ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its plan for Lebanon Valley College to move from the MAC Commonwealth to the MAC Freedom beginning with the 2023-24 academic year. The two conferences will realign to eight-and-eight after the departure of two MAC Freedom institutions, Lycoming College and Wilkes University.

"Lebanon Valley College's move within the conference from the MAC Commonwealth to the MAC Freedom will maintain competitive and balanced conferences that as a result will benefit our student-athletes," said Dr. James M. MacLaren, Lebanon Valley College President.

The new conference structure can be viewed below.

MAC COMMONWEALTH	MAC FREEDOM
Albright College	Arcadia University
Alvernia University	Delaware Valley University
Eastern University	DeSales University
Hood College	Fairleigh Dickinson University – Florham Campus
Messiah University	King's College
Stevenson University	Lebanon Valley College
Widener University	Misericordia University
York College	Stevens Institute of Technology

 
"The intent with this move is to balance out the conferences while prioritizing geographic proximity and being cognizant of past re-alignments," said Megan Morrison, MAC Executive Director.

The new alignment will affect 13 of the 27 sports that are split into two conferences, including baseball, men's and women's basketball, field hockey, men's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball.
 
Beginning in 2023-24, the conference tournament fields for baseball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and women's volleyball will have the top-four teams competing for their respective conference titles and NCAA automatic qualification (AQ).

ABOUT THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
Located in Annville, Pa., the Middle Atlantic Conference 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 18 member institutions, located across three 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.), Messiah University (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Misericordia University (Dallas, Pa.), Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, N.J.), Stevenson University (Owings Mills, Md.), Widener University (Chester, Pa.) and Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), and York College of Pennsylvania (York, Pa.).

The MAC currently sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports that compete in the NCAA Division III. More than 7,000 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.

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