Sports

Gov. Mifflin advances to semifinals in 3A

Gov. Mifflin defeated Central Dauphin in four sets in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball tournament on Thursday to advance to the semifinals. The Mustangs (18-0) won by set scores of 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21. Gov. Mifflin, the Berks County champion, hosts Central York at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal match. The other […]

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1 month ago

May 24, 2025

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Gov. Mifflin defeated Central Dauphin in four sets in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball tournament on Thursday to advance to the semifinals.

The Mustangs (18-0) won by set scores of 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21.

Gov. Mifflin, the Berks County champion, hosts Central York at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal match. The other semifinal is Northeastern at Cumberland Valley. The championship match is Thursday.

For the Mustangs, BCIAA player of the year Angel Bermudez had 33 assists, 3 blocks, 3 kills and 7 kills, Armani George had 8 kills and 4 blocks, and Carter Weyant had 7 kills, 1 block and 9 digs.

Also for the Mustangs, Derek Kintzer had 5 kills, 4 blocks and 4 digs, and Anderson Ross had 5 kills and 2 blocks.

In the 2A tournament on Thursday, Brandywine Heights (17-3) defeated New Covenant Christian 25-7, 25-16, 25-18 in the quarterfinals.

The Bullets will play the winner of today’s Berks Catholic-York Suburban match in the semifinals on Tuesday at the higher seed.

Originally Published: May 23, 2025 at 9:11 AM EDT

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Border trio to make waves at World Aquatic Championships

Three Border water polo players are set to make waves on the international stage in two weeks when they leave to represent SA at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore. Chloe Meecham, Hannah Weppelman and Tumi Macdonell are part of the side that will represent the country from July 11 to August 3. It will […]

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8 minutes ago

June 26, 2025

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Three Border water polo players are set to make waves on the international stage in two weeks when they leave to represent SA at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore.

Chloe Meecham, Hannah Weppelman and Tumi Macdonell are part of the side that will represent the country from July 11 to August 3.

It will be a tough campaign for team SA in pool D against Spain and France, with Spain fresh from their Olympic gold win in Paris.

The SA women’s team finished 14th at World Champs last year, just two positions shy of last place. Coach Dean Whyte, who is also director of aquatics at St David’s Marist Inanda in Johannesburg, believes this year’s side has the capacity to better that — especially with the experience and work rate that the three Border stalwarts are bringing to the team.

Whyte said Meecham brings an unmatched level of experience and positivity to the side. He said Weppelman is a solid presence in the centre forward position with a tireless work rate and Macdonnell is the engine behind the team’s speed.

Whyte believes the trio’s emergence into the national side is a testament to their dedication given that player’s from provinces with more robust water polo structures, unlike in Border, have an easier time racking up the game play mileage needed to develop into strong national competitors.

Whyte said: “Our team is full of national level quality players and our strategy this year is to bring out the fight in our opponents. Where we can win, we are aiming for a win but our main goal is to get convincingly competitive margins in our games.

“Our side is young and our objective is use the World Champs this year as the foundation for further international campaigns. SA is one of the few amateur sides in the competition because we don’t have access to frequent international playing opportunities that the other teams have.

“Our facilities are limited and we don’t have huge reserves of corporate support for the sport.

“We are in a building phase but we have ladies who are keen to work hard, including Chloe, Hannah and Tumi, and prove themselves with each international competition they are in.”

Meecham is steadily inching towards a decorated career with her appearance in Singapore marking five campaigns for SA on the World Aquatic and Olympics stage. She said: “It is an honour to represent SA because no matter how many tournaments I attend; it still feels like the first time. My goal for Singapore and for the rest of my career is to play the best I can.”

Weppelman, a celebrated coach from Nelson Mandela Bay and Kingswood Junior School has been hard at work pushing through injury and illness to stay match fit and game aware.

She said: “I want us to use the World Champs as a stepping stone to keep building and improving together. I really hope we can support each other and play as one unit rather than as individuals.

Macdonell has been in the senior ranks of the national circuit since she was in high school and with a robust background in international playing she brings a wealth of experience to the set up.

She said: “My goals are just to try and learn something new at Worlds this year and for us to grow as a team. This is an incredible opportunity and I want us to make the most of it as we all work towards making the Olympics in 2028.”

