Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
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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]
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]
- 2023 –
- 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]
- 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.[7]
- Dean College joined the MASCAC as an associate member for football beginning in the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year).[8]
- Vermont State University at Castleton joined the MASCAC as an associate member for football beginning in the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).[9][10]
- 2024 –
- 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.[11]
- VSU Castleton and Western Connecticut State will both leave the MASCAC for football after the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).[12]
Member schools
Current full members
The MASCAC currently has eight full members, all are public schools:
- Notes
Current associate members
The MASCAC currently has seven associate members, all but three are public schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | AffiliationTemplate:Efn | Enrollment | Endowment (millions)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
Nickname | Joined | Colors | MASCAC sport |
Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Maria College | Paxton, Massachusetts | 1946 | Catholic (S.S.A.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
1,485 | $7.2 | Amcats | 2024–25 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | men's ice hockey; women's ice hockey |
Great Northeast (GNAC) (MASCAC in 2025-26) |
| Marymount University | Arlington, Virginia | 1950 | Catholic
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3,667 | $43 | Saints | 2024-25 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | men's golf | Atlantic East |
| Marywood University | Scranton, Pennsylvania | 1915 | Catholic
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2,606 | $44.9 | Pacers | 2024-25 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | men's golf | Atlantic East |
| Plymouth State University | Plymouth, New Hampshire | 1871 | PublicTemplate:Efn | 3,839 | $28.9 | Panthers | 2009–10 | Template:College color boxes | men's ice hockey | Little East (LEC) |
| 2013–14 | football | |||||||||
| 2024-25 | women's ice hockey | |||||||||
| Rivier University | Nashua, New Hampshire | 1933 | Catholic (S.P.M.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
2,822 | $41 | Raiders | 2024–25 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | men's ice hockey; women's ice hockey |
Great Northeast (GNAC) |
| Springfield College | Springfield, Massachusetts | 1885 | Nonsectarian | 2,785 | $79.6 | Pride | 2019–20 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | men's golf | New England (NEWMAC) |
| University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth | Dartmouth, Massachusetts | 1895 | PublicTemplate:Efn | 7,759 | $59.0 | Corsairs | 2009–10 | Template:College color boxes | men's ice hockey | Little East (LEC) |
| 2013–14 | football | |||||||||
| Vermont State University at Castleton | Castleton, Vermont | 1787 | PublicTemplate:Efn | 2,363 | $7.86 | Spartans | 2024–25 | Template:College color boxes | football | Little East (LEC) |
| Western Connecticut State University | Danbury, Connecticut | 1903 | PublicTemplate:Efn | 4,417 | $12.8 | Wolves | 2013–14 | Template:College color boxes | football | Little East (LEC) |
Notes: Template:Notelist
Future full member
| Institution | Location | Founded | AffiliationTemplate:Efn | Enrollment | Endowment (millions)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
Nickname | Joining | Colors | Previous conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Maria College | Paxton, Massachusetts | 1946 | Catholic (S.S.A.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
1,485 | $7.2 | Amcats | 2025–26 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | Great Northeast (GNAC) |
Future associate member
The MASCAC will have one future associate member, a private school.
