FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart University Athletics is joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) next year, and most of the Pioneer teams will begin competition as new members during the 2024-25 academic year.

Sacred Heart and Merrimack College, also moving over from the Northeast Conference, will make the MAAC full-time membership 13 schools.

"The transition to the MAAC aligns with the strategic initiatives and growth of our University, said Dr. John Petillo, the President of Sacred Heart. "We are committed to providing our student athletes with an exceptional competitive environment and associating ourselves with a group of like-minded institutions. We are excited to welcome all MAAC members to experience our campus and our community.

This transaction connects a school with a growing national presence and media following to a conference of like-minded, predominantly catholic schools that was founded in 1980. For SHU, the new MAAC also includes a natural rivalry with a pair of Connecticut schools with similar philosophies in Fairfield and Quinnipiac.

The conference transition is not perfect for SHU. Four Pio sports that compete in the NEC are not sponsored by the MAAC, including football, men's volleyball, field hockey and bowling. Those sports could stay in the NEC as associate members or find new conferences.

Sacred Heart, which recently opened the Martire Family Arena, its $75 million hockey, skating and entertainment venue, has renovation plans in place for the nucleus of SHU athletics, the William H. Pitt Center. The respect for the university is on a meteoric rise, and its facilities have played a significant role.

"We loved our experience in the NEC, and we are grateful for the opportunities to have competed for its championships," said Petillo, who has been at the helm of Sacred Heart's acquisition of key strategic properties near the University. "We are also sensitive to the needs of the NEC and want to help it retain a competitive balance."

The Pioneers have enjoyed much success in the NEC on and off the field, including 73 team championships and a league-best nine Brenda Weare Commissioner's Cups for overall supremacy since joining in 1999. Meanwhile, SHU student-athletes have been prolific in the classroom, winning four NEC institutional academic awards since 2015.

"We are excited about this new opportunity and hope we can do our part to enhance the MAAC brand while showcasing the great stories of our student-athletes, coaches and programs," said Judy Ann Riccio, SHU's Director of Athletics, whose teams are regularly showcased on ESPN and SNY.