Two New Members Voted into ECAC

Cape Cod, Mass. – Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Commissioner Rudy Keeling and ECAC President Dan Mara are pleased to announce that Franciscan University of Steubenville and Marywood University have been voted into membership in the Eastern College Athletic Conference for the 2010-11 academic year.

The institutions have both been voted in by the ECAC Board of Directors. With the addition of those two schools, the ECAC’s membership increases to 290 colleges and universities from Maine to North Carolina and westerly to Illinois.

“We are excited we are still expanding, and that colleges and universities see the value of our services. The ECAC continues to deliver an enormous return to its members – providing championship opportunities, officiating services, and award recognition through our player of the week and all-star programs,” said Commissioner Keeling.

Franciscan University of Steubenville is a Division III university located in Steubenville, Ohio, and competes in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC). The Barons sponsor 14 intercollegiate teams including baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s rugby, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, and women’s volleyball. Franciscan will compete in the ECAC South region for championships.

“Franciscan is honored and excited to begin a relationship with the ECAC which has provided so many postseason opportunities, for so many student athletes, for so many years,” said Director of Athletics Chris Ledyard.

Marywood, is a Division III university located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and is a member of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC). Marywood sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports teams including baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s volleyball. 

“Joining the ECAC will allow many different avenues to open for our student-athletes and teams,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation Dr. Mary Jo Gunning.  “Additional opportunities for postseason tournament play and for individual awards and recognition are just two of the benefits we will see.” 

Marywood recently announced the addition of men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs, and those programs will see an immediate benefit from the membership in the ECAC.  “With swimming and diving not being sponsored by the CSAC at the moment, our affiliation with the ECAC will now allow those programs to compete for a conference title,” said Gunning. 

All of the varsity sports at Marywood will be eligible to qualify for ECAC postseason tournaments. The Pacers will compete in the ECAC South Region.  “As all of Marywood’s programs become more competitive, ECAC post-season play will allow our student-athletes to experience a competitive postseason environment.  In the end, the more postseason experience our teams can get, whether in the CSAC or ECAC tournaments, can only lead to a better overall experience for the student-athletes and for better success in future seasons” Gunning stated.

“Many times our teams have successful seasons but wind up just short of obtaining the CSAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament” Director of Sports Information and Head Women’s Soccer Coach Andrew Smith said.  “Joining the ECAC allows our student-athletes and teams that have had successful seasons to gain valuable postseason tournament experience against other quality programs.  It will also allow our student-athletes additional opportunities to earn individual recognition and awards.”  

About the ECAC®
The ECAC is the nation’s largest athletic and the only multi-divisional conference in the country with approximately 300 Division I, II, and III colleges and universities. The ECAC membership covers 16 states and stretches from Maine to North Carolina and westerly to Illinois. Established in 1938, the ECAC, a non-profit service organization, sponsors nearly 100 championships in 37 men’s and women’s sports and assigns more than 4,400 officials in 12 sports. The ECAC also administers nine affiliate sports organizations and six playing leagues. Through the public relations arm of the conference, more than 2,000 student-athletes are recognized. Finally, the ECAC serves as the primary conference for select members in the sports of men’s ice hockey, women’s ice hockey, and men’s lacrosse.