Montclair State University Athletics: A Legacy of Growth and Excellence

The Montclair State University Department of Athletics has evolved into one of the most successful and respected programs in the state of New Jersey, and in the nation.

Early Years and Transformation

In 1930, Earl Leslie, then coach of three different sports for men at Montclair State Teachers College, took over the "Big Red" intercollegiate athletic teams with the hopeful sentiment: "We may confidently look forward to greater and better teams in keeping with the rapidly growing college." Those three sports that Leslie coached in the small Teachers College, have grown - like the university - into 17 sports for men and women. Sports traditions here can be traced to the early years of the 1930's and 40's, when legendary coach Chett Pittser roamed the sidelines of football games, and the basketball and baseball teams began to make winning a habit.

Montclair State began to separate in excellence back in 1978. It came when the women's basketball team, led by Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Carol Blazejowski, reached the destination strived for by all basketball teams, the Final Four. There was also the late Sam Mills, a small, stocky linebacker on the football team in the early 1980's who simply shattered most of the school's defensive football records. Mills went on to a career in the United States Football League, and then went to the NFL to play for the New Orleans Saints where he became an All-Pro linebacker. His jersey was the second jersey to become framed in honor. Mills was a starting member of the Carolina Panthers that played in 1997 NFC Championship game and coached in Super Bowl XXXVIII before succumbing to cancer in 2005.

National Recognition and Championships

When speaking of national recognition, one cannot overlook the national championships enjoyed by Montclair State. The baseball team added to the list in the Spring of 2000 capturing its third NCAA crown to go along with ones in 1987 and 1993. Meanwhile the MSU wrestling team, won two national championships in 1976 and 1986 and collected 28 NCAA Division III individual national champions.

Each year, almost every MSU sport contends for NCAA regional and national titles, a degree of excellence to which few universities can attest. In the competitive and highly regarded New Jersey Athletic Conference, it is rare to find any MSU sport not contending for a conference crown.

Unique Programs and Facilities

The Montclair State Department of Athletics is unique as it not only produces exceptional teams and student-athletes each season, it is unique in its administrative and academic support. With over 400 student athletes, Montclair boasts one of the best athletic training programs in the state. Other programs at Montclair State are just not available anywhere else. Global Missions program is one, where the University and the athletic department are committed to global education. So far, eight MSU teams have traveled overseas for educational and competitive experiences. Computerization of the department sits on the cutting edge as well, with advanced hardware and software applications for the production of media materials, academic monitoring and recruiting.

Like the University, the Department of Athletics also boasts several top-notch facilities for its student-athletes. One example is MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field which was converted from baseball to soccer in 1998 and has since grown into one of the premeir soccer venues in the area. The home of the Red Hawks also serves as the home of the Red Bull II of the United Soccer League and you will often find many international squads make their appearance when competing at nearby Red Bull Arena or MetLife Stadium. In 2004, the Red Hawks opened the doors to MSU Softball Stadium, one of the finest on-campus softball facilities in the Northeast which served as host of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. Montclair State plays its baseball games in the highly publicized Yogi Berra Stadium, which been has home to Red Hawk baseball since 1999. Sprague Field, which MSU has called home since the 1930s and will be the host for the 2020 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship.

Montclair State University: A Brief Overview

Montclair State University (Montclair) is a public doctoral research university[7] in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Clifton and into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public university in New Jersey.[8] As of June 2024, there were 22,570 total enrolled students: 18,062 undergraduate students and 4,508 graduate students.[5] It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities - High research activity".[9] The campus covers approximately 252 acres (1.02 km2).

Plans for the State Normal school were initiated in 1903,[11] and required a year for the State of New Jersey to grant permission to build the school.[11] It was then established as "New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair", a normal school, in 1908[11] approximately 5 years after the initial planning of the school.[11] At the time, Governor John Franklin Fort attended the dedication of the school in 1908,[11] and the school was to have its first principal Charles Sumner Chapin that same year. The first building constructed was College Hall (now known as Cole Hall), and it still stands today. At the time, the campus was around 25 acres (100,000 m2), had 8 faculty members and 187 students.[11] The first graduating class, which numbered at 45 students,[11] contained William O. Trapp, who would then go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1929.

In 1927, Harry Sprague was the first president of Montclair,[11] and shortly afterwards the school began being more inclusive of extracurricular activities such as athletics. In 1927, however, after studies had emerged concerning the number of high school teachers in the state of New Jersey (only 10% of all high school teachers received their degrees from New Jersey), the institution became "Montclair State Teachers College" and developed a four-year (Bachelor of Arts) program in pedagogy, becoming the first US institute to do so.

