Basketball

Students playing basketball on outdoor court (1910s)

Basketball at Simmons College began in 1909 when it was created as a Physical Training requirement for freshman year. The next year, the Student Athletic Association was formed by students to encourage sporting activities in the college. They organized interclass and informal games and a prize cup was awarded to the winning class. Despite basketball’s popularity, there were still no official intercollegiate matches. Matches between colleges would only be played in an informal way in what was known as “play days.” However, in 1940 the Association was disbanded and a Reorganization Committee was formed. Basketball was kept as a sport during the following decades.

Students playing a basketball match

During the 1960s, intramural tournaments and unofficial games with neighboring colleges were established. As the years went by, students advocated for better and larger spaces. However, basketball remained inactive until it was revived in the 1970s, and the first varsity basketball team was formed in 1983. Since the college did not have the facilities for matches, home games were played at Emmanuel College and Winsor School. In 1989, the Holmes Sports Center was completed, which included basketball courts.

In 1996, the team made the first round of the Greater Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship, their season record being 10 wins and 11 loses. The team finished the 2002-2003 season with 16 wins and 9 losses, which was their first winning season. Their first postseason victory over the 4th seeded Suffolk University was at the 2004 GNAC tournament, and in the 2009-2010 season the team made it to the GNAC semifinals.