The University of Delaware announced that its field hockey program will become an affiliate member of the Mid‑American Conference beginning with the 2027‑28 academic year, marking a strategic move that expands the conference’s national footprint and offers new competitive opportunities for its student‑athletes.
A storied program with championship pedigree
Delaware’s field hockey team boasts a remarkable record of 17 conference titles and 17 NCAA or AIAW postseason appearances, highlighted by a 2016 Division I national championship. Under head coach Tara Zollinger, who joined the program in 2025, the Blue Hens captured the 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship in her inaugural season, underscoring a seamless transition and immediate impact.
The program’s recent surge includes a string of Coastal Athletic Association tournament victories from 2013 through 2024, culminating in an 11th conference championship in 14 seasons, and a 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title that illustrates its adaptability across competitive landscapes.
A competitive MAC on the rise
The Mid‑American Conference, founded in 1946 and now comprising 23 championship sports, welcomed Miami University as a recent tournament champion, with the 2025 MAC Tournament title sending the team to the NCAA Elite‑8 for the first time in program history, illustrating the conference’s growing prestige and depth.
Beyond athletics, the University of Delaware, a land‑grant, sea‑grant and space‑grant institution established in 1743, serves over 24,000 students across ten colleges and more than 250 graduate programs, positioning the school as a major research hub in the Mid‑Atlantic region and a key contributor to the local economy in Newark, Delaware, and the broader Ohio corridor.