The SA women’s and men’s sides will have much ground to cover to salvage the country’s reputation after the U20’s placed 19th at U20 World Aquatics in Croatia this past weekend.

The newly minted association, SA Water Polo (SAWP) believes poor performances in water polo on the international stage is a result of 20 years of maladministration in the sport by national aquatic federation, Swimming SA (SSA).

Following legal spats between the two, the Cape Town High Court ruled on June 18 that SAWP has the right apply for recognition at World Aquatics to manage water polo in SA contrary to what SSA had hoped for. SAWP members have told GO!&Express they are in the process of launching their applications and believe this is the best way forward for the sport.

Disagreeing, SSA’s Alan Fritz said: “Water polo has over the last 30 years been performing below our potential. The eco system of water polo in terms of the development continuum is fragmented and SSA has plans to address this fragmentation.

“Since readmission into world sport, 32 years ago, the base of aquatic sport, including water polo, has always been too narrow for a country with such talent. This change is an objective of SSA for many years and the need to focus on facilities has become our number one objective.”

BORDER BREAKTHROUGH: Tumi Macdonell, Chloe Meecham and Hannah Weppelman proudly represent Border Water Polo ahead of the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore. Picture: SUPPLIED

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10 Bears named to CSC Track & Field Academic All-District Team

Story Links Women’s Academic All-District Teams Men’s Academic All-District Teams HICKORY, N.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Track & Field Teams have placed a total of 10 individuals on the CSC Academic All-District Team, with five coming from the men’s side and […]

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17 minutes ago

June 26, 2025

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HICKORY, N.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Track & Field Teams have placed a total of 10 individuals on the CSC Academic All-District Team, with five coming from the men’s side and five from the women’s.

The 2025 Academic All-District® Men’s Track & Field teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track, in the field, and in the classroom.

Individuals named on the men’s side were Malachi Carter, Jacob Parkinson, Steven Phan, Isaac Riggs, and Liam Sutton. Being named on the women’s side were Elizabeth Kessler, Miranda Marr, Savannah Nippa, Damyja Ortiz, and Kimberley Owens.

Due to their combined performances on the track and in the classroom, Marr and Ortiz have been named finalists for the Academic All-American ballot, which will be announced on July 15th.

Eligible nominees were be based off TFRRS regional performance rankings at the time of nomination. Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. An undergraduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). A graduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) as both an undergraduate and a grad student unless they are in their first semester as a graduate student and don’t have an established graduate GPA. The cumulative grade point average may not be rounded up to 3.50.

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Volleyball Releases Complete 2025 Schedule

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball announced its complete 2025 schedule Thursday, as head coach Rashinda Reed enters her fourth season at the helm of the Crimson Tide. In addition to the SEC slate that was released in April, the Crimson Tide’s schedule includes two home tournaments as well as a pair of road trips to […]

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18 minutes ago

June 26, 2025

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball announced its complete 2025 schedule Thursday, as head coach Rashinda Reed enters her fourth season at the helm of the Crimson Tide.

In addition to the SEC slate that was released in April, the Crimson Tide’s schedule includes two home tournaments as well as a pair of road trips to Chattanooga and North Alabama. A midweek matchup against Wake Forest on Sept. 10 will also serve as part of the inaugural Showdown at the Net series between the SEC and the ACC.

Television broadcast information will be announced at a later date. All game dates and times are subject to change.

2025 ALABAMA VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 29 vs. UNC Asheville – 12:30 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sept. 29 vs. Jacksonville – 7 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sept. 30 vs. UAB – 3 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sept. 5 at Chattanooga – 5 p.m. CT – Chattanooga, Tenn.

Sept. 6 vs. Cincinnati – 2 p.m. CT – Chattanooga, Tenn.

Sept. 10 vs. Wake Forest (Showdown at the Net) – 5 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sept. 13 vs. Western Carolina – 1 p.m. CT – Florence, Ala.

Sept. 14 at North Alabama – TBD – Florence, Ala.

Sept. 18 vs. Memphis – 6 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sept. 20 vs. UCF – 5 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sept. 26 at Auburn – 6 p.m. CT – Auburn, Ala.

Sept. 28 at Florida – 12 p.m. CT – Gainesville, Fla.

Oct. 3 at Mississippi State – 6 p.m. CT – Starkville, Miss.

