Article via MetroNews
Nine football-playing members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) will withdraw from the league to form a new regional all-sports conference. The new, yet to be named league, will consist of 12 schools from West Virginia and surrounding states.
MetroNews Sports has learned that presidents from the University of Charleston, Concord University, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College, Seton Hill University (located in Greensburg, Pa.), Shepherd University, West Liberty University, West Virginia State University, and West Virginia Wesleyan have contacted WVIAC commissioner Barry Blizzard to inform him of their intentions.
The move will leave the current 15 member WVIAC with six members; Alderson-Broaddus College, Bluefield State College, Davis & Elkins College, Ohio Valley University, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and Wheeling Jesuit University.
Reid Amos, Vice President of Broadcasting at West Liberty University and spokesman for the new conference, said the move was fueled by the desire to create a conference of like-minded football playing schools.
“The consensus among the leadership of the WVIAC institutions currently playing football is that it is in the best interest of their institutions to align as part of a new 12 member all-sports conference that will create increased exposure for its members across a regional footprint,” said Amos.
Reportedly, the new league is in discussion with other schools to reach 12 members.
The presidents and many of the athletic directors of the schools forming the new conference met last week and decided unanimously to break away. The plan calls for the new league to begin competition in the fall of 2013. The upcoming 2012-2013 academic year would not be affected.
The break-away schools are notifying the remaining schools in the WVIAC by mail of their intentions.
Amos says the intent is to strengthen the position of the member schools of the new league.
“Our institutions believe that a 12-team all sports conference creates a solid foundation for its membership,” Amos said. “The investment required for an all-sports league will level the playing field for all of its member institutions while positioning its members for growth.”
The WVIAC is one of the nation’s oldest collegiate athletic conferences. It was formed in 1924 and included West Virginia University and Marshall University as charter members.
The conference, which is headquartered in Princeton, underwent a significant membership change in 2006 when charter member West Virginia Tech moved to the NAIA. The league then invited the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Seton Hill University. Those two schools were the first members from outside of West Virginia since 1932 when Morehead State left the conference.
A major move took place in 1994 when the WVIAC ended a long affiliation with the NAIA to become an NCAA Division 2 member.
The withdrawal will bring to an end the annual WVIAC Basketball Championship, which is the nation’s oldest continuous post-season tournament. The event began in 1936, which predates the NCAA Tournament (1939) and the NIT (1938).
Discussion about this post