Centennial Conference

Centennial Conference
Established	1981
Association	NCAA
Division	Division III
Members	11
Sports fielded	24 (men's: 12; women's: 12)
Region	Mid-Atlantic
Headquarters	Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Commissioner	Steve Ulrich
Website	centennial.org
Locations

The Centennial Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Eleven highly selective private colleges compose the Centennial Conference. Most institutions are renowned nationally for their traditions in higher education excellence, each with impressive academic histories. Six of the 11 members of the Centennial Conference rank among the top 50 national liberal arts colleges with Johns Hopkins University being the only research intensive university in the conference.

According to the Centennial Conference's web site: "On June 4, 1981, Keith Spalding, then-president of Franklin & Marshall College, made the announcement that "eight private colleges found it timely and appropriate to form a round-robin football schedule among institutions with similar attitudes and practices in intercollegiate football competition." With that statement, the Centennial Conference was born.

The conference moved from a football only conference to an all-sports conference after a 1991 feasibility study. The study also recommended to expand from eight schools to eleven. The other schools recommended were Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Washington College. Those three schools accepted and became Charter members in 1992 as the conference expanded its sports offerings.

All of the charter members defected from the Middle Atlantic Conference.

On the average, Centennial members boast of 19 varsity teams per campus which is well above the national norm. Conference members have won eight NCAA team titles: Gettysburg women's lacrosse (2011), Haverford men's cross country (2010), Franklin & Marshall women's lacrosse (2007, 2009), Ursinus field hockey (2006) and Washington men's lacrosse (1998), and Washington men's tennis (1994, 1997).

Members

Current members

Institution	Location	Founded	Enrollment	Affiliation	Joined	Nickname	US News Ranking 2012 for Liberal Arts
Bryn Mawr College	Bryn Mawr, PA	1885	1,890	Private	1992	Owls	25
Dickinson College	Carlisle, PA	1783	2,381	Private	1981	Red Devils	47
Franklin & Marshall College	Lancaster, PA	1787	2,104	Private	1981	Diplomats	42
Gettysburg College	Gettysburg, PA	1832	2,600	Private/Lutheran	1981	Bullets	47
Haverford College	Haverford, PA	1833	1,169	Private	1992	Fords	10
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, MD	1876	4,478	Private	1981	Blue Jays	13 (National Universities)
McDaniel College	Westminster, MD	1867	3,641	Private	1981	Green Terror	139
Muhlenberg College	Allentown, PA	1848	2,457	Private/Lutheran	1981	Mules	81
Swarthmore College	Swarthmore, PA	1864	1,525	Private	1981	Garnet	3
Ursinus College	Collegeville, PA	1869	1,583	Private	1981	Bears	71
Washington College	Chestertown, MD	1782	1,450	Private	1992	Shoremen, Shorewomen	110
Juniata College	Huntingdon, PA	1876	1460	Private	2007	Eagles (football only)	102
Moravian College	Bethlehem, PA	1742	1,495	Private	2007	Greyhounds (football only)	127

Teams compete in men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's track and field, wrestling, baseball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, softball and men's and women's tennis.

External links

• Official website