Middle Atlantic Conferences

Last updated
Middle Atlantic Conferences
Middle Atlantic Conferences logo.png
FormerlyMiddle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletics Association
Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference
Association NCAA
Founded1912
CommissionerMegan Morrison
Sports fielded
  • 27
    • men's: 14
    • women's: 13
Division Division III
No. of teams16 (8, MAC Commonwealth; 8, MAC Freedom)
Headquarters Annville, Pennsylvania
Region Mid-Atlantic
Official website gomacsports.com
Locations
MAC Conference.png

The Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) is an umbrella organization of three intercollegiate athletic conferences that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The 16 member colleges are in the Mid-Atlantic United States.

Contents

The organization is divided into two main conferences: the MAC Commonwealth and the MAC Freedom. A third conference, named the Middle Atlantic Conference (singular), draws members from both the Commonwealth and Freedom conferences and sponsors sports that only a certain set of members participate in, such as track & field and cross country.

History

In 1912, the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletics Association (MASCAA) was founded primarily as a track association and had its first event, a track meet, at Lafayette College in May 1913. In 1922, it was reorganized as the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC or MAC). The original 13 members present at the formation meeting in 1922 were: Bucknell University, Drexel University, Franklin & Marshall College, Gettysburg College, Haverford College, Muhlenberg College, New York University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Susquehanna University, Swarthmore College, and the University of Delaware. [1] In addition, another five members who were not present at the initial meeting but formally approved of the plan were: Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, Lehigh University, Ursinus College, and Widener University. [1]

During its history, the organization has had at least 50 different members associated with it. The conference had as many as 37 members at one time in the late 1950s. A major reduction in the league occurred in 1974 after the NCAA created Divisions I, II, and III. At that time, 11 members left to form the Division I East Coast Conference and by 1976, the MAC became fully associated with Division III. An additional 11 members left in 1992 to form the Centennial Conference; the football programs for eight of those schools had already left in 1981. In 1999, the current corporation formed with its three conferences: MAC Commonwealth, MAC Freedom, and Middle Atlantic. [1]

Arcadia University and Manhattanville College joined MAC Freedom for 200708. They replaced Juniata College, Drew University, Moravian College, Susquehanna University, and the University of Scranton, who left to join the new Landmark Conference. To offset the change in numbers, it was also decided to switch Lycoming College from the MAC Freedom to the MAC Commonwealth.

Alvernia University, Misericordia University, and Eastern University, all from the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference, accepted membership in the MAC Freedom and started participation in the 200809 school year. [1] Starting in the 200910 school year, Alvernia switched from the MAC Freedom to the MAC Commonwealth, thereby giving the Commonwealth and Freedom leagues the same number of members.

Stevenson University and Hood College accepted invitations to join the MAC and MAC Commonwealth starting with the 201213, expanding the conference to 18 members. [2] Elizabethtown College moved to the Landmark Conference for 201415. In May 2018, Manhattanville College announced that they would leave the MAC Freedom Conference and return to the Skyline Conference for the 2019–20 academic year. Manhattanville was a charter member of the Skyline before leaving to join the MAC in 2007. [3] Three months later, the MAC announced that Stevens Institute of Technology, which had left the conference in 1978, would return in 2019–20 and replace Manhattanville in the MAC Freedom. [4] In April 2019, the MAC announced that York College of Pennsylvania would join the MAC Commonwealth in 2020–21. [5]

In May 2019, the MAC announced it would realign the Commonwealth and Freedom conferences into two equally-sized leagues effective with York's arrival in 2020. At that time, Arcadia and Lycoming moved from the MAC Commonwealth to the MAC Freedom, while Eastern made the opposite move. [6]

In February 2022, the Landmark Conference announced that Wilkes University and Lycoming College accepted invitations to the conference starting in the 2023-24 season. [7]

