Joseph Bunch – Sports Writer
NORTH ANDOVER, Ma. – On Tuesday August 21, 2024, Merrimack Athletics announced the football program will compete for the Yankee Conference Title on November 16th against Sacred Heart University at Duane Stadium around noon time.
Sacred Heart University is no stranger when it comes to Merrimack College football considering both teams were a part of the Northeast Conference together. Over the years Sacred Heart “have developed a great rivalry with Merrimack College, having significant and exciting games in recent years”, Sacred Hearts athletic director, Judy Ann Riccio, told ESPN. Starting the 2024-25 season Merrimack and Sacred Heart transitioned their sports programs to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
Since these schools are transitioning to a new conference, the MAAC doesn’t sponsor a football program which means the two schools will be Independent in Divsion 1 second tier (FCS).
More on the Yankee Conference, it started out as a New England conference in 1946 with schools like Maine, UCONN, UMASS Amherst and 3 more schools. Later it expanded further south and opened up to James Madison and William and Mary before merging with the Colonial Conference in 1996.
This will be the first time the title is contested in 28 years (1996) as William and Mary is the defending champion of the Yankee Conference. Merrimack Athletic Director Jeremy Gibson told ESPN, ”We are proud to be able to compete against Sacred Heart University for The Yankee Conference Championship, a brand that carries such strong history and tradition in Division I college football”.
With so much history on the line, stay tuned for November 16th as Sacred Heart University or Merrimack College will be crowned with the Yankee Conference trophy at Duane Stadium.
