Welcome to the Metro: Athletic conference rebrands for the 2026-2027 season
By Cassandra Ercoli, Assistant Sports Editor
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has undergone a rebrand over the summer to change its name to “The Metro Conference”, which went into effect on July 1. The rebrand hopes to bring in a clearer and distinct identity while also honoring the conference’s 45 years of athletic history.
According to the Metro, the new identity is a result of a longstanding marketing initiative that began in 2023, which included intense feedback from student–athletes, athletic administrators, alumni and communication and marketing professionals.
The change is also a response to the increased confusion with the Mid–American Conference, which owns a similar acronym, the ‘MAC’. Especially for western New York natives, the confusion may be more prominent than ever, as Main Street rival University at Buffalo is a part of the MAC, where the State University of New York (SUNY) institution sponsors an Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football program.
Since its inception in 1980, the conference has always been known as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and referred to as the ‘MAAC’. However, by that time, the Mid–American Conference had already established the similar–sounding acronym since its founding in 1946, and MAAC’s brand was often referenced and referred to incorrectly.
The transition to “The Metro Conference”, with an abbreviation of “The Metro”, hopes to create a simpler and recognizable identity on televisions, social media platforms, apparel and ultimately eliminate any acronym confusion.
“The goal of this project was to establish a bold and clear identity that eliminated longstanding confusion surrounding the conference’s name,” said Metro Commissioner Travis Tellitocci in the conference’s press release.
Tellitocci, who is just the fourth commissioner in conference history, began his position at the helm in May of 2023. Since then, he has welcomed Sacred Heart University and Merrimack College to the conference, and has led the project on a new conference identity. Tellitocci also achieved the conference’s multiyear extension media rights contract with ESPN, which will allow the continuous national exposure of all student–athletes across the 13 institutions.
In promoting the rebrand, Tellitocci has alluded to the change as an elevator pitch. Prior to the transition, if the conference was a thirty–second pitch, half of that time would be spent telling others what the conference is not – that is, it is not the MAC, nor is it the conference with football – than what it actually is.
“As we introduce the Metro, we embrace a name that reflects both our geographic connection along the Northeast Corridor and the shared values that unite our member institutions,” added Metro Council of Presidents Chair Dr. Mark Nemec in the release.
The Metro stated that the new identity “was developed to better position the conference within the rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape, where visibility, storytelling and national brand recognition continue to become increasingly important.”
To help streamline the transition, the Metro collaborated with strategic brand rebuilders Joe Bosack & Co., who worked closely with the conference’s Technology & Digital Marketing Committee and various internal and external stakeholders.
Visually, the logo and physical symbol of the conference have undergone a remodel as well. The Metro refined its color palette from five colors to two and upgraded its typography to a boldface type. The conference decided to keep its traditional primary red and blue colors, but opted for bolder and more vibrant shades.
With the rebrand fully in effect since July, teams have already begun preparing jerseys and apparel tailored to the new identity. The first Metro champion will be crowned at the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31 at the Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown, N.Y.
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