| Institution | Location | Founded | AffiliationTemplate:Efn | Enrollment | Endowment (millions)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
Nickname | Joining | Colors | MASCAC sport |
Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean College | Franklin, Massachusetts | 1865 | Nonsectarian | 1,151 | $42.1 | Bulldogs | 2025-26 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | football | Great Northeast (GNAC) |
- Notes
Former full members
The MASCAC had two former full members, both were public schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | AffiliationTemplate:Efn | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Colors | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston State College | Boston, Massachusetts | 1872 | Public | 11,000[13] | Warriors | 1971 | 1982 | N/A | N/ATemplate:Efn |
| Lowell State College | Lowell, Massachusetts | 1894 | Public | 2,353[14] | Indians[15][16] | 1971 | 1975 | N/A | N/ATemplate:Efn |
- Notes
Former associate members
The MASCAC had one former associate member, which was also a private school:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Endowment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Colors | MASCAC sport |
Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean College | Franklin, Massachusetts | 1865 | Nonsectarian | 1,151 | $42.1 | Bulldogs | 2019–20 | 2019–20 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | men's golf | Great Northeast (GNAC) |
| Eastern Nazarene College | Quincy, Massachusetts | 1900 | Nazarene | 535 | $18.0 | Lions | 2019–20 | 2023-24 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | men's golf | North Atlantic Conference (NAC) closed in 2024 |
| Elms College | Chicopee, Massachusetts | 1928 | Catholic (S.S.J.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
1,513 | $12.0 | Blazers | 2019–20 | 2021-22 | N/A | men's golf | Great Northeast (GNAC) |
| Mitchell College | New London, Connecticut | 1938 | Nonsectarian | 500 | $6.1 | Mariners | 2019–20 | 2023-24 | <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" /> | men's golf | Great Northeast (GNAC) |
| New England College | Henniker, New Hampshire | 1946 | Nonsectarian | 2,858 | $24.9 | Pilgrims | 2021–22 | 2023-24 | N/A | men's golf | Great Northeast (GNAC) |
Membership timeline
<timeline>
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1971 till:2041
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#
Colors =
id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote)
id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1971 till:1982 text:Boston State (1971–1982)
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1971 till:2013 text:Bridgewater State (1971–present) bar:2 color:Full from:2013 till:end
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1971 till:2013 text:Fitchburg State (1971–present) bar:3 color:Full from:2013 till:end
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1971 till:2013 text:Framingham State (1971–present) bar:4 color:Full from:2013 till:end
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1971 till:1975 text:Lowell State (1971–1975)
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1971 till:end text:MCLA (1971–present)
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1971 till:end text:Salem State (1971–present)
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1971 till:2013 text:Westfield State (1971–present) bar:8 color:Full from:2013 till:end
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1971 till:2013 text:Worcester State (1971–present) bar:9 color:Full from:2013 till:end
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1974 till:2013 text:Massachusetts Maritime (1974–present) bar:10 color:Full from:2013 till:end
bar:11 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2013 text:Massachusetts–Dartmouth (2013–present) bar:11 color:AssocF from:2013 till:end
bar:12 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2013 text:Plymouth State (2013–present) bar:12 color:AssocF from:2013 till:end
bar:13 color:AssocF from:2013 till:2025 text:Western Connecticut State (2013–2025)
bar:14 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2020 text:Dean (2019–2020 golf, 2025-present football) bar:14 color:AssocF from:2025 till:end
bar:15 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2023 text:Eastern Nazarene (2019–2023)
bar:16 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2021 text:Elms (2019–2021)
bar:17 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2023 text:Mitchell (2019–2023)
bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end text:Springfield (2019–present)
bar:19 color:AssocOS from:2021 till:2023 text:New England College (2021–2023)
bar:21 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Anna Maria (2024–present) bar:21 color:Full from:2025 till:end
bar:22 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Marymount (2024–present)
bar:23 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Marywood (2024–present)
bar:24 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Rivier (2024–present)
bar:25 color:AssocF from:2024 till:2025 text:VSU Castleton (2024–2025)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1971
</timeline>
Sports
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The MASCAC sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, men's ice hockey, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's track and field, and women's volleyball.
