CCSJ Football program officially moves to NAIA, joining MSFA in 2027

Whiting, IN – The Calumet College of St. Joseph football program has officially joined the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA), ushering in a new era as the Crimson Wave will transition from collegiate sprint football to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football, beginning the 2027-28 school year. 

"It was a natural evolution for us to make this decision and the opportunity aligned with our mission," said CCSJ President Dr. Amy McCormack. "We are really excited about becoming the only NAIA football school in northwest Indiana."

The MSFA, which was established in 1994, is an NAIA-affiliated association in the four states of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. The MSFA contains teams across two leagues, the MSFA Mideast and MSFA Midwest. Teams will play each team within their own league, in addition to crossover games against other MSFA opponents in the opposite league. 

The champion of each league will receive an automatic playoff berth into the NAIA Football Championship Series, provided they are ranked among the top 20 in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll.

"We are all excited for this new opportunity and think we'll be competitive, and in the near future, compete for the MSFA Championship," CCSJ athletic director David Lopez said. "The MSFA made perfect sense for us as there are already four other schools from the CCAC in the league and the other schools that are in the conference we're familiar with and in some cases already compete against, in other sports."

Come 2027, the Crimson Wave football program will compete against familiar Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) schools Saint Xavier, St. Francis, Olivet Nazarene and Judson, as well as Indiana Wesleyan, Taylor, Defiance College and Lawrence Tech.

As founding members of the Midwest Sprint Football League five years ago, CCSJ will now compete in its final season of sprint football, this fall. Since the league had its inaugural season in 2022, the Crimson Wave have competed in all four of the MSFL Championship games and were winners of back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. 

"We're incredibly excited about officially joining the MSFA as it's a strong, competitive conference that aligns well with the direction we want to take our program," CCSJ head sprint football coach Jason Novak said. "This move gives our student athletes the opportunity to compete at a higher level on a more consistent basis, and it helps elevate the overall profile of our school and football program. We see this as a major step forward in building something sustainable and respected within NAIA football."

With a full year to prepare before joining a new conference, while taking a step forward and joining the NAIA, Novak has already begun recruiting and believes the foundation of the program can be established within that time frame.

"Having a full year to prepare for this is really invaluable to say the least," Novak said. "It allows our staff to be intentional in recruiting, development, and building the right culture to compete right away. For our student athletes, it means more opportunities, greater exposure, and the chance to be part of something foundational. This transition is about growth across the board, while raising expectations, strengthening our identity, and setting a new standard that will carry us into the future."