NAC and NEAC partner up

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FARMINGTON – The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) and North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) have entered into a partnership by way of extending associate memberships in selected sports. The NEAC will gain associate members in the sports of baseball and women’s tennis, while the NAC will accept members for men’s tennis and women’s lacrosse.

The partnership, which impacts nearly all of the current NEAC and NAC membership, maintains conference championship opportunities for student-athletes in both geographically diverse conferences. Independently, neither conference would have been able to offer NCAA Championship access via an automatic qualifier in the aforementioned sports and this partnership makes this possible.

The University of Maine at Farmington, a member of the NAC, offers baseball and women’s lacrosse as varsity sports.

“We are very pleased with this association and opportunity for our student-athletes,” said Farmington Director of Athletics Julie Davis. “Essentially the agreement is a very positive outcome of creative thinking, problem solving and consensus building on the part of our respective commissioners. The result is improved opportunity for our student-athletes and coaches that is true to our mission. Beyond equity, it keeps the travel in balance with our academic schedules and economic realities. It really is a win-win.

In the sport of baseball, Farmington and fellow NAC members Castleton, Husson, Lyndon St. and Thomas will join the NEAC as associate members. Divisional play will begin in the spring of 2010. Each division will hold a championship and the two divisional champions will meet for a three game series to determine the conference champion. The conference championship site will rotate between the WEST (hosted at either SUNY Cobleskill or SUNYIT) and the EAST (hosted by Castleton). The NEAC will maintain the automatic qualifier they currently hold to the NCAA Division III Championship.

“We’re very excited,” said Farmington baseball coach Dick Meader. “It solidifies that the conference has an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. It’s certainly something for players in our conference to look forward to.”

Farmington (in its first season of varsity competition this spring), Green Mountain, Husson and Thomas are the initial members of NAC women’s lacrosse. Beginning in 2010, the NAC will begin a two-year waiting period to qualify for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. Castleton (currently a member of NEWLA) is expected to move their women’s lacrosse team to the NAC, coinciding with the partner AQ opportunity.

NEAC members Cazenovia, College of St. Elizabeth, Keuka, Penn. St-Abington, Wells and Wilson will join the NAC as associate members in women’s lacrosse. Medaille, a current NEAC associate member, will join the NAC as well. Divisional play will begin in the spring of 2010. Each division will hold a championship and the two divisional champions will meet for a conference champion game. The conference championship site will rotate between the EAST (hosted at either Castleton or Green Mountain) and the WEST (hosted by SUNYIT or SUNY Cobleskill).

“The partnership between the NAC and the NEAC is an exciting opportunity to grow women’s lacrosse, not only in our state, but regionally,” said Farmington women’s lacrosse coach Molly Wilkie. “It will provide current and potential student-athletes the rewards of competing at the next level.”

A similar divisional structure will begin for men’s and women’s tennis in the spring of 2010.

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