Worcester State Athletics Welcomes Anna Maria to MASCAC

The Worcester State Athletics Department welcomes Anna Maria to the MASCAC as a core memeber. The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Council of Presidents and Commissioner Angela Baumann are excited to announce 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 College is the first private college to be invited for core member status in the MASCAC, with men's hockey starting in the fall of 2024, and the ten remaining programs beginning in the fall of 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 is a momentous moment for our core member institutions and student-athletes."Commissioner Bauman said. "The MASCAC is a 53 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 by our Presidents and Athletics Directors 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 Anna Maria College President Mary Lou Retelle. "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, beginning in 2024 with hockey."

"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."

Founded in 1946 and located on 260 acres in Paxton, Massachusetts, Anna Maria College is a private, coeducational institution inspired by the ideals of the Sisters of Saint Anne. Anna Maria prepares students to become ethical leaders by combining a values-based, service-focused education with strong functional knowledge and the skills necessary to address the rapidly changing needs of their world. Anna Maria offers on-campus and online undergraduate and graduate degrees along with certificate programs, 13 NCAA DIII teams, club sports, and many student organizations. 

The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the nation's oldest Division III men's and women's playing conference, has a rich and storied tradition of competitive success while celebrating excellence in the classroom. MASCAC member schools include Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. Two other institutions, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University, are affiliate members of the conference in the sports of football and men's ice hockey, while Western Connecticut State University joined the conference as a football affiliate member in 2013 and Castleton University in 2024. Springfield College joined as a men's golf affiliate in 2019.