The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has accepted three new teams – including Oswego State – as men's golf affiliates for the fall of 2017. Joining the Lakers in the Empire 8 are fellow SUNY-institutions Potsdam and Canton.
"Canton, Oswego, and Potsdam are terrific additions to our conference and we look forward to a long standing partnership," said Empire 8 and Hartwick College President Margaret Drugovich.
With the addition of Canton, Oswego and Potsdam, there will be eight men's golf teams in the E8, which will maintain the league's automatic bid to the NCAA III Men's Golf Championship. The Empire 8 received its first automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship in the 2011-12 season.
"It is a great announcement and partnership for our program," said Oswego Head Coach Mike Howard. "Now our golfers will have an opportunity to compete for a bid to the national tournament annually."
Last weekend, Oswego hosted E8-member St. John Fisher College – who has won all but three E8 Championships since its inception in 2000, including the last seven titles – in its spring invite at the Oswego Country Club. The Lakers and Cardinals were tied after one round and Fisher narrowly escaped with a two-stroke victory on Sunday.
A member conference of the NCAA's Division III, the Empire 8 has nine full members and sponsors championships in 23 sports. The member institutions of the league place the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of its student-athletes' academic programs. The membership seeks to distinguish itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the?Empire 8.
The Empire 8 can trace its beginnings back to 1964 with the founding of the Independent College Athletic Conference (ICAC). In 1991, the ICAC regrouped to become the Empire Athletic Association (EAA) and in 1999 the EAA became the Empire 8 Athletic Conference.