MAC football

In 1958, the MAC began sponsoring football. The football conference essentially operated as three separate conferences with the larger schools (Bucknell, Delaware, Gettysburg, Lafayette, Lehigh, Muhlenberg, Rutgers, and Temple) playing a round-robin schedule in the "University Division," and the smaller schools being split into the "College Division - North" (Albright, Dickinson, Juniata, Lebanon Valley, Lycoming, Moravian, Susquehanna, Wagner, and Wilkes) and the "College Division - South" (Drexel, Haverford, Johns Hopkins, Pennsylvania Military, Swarthmore, Ursinus, and Western Maryland) each playing a separate round-robin schedule. Although the upper division of the conference (which later included Drexel, La Salle, and Saint Joseph's) competed at the Division I (then known as the University Division) level in other sports, only Rutgers was considered a University Division football school. Following the 1969 season, the upper level of MAC football was disbanded as Temple dropped out to upgrade their football schedule. Rutgers had previously dropped out of the MAC for all sports and a five-team football league was not desirable. The lower division continued as MAC football, but Bucknell, Delaware, Gettysburg, Lafayette, and Lehigh operated as football independents for the rest of their tenure with the league. Numerous other MAC schools competed in other football leagues throughout most of the league's history.

In 1983, the Centennial Football League was formed by eight MAC members. Eventually, those eight schools and two others broke apart from the MAC for all sports, founding the Centennial Conference in 1991. Since then, all league members that sponsor football have competed in the MAC Football Conference.

Member schools

Middle Atlantic Conferences
Invisible Square.svg
Invisible Square.svg
Mapscaleline.svg
30km
20miles
Green pog.svg
Neumann
Green pog.svg
Wilkes
Blue pog.svg
York
Blue pog.svg
Widener
Blue pog.svg
Stevenson
Gold pog.svg
Stevens
Gold pog.svg
Misericordia
Blue pog.svg
Messiah
Gold pog.svg
Lebanon Valley
Gold pog.svg
King's
Blue pog.svg
Hood
Gold pog.svg
Farleigh Dickinson
Blue pog.svg
Eastern
Gold pog.svg
DeSales
Gold pog.svg
Delaware Valley
Gold pog.svg
Arcadia
Blue pog.svg
Alvernia
Blue pog.svg
Albright
Locations of current MAC members.
Blue pog.svg MAC Commonwealth
Gold pog.svg MAC Freedom
Green pog.svg Affiliates

MAC Commonwealth

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollment [8] NicknameJoined
MAC! [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2]
Colors
Albright College Reading, Pennsylvania 1856Methodist2,304 Lions 1945–46 [lower-alpha 3]    
Alvernia University Reading, Pennsylvania 1958Catholic2,872 Golden Wolves 2008–09   
Eastern University St. Davids, Pennsylvania 1925Baptist3,420 Eagles 2008–09   
Hood College Frederick, Maryland 1893Reformed1,174 Blazers 2012–13   
Messiah University Grantham, Pennsylvania 1909Christian3,305 Falcons 1983–84   
Stevenson University Stevenson, Maryland 1947Nonsectarian3,621 Mustangs 2012–13   
Widener University Chester, Pennsylvania 1821Nonsectarian6,402 Pride 1946–47 [lower-alpha 3]    
York College of Pennsylvania York, Pennsylvania 1787Nonsectarian5,564 Spartans 2020–21   
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. Date when the school joined the overall MAC; this does not necessarily reflect when that school joined MAC Commonwealth.
  3. 1 2 Conference records prior to 1946 are incomplete so years given are the earliest known that were officially recorded. [1]

MAC Freedom

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollment [8] NicknameJoined
MAC! [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2]
Colors
Arcadia University Glenside, Pennsylvania 1853Presbyterian2,473 Knights 2007–08   
Delaware Valley University Doylestown, Pennsylvania 1896Nonsectarian2,375 Aggies 1965–66   
DeSales University Center Valley, Pennsylvania 1965Catholic3,309 Bulldogs 1997–98   
Fairleigh Dickinson University–Florham Madison, New Jersey 1942Nonsectarian2,546 Devils 1977–78   
King's College Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 1946Catholic2,421 Monarchs 1977–78   
Lebanon Valley College Annville, Pennsylvania 1866Methodist1,712 Flying Dutchmen 1945–46 [lower-alpha 3]    
Misericordia University Dallas, Pennsylvania 1924Catholic2,879 Cougars 2008–09   
Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, New Jersey 1870Nonsectarian5,260 Ducks 1946–47,
2019–20 [lower-alpha 4]
   
