Ithaca College Athletics to Join Liberty League
John Boccacino
ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca College has been accepted into the Liberty League as the conference's newest member.
Ithaca's move to the Liberty League will occur at an effective date to be determine. , The Bombers become the conference's 11
th full-member institution and will compete in 24 of the
Liberty League's 26 championship sports except men's golf and squash.
Ithaca College, which has won 15 NCAA Division III team national championships to go with 31 individual national champions, has a rich tradition of producing student-athletes who achieve success not only in their chosen sport, but also in the classroom and the community.
That balance of academic and athletic success is a big reason why the Bombers were extended an invitation to join the Liberty League, according to
Tracy King, the conference's commissioner.
"I am excited to welcome Ithaca College as our newest Liberty League full-member institution," said King. "IC is an outstanding academic institution with a distinguished history of success as an NCAA Division III member. The addition of IC will strengthen our Liberty League membership and will enhance the competitive opportunities for our student-athletes."
According to King, the Liberty League member institutions place the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of its student-athletes' academic programs, a trait shared by Ithaca College.
Current Liberty League full members include Bard College, Clarkson University, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. Lawrence University, Skidmore College, Union College and Vassar College.
"The Liberty League is an impressive association of academic institutions with a common commitment to the educational benefits created through participation in intercollegiate competition," said
Susan Bassett '79, Ithaca's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports.
"Our entry to the Liberty League reconnects IC with some of the schools we used to compete with, and our alumni will enjoy renewing cherished rivalries. Yet, our departure from the Empire 8 is bittersweet," said Bassett. "As a founding member of the Empire 8, we have shared strong partnerships with our colleagues. We hold the Empire 8 Commissioner, Chuck Mitrano, and all of the member institutions in high regard. We look forward to continued competition with Empire 8 institutions, regardless of conference membership, for years to come."
The Liberty League sponsors championships in 26 sports – 13 each for women and men. Liberty League champions receive automatic bids to NCAA Division III championships in 16 different sports.