Old Westbury, N.Y. – On July 17, Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., chairman of the East Coast Conference (ECC) Presidents Council, announced that Daemen College of Amherst, N.Y., has been accepted as the 11th member of the East Coast Conference. This fall Daemen will begin the NCAA Division II membership process, a three-year transition period.  

“We are pleased to welcome Daemen College into the ECC,” said Dr. Guiliano, president of New York Institute of Technology, on behalf of the ECC Presidents Council. “The addition of Daemen upholds our conference’s strategic plan, which calls for the continued development of the ECC as a Division II conference through membership growth, expanded sponsorship of championships, and support for our student-athletes.

Starting in the fall 2012 season and culminating with the 2014-15 academic year, Daemen will work toward becoming “provisional members” of the NCAA and ECC. Following a successful first year of candidacy, the Wildcats will receive all ECC services and participate in ECC contests; they will become eligible for conference and NCAA championships when they become full Division II members in 2015-16.

“We are very pleased that the NCAA has accepted our application for Division II membership,” Daemen College President Edwin Clausen said.  “It represents a great opportunity for Daemen College.  We are excited about the prospect of competition at a new level; one that will improve our already successful athletic program, strengthen our institutional image, and exemplify our core values.  I would like to thank the entire Daemen community for all their hard work on the NCAA application; this truly was a team effort.”

Daemen is the third institution in the past two years to join the ECC. Last year, it added the University of the District of Columbia, formerly an NCAA Division II independent institution, as a full ECC member. In addition, the conference accepted Roberts Wesleyan of Rochester as a new member. It, like Daemen, was in transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. Roberts Wesleyan learned this past week that they were moved from Candidacy Year to 1 to Year 2 as part of the membership process.

Daemen currently fields 14 varsity teams, nine of which will compete in ECC play. They include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball. Daemen also sponsors men’s golf and men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams.

“We are very pleased to welcome Daemen College to the ECC,” said Dr. Robert Dranoff, ECC Commissioner. “We have been very impressed by their growth and development as an overall athletic program and feel they will make a great addition to the conference.” Dranoff continued, “We look forward to working with [Daemen Director of Athletics] Bill Morris and his staff to assist them as they move through the NCAA membership process.”

Morris expressed his sentiments, saying, “We are excited for the opportunity to compete at the NCAA DII level, specifically in the East Coast Conference. Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are excited for the challenges ahead.” Morris went on to say, “I would like to thank the entire ECC and its members for its support and guidance throughout the application process. I am looking forward to competing against the strong athletic programs in the ECC.”

The addition of Daemen College brings full-time membership in the ECC to 11 institutions. Other members include the University of Bridgeport (Bridgeport, Conn.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); Dowling College (Oakdale, N.Y.); LIU Post (Brookville, N.Y.); Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy College (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan College (Rochester, N.Y.) and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.).