MAC Freedom Conference

The MAC Freedom, in full Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom,[1] is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. It is one of the three conferences that operate under the umbrella of the Middle Atlantic Conferences; the others are the MAC Commonwealth and the Middle Atlantic Conference, a grouping used for some sports that consists of MAC Commonwealth and MAC Freedom schools. Member institutions are located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

MAC Freedom
ConferenceNCAA
Founded1999
Sports fielded
  • 23
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 12
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams9
HeadquartersAnnville, Pennsylvania
RegionMid-Atlantic
Official websitehttp://www.gomacsports.com

Member schools

Current members

The MAC Freedom currently has nine full members, all are private schools. The most recent changes in membership coincided with the 2020 arrival of York College of Pennsylvania as a MAC Commonwealth member. The MAC, which expanded to 18 members with York's arrival, realigned into two leagues of 9 members each. Accordingly, Eastern moved to the MAC Commonwealth, while Arcadia and Lycoming moved from the MAC Commonwealth to the MAC Freedom.[2]

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Football?
Arcadia University Glenside, Pennsylvania 1853 Presbyterian 2,473 Knights 2007–08,
2020–21[lower-alpha 1]		 No
Delaware Valley University Doylestown, Pennsylvania 1917 Nonsectarian 2,375 Aggies 1965–66[lower-alpha 2] Yes
DeSales University Center Valley, Pennsylvania 1965 Catholic 3,309 Bulldogs 1997–98[lower-alpha 2] No
Fairleigh Dickinson University–Florham Madison, New Jersey 1942 Nonsectarian 2,546 Devils 1977–78[lower-alpha 2] Yes
King's College Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 1946 Catholic 2,421 Monarchs 1977–78[lower-alpha 2] Yes
Lycoming College Williamsport, Pennsylvania 1812 Methodist 1,272 Warriors 1952–53,[lower-alpha 2]
2020–21[lower-alpha 3]		 Yes
Misericordia University Dallas, Pennsylvania 1924 Catholic 2,879 Cougars 2008–09 Yes
Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, New Jersey 1870 Nonsectarian 5,260 Ducks 1922–23;
2019–20[lower-alpha 4]		 No
Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 1933 Nonsectarian 5,552 Colonels 1946–47[lower-alpha 2] Yes
Notes
  1. Arcadia moved from the MAC Freedom to the MAC Commonwealth after the 2007–08 school year; before returning back effective in the 2020–21 school year.
  2. Member school has been part of the MAC before the formation of the MAC Freedom, effective in the 1999–2000 school year.
  3. Lycoming moved from the MAC Freedom to the MAC Commonwealth after the 2006–07 school year; before returning back effective in the 2020–21 school year.
  4. Stevens left the MAC after the 1977–78 school year; before re-joining back, effective in the 2019–20 school year.

Enrollment source:[3]

Future members

With the departure of Lycoming and Wilkes after the 2022–23 school year, Lebanon Valley will move from the MAC Commonwealth to balance out the two leagues.[4]

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined
overall MAC		 Joining
MAC Freedom		 Previous
conference		 Football?
Lebanon Valley College Annville, Pennsylvania 1866 Methodist 1,712 Flying Dutchmen 1945–46[lower-alpha 1] 2023–24 MAC Commonwealth Yes

Former members

The MAC Freedom had five former full members, all were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Football? Current
conference
Alvernia University Reading, Pennsylvania 1958 Catholic 2,872 Crusaders 2008–09 2008–09 No MAC Commonwealth
Drew University Madison, New Jersey 1867 Methodist 2,647 Rangers 1968–69[lower-alpha 1] 2006–07 No Landmark
Eastern University St. Davids, Pennsylvania 1952 Baptist 3,420 Eagles 2008–09 2019–20 No MAC Commonwealth
Manhattanville College Purchase, New York 1841 Nonsectarian 2,700 Valiants 2007–08 2018–19 No Skyline
University of Scranton Scranton, Pennsylvania 1888 Catholic 5,160 Royals 1938–39[lower-alpha 1] 2006–07 No Landmark
Notes
  1. Member school had been part of the MAC before the formation of the MAC Freedom, effective in the 1999–2000 school year.

Membership timeline
Lebanon Valley CollegeStevens Institute of TechnologyMisericordia UniversityEastern University (United States)Alvernia UniversityManhattanville CollegeArcadia UniversityWilkes UniversityUniversity of ScrantonLycoming CollegeKing's College (Pennsylvania)Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityDrew UniversityDeSales UniversityDelaware Valley College

Sports

The MAC Freedom sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's field hockey, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women’s soccer, women's softball, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball. In addition, members also compete in the MAC's Middle Atlantic Conference in men's and women's cross country, men's football, men's and women's ice hockey,[lower-alpha 1] men's and women's swimming, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's volleyball, and men's wrestling.

Footnotes
  1. While officially sponsoring ice hockey, the larger MAC does not conduct a conference tournament; all MAC ice hockey schools compete in the single-sport United Collegiate Hockey Conference for that league's automatic bids to the NCAA Division III men's and women's tournaments. The MAC uses regular-season results of UCHC games involving MAC members to extrapolate a conference champion. The relationship between the MAC and UCHC is similar to that in Division I between the Ivy League and ECAC Hockey.

References
  1. "MAC Officially Welcomes York (Pa.), New Conference Structure" (Press release). Middle Atlantic Conferences. July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020. Located in Annville, Pa., the Middle Atlantic Conference is an NCAA Division III conference comprised of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth (MAC Commonwealth) and Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom).
  2. "MAC Announces Realignment for 2020-21" (Press release). Middle Atlantic Conferences. May 7, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  3. "Best Colleges". U.S. News & World Report.
  4. "Lebanon Valley Moves to MAC Freedom in 2023-24" (Press release). Middle Atlantic Conference. June 9, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
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