Wednesday, August 8, 2001

CENTERVILLE, Mass. - Commissioner Phil Buttafuoco and ECAC President Dr. Eve Atkinson have announced Moravian College has been voted into membership by the Eastern College Athletic Conference for the 2001-02 academic year.

The institution was recommended by the Membership Committee and voted in by the Board of Directors during the ECAC Summer Meeting, August 5-7.

With the addition of Moravian, ECAC membership increases to 313 colleges from Maine to North Carolina.

Moravian College is an NCAA Division III institution with an enrollment of 1,351 located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Moravian, one of the nation's oldest colleges, competes in the Middle Atlantic Conference and sponsors 18 varsity sports including baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's golf, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's indoor track, women's indoor track, men's outdoor track, women's outdoor track, and women's volleyball.

"Moravian is excited to rejoin the ECAC," said Paul Moyer, Moravian Director of Athletics.  "Our athletic tradition has been one that coincides with the ECAC's development.  Throughout our over 100-year athletic tradition, ECAC championships have played an integral part of our mission and philosophy. Membership in the ECAC fits well into the institution's goals and objectives."

The ECAC is the nation's largest athletics conference and currently conducts 104 championships in 34 sports.  The conference provides services to its constituents that include: assigning officials in 12 sports; coordinating awards; administration of affiliate organizations, conventions, meetings, marketing, officiating, playing leagues, public relations and special events.  The ECAC serves as the primary conference for selected members in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, and men's gymnastics.