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CENTERVILLE, Mass. – Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Commissioner Dr. Kevin T. McGinnis announced today that Bluefield State College has been granted membership by the ECAC Board of Directors. Bluefield State College is eligible for all ECAC Championships, awards, officiating services and other benefits effective immediately. With the addition of Bluefield State, the ECAC is now comprised of 306 member institutions competing in NCAA Divisions I, II and III.
The ECAC provides the opportunity for a championship experience by conducting high-level tournaments and events. The conference enhances the student-athlete experience by professionally administering nearly 100 preseason and postseason events in 37 men's and women's sports for over 120,000 student-athletes each year. The ECAC also publicizes the achievements of its member institutions' student-athletes through its weekly and postseason awards program, recognizing more than 2,500 student-athletes annually. The ECAC also conducts the weekly Lambert Meadowlands Football Poll and distributes other information highlighting accomplishments and contributions of member institutions' student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
“Bluefield State College looks forward to competing as a full member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference,” said Bluefield State College President Dr. Marsha V. Krotseng. “I’m very impressed with the Conference and its leadership. The ECAC has a proud 75-year history and is an excellent fit for BSC’s athletic program and our student athletes.”
BSC Athletic Director Terry Brown affirmed, “The Bluefield State College Athletic Department is extremely honored to be accepted into the ECAC NCAA Division II Athletic Conference. The ECAC philosophy mirrors BSC’s commitment to the student athlete’s welfare. The ECAC, like BSC, has a major overall emphasis on positive student-athlete experience that includes: graduation, student athlete individual recognition, team recognition, post season play and post season championships.”
Bluefield State competes in NCAA Division II, and the ECAC will assist with the College’s national letters of intent, coaching certification and other services. The Blues will be able to qualify for ECAC championship play and earn awards in each of its sport offerings – men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s golf, baseball, and softball.
“Bluefield State College is a welcome addition to the ECAC,” said McGinniss. “We look forward to providing service to their administration, coaches, and student-athletes. The addition of Bluefield State College strengthens our NCAA Division II membership while expanding our footprint in the state of West Virginia.”
The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic and the only multi-divisional conference in the country with more than 300 Divisions I, II, and III colleges and universities. The ECAC stretches from Maine to North Carolina and westerly to Colorado. 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, and through the public relations arm of the conference, more than 2,500 student-athletes in 23 sports are recognized annually. Finally, the ECAC serves as the primary conference for select members in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey and men's lacrosse.
