The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) is a NCAA Division III hockey conference that began playing men’s and women’s hockey in the 2017-18 season.  The MAC is an all-sport NCAA Division III conference that was first established in 1912.

The conference is actually an umbrella organization consisting of three separate conferences: the Middle Atlantic Conference, MAC Commonwealth, and MAC Freedom. The overall organization has 18 all-sports members, evenly divided between MAC Commonwealth and MAC Freedom. The Commonwealth and Freedom leagues sponsor the same set of 14 sports (counting men’s and women’s teams separately), while men’s and women’s ice hockey are among the 13 sports sponsored by the Middle Atlantic Conference.

Current Membership

Men’s (8 schools)

Women’s (8 schools)

History

Men’s

In 2016, the initial four schools were announced as the founding members of MAC men’s hockey.  However, all four members were previously announced also as members of the hockey-only conference: the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). So, the MAC operated as a “unique conference within a conference,” starting play in the 2017-18 season.

The MAC would crown a conference champion, using UCHC conference games between the MAC members to determine their champ.  There was no automatic bid for the MAC, just the UCHC.  The Ivy League uses a similar approach within the ECAC at the Division I level.

In 2024, Misericordia announced they are starting a men’s hockey program, giving the MAC enough members to receive their own automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Subsequently, the MAC members announced they were all to officially let the hockey-only UCHC for the 2024-25 season, as the MAC now had enough members.

Timeline

  • 2017-18: King’s, Lebanon Valley, Manhattanville, Stevenson (4)
    • All-Sports members Lebanon Valley, Manhattanville, and Stevenson assume MAC and UCHC membership, joining from the ECAC West
    • All-Sports members King’s joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their men’s hockey program
  • 2018-19: King’s, Lebanon Valley, Manhattanville, Stevenson, Wilkes (5)
    • All-Sports member Wilkes joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their men’s hockey program, one year later than expected
  • 2019-20: King’s, Lebanon Valley, Stevenson, Wilkes (4)
    • All-Sports member Manhattanville leaves the MAC for the Skyline Conference (no hockey).
      • For hockey purposes, Manhattanville remained in the UCHC, but obviously left the MAC
  • 2021-22: Arcadia, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Stevenson, Wilkes (5)
    • All-Sports member Arcadia joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their men’s hockey program.
  • 2022-23: Alvernia, Arcadia, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Stevenson, Wilkes (6)
    • All-Sports member Alvernia joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their men’s hockey program.
    • Wilkes had already announced their intention to leave the MAC the following season, so they could not receive their own automatic bid.
  • 2023-24: Alvernia, Arcadia, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Stevenson (5)
    • All-Sports member Wilkes leaves the MAC for the Landmark Conference (no hockey).
      • For hockey purposes, Wilkes remained in the UCHC, but obviously left the MAC
  • 2024-25: Alvernia, Arcadia, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Misericordia, Neumann, Stevenson, Wilkes (8)
    • All-Sports member Misericordia joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their men’s hockey program.
    • With the Misericordia program launch, the league finally breaks away from the UCHC with enough members (6) to hold its own conference schedule, tournament, and automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
    • Neumann and Wilkes join MAC as affiliate members for men’s hockey

Women’s

In 2016, the initial four schools were announced as the founding members of MAC women’s hockey.  Just like the men’s side, all four of the same members were previously announced also as members of the hockey-only conference: the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). So, the MAC operated as a “unique conference within a conference,” starting play in the 2017-18 season.

The MAC would crown a conference champion, using UCHC conference games between the MAC members to determine their champ.  There was no automatic bid for the MAC, just the UCHC.  The Ivy League uses a similar approach within the ECAC at the Division I level.

In 2024, Hood announced they are starting a women’s hockey program, giving the MAC enough members to receive their own automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Subsequently, the MAC members announced they were all to officially let the hockey-only UCHC for the 2024-25 season, as the MAC now had enough members.

  • 2017-18: King’s, Lebanon Valley, Manhattanville, Stevenson (4)
    • All-Sports members Manhattanville, and Stevenson assume MAC and UCHC membership, joining from the CHC and NEHC, respectively.
    • All-Sports members King’s and Lebanon Valley join the MAC and UCHC, after starting their women’s hockey programs
  • 2018-19: King’s, Lebanon Valley, Manhattanville, Stevenson, Wilkes (5)
    • All-Sports member Wilkes joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their women’s hockey program, but they withhold from playing a conference schedule, due to a smaller-than-expected roster
  • 2019-20: Alvernia, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Stevenson, Wilkes (5)
    • All-Sports member Manhattanville leaves the MAC for the Skyline Conference (no hockey).
      • For hockey purposes, Manhattanville remained in the UCHC, but obviously left the MAC
    • All-Sports member Alvernia joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their women’s hockey program.
  • 2021-22: Alvernia, Arcadia, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Stevenson, Wilkes (6)
    • All-Sports member Arcadia joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their women’s hockey program.
    • Wilkes had already announced their intention to leave the MAC in the future, so they could not receive their own automatic bid.
  • 2023-24: Alvernia, Arcadia, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Stevenson (5)
    • All-Sports member Wilkes leaves the MAC for the Landmark Conference (no hockey).
      • For hockey purposes, Wilkes remained in the UCHC, but obviously left the MAC
  • 2024-25: Alvernia, Arcadia, Hood, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Neumann, Stevenson, Wilkes (8)
    • All-Sports member Hood joins the MAC and UCHC, after starting their men’s hockey program.
    • With the Hood program launch, the league finally breaks away from the UCHC with enough members (6) to hold its own conference schedule, tournament, and automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
    • Neumann and Wilkes join MAC as affiliate members for women’s hockey

Season by Season Results

Men’s

SeasonRegular Season ChampionsConference Tournament ChampionsNCAA Tournament Teams

Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC)- run within UCHC
2017-18StevensonNo TournamentNone
2018-19ManhattanvilleNo TournamentManhattanville
2019-20WilkesNo TournamentNone
2020-21StevensonNo TournamentNo Tournament
2021-22WilkesNo TournamentNone
2022-23StevensonNo TournamentNone
2023-24StevensonNo TournamentNone

Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC)- independent from UCHC
2024-25WilkesStevensonStevenson
2025-26NeumannNeumannNeumann

Women’s

SeasonRegular Season ChampionsConference Tournament ChampionsNCAA Tournament Teams

Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC)- run within UCHC
2017-18StevensonNo TournamentNone
2018-19ManhattanvilleNo TournamentNone
2019-20StevensonNo TournamentNone
2020-21StevensonNo TournamentNo Tournament
2021-22StevensonNo TournamentNone
2022-23AlverniaNo TournamentNone
2023-24Alvernia, ArcadiaNo TournamentNone

Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC)- independent from UCHC
2024-25WilkesWilkesWilkes
2025-26WilkesWilkesWilkes

Championships by School

Men’s

SchoolRegular Season TitlesTournament Titles
Stevenson41
Wilkes30
Neumann11
Manhattanville10

Women’s

SchoolRegular Season TitlesTournament Titles
Stevenson40
Wilkes22
Alvernia2 (1 shared)0
Manhattanville10
Arcadia1 (1 shared)0

See Also