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. Date when the school joined the overall MAC; this does not necessarily reflect when that school joined MAC Freedom.
  3. Conference records prior to 1946 are incomplete so years given are the earliest known that were officially recorded. [1]
  4. Stevens is officially listed as having been a MAC member in 1946, the earliest year for which complete conference records exist. However, because it was represented at the original formation meeting of the all-sports MAC in 1922, it is often regarded as a founding member. Stevens left the MAC after the 1977–78 school year; before re-joining back, effective in the 2019–20 school year. [1]

Affiliates

InstitutionLocationNicknameFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentMAC
sport(s)
Year
joined
Primary
conference
Colors
Neumann University Aston, Pennsylvania Knights1965 Catholic
(Franciscan)
3,000ice hockey2024–25 [9] Atlantic East (AEC)      
Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Colonels1933Private5,000ice hockey2024–25 [9] Landmark    

Former members

Sports

Member teams currently compete in 27 sports, 14 men's and 13 women's. [10] The most recently added sports are men's and women's ice hockey and men's volleyball, all added for 2017–18. The MAC now sponsors all NCAA Division III sports except women's rowing. [11]

Conference sports
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball Green check.svg
Basketball Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Cross Country Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Field Hockey Green check.svg
Football Green check.svg
Ice Hockey Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Golf Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Lacrosse Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Soccer Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Softball Green check.svg
Swimming Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Tennis Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Track & field (indoor) Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Track & field (outdoor) Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Volleyball Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Wrestling Green check.svg

Middle Atlantic Conference

The Middle Atlantic Conference combines schools from both the MAC Commonwealth and MAC Freedom and is currently used for cross country, football, women's golf, ice hockey, track & field (indoor / outdoor), swimming, men's volleyball, and wrestling. [11] The MAC officially sponsored men's and women's ice hockey for many year but it wasn't until the addition of Neumann and Wilkes as affiliate members that the conference received an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament. As a result the first MAC ice hockey tournaments will take place in 2025. [9] Previously, the MAC used the regular-season results of UCHC games involving all MAC members to extrapolate a MAC champion (the same model used by the Ivy League, which has a similar relationship with ECAC Hockey).

Men's Sports

TeamCross
Country
Football
[12]
Ice
Hockey
Indoor
Track
& Field
Outdoor
Track
& Field
SwimmingVolleyballWrestlingTotals
AlbrightGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
AlverniaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
ArcadiaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
DeSalesGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg3
Delaware ValleyGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
EasternGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
FDU-FlorhamGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg3
HoodGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
King'sGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg8
Lebanon ValleyGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
MessiahGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
MisericordiaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
StevensGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
StevensonGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg7
WidenerGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
YorkGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
NeumannGreen check.svg1
WilkesGreen check.svg1
Totals1610715151210589

    Women's Sports

    TeamCross CountryGolfIce HockeyIndoor
    Track & Field
    Outdoor
    Track & Field
    SwimmingTotals
    AlbrightGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
    AlverniaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
    ArcadiaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
    DeSalesGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg3
    Delaware ValleyGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg4
    EasternGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg4
    FDU-FlorhamGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg3
    HoodGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
    King'sGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
    Lebanon ValleyGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
    MessiahGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg4
    MisericordiaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
    StevensGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg4
    StevensonGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
    WidenerGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
    YorkGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
    NeumannGreen check.svg1
    WilkesGreen check.svg1
    Totals1613715151278

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      10. "History". Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
      11. 1 2 "MAC to Sponsor Ice Hockey and Men's Volleyball Beginning 2017-18" (Press release). Middle Atlantic Conferences. October 12, 2016. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
      12. "Middle Atlantic Conference". D3Football.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19.