Berea College to Join HCAC

BEREA , Ky. (WKYT) - Berea College announced Thursday that the athletic department has accepted an invitation to join the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) beginning in fall 2024.

“Berea College is a welcome addition to our conference.  They have an outstanding academic reputation and will compete well athletically within our league.” said HCAC Commissioner Jay Jones in a press release. “The institution is a wonderful fit for the HCAC and we are excited to welcome them into our membership.”

The HCAC is an NCAA Division III conference comprised of institutions located in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, which includes Transylvania University in Lexington. Other members include: Anderson University (Indiana), Bluffton University, Defiance College, Earlham College, Franklin College, Hanover College, Manchester University, Mount Saint Joseph University, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

“I am delighted that the HCAC presidents have voted to invite Berea College to join their conference,” President Lyle D. Roelofs said in a release. “We look forward to competing with this group of quality institutions with which we share many important characteristics and values.”

Berea’s 16 current teams compete in the Collegiate Conference of the South, which includes teams in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. The Mountaineers field teams in baseball, softball, women’s volleyball, and both men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track and field. The move will make travel easier for BC.

”Joining the Heartland is an exciting move for our athletic programs and campus community, allowing Berea the opportunity to compete athletically against institutions with a shared academic philosophy and in close proximity to our campus,” added Ryan Hess, Berea’s director of Athletics in the release. “We look forward to developing

Berea will become the 11th member school and the first institution to join the Heartland since Earlham College was added in 2010, according to Berea College. 

“I am delighted that the HCAC presidents have voted to invite Berea College to join their conference,” President Lyle D. Roelofs said in a release. 

“We look forward to competing with this group of quality institutions with which we share many important characteristics and values.” James Williams, President of Mount St. Joseph University, and current Chair of the HCAC Council of Presidents added in the media release, “Berea College is a tremendous addition to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Berea’s renowned academics, its unique approach to connecting labor and education, and its commitment to diversity will add tremendous value to the Conference. I am very excited for HCAC coaches and student athletes to have the opportunity to compete more regularly with Berea’s teams!”

The HCAC currently sponsors championships for 21 sports: baseball, football, softball, women’s volleyball and both men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and track and field.

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