports. "Framingham State football coach Tom Kelley retires from coaching, will remain as AD". The Framingham Tab. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  15. ^ "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ^ "Football Secures MASCAC Title with 47-13 Victory over Bridgewater State". 2021-11-06. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. ^ "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. ^ "Field Hockey Record Book (PDF) - Little East Conference" (PDF). littleeast.com. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  19. ^ "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  20. ^ a b "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  21. ^ a b "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. ^ a b "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ^ a b "MASCAC". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. ^ "Third Seed Volleyball Captures 2021 MASCAC Tournament Championship with 3-2 Win over Worcester State". 2021-11-06. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  25. ^ "Campus & Locations". No-Left-Nav. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  26. ^ "Directions to Sporting Venues". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  27. ^ "Athletic & Recreation Center". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  28. ^ a b c "Maple Street Field". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  29. ^ a b c "Bowditch Field". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  30. ^ a b c "Bowditch Field Athletic & Cultural Complex | City of Framingham, MA Official Website". www.framinghamma.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  31. ^ Bowditch Field improvements, retrieved 2021-10-27
  32. ^ Baseball: Framingham vs Wellesley, retrieved 2021-10-27
  33. ^ "Loring Arena". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  34. ^ a b c d https://www.framingham.edu/about-fsu/map

External links[]

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