Read also: MSU Notable Graduates

In 1943, during World War II, several students, with permission from the president, Harry Sprague, joined the US Navy as volunteers to train for the war. In 1958 the school merged with the "Panzer College of Physical Education and Hygiene" to become "Montclair State College".[11] The school became a comprehensive multi-purpose institution in 1966.[11] The Board of Higher Education designated the school a teaching university on April 27, 1994, and in the same year the school became "Montclair State University".[11]

It has offered Master of Arts programs since 1932, Master of Business Administration since 1981, Master of Education since 1985, Master of Science since 1992, Master of Fine Arts since 1998, Doctor of Education since 1999, and Doctor of Environmental Management in 2003 (now the PhD in Environmental Science and Management). PhD degrees were added in Teacher Education and Teacher Development in 2008, Counselor Education, Family Studies, Mathematics Education, Communications Sciences and Disorders by 2014, and most recently Clinical as well as Industrial/Organizational Psychology (2021).

In 2004, NJ Transit opened the Montclair State University station,[12] which links the university to New York City.[12] The building of the MSU Station cost $26 million[12] to complete, including a 1,500-space parking deck.[12]

In 2015, the university established the School of Communication and Media and added two new buildings to its campus; the Feliciano School of Business and the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS). Partridge Hall was fully renovated and in 2016, became the new School of Nursing, which welcomed its inaugural class of students that fall. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).[13] In 2017, Montclair State was designated a public research university by the New Jersey Legislature.[7] The new state-of-the-art home for the School of Communication and Media opened in fall 2017, followed in 2018 by the opening of the Center for Computing and Information Science in the former Mallory Hall, which underwent a complete renovation and expansion.

Leadership

Charles S. Principal of New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair.Harry A. Principal, then first president of the College.Harry A.E. Thomas H. Acting President from 1964 to 1966.David W.D. First African American president of the College.Donald E.Richard A.Irvin D. "…Spearheaded a successful effort to upgrade Montclair State from a college to a university… "[19]Irvin D.Gregory L.Susan A. First female and Jewish president of the university.Susan A.Jonathan G.S.

Colleges and Schools

Montclair State University comprises seven colleges and six schools, each led by a dean or director.John J.The John J.The school opened a well-equipped, modern facility in fall 2017.The College of Education and Human Services houses the Center of Pedagogy, with oversees the Teacher Education program.Montclair State supports and encourages interdisciplinary programs.The College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) offers programs in the natural, physical, life, and computational sciences. Located in Richardson Hall are the Department of Physics and Astronomy,[31] Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,[32] and the Student Success Center. The Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS) houses the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies,[34] which includes Earth and Environmental Science; Geographic, Environmental and Urban Studies; and Sustainability Science.The Feliciano School of Business offers undergraduate as well as MBA programs. Students may opt to choose the Bachelor of Arts approach or the Bachelor of Science. The school offers a BA degree program culminating in a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. In 2016, the MBA program became available in a fully online format.[36] The School of Business also offers post-MBA certificate programs.In 2016, Montclair State University launched a School of Nursing.Montclair State began offering master's degree programs in 1932, beginning with the Master of Fine Arts degree; the university began to grant doctoral degrees in 1998, after receiving state approval to establish a Doctor of Education degree in pedagogy[39] and Doctor of Environmental Management degree in 2003.University College is an initial academic home for students to pursue interests that will lead them to their eventual academic major. University College admits about one-third of incoming freshman, as well as approximately 1,400 returning and transfer students who have yet to declare a major.

Rankings and Recognition

News & World Report listed Montclair State as No. 152 among all national universities in its 2025 rankings, tied for No. 12 in Top Performers on Social Mobility and tied for No. News & World Report 2025 Best Graduate Schools ranked several of the University's programs among the best in the nation, including its education program (second in New Jersey and 107 in the nation), its Master's in Public Health program (second in New Jersey and tied for 140 in the country) and its part-time Master's in Business Administration program (seventh in New Jersey and 207th in the nation).[45]Montclair State University's online Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program was ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and No. News & World Report 2020 Best Online Programs rankings.The Feliciano School of Business was included in the 2020 edition of "The Best Business Schools" published by The Princeton Review.The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2019 Edition included Montclair State in its rankings of America's greenest campuses.Money magazine ranked Montclair State among the nation's "Best Colleges for Your Money" in 2020. Money also ranked the university at No. 16 on its 2020 "Most Transformative Colleges" list.Campus Pride named Montclair State a "Premier Campus" in its 2020 Campus Pride Index, the national listing of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities.

