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| Medaille athletics file photo |
On Thursday morning, the Empire 8 Conference announced that it will be adding Medaille College effective with the 2022-23 academic year.
Medaille, located in Buffalo, New York, has been a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference since 2005. The school has 1,339 full-time undergraduates as of its most recent information published with the U.S. Department of Education.
“With the addition of Medaille College, the Empire 8 has further established itself as one of the premier conferences in Division III athletically and educationally,” said St. John Fisher president Gerard J. Rooney, who serves as the chair of the Empire 8 President’s Council. “This expansion will allow the conference and its members to enhance their footprint into Western New York and the Buffalo Region as they continue to find ways to augment their student-athletes’ overall experience.”
“Medaille College is excited to join the Empire 8 athletic conference,” said Medaille president Kenneth Macur. “While we will miss the relationships we’ve developed with our outstanding colleagues in the AMCC, we are excited to be included with some of the best D-III private colleges in New York. Medaille College has a long tradition of commitment to DIII athletics and student-athletes. The multi-million dollar investment we are making in our new athletic complex along with the move to the Empire 8 underscore our vision for being a premier competitor and a college of choice for amazing student-athletes.”
Medaille currently sponsors 19 Division III sports, with 17 set to compete in the Empire 8. With the addition of Medaille, the E8 will be comprised of 10 members all located in New York State. The conference currently sponsors 23 NCAA Division III sports.
“Medaille College is a natural fit for the Empire 8,” said Empire 8 commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “They are a competitive academic institution with great leadership at all levels and outstanding facilities that fits into our geographic footprint. Moreover, like Empire 8, Medaille is committed to the critical educational role that intercollegiate athletics plays in higher education as we shape tomorrow’s leaders.”
“Our athletic department is honored to receive the invitation to join the Empire 8 Conference,” said Medaille athletic director Susan Roarke. “The Empire 8 has an outstanding record of being one of the top Division III conferences with their success of student-athletes in the classroom and on the playing fields. We look forward to building new relationships and rivalries within the conference.”