West Babylon, N.Y. – The East Coast Conference announced the addition of Lincoln University as an associate member in the sports of baseball and women's soccer on Thursday afternoon. The Lions will start conference play in the two sports beginning in the 2018-19 season.
 
Lincoln, a member of the NCAA Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the oldest Division II conference in the country; has been an active Division II member since 2010.  The university was a charter member of the conference in 1912 and remained part of the CIAA until the institution dropped football in 1960.  The Lions rejoined the conference when they reinstated the football program in 2008.

"We are pleased to bring on Lincoln University as an associate member for 2018-19," said ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff. "The opportunity to help provide to this historic institution and its baseball and women's soccer student-athletes a conference affiliation was important for our ECC institutions and we look forward to working alongside President Brenda A. Allen and Director of Athletics Harry Stinson to offer a great experience for all involved."

Lincoln's Athletic Director, Harry Stinson III, added, "We are excited to join the ECC and join a great conference with institutions who excel academically and athletically. Our goal is to always provide great opportunities for our athletic teams to compete for conference championships and joining the ECC strategically positions our women's soccer and baseball teams with a great opportunity. We look forward to working with Dr. Dranoff, his staff, and the fellow institutions of the ECC."

The Lincoln women's soccer program recently completed on of its more successful seasons, winning six games with a tough independent schedule.  The team loses just three seniors from their 2017 squad. 

"We are excited to be joining the ECC,"  said Head Women's Soccer Coach  Emmanuel Awotula. " I would like to thank the President and the AD for the opportunity to be playing in the ECC, a conference that I believe is the best conference on the East Coast.  My players and I have been working toward this day for a long time and we are ready for the next chapter at Lincoln University."

Lincoln  Head Baseball coach Anthony Plá adds, ""I would like to thank Dr. Dranoff and the ECC teams for voting us in to the conference.  When our former conference dropped the sport, it was difficult for our program.  Now that we will be headed in to one of the toughest conferences and regions in Division II, we are excited for the chance to compete at that level.  I am excited to get back to the conference where it all started for me as a player and a coach.  It is an honor and a privilege for Lincoln and we are all looking forward to this new chapter as a Division II institution."

The Lions will play the 2018 baseball season as an independent.

The addition of Lincoln will increase the number of schools participating in the ECC to eight in baseball and 10 in women's soccer. With both sports previously having an odd number of teams competing, the Lions will fit seamlessly into scheduled byes on each team's conference schedule. 

The Lions are now one of ten schools that are associate members of the East Coast Conference, with seven participating in women's bowling and two in indoor track and field.