Sports News: Fall 2006
Tuesday, November 7, 2006

LANDMARK CONFERENCE NAMES THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON ITS EIGHTH MEMBER

BALTIMORE, MD --- The University of Scranton, a Catholic and Jesuit university founded in 1888, has joined the Landmark Conference, the NCAA Division III athletic association formed last December by seven like-minded colleges and universities in the Mid-Atlantic states.

Members of the conference are similar in size, educational philosophies, and their focus on high academic standards and a belief that athletics are an important component of the undergraduate experience. In addition to competing in sports, conference members aim to develop opportunities for academic, co-curricular, and public-service collaboration.

“On behalf of all the students and the student-athletes at the member institutions within the Landmark Conference, I am delighted that the University of Scranton has accepted the invitation of our chief executive officers to become our eighth member,” said John A. Reeves, the conference’s first commissioner. “The University of Scranton is committed to the centrality of the academic mission, the cornerstone of the Landmark Conference. From an athletics perspective, Scranton adds significant meaning to in-season conference competition and adds numerous post-season opportunities for our student-athletes.”

The other members of the Landmark Conference are the 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.

“When our new colleagues established the Landmark Conference, they stated clearly their intention to highlight the development of the whole person, which resonates well with our tradition as a Jesuit institution,” said Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., president of The University of Scranton. “Our athletic program is among the most successful in Division III history—not just in terms of competition, but also in terms of the academic excellence of our student athletes.”

Beginning next fall 2007, the new conference’s members will compete in baseball, basketball, cross-country, field hockey, indoor and outdoor track and field, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.

Release written by Kristen Kenner - Goucher College Director of Media Relations