Oct. 5 vs. Texas A&M – 2 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Oct. 10 vs. LSU – 5 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Oct. 12 vs. Texas – 2 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Oct. 17 at Georgia – 6 p.m. CT – Athens, Ga.

Oct. 19 at South Carolina – TBD – Columbia, S.C.

Oct. 24 vs. Tennessee – 6 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Oct. 26 vs. Kentucky – 2 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Oct. 31 at Ole Miss – TBD – Oxford, Miss.

Nov. 5 at Arkansas – 6 p.m. CT – Fayetteville, Ark.

Nov. 7 at Oklahoma – TBD – Norman, Okla.

Nov. 14 vs. Vanderbilt – 6 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Nov. 16 vs. Missouri – 2 p.m. CT – Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Nov. 21-25 at SEC Tournament (Savannah, Ga.)

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MIAC honors winter/spring student-athletes with Academic All-Conference distinction

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Student-athletes in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) continue to achieve in both competition and the classroom. On Thursday, the MIAC announced its 2024-25 Winter and Spring Academic All-Conference honorees, including 1,418 student-athletes. Combined with the 870 fall-sport athletes honored in January, the overall total of Academic All-MIAC selections for the 2024-25 […]

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36 minutes ago

June 26, 2025

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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Student-athletes in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) continue to achieve in both competition and the classroom.

On Thursday, the MIAC announced its 2024-25 Winter and Spring Academic All-Conference honorees, including 1,418 student-athletes. Combined with the 870 fall-sport athletes honored in January, the overall total of Academic All-MIAC selections for the 2024-25 academic year sets a new Conference high of 2,288, surpassing the previous record of 2,135, established last June.

The latest Academic All-Conference list spotlights more than 1,400 examples of student-athletes achieving excellence without compromise. This is the fourth consecutive June in which the MIAC’s overall Academic All-Conference list has exceeded 2,000 student-athletes. Seven sports matched or broke their single-season records, including men’s track & field (203), baseball (168), softball (127), men’s hockey (116), women’s basketball (85), men’s swimming & diving (65), and women’s golf (49).

Additional sport totals included women’s track & field (214), women’s swimming & diving (102), women’s hockey (95), women’s tennis (66), men’s tennis (54), men’s basketball (47), and men’s golf (27). For the full 2024-25 academic year, eleven MIAC sports matched or surpassed their single-season Academic All-Conference record, while six more finished within single digits of their all-time high.

To qualify for Academic All-MIAC status, student-athletes must be sophomores, juniors, or seniors by academic standards with a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students must also complete one full-time academic year at their current institution before becoming eligible for the honor. An athlete must be a member of a MIAC-sponsored varsity sports team, be academically and athletically eligible, have utilized a season of participation per NCAA and MIAC definitions, and have remained on the sports roster through the conclusion of the sports season to be eligible for Academic All-Conference honors.

The 2024-25 MIAC Academic All-Conference honorees can be found here, listed alphabetically by sport and then by institution. To see all-time honorees, please visit the MIAC Academic All-Conference archives.

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WPVC 17 Armour Black wins AAU girls volleyball championship

When Amber McClain dove face-first into an aluminum bleacher to save one point during the championship match in the AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships, she illustrated perfectly (and dangerously) just how determined the Winter Park Volleyball Club 17 Armour Black team was to win a national title for the first time. Spectators in the […]

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37 minutes ago

June 26, 2025

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Spectators in the stands gasped when the Winter Park High rising senior leaped over a soft padded barrier to punch the ball back into the court before crashing onto the bottom-row seating. She didn’t cry. She didn’t stop. She popped back up to her feet and scurried back onto the court to help finish the point, then staggered to the bench to be attended to by an athletic trainer at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center.

“All I was thinking about was keeping the point alive,” McClain said afterward. “And keeping us on track for the national championship.”

Mission accomplished.

McClain had a battle-wound bandage on her forehead when she returned to play. She wore a big smile and later a gold medal as one of the 10 girls on WPVCs 17 Open AAU title team.

Winter Park was leading 17-12 in the second set when McClain made her crash landing. WVCA finished a 25-21, 25-20 Tuesday victory over Far Out 17 of Grand Rapids, Michigan. That secured the first AAU girls Open division championship for a club born in 2011 as a little sister to established Orlando area travel team programs such as Orlando Tampa Volleyball Academy, Top Select and Game Point Volleyball.

