Moravian College to Compete in Landmark Conference
New conference name announced at inaugural meeting in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, PA — Landmark Conference will be the name of the new NCAA Division III athletic association formed last December by seven like-minded colleges and universities in the eastern United States. The members of the Landmark Conference are Catholic University of Washington, D.C.; Drew University of Madison, N.J.; Goucher College of Baltimore, Md.; Juniata College of Huntingdon, Pa.; Moravian College of Bethlehem, Pa.; Susquehanna University of Selinsgrove, Pa.; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy of King’s Point, N.Y. The conference’s name was announced by Dr. Thomas Kepple, chair of the executive committee of the Landmark Conference and president of Juniata College, at an inaugural meeting of athletic directors and coaches June 8-9 in Bethlehem.

The most literal inspiration for the Landmark Conference’s name comes from the many well-known physical landmarks of the Mid-Atlantic region encompassed by the conference. The name also reflects the significance of the institutions’ decision to align themselves with other colleges and universities of similar size, educational philosophies, and high academic standards. It highlights the Landmark Conference’s intention to stand out not only in athletics, but also in academics, emphasizing educational achievement and the important role played by athletics in the undergraduate experience.

The members of the Landmark Conference will compete in baseball, basketball, cross-country running, field hockey, indoor and outdoor track-and-field events, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. The conference will begin competition in fall 2007. Teams from the seven colleges and universities will continue to participate in their current conferences through spring 2007. An eighth member institution—and a commissioner for the Landmark Conference—are expected to be announced by the end of the summer.

Demonstrating the Landmark Conference’s dedication to helping student-athletes balance their obligations and excel across disciplines, conference leaders have already decided to hold long-distance games only on weekends, minimizing the time student-athletes will have to spend away from class. In addition to competing on the playing field, members of the new conference will explore ways to develop and expand curricular and co-curricular relationships among their faculty members, administrators, coaches, and students.

Moravian College will also compete in the Centennial Conference as an associate member for football during the 2007 season. Centennial football-playing members include Dickinson College, Franklin and Marshall College, Gettysburg College, Johns Hopkins University, McDaniel College, Muhlenberg College, and Ursinus College.

Moravian College is a private, coeducational, selective liberal arts college located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Tracing its founding to 1742, it is recognized as America's sixth-oldest college.