CSAC Adds Two New Members for 2018-19
ASTON, Pa.-- The Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Board of Directors has confirmed the acceptance of Bryn Athyn College and Wilson College as full members of the conference, effective July 1, 2018. Bryn Athyn and Wilson will begin competition as members of the CSAC beginning in the 2018-19 academic year along with Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Centenary University, Clarks Summit University, Keystone College, Notre Dame of Maryland University and Rosemont College.
“I am very excited to welcome Bryn Athyn College and Wilson College into the Colonial States Athletic Conference,” said Dr. David Haney, Centenary University President and Chair of the CSAC Board of Directors. “I know from speaking to the Presidents of both institutions and from the results of the application process that they are firmly committed to CSAC’s emphasis on the holistic development of the Division III student-athlete. They also share the student-centered mission of the other CSAC institutions. I personally look forward to working with these Presidents and to watching our students compete with these new friends and colleagues.”
Bryn Athyn and Wilson will be the first new core members of the CSAC since 2008 when Clarks Summit University (then Baptist Bible College), Keystone College and Cairn University (then Philadelphia Biblical University) became full members. The announcement culminates the first phase of a reorganization of the conference’s membership that will provide an appropriate balance of schools with similar missions and levels of competition.
“The CSAC is pleased to welcome Bryn Athyn and Wilson into the CSAC beginning in 2018-19,” said CSAC Commissioner Adrienne Mullikin. “Both institutions align with the CSAC’s core values and mission. Bryn Athyn and Wilson impressed the Board of Directors with their institutional commitment to athletics and they bring a strong academic profile to an already robust conference.”
Bryn Athyn sponsors 14 intercollegiate varsity programs (seven men’s, seven women’s) at the NCAA Division III level, 13 of which align with current CSAC sponsorships. The Lions will compete in the CSAC in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s volleyball. Established in 1877 as a private, liberal-arts college, Bryn Athyn completed its provisional membership to NCAA Division III in June and will compete as a full member in September 2017.
“Bryn Athyn is excited to be joining the Colonial States Athletic Conference,” stated Bryn Athyn President Brian Blair. “We are so proud of our athletic department, its staff and all of our student-athletes. We feel participating in the CSAC will be natural fit for our educational mission. This new conference will enable our teams and student-athletes to continue to thrive.”
Wilson sponsors 10 intercollegiate varsity programs (five men’s, five women’s) at the NCAA Division III level, nine of which are CSAC sponsored sports. The Phoenix will compete in the CSAC in baseball (spring 2019), men’s and women’s basketball, field hockey, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and volleyball. Wilson was founded in 1869 as a private liberal-arts college for women but transitioned to a fully-coeducational institution in 2014.
“The CSAC is a great fit for Wilson College,” said Wilson College President Barbara K. Mistick. “The conference consists of private colleges that share similar educational philosophies and are located nearby. Most importantly, our move to CSAC will have a positive impact our student-athlete experience—both in competition and in the classroom.”
The CSAC was founded in 1992 as the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and was rebranded as the Colonial States Athletic Conference in 2008. The CSAC sponsors 17 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports in NCAA Division III, including men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, women's volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and men’s golf.