Monmouth and Quinnipiac will join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference — leaving the Northeast Conference — and will begin play in the MAAC in the 2013-14 season.
The MAAC, which has been a 10-member league since 1997, will grow to 11 teams, with Loyola (Md.) leaving for the Patriot League, while the NEC will shrink to 10 schools. The odd-numbered conference may still extend another invitation, with Wagner being floated as a potential candidate.
“Monmouth is flattered by the invitation to join the MAAC. I thank the Council of Presidents for having confidence in us,” Monmouth president Paul C. Gaffney said in a statement released yesterday. “While we have enjoyed our relationships with the NEC member institutions and our successes on the field, Monmouth is pleased with the opportunity to aim for new goals. There is little doubt that Monmouth and our NEC friends will find ways to continue valuable competitions.
“I look forward to working closely with new colleagues in the continual advancement of our new home conference.”
Quinnipiac, slated to announce its departure at a press conference today, becomes the second member of the MAAC from Connecticut, joining Fairfield, while Monmouth will become the third school from New Jersey to join the conference.
“This morning, I was informed by the presidents of Monmouth University and Quinnipiac University of their decision to withdraw from the Northeast Conference as of June 30, 2013,” NEC commissioner Noreen Morris said. “We are now the 25th Division I conference to be impacted by the wave of conference realignment.”