JACKSON, Miss. - Northeast Mississippi Community College's longtime league home is undergoing a name change for the first time in over three decades.
The Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) moniker has officially been retired. It will now be known as the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC).
The MACJC was established in the late 1980s after a majority of the Magnolia State's two-year institutions dropped the term "junior college" from their titles. Its original label was the Mississippi Junior College Athletic Association (MJCAA).
"The concept of a rebrand to me was very easy," said MACCC commissioner Steve Martin. "We needed to change with the times and that was the reason for the rebrand. We had to take a look at how to enhance and have some consistency with our product."
The new logo for the organization features a navy shield as the backdrop with 15 white stars, which represent each member of the league, at the top and three white stripes at the bottom. The MACCC abbreviation is emblazoned in red across the center with a ribbon directly underneath that includes the entire name of the federation.
Accompanying the logo change is a new website to house information on the MACCC's teams, awards, broadcasts and championship events, www.macccathletics.com, plus social media accounts on all major platforms with the handle @MACCCAthletics.
"The rebranding of our conference to the MACCC will hopefully energize our schools and fan bases," Northeast athletic director Kent Farris said. "I am especially excited about the information that our new website makes readily available. It will be beneficial for our schools, athletes and supporters."
Northeast has been affiliated with the MACCC since the birth of its athletic department in 1948. The Lady Tigers and Tigers have accumulated 69 total championships inside conference play since that point.
Men's basketball captured the inaugural state title in school history during just its second season of existence in 1950. Women's basketball followed their male counterparts one year later by securing the first of 10 MACCC crowns.
Both roundball teams have 17 division championships apiece to their credit. However, each athletic program at Northeast has won at least one division or state title since 2005.
What Northeast Coaches Say About the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference
"We get to participate in one of the best junior college leagues in the country. Steve Martin has a great vision for us. We just keep getting better," head baseball coach Richy Harrelson.
"I'm very excited to see our conference move forward. This new plan will bring more opportunities for parents and fans to keep up with our conference. I'm especially excited to see the MACCC embrace the digital area. This allows us to be at the forefront as the premier conference in the NJCAA," head softball coach Jody Long.
"I think the name change fits our conference. We have a tough conference. Standing united makes us even tougher," head women's basketball coach Brenda Mayes.
"The rebranding is an exciting time for our league. Our school leaders and Commissioner Martin have really, really done a great job in helping us navigate through this process. When it could easily be a time to step back, we as a league have moved forward and are becoming stronger and stronger," head men's basketball coach Cord Wright.