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.[17] 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.[18][19][20] 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.[18]
Men's sports
- Notes
Women's sports
- Notes
Football
File:AmericanFootball current event.svg 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.
| # | MASCAC | Record | Win % | MASCAC Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plymouth State | 298–198–7 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 1 |
| 2 | Bridgewater State | 335–238–7 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 1 |
| 3 | UMass Dartmouth | 181–155 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 1 |
| 4 | Worcester State | 185–181 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 0 |
| 5 | Framingham State | 220–251–2 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 7 |
| 6 | Massachusetts Maritime | 208–253–1 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 0 |
| 7 | Westfield State | 173–217–1 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 0 |
| 8 | Western Connecticut | 221–278–4 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 1 |
| 9 | Fitchburg State | 109–253 | Expression error: Unexpected < operator | 0 |
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.
| Teams | Rivalry name | Trophy | Meetings | Record | Series leader | Current streak | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater State | Massachusetts Maritime | Cranberry Bowl | The Scoop | 47 | 34–12–1 | Bridgewater State | Bridgewater State won 5 |
| Westfield State | None | None | 40 | 31–9 | Bridgewater State won 11 | ||
| Fitchburg State | Worcester State | Sterling Cup[21] | Sterling Cup trophy | 37 | 10–27 | Worcester State | Worcester State won 5 |
| Framingham State | Western Connecticut | None | None | 19 | 15–4 | Framingham State | Western Connecticut won 1 |
| Massachusetts Maritime | Kelley Bowl | Kelley Cup[22] | 50 | 28–23 | Framingham State | Framingham State won 14 | |
| Worcester State | Route 9 Cup[23] | None | 37 | 18–20 | Worcester State | Framingham State won 10 | |
| Massachusetts Maritime | Bridgewater State | Cranberry Bowl | The Scoop | 47 | 12–34–1 | Bridgewater State | Bridgewater State won 5 |
| Framingham State | Kelley Bowl | Kelley Cup[22] | 50 | 23–28 | Framingham State | Framingham State won 14 | |
| Plymouth State | UMass Dartmouth | None | None | 23 | 11–12 | UMass Dartmouth | UMass Dartmouth won 4 |
| UMass Dartmouth | Plymouth State | 23 | 12–11 | ||||
| Western Connecticut | Framingham State | 19 | 4–15 | Framingham State | Western Connecticut won 1 | ||
| Westfield State | Bridgewater State | 40 | 9–31 | Bridgewater State | Bridgewater State won 11 | ||
| Worcester State | Fitchburg State | Sterling Cup[21] | Sterling Cup trophy | 37 | 27–10 | Worcester State | Worcester State won 5 |
| Framingham State | Route 9 Cup[23] | None | 37 | 20–18 | Worcester State | Framingham State won 10 | |
Football champions
| Record | Ranking | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Champions | Conference | Overall | D3.com | Bowl result | Head coach |
| 2013 | Framingham State | 8–0 | 9–2 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 17–20 vs. Ithaca | Tom Kelley |
| 2014 | Framingham State | 8–0 | 10–1 | N/A | W ECAC North Atlantic Bowl | Tom Kelley |
| 2015 | Framingham State | 8–0 | 9–2 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 22–42 vs. Wesley | Tom Kelley |
| 2016 | Bridgewater State | 8–0 | 8–3 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 27–33 vs. Alfred | Joe Verria |
| 2017 | Framingham State | 7–1 | 10–1 | N/A | W New England Bowl | Tom Kelley |
| Plymouth State | 7–1 | 9–2 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 0–66 vs. Brockport | Paul Castonia | |
| 2018 | Framingham State | 7–1 | 8–3 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 27–40 vs. Brockport | Tom Kelley |
| 2019 | Framingham State | 8–0 | 8–3 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 21–58 vs. Wesley | Tom Kelley |
| 2020 | MASCAC season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[24] | |||||
| 2021 | Framingham State | 8–0 | 8–3 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 0–45 vs. Muhlenberg | Tom Kelley |
| 2022 | UMass Dartmouth | 8–0 | 9–2 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 20–63 vs. Ithaca | Mark Robichaud |
| 2023 | Western Connecticut | 7-1 | 7-3 | N/A | L NCAA Division III First Round 20–62 vs. Johns Hopkins | Joe Loth |
References
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External links
Template:Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference navboxScript error: No such module "Navbox".Script error: No such module "Navbox".Script error: No such module "Navbox".Template:NCAA Division III conference navbox Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:NCAA Division III hockey conferences