ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – On Wednesday, Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) Executive Committee Chair and Misericordia University President Dr. Thomas Botzman announced the addition of Stevens Institute of Technology as the 17th member of the MAC and the eighth member of the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) beginning in the 2019-20 academic year.  Stevens will leave the Empire 8 conference following the 2018-19 season.
 
“On behalf of the presidents of the member institutions of the Middle Atlantic Conference, it is my great honor to welcome Stevens Institute of Technology to the conference,” said President Botzman. “Stevens has a strong academic reputation that is matched by a range of competitive Division III athletic programs. We look forward to competing against the Ducks beginning in 2019-20.”
 
“The Stevens community is thrilled to join the Middle Atlantic Conference,” said Nariman Farvardin, president of Stevens. “The range of competitive men’s and women’s sports programs, the athletic and academic caliber of the member institutions, and the closer proximity to the participating schools all combine to make the MAC a great fit for Stevens. 
 
“I particularly want to recognize and thank Commissioner Chuck Mitrano and the presidents, coaches and athletes participating in the Empire 8,” said Farvardin. “Stevens has had a terrific experience in the Empire 8, and we wish all the member institutions and their leadership continued success.”
 
Stevens returns to the MAC after 42 years. Stevens participated in the first meeting of the then Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletics Association on May 16, 1913 and was represented at the inception meeting of the Middle Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Conference on April 23, 1922. Stevens originally held membership until the 1977-78 season.
 
With the addition of Stevens, the MAC will remain at 17 members despite Manhattanville College (2008-19) leaving for the Skyline Conference next summer.
 
“I am delighted that Stevens Institute of Technology is joining the MAC and the MAC Freedom as a full member effective July 1, 2019,” said Ken Andrews, Executive Director of the MAC. “Our decision to accept them was heavily influenced by the institution’s leadership, academic profile and mission, their location, and the commitment of their athletic programs to excellence. We are convinced that they embrace our values – particularly presidential leadership in MAC governance, to be a model conference in Division III, and that their coaches and teams will display the highest ideals of intercollegiate athletics.”
 
Stevens Institute of Technology is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, New Jersey overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Within the university’s three schools and one college, 6,900 students collaborate closely with faculty in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment. The Princeton Review lists Stevens as one of 50 “Colleges That Create Futures” in the U.S. and ranked Stevens ninth best in the nation for career placement. U.S. News & World Report ranks Stevens 69th among all U.S. universities – and among the top-25 “Most Innovative Schools.” The university also ranked eighth in the U.S. for engineering and ninth for computer science (USA Today); fourth in the nation among “Colleges That Are Worth the Money” (CNBC); and sixth in the U.S. for post-graduation salaries (Forbes). A vibrant community, Hoboken was recently named the third-best college city in the nation by Forbes in 2018, while Stevens’ campus is annually ranked among the nation’s very safest.
 
“We have valued our time in the Empire 8 and I want to thank the leadership and our colleagues for their professionalism and support,” said Russell Rogers, Stevens Director of Athletics.
 
“Stevens is thrilled to return to the MAC and build on the history that our institution has enjoyed with this elite conference. It is the right time for our athletic program to make this move. The geographic footprint of the MAC is going to have a tremendously positive impact on the experience of our student-athletes and Stevens Athletics in general. We look forward to joining this outstanding group of colleges and universities.”
 
Stevens brings 23 of its 26 varsity sports to the MAC in 2019-20. The Ducks currently have those 23 sports spread out among three conferences, including the Empire 8 (primary conference), Centennial Conference (wrestling) and United Volleyball Conference (men’s volleyball).
 
The Ducks will compete in the MAC and MAC Freedom in the following sports: baseball, field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track & field (indoor and outdoor), men’s and women’s volleyball and wrestling.
 
Stevens finished 17th in the 2017-18 Learfield Directors’ Cup and earned the program’s first-ever Empire 8 Conference Commissioner’s Cup after capturing conference titles in 10 different sports. Additionally, the Ducks earned conference titles in the United Volleyball Conference (men’s volleyball) and in the Centennial Conference (wrestling). Equally as accomplished in the classroom, 2018 graduate Thomas Burrell and rising junior Julia Panko received Academic All-America honors from College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and 10 student-athletes were tabbed Academic All-District.
 
