21 Jun University of Valley Forge to Join Colonial States Athletic Conference in 2020-2021
The University of Valley Forge (UVF) has announced that the University has accepted an invitation to join the Colonial State Athletic Conference (CSAC) beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year. “We are very excited to partner with the CSAC where we feel our university aligns well with the current conference institutions and provides us with great competition,” said University of Valley Forge president Rev. David S. Kim. “We are honored by the invitation and want to thank each of the CSAC members for extending us the offer.”
This move is expected to enhance the overall student-athlete experience by aligning UVF with other small, private universities and colleges, and providing more balanced conference competition.
The University of Valley Forge will be the eleventh member of the conference which consists of Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Centenary University, Clarks Summit University, The College of Saint Elizabeth, Keystone College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Rosemont College, and Wilson College. Most CSAC schools are located in eastern Pennsylvania, with one in Maryland and one in New Jersey.
The CSAC was established in 1992 as the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference to “meet the needs of small, private, four-year colleges in eastern Pennsylvania.” The conference changed its name to the Colonial States Athletic Conference in 2008. The CSAC embraces a “student-first philosophy by ensuring that institutions place the overall educational experience and successful completion of academic programs above all else.”
“The University of Valley Forge is an institution that aligns well with the other 10 core members of the CSAC in regards to sport sponsorship, geographic proximity, and mission of the intercollegiate athletics program,” said CSAC commissioner Adrienne Mullikin. “Many of our members currently compete against UVF in non-conference competition and I am excited about developing new rivalries within our conference.”
“On behalf of CSAC and our members, we welcome and look forward to the Valley Forge Patriots competing as full members of the conference in 2020-21,” said Notre Dame of Maryland University President and Chair of the CSAC Board of Directors Dr. Marylou Yam. “Their spirit of competition and dedication to the student-athlete both on and off the playing field are commendable and a great addition to CSAC.”
The Patriots will participate in 10 of the 17 CSAC Division III sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s baseball, women’s softball, and women’s volleyball.
“On behalf of the University, I want to thank Commissioner Kelly Higgins and the entire American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) for allowing UVF to call the ACAA home over the last few years. It is a unique conference that offers post season play for a majority of our teams, and we have enjoyed our time as a core member. Our move to the CSAC offers us an opportunity to be a part of a more localized conference with similar private institutions. We feel very blessed to be able to compete in the CSAC beginning in the 2020-2021 season,” said Director of Athletics Gretchen LeVan.
The University of Valley Forge will conclude its final season in the ACAA in the 2019-20 academic year.
For more information on UVF Athletics and the CSAC Conference please visit www.uvfpatriots.com or www.csacsports.com.
Article originally posted here on www.uvfpatriots.com.