University of the District of Columbia Set To Join East Coast Conference As A Full Member In 2011-2012
Firebirds Set To Become Conference's Ninth Institution
Central Islip, N.Y.-The University of the District of Columbia will join the East Coast Conference as a full‐time member beginning in the 2011‐2012 academic year, Dr. Edward Guliano, Chair of the East Coast Conference President's Council announced today.
"We're pleased to welcome the University of the District of Columbia into the East Coast Conference," said Dr. Guiliano, President of New York Institute of Technology, on behalf of the ECC Council of Presidents. "UDC has displayed its dedication to building a well‐run, competitive collegiate athletic program. The ECC is committed to providing opportunities for the overall development of our student‐athletes as they compete in a growing, successful athletic conference and we feel strongly that UDC will support this mission."
The addition of the University of the District of Columbia marks the first expansion by the East Coast Conference since 2002. The ECC members agreed that the nation's capital offers great educational and cultural opportunities for the institutions and student‐athletes, as well as enhancing new athletic and recruiting options. The University of the District of Columbia Firebirds, currently an NCAA Division II Independent, have been associate members of the East Coast Conference in men's and women's tennis since 2009. The Firebirds will compete in six other ECC‐sponsored sports including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's soccer, and volleyball. The University of the District of Columbia also fields varsity women's indoor and outdoor track teams.