BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The Mountain East Conference officially welcomed Davis & Elkins and Frostburg State as its newest member institutions on Friday. Davis & Elkins was formally admitted to the MEC with the support of the Board of Directors in August of 2018, while Frostburg State was offered membership in July of 2018 and was admitted today following its acceptance into the Division II membership process.
Additionally, the MEC welcome UNC Pembroke as an associate member in women’s swimming, wrestling and men’s and women’s indoor track and field. The Braves will compete with the MEC in football beginning in the fall of 2020.
“On behalf of the Mountain East Conference we are very pleased to welcome Davis & Elkins College and Frostburg State University as full-time members of our conference and we look forward to both beginning competition this upcoming academic year,” said MEC Commissioner Reid Amos. “Both of these institutions are a tremendous fit geographically for the MEC, but more importantly, they share our values and vision regarding the role of intercollegiate athletics. We look forward to these new relationships with administrators, coaches and student-athletes, and we are excited for them to begin MEC competition in September.”Related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Davis & Elkins College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the mountain highlands of Elkins, W.Va., and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of College and Schools. With a mission to “prepare and inspire students for success and for thoughtful engagement in the world,” Davis & Elkins is leading the way to help students discover their passion in life.
D&E sponsors 22 of the 23 championship sports offered by the Mountain East Conference.
Frostburg State, located in western Maryland just 30 miles from the West Virginia border, is a public, four-year comprehensive university that has 4,725 undergraduate students and over 600 graduate/doctoral students. It is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a member of the University System of Maryland.
The Bobcats have 20 of the 23 championship sports sponsored by the MEC.
Located in the southeast North Carolina town of Pembroke, UNCP is a public, co-educational and historically American Indian liberal arts University that has more than 6,500 students, including more than 800 graduate students.
“The MEC is very pleased to welcome UNC Pembroke as its first Associate Member. A partnership with UNC Pembroke allows the MEC to further solidify the championship profile of the Mountain East. Additionally, we believe that UNCP will enhance competitiveness in our conference and that this relationship provides exposure opportunities in a region of the country in sports where having a larger geographic footprint is a manageable proposition.”
Established in 2013, the Mountain East Conference has quickly established itself as one of the top all-sports conferences in the country. In just six years, MEC institutions have produced two team NCAA Division II champions, seven national finalists and 14 semifinalists. In addition to the athletic success, the MEC recognizes over 1,500 student-athletes annually for their academic success and has had athletes win the NCAA Elite 90 Award, which honors the individual with the highest cumulative grade-point average at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships, on eight different occasions.
