Tuesday, December 13, 2005

PRESIDENTS ANNOUNCE NEW ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The presidents of eight colleges and universities have announced the formation of a new NCAA Division III athletics conference. The members of the new conference will compete in all sports other than football. The conference, yet to be named, will begin competition in the fall of 2007.

The institutions are Catholic University, Washington, D.C.; Drew University, Madison, N.J.; Goucher College, Baltimore, Md.; Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa.; Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pa.; Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J.; Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa.; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, King’s Point, N.Y.

In a joint statement, presidents of the above institutions outlined the purpose and character of the new conference: “In forming an affiliation with this new conference, we have affirmed a shared focus on institutional excellence that emphasizes our academic mission and a belief that athletics competition is an important component of the undergraduate experience.”

Moravian College president Ervin Rokke observed that as a member of the new conference, “Moravian is looking forward to competition with seven truly exceptional schools. Our own campus community will be enriched in many ways by new or continued association with Catholic, Drew, Goucher, Juniata, Stevens, Susquehanna and U.S. Merchant Marine.”

Echoing President Rokke’s remarks, Paul R. Moyer, Moravian College director of athletics, noted that “the academic and athletic experience of the membership in this new conference, as well as expanded opportunities to travel to these outstanding institutions throughout the region, will certainly benefit all our student-athletes.”

In addition to athletics competition, members of the new conference will explore ways to develop and expand curricular and co-curricular relationships among their institutions.

Presidents of the eight member institutions indicated that work had begun on a full range of organizational activities related to the formation of a new conference, including the articulation of conference philosophy, drafting and adoption of governing by-laws, petition for NCAA recognition, staffing and organization of conference offices, and establishment of operating and financial procedures.

Teams from the eight colleges and universities will continue to participate in their current conferences through spring 2007.