Overview
Originating in 1951 to administer and promote intercollegiate athletics, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has evolved into one of the NCAA's most heralded conferences.
The first major advancement came in 1977, when based on a growing interest, the league reorganized to provide a structure for its women's programs. Only three years later, lacking a standard competitive division, the league voted to reclassify the entire conference to NCAA Division II.
In a groundbreaking move for the league, Shepherd University joined the PSAC in 2019-20, expanding its membership to 18 institutions. Located in northeast West Virginia, Shepherd became the PSAC's first full-time member outside of the Commonwealth. Now with 17 members, the PSAC remains the largest conference in Division II and offers championship opportunities in 23 sports, which ranks fourth among Division II Conferences.
Highly competitive on a regional and national level, PSAC schools annually combine to send nearly one-third of its teams into NCAA postseason play. Ultimately, the membership's success has yielded 59 NCAA team and 307 individual title winners.
While proud of its athletic accomplishments, the league also has evolved into one of Division II's finest from an academic standpoint. In 2023-24, 4,037 of the league's student-athletes were honored as "Scholar-Athletes" for maintaining a grade-point average of 3.25 or better. That total represents a number that is four times higher than when PSAC Scholar-Athletes were first recognized in the mid-1990s.
PSAC membership has undergone significant changes over the last 20 years. In addition to adding Shepherd, the conference experienced expansion on two other recent occasions. Gannon and Mercyhurst Universities joined the league in 2008 while the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown and Seton Hill University became members in 2013.
Although all 17 current institutions are members of Division II, four conference schools also compete at the Division I level in select sports. PSAC schools enroll over 110,000 students and claim approximately one million alumni, including over 560,000 who reside in Pennsylvania.
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Champions
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East Stroudsburg University Warriors NCAA Div II Field Hockey Club
1× champions
East Stroudsburg, PA