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Chapman University Welcomed as the Ninth Member of the SCIAC
Los Angeles, Calif. – It was announced
today that Chapman University has been accepted as the ninth member
of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(SCIAC), beginning with the 2011-12 academic year. The
addition of Chapman marks the first expansion of
the conference since California Lutheran University joined in
1991.
“The SCIAC is thrilled to welcome Chapman University into
the conference,” stated Lorin Huffman, SCIAC Executive
Director. “The outstanding academic, athletic, and
leadership qualities at Chapman provide an excellent fit with the
current membership and the league’s long tradition of
excellence in academics and athletics.”
The SCIAC Presidents Council unanimously approved the membership
invitation that was formally extended on May 6. Dr. James L.
Doti, President of Chapman University, accepted the invitation on
behalf of the institution. “We accept with a great deal
of pride this invitation to join SCIAC – we believe that
Chapman can be highly competitive in the conference, and we greatly
look forward to membership in this exemplary athletic
association.”
Throughout the application process, which was initiated in the
fall, the governing bodies of the SCIAC solicited feedback from all
constituent groups including presidents, athletic administrators,
faculty, coaches, and student-athletes.
“The acceptance of Chapman is a major milestone for the
SCIAC,” said Huffman. “This decision will enhance
the league and its member institutions, and we look forward to a
long and successful relationship promoting Division III athletics
in Southern California.”
David Currey, Chapman’s director of athletics, who oversaw
the program's transition to the Division III level in 1994, was
delighted to receive the invitation. “This is a
historic day in the life of our intercollegiate athletics program
at Chapman.”
Membership will take effect on July 1, 2011, and in its first
year, Chapman will be ineligible to qualify for league
championships. During the transition period, the Panthers
will be eligible to qualify for at-large bids into NCAA
Championships.
The SCIAC currently conducts championship competition in twenty
sports (10 women and 10 men) and will increase sport sponsorship to
twenty-one with the addition of Women’s Golf next year.
Chapman offers varsity programs in seventeen of those sports (8 men
and 9 women) and over the course of the next five years will be
expected to add varsity intercollegiate programs in men’s
track and field, men’s swimming and diving, women’s
lacrosse, and women’s golf.
The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was
established in 1915. The league is currently comprised of eight
private colleges and universities in Southern California including
California Institute of Technology, California Lutheran University,
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, University of La Verne, Occidental
College, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, University of Redlands, and
Whittier College.
For more information on the SCIAC, please visit http://www.thesciac.org
For more information on Chapman University, please visit http://www.chapman.edu/