 
About the Middle Atlantic Conferences
Located in Annville, Pa., the Middle Atlantic Conferences is an NCAA Division III conference comprised of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth (MAC Commonwealth) and Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom).
 
Its 17 member institutions, located across four states, are: Albright College (Reading, Pa.), Alvernia University (Reading, Pa.), Arcadia University (Glenside, Pa.), Delaware Valley University (Doylestown, Pa.), DeSales University (Center Valley, Pa.), Eastern University (St. Davids, Pa.), Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus (Madison, N.J.), Hood College (Frederick, Md.), King’s College (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), Lebanon Valley College (Annville, Pa.), Lycoming College (Williamsport, Pa.), Manhattanville College (Purchase, N.Y.), Messiah College (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Misericordia University (Dallas, Pa.), Stevenson University (Owings Mills, Md.), Widener University (Chester, Pa.) and Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.).

The MAC currently sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports that compete in the NCAA Division III. More than 7,700 student-athletes participate in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s volleyball and wrestling.
 
What They’re Saying at Stevens
 
Joe Favia, Head Wrestling Coach
“Our program is excited to move into the MAC. We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete with some of the top teams on the East Coast on a regular basis.”
 
Steve Gachko, Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach
“I value all the memories and relationships formed during our time in the Empire 8 and I’m excited for the next chapter to begin when we join the MAC. This shift will undoubtedly provide our student-athletes with a much more balanced college experience. Specifically, for men’s and women’s tennis, NCAA’s take place in the spring. Transitioning conference play for our women’s tennis program to the spring will better prepare us for postseason play and provide more consistency between both tennis programs.” 
 
Bobby Hurley, Head Men’s Basketball Coach
“We are very excited to be joining the MAC Freedom. It is an outstanding conference that will allow our student-athletes to compete at the highest level against strong opponents. We look forward to this opportunity for both our basketball program and the entire athletic department.”
 
Emily Kaczmarek, Head Softball Coach/Assistant Athletic Director for Administration
“This is a very exciting move for us. The MAC Freedom is an excellent fit for our program from a competitive standpoint, while providing a geographic footprint that will be highly beneficial for our student-athletes. I think the quality of life for our student-athletes will be enhanced significantly as they will now spend considerably less time on the road. Additionally, an underlying benefit to this move is the opportunity now afforded to our student-athletes to truly heighten their overall experience at Stevens by having additional time in their schedules to invest in other academic or extra-curricular areas, which will pay dividends to the entire campus community.”
 
Annie McShea, Head Women’s Volleyball Coach
“I am excited that the MAC Freedom has opened their arms to us. From the moment we heard that this was an option, we felt that it would be a great fit [for our department] from all angles. For the volleyball program specifically, this is a great move and is an exciting opportunity to continue the path that we've already created, while facing new challenges and accomplishing new goals.”
 
Jeff Parker, Head Women’s Soccer Coach
“Without a doubt this is a great step forward for the Stevens Student-Athlete. There are outstanding institutions, athletic departments and sports programs in both the MAC and Empire 8 conferences - but the proximity of the members in the Middle Atlantic Conference to Hoboken leads to countless advantages for Stevens Student-Athletes competing in the MAC. Time is a precious commodity, and this will enable our student-athletes to be better invested in design projects, group meetings and many campus activities enriching their time at Stevens. We are proud of our history in the Empire 8 and now look forward to a new beginning with the MAC.”
 
Gene Peluso, Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach
“I have a history in the MAC from my days as the Head Coach at Lycoming and I have always been impressed with the leadership and the excellent focus of the conference in regard to the student-athletes.
 
I believe our student-athletes’ quality of life just skyrocketed with this move. I believe this will allow our student-athletes to continue to have excellent success in their academics as they compete in a conference more regionally suitable. The Empire 8 is a great conference and I will miss the relationships that we built there. I feel like we are leaving one great conference and moving to another.”