LANCASTER, Pa. – The Centennial Conference has announced the addition of Carnegie Mellon University as an associate member for football. The Tartans will begin competition in the Centennial in the 2025 football season.
The addition of Carnegie Mellon will expand the Centennial’s football membership to eight teams. The Tartans will compete alongside the seven CC full-time members that sponsor football - Dickinson College, Franklin & Marshall College, Gettysburg College, Johns Hopkins University, McDaniel College, Muhlenberg College, and Ursinus College.
“We are excited to welcome Carnegie Mellon to the Centennial Conference as an associate member,” said Portia Hoeg, Centennial Conference Executive Director. “Not only does Carnegie Mellon align with the high academic status of our league, but the Tartans’ storied history in football complements the Centennial’s tradition of excellence. “As a perennial leader among Division III conferences, the Centennial’s already strong football profile will only be enhanced with the addition of Carnegie Mellon.”
The Carnegie Mellon football program began in 1906 and has amassed 580 wins and 61 All-Americans throughout its history. The Tartans have competed in the Presidents' Athletic Conference since 2014, capturing conference championships and NCAA postseason appearances in 2021 and 2022. Over the past decade the Tartans own a 71-30 (.703%) overall record including eight seasons with a winning record.
“Joining the Centennial Conference 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,” said Josh Centor, Carnegie Mellon University’s Associate Vice President for Community Engagement and Director of Athletics.
“This represents a significant and exciting opportunity for our football program,” said Carnegie Mellon head coach Ryan Larsen. “Competing against such high-caliber teams will elevate our program and provide our players with an exceptional experience.”
Throughout its history the Centennial has produced 152 All-Americans and 80 Academic All-Americans. The Conference boasts 26 NCAA playoff wins with four Final Four appearances and seven trips to the quarterfinal round, including five quarterfinal and two semifinal berths since 2018.
The 2025 campaign will mark a return to an eight-member football format for the Centennial. The Conference originated as an eight-team football coalition in 1983 and featured eight teams through the 2000 season, prior to full-time member Swarthmore College dropping the sport. Carnegie Mellon will become the fourth associate football member in CC history, with previous associate members including Juniata College (2007-22), Moravian University (2007-22) and Susquehanna University (2010-22).
About Carnegie Mellon University
Located in Pittsburgh, Pa., Carnegie Mellon University was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie, originally under the name Carnegie Technical Schools. Twelve years later it became known as the Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1967, the school merged with Mellon Institute and became what is known today as Carnegie Mellon University. Carnegie Mellon is a private research institution that offers 17 varsity sports and competes in the University Athletic Association in all sports except for football. For more information about Carnegie Mellon University, visit www.cmu.edu and the Tartan athletics homepage at https://athletics.cmu.edu.
About the Centennial Conference
The Centennial Conference was founded in 1981 as the Centennial Football Conference and began competition as an all-sports conference in the fall of 1993. The Centennial crowns champions in 24 sports and continues to sponsor intercollegiate programs of national prominence for women and men. On the average, Centennial members boast of 21 varsity teams per campus, which is well above the national norm. The Conference has had 20 teams win NCAA titles - Washington College men's lacrosse (1998) and men's tennis (1994, 1997), Ursinus College field hockey (2006), Franklin & Marshall College (2007, 2009), and Gettysburg College (2011, 2017, 2018) women's lacrosse teams, Haverford men's cross country (2010), Johns Hopkins women's cross country team (2012-2013-14-16-17-19-21-22), Johns Hopkins volleyball (2019), and Johns Hopkins women’s soccer (2022).