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WPVC 2025 17 Armour Black player Amelia Mancino, (5) spikes the ball during the AAU Girls Volleyball Nationals Tournament in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)

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WPVC, armed with five members of the Winter Park High team that won the Class 7A state championship in November, went 11-0 over four days to make history.

McClain’s fearless dive was part of a surge WPVC delivered after trailing 7-4 in Game 2. The comeback began with Winter Park High’s Amelia Mancino running off six service points — three on ace serves and three on attacks by Isabella Umpierre, another WPHS standout.

“We came in wanting to win it all and this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” Umpierre said after the championship match.

The WPVC squad started Tuesday with a 2-0 win against Illini Elite of Illinois and then scored a nail-biting 25-23, 26-24 semifinal victory against perennial power Sports Performance of Illinois. SPVB (11-1) built big leads in both sets before succumbing to WPVC’s resolve.

The Winter Park club was down 14-6 in the first set before going on a 9-1 spree that included a stuff block by Katelyn Landis (West Orange High) and crucial kills by McClain and lethal lefthander Umpierre off sets by Elle Mottola (Boone).

Sports Performance went back ahead 22-20 on two big blocks. WPVC again had the answer. Paige Lehman (Winter Park) dove for two digs that led to a kill by Umpierre, McClain scored on a quick set by Mottola, and Mancino (Winter Park) ended the game with a kill.

WPVC trailed 15-10 in the second set but chipped its way back to a 21-21 tie and went ahead 23-22 on a block by Maddey Cruse (Lake Mary Prep). A Mancino dig forced a SPVB error for a 24-22 lead and Winter Park completed its championship run with an emphatic stuff-block by Umpierre, a 5-foot-10 hitter.

Umpierre, Mancino and Mottola were selected to the 14-player tournament All-American team.

“We’re a family. To do this together is amazing,” said Mottola.

She joined WPVC as a 10-and-under player, as did Lehman and Mancino. Others signed up as the program continued its climb.

Defensive specialist Isabel Bertelsen (Winter Park) and Landis were the first off the bench for a team that includes Gwenyth Berry (Horizon) and Cassidy Flakes (West Orange).

Winter Park overcomes Kissimmee Osceola to reach 7A girls volleyball final

WPVC players who have committed to colleges are Berry (Citadel), Bertelsen (Oregon State), Cruse (Embry-Riddle), Mancino (Appalachian State), Mottola (Arizona State) and Umpierre (UC-Davis).

WPVC beat teams with better-rated prospects to take the title. They did the same while winning a USA Volleyball 17 Open qualifier tournament in Salt Lake City in April — a feat Jackson said was “a huge deal”. Next up is the USA Volleyball 17 Open national tournament, which tips off Monday and runs through July 3 in Dallas.

The WPVC 16 Armour Black team tied for fifth in the AAU 16 Open division with a 9-2 record. Jordyn Lehman, a Winter Park HIgh defensive standout heading into her junior year, was picked to the All-American team.

“Both these teams have cemented a history for WPVC,”: said Matthew Jackson, who was head coach for both the 16s and 17s. “They love to compete. And to see how they’ve bought into each other over these years has been so great.”

Jackson, a former Ocoee high player and West Orange’s head coach for the past two seasons, is leaving the Warriors and WPVC, where he has coached since 2014. After leading West Orange to a 16-5 district title season he landed an assistant coaching job at Michigan State, starting July 7.

His top assistant, Wylie Devlin, is a former Winter Park High multi-sport star who played volleyball collegiately at USF.

The Game Point 17 Rox team went 10-1 and tied for fifth in the 17 Open bracket. Its only loss was vs. Far Out 25-21, 17-25, 15-9 in a quarterfinal. Kissimmee Osceola teammates Jordin Southall and Cate Palmi joined Innovation’s Aylani Correa as standouts for the GP squad coached by Sindee Snow.

The 52nd AAU nationals continues with boys play beginning Monday and running through July 7. The WPVC 17 Armour Black boys are one of the favorites in the 17 Open competition (Monday through July 3).

Winter Park Volleyball Club seeks ‘unprecedented’ title in AAU Nationals | Varsity Weekly

Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.

