SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (August 19, 2025) – Western New England men's basketball graduate Jake Harrison '25 has signed a professional contract overseas with Futebol Clube de Gaia, he announced on Instagram Monday afternoon. 

Harrison, one of the greats to represent the blue and gold, graduated this past May from Western New England after a prolific four-year career on the men's basketball team. Harrison nabbed over 1,300 points in his career, landing him tenth on the all-time scoring list in WNE men's basketball history. During his senior season ('24-'25), the Golden Bears men's basketball team captured the Conference of New England Championships and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 2001. Harrison then led the Golden Bears to their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in program history with a historic 83-73 win over Hamilton College in the opening round of the tournament. Harrison and the Golden Bears would advance to the Sweet-16 round of the tournament before finishing the season with a 23-7 overall record.  

Harrison averaged 12.5 points per game in his career for Western New England over 111 games played, including 102 starts. Harrison averaged 17.1 points per game (461 points) during his outstanding sophomore season ('22-'23), which landed him on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American Second-Team, the first All-American in WNE men's basketball history.  Harrison added to those accolades throughout his career in blue and gold, being named Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Year in 2022-2023, CCC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2023-2024, D3hoops.com All-Region 2 First Team in 2022-2023, and to the second team in 2023-2024. Harrison was also named to the all-conference teams in three of his four years for the Golden Bears. 

The South Boston, Massachusetts, native left his mark all over the Western New England men's basketball record books following the end of his career. To go along with being tenth on the all-time scoring list, Harrison is also tied fourth in rebounds (813),  third in assists all-time (468), fourth in assists per game (4.2), third in career steals (170), tied tenth in steals per game (1.5), sixth in career blocks (81), tied for eleventh in blocks per game (0.7), second in games played (111), tied second in games started (102), eighth in career field goal percentage (.563), and sixth all-time in free throws made (337). To go along with his career records, Harrison also sits third in single season assists (158, '22-'23), third in single season assists per game (5.9, '22-'23), tied-10^th in single-season steals (57, '22-'23), and sixth in single season free throws made (136, '22-'23). 

The 2024-25 season, Harrison's last, saw him end with 3,322 minutes played in his career, scoring 498 total field goals, making 60 three-point shots, dropping 337 free throws, hauling in 285 offensive and 528 defensive rebounds, totaling 468 career assists, 81 blocks, 170 steals, and 1,393 career points. With Harrison leading the charge, the Golden Bears would go 76-36 (.679) from 2021-2025, which included two appearances in the conference championship game, while WNE would make the conference tournament all four years. 

Harrison will now join the Futebol Clube de Gaia, located in Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. Founded in 1908, Futebol Clube de Gaia is the oldest sports association in the municipality and one of the most iconic. Since 1908, Futebol Clube de Gaia has won numerous national and regional titles for the municipality, across a wide range of sports and age groups.