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| Castleton athletics photo |
In a move that consolidates its athletic footprint, Vermont State Castleton is officially joining the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference as a core member beginning in 2027-28. The announcement marks a return to familiar territory for the school, bringing the majority of its varsity programs into a single, unified conference home.
Castleton joins the eight Massachusetts state universities of Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Framingham State, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime, Salem State, Westfield State and Worcester State as the competing core member institutions in the MASCAC. The MASCAC currently sponsors 20 championships.
The addition fills the gap left by the closure of Anna Maria College, which was announced earlier this spring and took place at the end of the spring semester.
"We are pleased to welcome Vermont State University Castleton as a core member to the MASCAC," commissioner Angela Baumann said. "As a like-public institution with strong geographic alignment and a sports sponsorship profile that perfectly matches our conference offerings, Castleton is a natural fit for the conference and strengthens our shared commitment to regional Division III athletics."
"We're excited to join the MASCAC and for what this opportunity means for our student-athletes on the VTSU Castleton Campus," said Vermont State University president Dave Bergh. "This conference move will centralize competition, enhance the student-athlete experience, and support student success both on the field and in the classroom. We look forward to the additional opportunities this affiliation will create for our Castleton-based students, community, and athletics program in the years ahead."
The transition places 20 of the school's 26 varsity sports within the MASCAC, providing a permanent and stable home. The move also restores past rivalries and renews decades of competitive tradition with many of the conference's current members. Castleton's all-sports home has been the Little East Conference, while the Spartans football program has been competing as a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference for the past season.
Castleton has finished ninth of nine teams in the Little East Conference Commissioner's Cup each of the past four seasons (2025-26 standings have not been announced). The Commissioner's Cup measures an institution's overall athletic performance in the conference's 19 sports.
"I would like to thank the MASCAC for inviting Castleton into the conference under full membership status," said athletic director Tim Barrett. "This is a natural fit for us. Our geographic footprint, status as a state institution, and broad sports sponsorship align perfectly with the MASCAC. Just as importantly, our institutional profile — from enrollment to cost of attendance to athletics investment — mirrors the conference's existing membership."
Vermont State Castleton was previously an affiliated member of the MASCAC in football, in 2024, before being cut loose.
"We are incredibly thankful for our time in the Little East," said Barrett. "The caliber of play across the LEC has consistently challenged our teams, elevated our standards, and contributed meaningfully to the growth and development of our student-athletes. As we look forward, we are excited for our new affiliation which returns our football program to its previous affiliation — this time as a core member — and brings our programs under one conference umbrella."