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when did umass join the mac

UMass is set to join (or more precisely, re‑join) the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full member on July 1, 2025, with competition beginning in the 2025–26 school year.

Quick Scoop: Key Dates

  • UMass accepted the invitation to join the MAC as a full member effective July 1, 2025.
  • The move covers all applicable sports , with UMass becoming the 13th member of the conference.
  • UMass football had previously been a football-only affiliate in the MAC from 2012–2015 , before going independent.

Short timeline

  1. MAC presidents voted to invite UMass and the league announced the move publicly in late February 2024.
  1. UMass formally accepted the invitation, with the effective date set for July 1, 2025.
  1. UMass programs begin competing in the MAC starting with the 2025–26 academic year.

In everyday terms: UMass “joins the MAC” in summer 2025, ahead of the 2025–26 season, after having previously spent 2012–2015 there for football only.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.