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Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
Athletic conference in Massachusetts, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Full member institutions are all located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with affiliate members also located in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia. The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference was established in June 1971, making it the oldest NCAA Division III men's and women's playing college athletic conference in the United States.[1][2]
All full members are a part of the Massachusetts State Universities system (every member in the Massachusetts State Universities system except the Massachusetts College of Art and Design is also a MASCAC member)[3] and the public associate members are part of the University of Massachusetts System [UMASS System (UMASS Dartmouth)], the University System of New Hampshire (Plymouth State University), and the Connecticut State University System (Western Connecticut State University) respectively. The rest of the associate members are private colleges.
On October 5, 2023, it was announced that in the 2025–26 school year, Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts will become the first private full member in the 53 year history of the MASCAC and the first new full member since 1974.[4]
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History
Chronological timeline
- 1971 – In June 1971, the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) was founded. Charter members included Boston State College, Bridgewater State College (now Bridgewater State University), Fitchburg State College (now Fitchburg State University), Framingham State College (now Framingham State University), Lowell State College, North Adams State College (now the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts [MCLA]), Salem State College (now Salem State University), Westfield State College (now Westfield State University) and Worcester State College (now Worcester State University), beginning the 1971–72 academic year.
- 1974 – The Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Mass Maritime) joined the MASCAC in the 1974–75 academic year.
- 1975 – Lowell State College left the MASCAC when it was merged into Lowell Technological Institute to become the University of Lowell (now the University of Massachusetts–Lowell [UMass Lowell]) after the 1974–75 academic year.
- 1982 – Boston State College left the MASCAC when it was merged into the University of Massachusetts–Boston (UMass Boston) after the 1981–82 academic year.
- 2009 – The University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth) and Plymouth State University joined the MASCAC as associate members for men's ice hockey in the 2009–10 academic year. This marked the first time the MASCAC added associate members and it marked the first time that the MASCAC added members (full or associate) outside of Massachusetts.
- 2013 – The MASCAC began sponsoring football in the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year) after the New England Football Conference (NEFC) dissolved; with Western Connecticut State University (alongside UMass Dartmouth and Plymouth State) joining as MASCAC as associate members for the sport.
- 2019 – Dean College, Eastern Nazarene College, Elms College, Mitchell College and Springfield College joined the MASCAC as associate members for men's golf in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year). This marks the first time that the MASCAC added private institutions under the MASCAC banner for any sport.
- 2020 – Dean left the MASCAC as an associate member for men's golf after the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year).
- 2021 – New England College joined the MASCAC as an associate member for men's golf in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year).
- 2022 – MCLA announced they would reinstate men's ice hockey for the first time since 2002–03 and add women's ice hockey for the 2023–24 academic year.[5]
- 2024 –
- Anna Maria College and Rivier University joined the MASCAC as associate members for men's ice hockey and provisional women's ice hockey members beginning in the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).[6]
- Vermont State University at Castleton joined the MASCAC as an associate member for football beginning in the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).[7][8]
- Marymount University and Marywood University joined the MASCAC as associate members for men's golf beginning in the 2024 fall season (2024-25 academic year) as the first members (full or associate) in conference history outside of New England.[9]
- 2025 –
- Anna Maria College joined the MASCAC as a full member beginning in the 2025 fall season (2025-26 academic) as the first full private school member in conference history and the first new full member since Massachusetts Maritime in 1974.[10]
- Dean College joined the MASCAC as an associate member for football beginning in the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year).[11]
- VSU Castleton and Western Connecticut State both left the MASCAC for football after the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).[12]
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Member schools
Summarize
Perspective
Current full members
The MASCAC currently has nine full members, all but one are public schools:
- Notes
- Part of the Massachusetts State Universities System.[13]
Current associate members
The MASCAC currently has six associate members, all but two are public schools:
Notes:
- Part of the University System of New Hampshire.
- Part of the University of Massachusetts System.
Former full members
The MASCAC had two former full members, both were public schools:
- Notes
- Boston State was merged into the University of Massachusetts–Boston.
- Lowell State was merged into the University of Massachusetts–Lowell.
Former associate members
The MASCAC had one former associate member, which was also a private school:
Membership timeline

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Sports
Summarize
Perspective
The MASCAC sponsored football for the first time in 2013. Conference members Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Framingham State, Massachusetts Maritime, Westfield State, and Worcester State departed the New England Football Conference (NEFC) (now Commonwealth Coast Football) after the 2012 season. They were joined later by fellow NEFC opponents Plymouth State, UMass–Dartmouth, and Western Connecticut State.[18] The NEFC retained the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
On August 22, 2019, the MASCAC invited 5 of the recently dropped men's golf members from the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) which includes Dean College, Eastern Nazarene College, Elms College, Mitchell College, and Springfield College; all of them are private colleges which is the first time that the MASCAC awarded membership to private colleges.[19][20][21] The 5 private colleges joined the other men's golf sponsoring MASCAC schools from the NECC which includes MCLA, Salem State, Westfield State, and Worcester State to create a 9-team men's golf league. However Dean College men's golf left the MASCAC after the 2019-20 men's golf season to join their primary conference the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in men's golf. The MASCAC started Automatic Qualification (AQ) to the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships in the 2021–2022 season for the MASCAC men's golf tournament winner.[19]
Conference Sports
Men's Sports
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the MASCAC that are played by MASCAC schools
- Notes
- Vermont State Colleges System.
- Part of the Connecticut State University System.
Women's Sports
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the MASCAC that are played by MASCAC schools
- Notes
Football
For the current season, see 2023 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football season.
All-time school records (ranked according to winning percentage)
Through end of the 2022 regular season. Records reflect official NCAA results, including any forfeits or win vacating.
Intra-conference football rivalries
The members of the MASCAC have longstanding rivalries with each other, especially on the football field. The following is a list of active rivalries in the MASCAC with totals & records through the completion of the 2022 season.
Football champions
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References
External links
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