Sept. 18, 2008

Garden City, N.Y. - The Northeast Conference has announced the formation of a women's bowling league that will begin intercollegiate competition this upcoming November. The newly-established bowling conference encompasses seven institutions, including Adelphi University.

Fairleigh Dickinson, St. Francis (NY), Sacred Heart, and Long Island will welcome three associate members - Saint Peter's, Adelphi, and Kutztown - into the league for its inaugural 2008-09 season. Five of the seven institutions, excluding Long Island and Kutztown, formerly competed in the North East Women's Collegiate Bowling Conference. Two programs in their infancy, Kutztown was unattached during the 2007-08 season, its first as a program, and Long Island recently founded its program this past winter.

After deeming women's bowling an emerging sport in 1994, the NCAA elevated it to championship status in 2003. Since then, membership has grown and five NCAA team champions have been crowned.

"The NEC is excited to play a role in the growth of women's bowling," commented NEC Commissioner Brenda Weare. "The institutions that comprise our league have a strong history of success, highlighted by a national championship. We are proud to provide more opportunity for these teams as well as student-athletes across the NEC."

Set to make bowling the 22nd sport it sponsors, the Northeast Conference, which enters its 28th year as a Division I athletic league, instantaneously becomes a national leader in the sport due to the prior accomplishments of its distinguished membership. Farleigh Dickinson is only two years removed from its NCAA National Championship. Sacred Heart is the defending ECAC champion with Adelphi claiming the runner-up position at the prestigious championship meet. The three aforementioned programs along with St. Francis (NY) were amongst the nation's top teams last season according to the National Ten Pin Coaches' Association Poll.

The NEC's season will run from November into March, culminating with the conference championship meet at pre-determined host Fairleigh Dickinson. Prior to the NEC championships, which are tentatively scheduled for March 19-22, the league will sponsor regular season play, which will follow a modified round robin format.