PAXTON — The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and Commissioner Angela Baumann have announced that Anna Maria College will be joining the MASCAC as a core member effective in the 2025-26 academic year. The AMCATS will compete in 11 varsity sports as a member of the MASCAC.
Anna Maria is the first private college to be invited for core member status in the MASCAC, with men’s hockey starting in fall 2024, while football and the remaining programs will begin competing in fall 2025.
Anna Maria joins the eight state universities of Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University as the competing core member institutions in the MASCAC. The MASCAC currently sponsors 18 championships.
“The MASCAC and the Council of Presidents are delighted to welcome Anna Maria College to the conference,” MASCAC Council of Presidents Chair and Salem State University President John Keenan said. “We are excited to expand opportunities for our student-athletes with increased competition and teams.”
“This is the first time since 1974 the MASCAC has added a core member institution, and (it) is a momentous moment for our core member institutions and student-athletes,” Bauman said. “The MASCAC is a 54-year-old conference, and adding Anna Maria College is geographically consistent with our core members, helps to increase sport sponsorship and secures the future of the MASCAC in our great state of Massachusetts. This decision … advances the MASCAC membership’s strategic goal of increasing our membership to protect our core membership and provide outstanding student-athlete opportunities for the next 50 years.”
The AMCATS athletics department offers 13 intercollegiate sports, including baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and women’s volleyball.
“Anna Maria College is honored to accept this invitation to join the MASCAC,” said Mary Lou Retelle, Anna Maria president. “On behalf of our college, coaches, and student-athletes, I want to thank the MASCAC Member Presidents and Commissioner Baumann for this opportunity. This new relationship builds upon the tradition of competitive excellence we aspire for our athletes and fans alike. We look forward to bringing our talents to the conference.”
“Our entire staff and all of our student-athletes are excited for Anna Maria College to become a core member in the MASCAC. We appreciate the efforts of Commissioner Baumann, the MASCAC Presidents and athletic directors that brought us to this day,” said Director of Athletics Joseph Brady ’96. “The MASCAC’s geographical footprint, rich history and regional membership make this a great opportunity for all of Anna Maria College’s athletic programs.”
