Marywood University announced Thursday that following the conclusion of the upcoming academic year, the Pacers would be leaving the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) for the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC).

Marywood joined the AEC as one of the conference’s founding members in 2018, after previously being a member of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC).

The move comes just months after the announcement that fellow AEC-founding member Neumann University would be switching from the Atlantic East to the MAC. With the addition of the Pacers and Knights, the Middle Atlantic Conference will expand to 18 teams.

“By joining the MAC we are prioritizing the student-athlete experience and student-athlete well-being, both of which are key staples within Marywood athletics,” Marywood’s Director of Athletics and Recreation Andrew Smith said in a media release. “With this new partnership, Marywood coaches will be able to expand our recruiting footprint, enabling us to compete in the region and beyond. As competitors, we want to get better every day. Joining the MAC provides us that opportunity.”

Most members of the MAC are recent competitors of the Pacers, with 14 of the other 17 schools having faced Marywood in at least one varsity sport in the most recent academic year.

Four of Marywood’s varsity sports will have a chance to defend their conference titles in the upcoming season and look to add to the university’s 26 Atlantic East Conference titles before their tenure is over.

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