ROSEMONT, Pa. - The Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Board of Directors has confirmed the acceptance of The University of Valley Forge as a full member of the conference, effective July 1, 2020.
The University of Valley Forge will begin competition as a member of the CSAC beginning in the 2020-21 academic year along with Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Centenary University, Clarks Summit University, The College of St. Elizabeth, Keystone College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Rosemont College and Wilson College.
"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 University of Valley Forge, located in Phoenixville, Pa., was founded in 1939 and garnered NCAA Division III status in Fall 2016. The Patriots' primary conference affiliation is with the American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA), but currently competes in the CSAC as an associate member in the sport of baseball.
"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."
UVF currently sponsors 10 intercollegiate varsity programs (five men's, five women's) at the NCAA Division III level. The Patriots will compete in the CSAC in all 10 sports, including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, softball, baseball, men's golf and women's volleyball. The Patriots are planning to elevate men's volleyball, currently a club sport, to varsity status in the 2020-21 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."
The CSAC was founded in 1992 as the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and was rebranded as the Colonial States Athletic Conference in 2008. The CSAC will sponsor 17 men's and women's intercollegiate sports in 2019-20, including men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, softball, women's tennis, men's and women's outdoor track and field and men's golf.