Photo by Matt Durisko Photography/Magnolia Media PA for Carnegie Mellon athletics

Carnegie Mellon has announced its decision to join the Centennial Conference as an associate member for football, starting with the 2025 season.

The Tartans have played football in the Presidents' Athletic Conference since 2014, when CMU joined as an affiliate member for football. Over the past decade, Carnegie Mellon has made significant strides competitively, and won conference championships in 2021 and 2022.

"We have cherished our time in the PAC and the experiences it has provided," said Carnegie Mellon athletic director Josh Centor. "Our participation in the PAC has been extremely rewarding, marked by strong performances and meaningful rivalries. We look forward to this upcoming football season and continued non-conference competition in all of our sports."

As a result of this decision, the PAC will be unable to move forward with its planned divisional format and PAC Championship Game, which was set to begin in 2025. The PAC is now putting together an eight-game, unbalanced schedule for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, which will be released as soon as it is finalized, allowing PAC schools to maintain the non-conference games they have already scheduled for 2025 and 2026.

In football, the Centennial Conference consists of Dickinson, Franklin and Marshall, Gettysburg, Johns Hopkins, McDaniel, Muhlenberg and Ursinus. Johns Hopkins was a founding member of the University Athletic Association, which is the Tartans' conference for all other sports, although it has not played in the UAA in nearly a quarter-century.

"We believe the transition will have an impact on the competitiveness of our football program while providing student-athletes with enriching travel experiences and opportunities to compete against some of the nation's top teams," Centor said.

Within the UAA, Carnegie Mellon's other teams travel across the country, competing with institutions in some of the nation's major metropolitan areas. The transition to the Centennial will broaden the football program's travel radius and provide opportunities for football student-athletes that are consistent with the rest of Carnegie Mellon's intercollegiate athletics experiences.

"We are excited to welcome Carnegie Mellon to the Centennial Conference as associate members," said Portia Hoeg, Centennial Conference Executive Director. "Not only do they align with the high academic status of our league, but their storied history in football complements our Centennial tradition of excellence. Our conference is a perennial leader in Division III, and Carnegie Mellon elevates our already strong football profile."

The Centennial will now have eight football-playing institutions, which will afford Carnegie Mellon the opportunity to play three out-of-conference games. In 2025, the Tartans are scheduled to play at the University of Chicago and will host UW-La Crosse. An additional out-of-conference game will soon be scheduled for the 2025 season.

"Joining the Centennial Conference represents a significant and exciting opportunity for our football program," said head football coach Ryan Larsen. "Competing against such high-caliber teams will elevate our program and provide our players with an exceptional experience."