Erving enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1968. In two varsity college basketball seasons, he averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, becoming one of only six players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in NCAA Men’s Basketball. In 1968, the NCAA passed a rule that prohibited dunking. Thus, Erving’s fabulous dunking was only seen and known to teammates at practice. He then sought “hardship” entry into professional basketball in 1971.

Fifteen years later, Erving fulfilled a promise he had made to his mother by earning a bachelor’s degree in creative leadership and administration from the school through the University Without Walls program. Erving also holds an honorary doctorate from the school. In September 2021, Massachusetts honored Erving by unveiling a statue outside the Mullins Center on the university’s campus.