CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) has announced the addition of Queens University of Charlotte in field hockey, beginning with the upcoming 2026 season. The Royals are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, though its field hockey squad will have conference affiliation for the first time since reclassifying to the NCAA Division-I level in 2022. The Royals first took the field as NCAA members in 2016, when they competed on the Division-II level for six years.
 
Since hiring MPSF Commissioner Foti Mellis in 2021, the conference has added 73 teams, 37 schools, and eight sports. "The MPSF is proud to welcome Queens University of Charlotte as a member in the sport of field hockey," said Mellis. "Queens has demonstrated a strong commitment to providing exceptional opportunities for its student-athletes, and we are thrilled to add an institution with such momentum and vision to our conference. As the MPSF continues to grow and evolve, Queens' addition reinforces our commitment to offering high-level championship opportunities and fostering excellence in collegiate athletics. We look forward to a successful partnership for many years to come."
 
Located in Charlotte, Queens becomes the first program in any sport to enter the MPSF from North Carolina. The Tar Heel State also becomes the 23rd state currently represented in the 34-year-old conference.
 
"We are thrilled to join the MPSF and grateful for the confidence the MPSF leadership has placed in Queens University of Charlotte," said Queens Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout. "This membership provides an outstanding competitive home for our field hockey program and creates meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes to compete at the highest level while continuing to excel in the classroom and our community. We look forward to building strong relationships across this growing conference and contributing to the MPSF's tradition of excellence, sportsmanship, and student-athlete success."
 
Joining Queens in the three-team MPSF Field Hockey Conference for its second season in 2026 will be UC Davis and the University of Delaware. The second edition of the conference championship, which will feature a semifinal and championship game, will be hosted by defending champion Delaware, November 6-7.
 
Brandi Kist has been the only head coach in Queens Field Hockey history. In 2025, she guided the Royals to their most wins on the D-I level as well as a South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Championship in 2019. "We are incredibly excited to join the MPSF," said Kist. "This is a special moment in the history of our program. Every team and every alum have played a role in growing this program, and joining the MPSF marks an exciting new chapter for our current and future student-athletes. This is a significant step forward for our program and for the continued growth of field hockey at the Division-I level. Our student-athletes have worked hard to help build this next chapter, and now they will have the opportunity to compete for a conference championship. We are grateful to the MPSF for welcoming us, and we look forward to building strong relationships with UC Davis, Delaware, and future conference members as we continue to raise the standard for Queens Field Hockey."
 
The MPSF enters 2026-27 with 127 total national championships across 10 different sports dating back to 1992, including a conference record-setting six titles during the 2025-26 academic year. The MPSF's 117 NCAA titles lead the nation amongst Division-I Non-Power Four Conferences.
 
MPSF Field Hockey information, including specific upcoming championship details, is located on the conference website's championship central page at https://mpsports.org/. Follow the MPSF on social media @MPSFSports.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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