The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) is pleased to announce the addition of Castleton University as an affiliate member of the conference in football beginning in 2024.

“The MASCAC is extremely excited to announce Castleton University has been accepted to the conference as our tenth football member,” MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann said. “Being a like state university, Castleton’s profile aligns with our current affiliates and will be an excellent fit in expanding football within our conference. We are excited to welcome the Spartans to the MASCAC.”

The Spartans currently compete in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). Led by head coach Tony Volpone, the team was 5-5 overall and 4-2 in ECFC action in 2022. Castleton joins Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Massachusetts Maritime, Plymouth State University, UMass Dartmouth, Western Connecticut State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University as the football competing members in the MASCAC.

“We are grateful for the invitation extended to us by Commissioner Angela Baumann and the member institutions of the MASCAC and are excited to join the league in 2024,” Castleton University Associate Dean for Athletics and Recreation Deanna Tyson said. “The MASCAC is a great fit for Castleton geographically and allows us to continue to compete against high-quality programs within our region. The opportunity to compete with three other Little East Conference members as affiliates of the MASCAC made this an enticing move, as we can continue to build on our long-running history with Plymouth State while starting new rivalries with UMass Dartmouth, WestConn and the remainder of the programs in the league. We are thankful for the years we spent as members of the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference and look forward to this new challenge beginning in 2024.”

During the 2022 season, UMass Dartmouth earned the MASCAC automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament and the conference’s regular season crown with a perfect 8-0 mark in league action. Bridgewater State and Plymouth State were victorious in their respective New England Bowl Game with wins over Catholic University and Husson University.

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. Dean College, Eastern Nazarene College, Elms College, Mitchell College and Springfield College joined as men’s golf affiliates in 2019 and New England College in 2021.