West Babylon, N.Y. - Bloomfield College and Caldwell University will join the East Coast Conference as associate members in the sport of women's bowling, ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff, announced on Wednesday morning.
 
Bloomfield  joins the ECC as the program embarks on its inaugural season during the 2018-19 campaign. Caldwell makes the move to the ECC after spending the past four seasons as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). Both schools will now be eligible for ECC weekly and postseason awards and will compete in the ECC Women's Bowling Championship.
 
Already the largest NCAA bowling conference in the country, the addition of the two New Jersey institutions brings the number of schools competing in the ECC to 13. The Bears and Cougars become the seventh and eighth associate members of the league joining Adelphi University, Chestnut Hill College, Felician University, Kutztown University, Lincoln Memorial University, and Wilmington University. Full-time ECC members Daemen College, LIU Post, Molloy College, Roberts Wesleyan College, and St. Thomas Aquinas College round out the league's bowling roster. 
 
"We are very pleased to welcome both Bloomfield College and Caldwell University as our newest associate members in the sport of Women's Bowling," said Dranoff. "Adding Bloomfield's new team, as well as an established program  such as Caldwell to our current  roster, is an exciting opportunity for the East Coast Conference."
 
Dranoff wrapped up his sentiments by saying, "We feel strongly about our contribution to the growth of NCAA Division II bowling and look forward to having Bloomfield and Caldwell participate in our 2019 championship." 
 
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About the ECC
 
Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: University of Bridgeport (Bridgeport, Conn.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); Daemen College (Amherst, N.Y.); LIU Post (Brookville, N.Y.); Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy College (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan College (Rochester, N.Y.) and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). Associate Members include: Adelphi University (Garden City, N.Y.); Bloomfield College (Bloomfield, N.J.); Caldwell University (Caldwell, N.J.); Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, Pa.); Felician University (Rutherford, N.J.), Georgian Court University (Lakewood, N.J.), Holy Family University (Philadelphia, Pa.), Kutztown University (Kutztown, Pa.), Lincoln University (Lincoln University, Pa.), Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, Tenn.), and Wilmington University (New Castle, Del.).

The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men's and women's basketball; women's bowling; men's and women's cross country; eSports; men's and women's lacrosse; softball; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track and field; men's and women's outdoor track and field; men's and women's soccer; and women's volleyball. 
 
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.
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