Siena Honors 2026 MAAC Champions at MVP Arena
The college celebrated its 2025-26 championship team with a ring and banner ceremony before an exhibition game.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Basketball
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Siena College celebrated its 2025-26 MAAC Championship team with a ring and banner ceremony in Albany on Sunday. Eleven members of the historic squad returned to be recognized at the MVP Arena before the Saints played an exhibition game.
Why it matters
The ceremony serves to formally commemorate the school's MAAC title and NCAA Tournament appearance from the 2025-26 season. It provided a moment for fans to honor the group that reached the championship milestone.
A crowd of 8,600 fans attended the exhibition, where the 2025-26 championship team was honored. Siena ultimately fell to Syracuse with a final score of 81-76.
The players
Siena College
A private college in Loudonville, New York, known for its Division I athletic program.
Gerry McNamara
The Syracuse head coach who previously served as the head coach for the Siena basketball program.
Gavin Doty
A former Siena player who transferred to Syracuse and appeared in the exhibition game.
The details
The event featured the presentation of rings to coaches, staff, and players, followed by the raising of the championship banner to the arena rafters. The exhibition game against Syracuse included a reunion of sorts, as former Siena players Gavin Doty, Francis Folefac, and Tasman Goodrick appeared for the opposing team.
Timeline
March 2026: Siena men's basketball team won the MAAC championship.
October 19, 2026: Siena held the ring ceremony and played Syracuse.
Season Trajectory
This ceremony marks the final celebration of the 2025-26 MAAC Championship team, officially pivoting the program's focus to the new roster. By playing an exhibition against a familiar coaching staff, the team establishes its competitive baseline for the upcoming season.
With only five players from the championship team remaining on the roster, the exhibition performance provides an early look at how the revamped squad integrates new talent. Fans can monitor how these new combinations perform following the loss to Syracuse.
The takeaway
Honoring championship history serves to build team culture while bridging the gap between past success and current roster challenges. Fans should look for how the team adjusts its rotation in the games following this high-profile exhibition.
Further reading
For more on the local college basketball scene, visit the Albany Basketball section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 22 News WWLP.
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