American East Conference Officially Welcomes UMass Lowell

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The America East Conference officially welcomes UMass Lowell on Monday, July 1, four months after the announcement that the River Hawks would be elevating their athletic programs to Division I and join the America East at Tsongas Arena on February, 14.

The America East Board of Presidents unanimously approved accepting the University of Massachusetts Lowell as a member of the conference. The move also received the unanimous support of UMass Lowell’s Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Student Government Association.

“UMass Lowell is an outstanding addition to our membership and an ideal fit for America East,” Stony Brook University President and Chairman of the America East Board of Presidents Dr. Samuel L. Stanley said. “It is a public research university within our conference’s geographic footprint that highly values academics while also excelling in athletics.”

“UMass Lowell is proud to have been chosen to join the America East Conference, not just on the basis of the strengths of our outstanding athletics programs and facilities, but also because of the university’s excellence in academics, research and vibrant campus life,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan.

With the move to America East, the 16,300-student UMass Lowell will join institutions in America East that are of similar size and are also four-year research universities, the majority of which are public. Those include the University of Maine, University of New Hampshire and University of Vermont, already fellow members of Division I Hockey East with UMass Lowell.

UMass Lowell will begin competing in 14 sports in the 2013-14 academic year, but will not be eligible for postseason play while it completes the four-year NCAA reclassification from Division II to Division I. The River Hawks will be full Division I members of America East for the 2017-18 academic year.

As a full member of America East, UMass Lowell will join the University at Albany, Binghamton University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont. In addition, Fairfield University and Providence College are associate members of America East in field hockey and volleyball, respectively.

UMass Lowell, with more than 88 degree programs in its six colleges, is ranked as one of the top 100 public universities in the nation and as a top tier national university by U.S. News & World Report. All of UMass Lowell’s peer institutions, based on similar academic and research profiles, compete at the Division I level in athletics. Enrollment at the university has increased 40 percent in the last five years, while diversity and academic credentials of students have increased dramatically. The university has broken records in each of those years for the number of students receiving diplomas, and students on athletic teams have graduated at a higher rate than those who are not over the last 10 years. UMass Lowell –with 75,000 graduates earning among the top mid-career and starting salaries in New England, according to PayScale.com -- has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation and President Obama’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for community and campus engagement.