University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Pitt Johnstown to Join WVIAC
Pitt Johnstown to Join West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC)
03/08/06...The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Seton Hill University have accepted invitations to become members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC). Each school will become an official league member on July 1, 2006 and will be added into WVIAC schedules for the 2007-08 academic year.
The Pennsylvania-based schools become the first WVIAC members from outside of the Mountain State since Morehead State (KY) departed the conference in 1933. The WVIAC will become the largest conference in the NCAA Division II ranks next season with 16 members.
Pitt Johnstown was founded in 1927 as one of the first regional campuses of a major university in the United States. The wooded 650-acre campus in Richland Township, a suburb of Johnstown, opened in 1967. UPJ fields 11 varsity sports teams. The school's teams are known as the Mountain Cats.
The Mountain Cats have received acclaim for nationally renowned wrestling and basketball programs. The wrestling program under West Liberty State alumnus Pat Pecora has claimed 19 NCAA Division II East Region wrestling championships. Pitt Johnstown boasts the third-highest winning percentage (.789) in Division II women's basketball history. The men's basketball team has been a fixture in regional rankings during recent seasons. Baseball and volleyball also have provided consistent winners.
Seton Hill, chartered in 1918, is a coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The university offers more than 30 undergraduate programs and eight graduate programs, including an MBA. Seton Hill will field 21 intercollegiate athletic teams during the 2006-07 academic year. The school's teams are known as the Griffins.
The Griffins will compete in 15 of the WVIAC's 16 championship sports. SHU has recently opened some of the finest athletic facilities in the region. The sparkling Salvitti Gymnasium debuted this past season, while the baseball, soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse teams utilize a new on-campus facility with artificial turf. The Griffin women's soccer team compiled a 16-2-2 mark this past fall, while the volleyball team finished 27-9. Both basketball squads enjoyed 20-win seasons in 2004-05.
UPJ is currently an NCAA Division II independent, while Seton Hill is a member of the NAIA's America Mideast Conference.
Each school's athletes will be eligible for WVIAC weekly and seasonal awards in 2006-07. Pitt Johnstown will be eligible for conference championships in 2007-08. Seton Hill will be eligible for WVIAC championships concurrent with the institution's NCAA championship eligibility.
The WVIAC, which is celebrating its 82nd season in existence, has been a member conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II since 1995. The league will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of women's athletics within the WVIAC in the 2006-07 academic year.
2006-07 members of the WVIAC along with the expansion newcomers include: Alderson-Broaddus College, Bluefield State College, the University of Charleston, Concord University, Davis & Elkins College, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College, Ohio Valley University, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Salem International University, Seton Hill University, Shepherd University, West Liberty State College, West Virginia State University, West Virginia Wesleyan College, and Wheeling Jesuit University.