Empire 8

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Empire 8
E8
Empire 8 logo
Established1964
AssociationNCAA
DivisionDivision III
Members13 (9 full, 10 in 2022, 4 associate)
Sports fielded
  • 22
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 11
RegionNew York
Former namesIndependent College Athletic Conference (1964–1991)
Empire Athletic Association (1991–1999)
HeadquartersRochester, New York
CommissionerChuck Mitrano (since 2001)
Websitewww.empire8.com
Locations
Empire 8 locations

The Empire 8 (E8) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. The E8 sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, men's football, men's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and women's volleyball. The E8 shares offices with the United Volleyball Conference, a separate Division III league that competes solely in men's volleyball.

About the Empire 8[]

The Empire 8 can trace its beginnings back to 1964 with the founding of the Independent College Athletic Conference (ICAC). At this time, the conference was made up of Alfred University, Clarkson University, Hobart College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), St. Lawrence University, and Union College. After Union left the league, Ithaca College and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) joined the ICAC.

In 1991, the ICAC regrouped to become the Empire Athletic Association (EAA), with Clarkson leaving and Hartwick College joining to replace the spot. Hobart/William Smith, RPI, and St. Lawrence left in 1993, to be replaced by Elmira College, Nazareth College, and Utica College. Alfred re-joined and St. John Fisher College joined the league in 1998.

The EAA became the Empire 8 Athletic Conference in 1999, hosting 13 sports.

Stevens Institute of Technology joined as a field hockey member beginning in 2006 and became a full member in 2007. RIT announced on June 5, 2009 that it planned to leave the Empire 8 for the Liberty League beginning in the fall of the 2011–12 season. Houghton College also announced that they would join the Empire 8 in the 2012–13 season as they transitioned from a NAIA school to NCAA Division III status; they became full D-III members in 2016.

The most recent changes to the conference's membership were published in the 2018–19 school year. First, Stevens announced in August 2018 that it would leave the E8 at the end of the 2018–19 school year to rejoin the Middle Atlantic Conferences after an absence of more than 40 years. Stevens joined the MAC's Freedom Conference.[1] In January 2019, the E8 reported that Stevens would eventually be replaced by Keuka College in 2020–21,[2] and in March, The Sage Colleges merged Russell Sage College and Sage College of Albany, effectively making the former women-only Russell Sage co-educational in fall 2020.[3]

On July 15, 2020, the Empire 8 postponed all fall sports, but provided conference championships in those sports in spring 2021.[4] On August 26, 2021, Medaille posted its admission to the E8 in 2022–23 from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.[5]

Member schools[]

Current members[]

Full member institutions are listed immediately below.

Empire 8 Conference
Locations of Empire 8 members, 2021-2022 Blue pog.svg full member Orange pog.svg affiliate member Green pog.svg future member (joining in 2022)
Institution Location Nickname Founded Type Enrollment Joined Football?
Alfred University Alfred, New York Saxons 1836 Private 2,189 1964,
1998
Yes
Elmira College Elmira, New York Soaring Eagles 1855 Private 768 1993 No
Hartwick College Oneonta, New York Hawks 1797 Private 1,208 1991 Yes
Houghton College Houghton, New York Highlanders 1883 Private 927 2012 No
Keuka College Keuka Park, New York Wolves 1890 Private 1,535 2020 No
Nazareth College Pittsford, New York Golden Flyers 1924 Private 2,791 1993 No
Russell Sage College Albany and Troy, New York Gators 1916 Private 2,389 2017 No
St. John Fisher College Rochester, New York Cardinals 1948 Private 3,610 1998 Yes
Utica College Utica, New York Pioneers 1946 Private 4,614 1993 Yes

Affiliate members[]

Institution Location Nickname Founded Type Enrollment Joined Primary conference Empire 8 sport
State University of New York at Brockport Brockport, New York Golden Eagles 1867 Public 7,592 2014–15 SUNYAC football
State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, New York Red Dragons 1868 Public 6,832 2015–16 SUNYAC football
State University of New York at Morrisville Morrisville, New York Mustangs 1908 Public 2,486 2015–16 NEAC football
Washington & Jefferson College Washington, Pennsylvania Presidents 1781 Private 1,168 2002–03 Presidents' field hockey

Future member[]

Institution Location Nickname Founded Type Enrollment Joining Current conference
Medaille College Buffalo, New York Mavericks 1937 Private 3,925 2022 AMCC

Former members[]

Institution Location Nickname Founded Type Enrollment Joined Left Current conference
Clarkson University Potsdam, New York Golden Knights 1896 Private 3,539 1964 1991 Liberty
Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, New York Statesmen (Hobart)
Herons (William Smith)
1822 (Hobart)
1908 (William Smith)
Private 2,118 1964 1993 Liberty
Ithaca College Ithaca, New York Bombers 1892 Private 6,800 1971 2017 Liberty
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York Engineers 1824 Private 7,521 1964 1993 Liberty
Rochester Institute of Technology Henrietta, New York Tigers 1829 Private 17,652 1971 2011 Liberty
The Sage Colleges
Sage College of Albany (co-ed)
Albany, New York Gators 1949 Private 1,600 2017 2020 None (Merged into
Russell Sage College)
St. Lawrence University Canton, New York Saints 1856 Private 2,431 1964 1993 Liberty
Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, New Jersey Ducks 1870 Private 5,260 2007 2019 MAC Freedom
Union College Schenectady, New York Dutchmen (men's)
Dutchwomen (women's)
1795 Private 2,194 1964 1971 Liberty

Former affiliate members[]

Institution Location Nickname Founded Type Enrollment Joined Left Primary conference Empire 8 sport
Buffalo State College Buffalo, New York Bengals 1871 Public 8,339 2012–13 2018-19 SUNYAC football
Frostburg State University Frostburg, Maryland Bobcats 1898 Public 6,133 2011–12 2015–16 MEC
(DII)
football
Salisbury University Salisbury, Maryland Sea Gulls 1925 Public 8,606 2011–12 2015–16 C2C football
Springfield College[6] Springfield, Massachusetts Pride 1885 Private 5,062 2002–03 2011–12 NEWMAC football

Membership timeline[]

Medaille CollegeKeuka CollegeSage College of AlbanyRussell Sage CollegeHoughton CollegeStevens Institute of TechnologySt. John Fisher CollegeUtica CollegeNazareth College (New York)Elmira CollegeHartwick CollegeRochester Institute of TechnologyIthaca CollegeUnion CollegeSt. Lawrence UniversityRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteHobart and William Smith CollegesClarkson UniversityAlfred University

Championships[]

References[]

  1. ^ "MAC Welcomes Stevens Institute of Technology Back in 2019-20" (Press release). Middle Atlantic Conferences. August 15, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  2. ^ "Keuka College to Join the Empire 8 Conference Beginning in the Fall of 2020" (Press release). Empire 8 Conference. January 30, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  3. ^ De Sacio, Mike (March 8, 2019). "Sage Colleges will become one co-ed college with campuses in Troy and Albany". Albany Business Review. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "Empire 8 Conference Announces Postponement of Fall Sports". July 15, 2020.
  5. ^ "Medaille College to Join Empire 8 NCAA Division III Conference as Tenth Member in Fall 2022". Medaille College Office of Communications. August 26, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  6. ^ "Springfield College To Join The Liberty League As Associate Member in Football". Springfield College Pride. February 5, 2010. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010.

External links[]

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