Castleton will bring that maple sap -- in spirit, at least -- to New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia as part of the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Castleton athletics photo

The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced on October 30 that Vermont State University Castleton will join the conference as an associate member in the sport of football beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.

With the addition of the Spartans program, the NJAC will feature eight football-sponsoring institutions during the 2025 season, including five full-member programs in Kean, Montclair State, Rowan, The College of New Jersey, and William Paterson; and three associate member football programs in Christopher Newport, Salisbury and Castleton.

“We are excited to welcome Vermont State University Castleton as the newest associate football member program in the NJAC,” said Commissioner Terry Small. “It’s a program that was in need of a conference home, and we feel that participation in the NJAC will be of great benefit to the Spartan football student-athletes. From a conference perspective, this development helps us from a scheduling standpoint and makes an already competitive football league even stronger.”

Castleton, a full-member institution in the Little East Conference, established its football program in 2009. For the first 15 years of the program’s existence, the Spartans were members of the single-sport Eastern Collegiate Football Conference. Castleton is currently a member of the Massachusetts State Athletic Conference, with the team currently sitting in fifth place in its one and only season of play in the MASCAC.

“VTSU Castleton is thrilled to become an associate member in the NJAC for the sport of football,” said Castleton athletic director Tim Barrett. “We would like to thank the NJAC Presidents Council, athletic directors and Commissioner Terry Small for accepting us into their prestigious conference. We look forward to the high level of competition and the opportunity to grow our football program against some of the best teams in the region.”

"The Vermont State University Castleton football program is excited to join the NJAC," said coach Tyler Higley. "We are happy to find a home that has such a great reputation for football and athletics as a whole. The program is looking forward to the challenge of playing quality programs week in and week out."

Castleton will become the 11th associate football member institution in the NJAC since 1999 when the NCAA Division III Championships Committee adopted automatic qualification principles for football and all team sports.