------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- FORWARDED FROM: McDonald, Jack A.D. Microsoft Mail v3.0 IPM.Microsoft Mail.Note From: Berger, Bill ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- October 14 Hamden, Conn. - Quinnipiac College announced in a press conference today that it would join the Northeast Conference, a Division I league comprised of member institutions in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. With the move, Quinnipiac completed the plan made public in July when President John L. Lahey announced the college's intention to elevate its athletic programs to the Division I level. "Quinnipiac College has for many years been Division I academically as was recently confirmed by U.S. News and World Report naming our institution among America's best colleges. We're pleased and honored today to accept the invitation to join the Northeast Conference. This move will enable us to bring the quality of our athletic programs into line with the quality of our academic programs," said Lahey. In preparation for the move to Division I, the college had already appointed full-time men's and women's basketball coaches and another full-time female administrator as head women's field hockey and lacrosse coach. Additionally, an increase in full-time staffing is planned for the future. The College also added $300,000 in annual athletic scholarships for the move to Division I. Quinnipiac, which currently sponsors eight men's and eight women's varsity sports, will immediately commence a study regarding the feasibility of bringing the men's ice hockey program to the Division I level. With the Q Cup Ice Hockey Tournament scheduled for December 27 and 28 at the New Haven Coliseum, school officials will gauge the potential for hosting additional Division I basketball and ice hockey games at the venue. Quinnipiac, with its own top rate facilities, looks forward to hosting Northeast Conference Tournaments in the future. President Lahey will officially sign the letter to the NCAA announcing the school's move to Division I during Midnight Madness on campus tonight. With the submission of the letter, Quinnipiac begins a two-year mandatory waiting period during which it must come into compliance with all NCAA Division I regulations. The possibility exists, however, of reducing the compliance period to one year as Quinnipiac had already notified the NCAA of its intention and will likely learn in January whether a one-year waiver will be granted. With the waiver, Quinnipiac would join the NEC for the 1998-99 season. Current members of the NEC are: Mount St. Mary's (Md.) College; St. Francis College (N.Y.); St. Francis College (Pa.); Monmouth University; Wagner College; Robert Morris College; Fairleigh Dickinson University; Long Island University (Brooklyn); Rider University; and Marist College. The University of Maryland-Baltimore County was admitted to the conference in June, while Rider and Marist will depart for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference following this academic year. -Q Sports- HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.