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
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
50km 30miles
Framingham State
Rivier
Dean
Anna Maria
Castleton
Springfield
UMass Dartmouth
WCSU
Plymouth State
Salem State
Mass Maritime
Bridgewater State
Worcester State
Westfield State
MCLA
Fitchburg State
Locations of MASCAC members: full, current associate future full future associate (note: map does not show men's golf affiliates Marymount (in Arlington, Virginia) and Marywood (in Scranton, Pennsylvania))
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.
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:
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.
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.