Campus Expansion

The original Montclair State University campus consisted of College Hall, Russ Hall, Chapin Hall and Morehead Hall, all built between 1908 and 1928. Route 46 and Route 3. Housing for students returning from World War II was added near the end of the war. Between 1950 and 1980, Montclair State gradually acquired land from a former traprock quarry and expanded its facilities with an additional 23 buildings. Montclair State University began its next phase of growth in the late 1990s to accommodate New Jersey's growing student population. Dickson Hall was dedicated in 1995. The building is named for David W.D. Dickson, the first African American president of Montclair State University. The Floyd Hall Arena, an ice skating rink, was built in 1998. Science Hall, the home of the Department of Biology, opened in 1999. The NJ Transit Montclair State University station and Parking Deck was opened October 20, 2004. It provide direct access to and from New York Penn Station, the city's main public transportation hub. Chapin Hall, nearly 100 years old, was completely renovated and expanded to house the new John J. Two student housing and dining complexes, The Heights, are adjacent to the Student Recreation Center and CarParc Diem Garage. Opened in August 2011, they house approximately 2,000 students, increasing the on-campus housing capacity to 5,500, the second largest college residential population in New Jersey after Rutgers University in New Brunswick. A 143,000 square feet (13,300 m2) building to house the Feliciano School of Business, adjacent to University Hall. The 107,500 square feet (9,990 m2) Center for Environmental and Life Sciences building, located adjacent to Richardson Hall, opened in 2015. CELS houses the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies and all of its research facilities, the Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Laboratory, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, the New Jersey Center for Water Science and Technology, the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, and the interdisciplinary PhD program in Environmental Science and Management.

Athletic Identity

Montclair State University's athletic teams have played under many names in the school's history. From the late 1920s to '30s, the school played as the "Big Red" and featured a large scarlet "M" on its uniforms. The initials were changed to "MSC" when the school became Montclair State College in 1958. In response to the growing concerns voiced by Native Americans, the school changed its nickname to the Red Hawks in August 1989,[58] named after the Red-tailed hawks that are indigenous to the area.

Montclair’s Athletic teams all play in the NCAA Division III (Campus Teams). Montclair State University athletics are in the NCAA Division III in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).

Athletic Facilities

The 3,000-seat artificial turf field, which opened in 1998, is the main home for both the men's and women's soccer teams. The 3,400-seat stadium is home to the MSU baseball team and the Yogi Berra Museum. The ice skating arena, formerly known as Floyd Hall Arena, opened in March 1998 with two NHL size rinks, an off-ice training area, meeting rooms, concession stand, pro shop, and facilities for birthday parties. The arena now attracts over 500,000 visits per year and has become the home to many groups including The MSU Hockey Club, the Montclair Hockey Club, The North Jersey Figure Skating Club, the Clifton HS Mustangs and Nutley and Passaic Valley High School Hockey Teams. The 77,000-square-foot facility is home to two fitness floors, a six-lane swimming pool, two racquetball courts, a full-size basketball court with an overhead track, and two multi-purpose rooms.

Notable Alumni

William E. Gordon (1918-2010), physicist and astronomer, known as the "father of the Arecibo Observatory", director of the Arecibo Observatory and later Professor and Dean at Rice University. He earned B.A. and M. A.Paul J.Andrew R.Joan Voss (born 1940; B.A. 1962 / M.A.Janine K.A. J.Terri L.Olivia Lux (born 1994) Drag Queen, performed on season 13 of Rupaul's Drag Race.Reggie Noble (born 1970, a.k.a. J. J.Robert M. Price (born 1954, class of 1976), Biblical Scholar known as The Bible Geek and The Human Bible, H. P.Eugene T. NelsonJ.Carmela Soprano (born 1960), wife of mafia boss, Tony Soprano. Graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration.

Recent Developments

Montclair will sponsor 21 intercollegiate athletics programs at the NCAA Division II and Division III level and increase recreational and club sports opportunities, offering what the University sees as a national model of a dynamic response to the changing landscape of college athletics.

“This is a testament to our ethos of serving the public good by creating innovative solutions that will better serve students both now and in the future,” says Montclair President Jonathan Koppell. “By offering a diverse array of opportunities for students to compete in athletics, we are putting their wellbeing at the forefront. “This new model is an innovative approach to ensuring every student has as many options to participate in athletics as possible,” says Montclair Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Rob Chesney. “Preserving Bloomfield College’s athletics program solidifies our commitment to honoring its rich history and unique identity,” says Montclair Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life Dawn Meza Soufleris.

Student-athletes in all discontinued programs will have an opportunity to try out for existing NCAA teams or to participate in expanded club sports.

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