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Saint Vincent College
announced today that it will
start a football program and
apply for membership in
Division III of the National
Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) and the
Presidents' Athletic
Conference (PAC). Pending
formal acceptance by the
PAC, the new football
program will compete in the
conference beginning in the
fall of 2007. All of the
existing Bearcat men's and
women's intercollegiate
athletic teams will begin
conference play in
2006-2007.
The announcements were made
by College Vice Chancellor
and President James F. Will
following the regular
quarterly meeting of the
Saint Vincent Board of
Directors. Saint Vincent
expects to play a full
conference regular season
schedule during its
four-year provisional
membership period
(2006-2010). Saint Vincent
will complete an exploratory
year with Division III on
June 30 of this year. Its
goal is to attain full
active membership by the
2010-2011 academic year. "We
will begin provisional
membership in the NCAA's
Division III the fall of
2006," Mr. Will announced.
"We are pleased that the
presidents representing the
members of the Presidents'
Athletic Conference have
enthusiastically welcomed us
to apply for membership in
the conference."
Football will be returning
to Saint Vincent after an
absence of more than 30
years. "Many of our alumni
recall with pride the 1949
squad that defeated Emory
and Henry, 7-6, in the
Tangerine Bowl on New Year's
Day 1950," Mr. Will
remarked. "It's been 52
years since the late Coach
Al Deluca's squad --
carrying the best defensive
record in the nation and a
nine-game winning streak --
beat the Wasps from Virginia
before 10,000 fans -- a
proud moment in Saint
Vincent athletic history.
Only two college football
teams remained unbeaten
after all the bowl games
were in the history books
that year -- Saint Vincent
and Oklahoma.
While that is a cherished
memory, I have a new vision
of a sunny Saturday
afternoon in early September
2007 when a new generation
of Bearcats emerge from the
locker room and are greeted
by students and area fans
assembled around the
Pittsburgh Steelers'
practice field near Rooney
Hall against a PAC rival in
the rebirth of football at
Saint Vincent. It will make
a big difference in campus
life, boost the pride of our
alumni and provide a
wonderful new connection to
the community."
Saint Vincent will leave the
National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
after more than 50 years of
active membership. It has
competed in the NAIA's
American Mideast Conference
for the past eight years.
"We are grateful for the
long history we have enjoyed
in the NAIA and will miss
the rivalries and
relationships we have
developed but, considering
Saint Vincent College's
growth in recent years and
its ambitious goals for the
future, it is an ideal time
to make a major change that
will benefit the college and
our students," Mr. Will
said.
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