Originally Published: June 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM EDT

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ASUN-UAC TO CREATE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE IN 2026

Story Links CONWAY, Ark. _ The Atlantic Sun Conference announced today a groundbreaking strategic alliance creating a consortium of two conferences (Atlantic Sun and United Athletic Conference), bringing together three Texas universities which are currently part of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with the five football-playing ASUN schools to create an all-sports […]

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41 minutes ago

June 26, 2025

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CONWAY, Ark. _ The Atlantic Sun Conference announced today a groundbreaking strategic alliance creating a consortium of two conferences (Atlantic Sun and United Athletic Conference), bringing together three Texas universities which are currently part of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with the five football-playing ASUN schools to create an all-sports United Athletic Conference beginning July 1, 2026.

The WAC announced Wednesday that Southern Utah and Utah Tech will be leaving the conference to join the Big Sky Conference, effective July 1, 2026, leaving UT Arlington, Abilene Christian and Tarleton State as the only three full members of the WAC. ACU and Tarleton State were already competing in the football-only incarnation of the UAC.

The new alliance is expected to strengthen and improve operational efficiency across both conferences and across the university campuses. It will create new growth opportunities across the southeast, and position both conferences for continued success in the future. The consortium will be led by current ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon, who will serve as its Executive Director, providing experienced leadership for this new venture. Current WAC Commissioner, Rebekah Ray, will assume a leadership role within the consortium.

“The landscape of collegiate athletics has changed rapidly in recent years, and this strategic alliance creates innovative opportunities for collaboration and increased efficiencies for all of the institutions involved,” said Matt Whiting, UCA director of athletics. “I am excited for what this means for the University of Central Arkansas and our Athletics Department as we enter a new era of college athletics.”

“As we navigate the changing world of collegiate athletics, I am excited about the opportunities presented in this strategic alliance and further strengthening our partnership and future with our current United Athletic Conference peers,” said UCA President Dr. Houston Davis. “This alliance positions the University of Central Arkansas well geographically, creating greater experiences for our student-athletes and fans.”

In 2026, the WAC will rebrand to the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which is the brand currently used to recognize the ASUN-WAC Football Alliance. This rebrand will better recognize the new membership composition of the Conference with all seven (7) UAC football-playing members housed within one conference, and the shift in geographic footprint.

The UAC will welcome new members Austin Peay State University, the University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, the University of North Alabama and the University of West Georgia. The addition of five football-playing members (identified above) will bring total UAC membership to 8 members, including 7 football-playing members along with UT Arlington.

Remaining ASUN membership will include Bellarmine University; Florida Gulf Coast University; Jacksonville University; Lipscomb University; the University of North Florida; Queens University of Charlotte, and Stetson University.

Both the ASUN and the UAC will continue to operate separate championships as independent conferences. Championship formats and locations will be determined at a later date for sports that are not already contracted. The ASUN basketball tournament will remain in Jacksonville, Fla., and the UAC basketball tournament location is to be determined.

The UAC and the ASUN will remain independent conferences, each with their own automatic qualifiers (AQ’s) for NCAA postseason play. Both conferences will also continue to meet the NCAA sport sponsorship and membership standards. Membership will continue to be a top priority for both conferences. Through the President’s leadership the Consortium will evaluate potential opportunities for growth and best alignment of Institutions.

Sport sponsorship for the conferences will be as follows:

ASUN:

• Men’s Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swim & Dive and Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field

• Women’s Sports: Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swim & Dive, Tennis, Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball

UAC:

• Men’s Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Football, Tennis and Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field

• Women’s Sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball

“As many in the media and the public have mentioned, and as many other Division I conferences have discussed, the Division I Conference membership landscape at our level has become unsustainable and confusing,” the ASUN said. “We now have conferences that stretch from coast to coast, and conference membership often consists of a mix of football and non-football playing member institutions, public and private institutions, or institutions whose geography does not align well.

“In addition, conferences and institutions are looking for ways to reduce or streamline expenses, unlock new revenue streams, forge scheduling alliances, and prepare for the modern world of intercollegiate athletics.

“Through the formation of a consortium, this alliance allows two similarly situated conferences to partner together to resolve many of these challenges at once: better aligning our membership; reducing expenses; collectively leveraging assets such as media rights; providing members of both conferences games

and home games in multiple sports; and situating both conferences for streamlined decision making.”

“This is not a merger, but a forward-thinking alliance. We are proactively building a modern structure for intercollegiate athletics that benefits everyone involved. This alliance provides great leverage for two conferences and long-term stability amongst like-minded and similarly situated institutions.”

ASUN RELEASE

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