BALTIMORE – More than 10 months after making the announcement that it would join the Patriot League beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year, Loyola University Maryland will officially join the conference on Monday, July 1.
Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young also proclaimed that July 1 will be ‘Patriot League Day’ in the City.
Loyola formally joins the Patriot League along with Boston University, bringing the conference’s membership to 10: American University, Boston University, Bucknell University, Colgate University, College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Loyola, the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy.
The Greyhounds will participate in 17 League sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s indoor and outdoor track and field and women’s volleyball. The League does not sponsor a championship for men’s rowing, but Loyola will continue to row a regionally competitive schedule in the sport.
“It is an honor to join the Patriot League’s distinguished member institutions, all of which consistently demonstrate a profound commitment to excellence both in the classroom and on the field,” said Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J., Loyola’s president. “That commitment is one we share at Loyola, and we see this move as a vital opportunity to continue to elevate our already outstanding athletics programs in keeping with our goal of becoming the nation’s leading Catholic, comprehensive university.”
Jim Paquette, Loyola’s assistant vice president and director of athletics added, “Loyola athletics’ primary mission is to support the development of student-athletes who thrive academically, athletically, spiritually, and socially. The Patriot League embraces and supports those values, and we are thrilled to become partners with the league. Its members’ histories of academic and athletic excellence are impressive, and consistent not only with Loyola’s past achievements, but our future ambitions as well.”
Both BU and Loyola will be immediately eligible for Patriot League titles and NCAA Tournament berths in each of their incoming sports.
The Patriot League was formed as an all-sport conference in 1990-91 after beginning as a football only conference (Colonial League) in 1986. Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette and Lehigh were founding members of the League, and Navy joined the Patriot League for the 1991-92 academic year. Prior to the addition of BU and Loyola, American was the last full member to join the Patriot League (2001-02).
