Arnie Atkinson competed in basketball for New Bedford Tech for four seasons from 1955 through 1959. Among the top scorers for his team throughout his career, Atkinson amassed a total of 1,572 points, ranking him 11th overall in UMass Dartmouth men's basketball scoring history. In addition to his scoring ability, Atkinson was a key player on his New Bedford Tech teams, which captured three consecutive Southeastern Coastal Conference championships from 1957 through 1959. Atkinson is the third leading scorer among New Bedford Tech players, trailing only Richard Julio ('54) (1964 pts) and Steven McNamara (61) (1803 pts), both of whom have already been inducted into the Corsair Hall of Fame.