Maine Black Bears

The Maine Black Bears represent New England's northernmost Division I basketball program, playing their home games at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Known more for hockey glory than hardwood success, the Black Bears nonetheless field a scrappy America East squad that draws on the state's passionate, close-knit sports culture. Every trip to Bangor means a rowdy crowd and a team determined to finally break through in conference play.

Maine basketball dates back to the early 1900s, with the program interrupted twice in its early decades before stabilizing. The Black Bears have been a charter member of the America East Conference since it formed in 1979. Despite reaching the America East championship game multiple times, most recently in 2025, Maine remains one of a small handful of Division I programs that has never earned an NCAA Tournament berth, a defining storyline of the program's long history.