PSAC will need another team. Mercyhurst heading to Division 1
Tagged under: News, Pennsylvania Colleges
Billy Splain | April 4, 2024
The Lakers are leaving the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) and will join the NEC (NorthEast Conference) and play teams such as Duquesne, Stonehill, Merrimack and LIU for football.
“Today marks a watershed moment for Mercyhurst University, amplifying our commitment to excellence in all that we do,” said Mercyhurst President Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D. “In making this transition to the Northeast Conference, we believe our Mercyhurst community, our alumni, and devoted fans will benefit from a new era of spirited competition and connectedness, forging an enduring legacy for future generations of Lakers. Further, we are truly grateful for the gracious welcome extended to us by Commissioner Noreen Morris and the NEC Council of Presidents, whose values and mission are strategically aligned with our own.”
The Lakers had been members of the PSAC, a division II league, for football. That leaves a hole in the league that likely won’t take long to fill. Joe Lodanosky, host of Pa Sports Midday, has hinted that Frostburg State may just be that team. The PSAC released this statement today:
Mercyhurst University informed the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this week that it has accepted an invitation to join Division I’s Northeast Conference (NEC) and begin the official process to reclassify to Division I status.
Mercyhurst plans to join the NEC for the 2024-25 academic year and will end its 16-year affiliation with the PSAC at the conclusion of the spring season. Laker programs will remain fully eligible to compete in PSAC Championships for the remainder of 2023-24. Mercyhurst, sponsoring 8 men’s sports and 9 women’s sports in the PSAC, won 16 total conference championships throughout its tenure in the conference.
The PSAC wishes Mercyhurst’s student-athletes and coaches all the best in their future endeavors.
A press conference by Mercyhurst will be held at 11:30 today. Links to the live press conference can be found HERE.
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