Iona Gaels

The Iona Gaels are one of the flagship men's basketball programs of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, playing out of Hynes Athletics Center in New Rochelle, New York. A founding MAAC member, Iona has built a reputation as the league's most consistent winner, blending disciplined, up-tempo basketball with a knack for producing NCAA Tournament moments. The Gaels captured the sports world's attention in 2021 under Rick Pitino, whose arrival reenergized the program and the fanbase. Iona basketball is synonymous with MAAC excellence and March upset potential.

Iona has fielded basketball since the university's founding in 1940 and joined the MAAC as a charter member when the league launched in 1981-82. The Gaels have long been the conference's benchmark program, amassing more than a dozen regular-season titles and MAAC Tournament championships over the decades. Iona has reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times, highlighted by a historic 2021 upset of Alabama under head coach Rick Pitino. Earlier eras under coaches like Jim Valvano in the 1970s also produced standout MAAC teams, cementing Iona's status as a mid-major mainstay.