 | |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1971 |
| Commissioner | Angela Baumann (since 2006) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division III |
| No. of teams | 9 full, 7 associate |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Westfield, Massachusetts |
| Region | Massachusetts andNew England (with associates) |
| Official website | www |
| Locations | |
 | |
TheMassachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) is anintercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with theNCAA'sDivision III. Full member institutions are all located in theCommonwealth ofMassachusetts with affiliate members also located inConnecticut,New Hampshire,Pennsylvania,Vermont, andVirginia. The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference was established in June 1971, making it the oldest NCAA Division III men's and women's playingcollege athletic conference in theUnited States.[1][2]
All full members are a part of the Massachusetts State Universities system (every member in the Massachusetts State Universities system except theMassachusetts College of Art and Design is also a MASCAC member)[3] and the public associate members are part of theUniversity of Massachusetts System [UMASS System (UMASS Dartmouth)], theUniversity System of New Hampshire (Plymouth State University), and theConnecticut State University System (Western Connecticut State University) respectively. The rest of the associate members areprivate colleges.
On October 5, 2023, it was announced that in the 2025–26 school year,Anna Maria College inPaxton, 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]
full,
current associate (note: map does not show men's golf affiliates Marymount (in Arlington, Virginia) and Marywood (in Scranton, Pennsylvania))On April 21, 2022, theMassachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced they would reinstate men's ice hockey for the first time since 2002–03 and add women's ice hockey, beginning the 2023–24 academic year.[5]
On January 5, 2023,Vermont State University at Castleton (Vermont State–Castleton) announced that it would join the MASCAC as an associate member for football, beginning in the 2024 fall season of the 2024–25 academic year.[6][7]
On June 14, 2023,Anna Maria College andRivier 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 of 2024–25 academic year.[8]
On October 5, 2023, Anna Maria later announced that it would join the MASCAC as a full member, beginning in the 2025–26 academic year; thus becoming the first full private school member in conference history and the first new full member sinceMassachusetts Maritime in 1974.[9]
On October 10, 2023,Dean College announced that it would join the MASCAC as an associate member for football, beginning in the 2025 fall season of the 2025–26 academic year.[10]
On February 29, 2024,Plymouth State University and theUniversity of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (UMass–Darthmouth) became the first MASCAC associate members to upgrade as affiliate members for football (after years as associate members since the 2013 fall season), beginning the 2025 fall season of the 2025–26 academic year.[11]
On August 8, 2024,Marymount University andMarywood University announced it would join the MASCAC as associate members for men's golf, beginning almost immediately for the 2024 fall season of the 2024-25 academic year as the first members (full or associate) in conference history outside ofNew England.[12]
The MASCAC currently has nine full members, all but one arepublic schools:
| Institution | Location[a] | Founded | Affiliation[b] | Enrollment | Endowment (millions) | Nickname | Joined[c] | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Maria College | Paxton | 1946 | Catholic (S.S.A.) | 1,485 | $7.2 | Amcats | 2025[d] | |
| Bridgewater State University[e] | Bridgewater | 1840 | Public[f] | 9,550 | $54.0 | Bears | 1971 | |
| Fitchburg State University | Fitchburg | 1894 | 6,296 | $19.9 | Falcons | 1971 | ||
| Framingham State University | Framingham | 1839 | 4,111 | $35.4[g] | Rams | 1971 | ||
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts[h] (MCLA) | North Adams | 1894 | 933 | $14.7 | Trailblazers | 1971 | ||
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy[i][e] | Buzzards Bay | 1891 | 1,362 | $13.1[j] | Buccaneers | 1974 | ||
| Salem State University[h] | Salem | 1854 | 6,239 | $25.3 | Vikings | 1971 | ||
| Westfield State University | Westfield | 1838 | 4,602 | $20.0[k] | Owls | 1971 | ||
| Worcester State University | Worcester | 1874 | 5,611 | $34.5 | Lancers | 1971 |
The MASCAC currently has seven associate members, all but two arepublic schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation[a] | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | MASCAC sport(s) | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean College | Franklin, Massachusetts | 1865 | Nonsectarian | 1,151 | Bulldogs | 2025 | football | Great Northeast (GNAC) |
| Marymount University | Arlington, Virginia | 1950 | Catholic (RSHM) | 3,667 | Saints | 2024 | men's golf | Atlantic East (AEC) |
| Marywood University | Scranton, Pennsylvania | 1915 | Catholic (I.H.M.) | 2,606 | Pacers | 2024 | men's golf | Atlantic East (AEC) |
| Plymouth State University | Plymouth, New Hampshire | 1871 | Public[b] | 3,839 | Panthers | 2013 | football | Little East (LEC) |
| Rivier University | Nashua, New Hampshire | 1933 | Catholic (S.P.M.) | 2,822 | Raiders | 2024 | men's ice hockey | Great Northeast (GNAC) |
| 2024 | women's ice hockey | |||||||
| Springfield College | Springfield, Massachusetts | 1885 | Nonsectarian | 2,785 | Pride | 2019 | men's golf | New England (NEWMAC) |
| University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth | Dartmouth, Massachusetts | 1895 | Public[c] | 7,759 | Corsairs | 2013 | football | Little East (LEC) |
Notes:
The MASCAC had two former full members, both werepublic schools:
| Institution | Location[a] | Founded | Affiliation[b] | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined[c] | Left[d] | Colors | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston State College | Boston | 1872 | Public | 11,000[14] | Warriors | 1971 | 1982 | N/A | N/A[e] |
| Lowell State College | Lowell | 1894 | Public | 2,353[15] | Indians[16][17] | 1971 | 1975 | N/A | N/A[f] |
The MASCAC had nine former associate members, five werepublic schools and four wereprivate schools:
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football) Associate member (sport)
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 theNew 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 theNCAA Division III playoffs.
On August 22, 2019, the MASCAC invited 5 of the recently dropped men's golf members from theNew England Collegiate Conference (NECC) which includesDean College,Eastern Nazarene College,Elms College,Mitchell College, andSpringfield College; all of them areprivate 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 includesMCLA,Salem State,Westfield State, andWorcester 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 theGreat Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in men's golf. The MASCAC started Automatic Qualification (AQ) to theNCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships in the 2021–2022 season for the MASCAC men's golf tournament winner.[19]
Conference Sports
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  Y | |
| Basketball | Y | Y |
| Cross Country | Y | Y |
| Field Hockey | Y | |
| Football | Y | |
| Golf | Y | |
| Ice Hockey | Y | Y |
| Lacrosse | Y | |
| Soccer | Y | Y |
| Softball | Y | |
| Track & Field | Y | Y |
| Volleyball | Y |
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Ice Hockey | Soccer | Track & Field | Total MASCAC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Maria | Y | Y |  N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | 5 |
| Bridgewater State | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | 6 |
| Fitchburg State | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 7 |
| Framingham State | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | 6 |
| Mass Maritime | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | 5 |
| MCLA | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | 5 |
| Salem State | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | 5 |
| Westfield State | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Worcester State | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Totals | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7+3 | 4+3 | 7+1 | 9 | 5 | 55+7 |
| Affiliate Members | |||||||||
| Dean | Y | 1 | |||||||
| Marymount | Y | 1 | |||||||
| Marywood | Y | 1 | |||||||
| Plymouth State | Y | 1 | |||||||
| Rivier | Y | 1 | |||||||
| Springfield | Y | 1 | |||||||
| UMass Dartmouth | Y | 1 | |||||||
| School | Lacrosse | Rowing | Sailing | Swimming & Diving | Tennis | Wrestling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Maria | NAC | |||||
| Bridgewater State | LEC | LEC | NEWA | |||
| Mass Maritime | LEC | Y | Y | |||
| MCLA | NAC | |||||
| Salem State | LEC | LEC |
| School | Basketball | Cross Country | Field Hockey | Ice Hockey | Lacrosse | Soccer | Softball | Track & Field | Volleyball | Total MASCAC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Maria | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | 7 |
| Bridgewater State | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Fitchburg State | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Framingham State | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Mass Maritime | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6 |
| MCLA | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | 6 |
| Salem State | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | 7 |
| Westfield State | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Worcester State | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Totals | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5+1 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 68+1 |
| Affiliate Members | ||||||||||
| Rivier | Y | 1 | ||||||||
| School | Equestrian | Golf | Rowing | Sailing | Swimming & Diving | Tennis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater State | IHSA | LEC | LEC | |||
| Mass Maritime | Y | Y | ||||
| Salem State | LEC | |||||
| Westfield State | LEC | LEC[a] | ||||
| Worcester State | IND |
For the current season, see2025 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football season.
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 | .599 | 1 |
| 2 | Bridgewater State | 335–238–7 | .584 | 1 |
| 3 | UMass Dartmouth | 181–155 | .539 | 1 |
| 4 | Worcester State | 185–181 | .505 | 0 |
| 5 | Framingham State | 220–251–2 | .467 | 7 |
| 6 | Massachusetts Maritime | 208–253–1 | .451 | 0 |
| 7 | Westfield State | 173–217–1 | .444 | 0 |
| 8 | Western Connecticut | 221–278–4 | .443 | 1 |
| 9 | Fitchburg State | 109–253 | .301 | 0 |
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 the2022 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[22] | 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[23] | 50 | 28–23 | Framingham State | Framingham State won 14 | |
| Worcester State | Route 9 Cup[24] | 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[23] | 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[22] | Sterling Cup trophy | 37 | 27–10 | Worcester State | Worcester State won 5 |
| Framingham State | Route 9 Cup[24] | None | 37 | 20–18 | Worcester State | Framingham State won 10 | |
