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Centennial Conference
Established1981
AssociationNCAA
DivisionDivision III
Members11
Sports fielded24 (men's: 12; women's: 12)
RegionMid-Atlantic
HeadquartersLancaster, Pennsylvania
CommissionerSteve Ulrich
Websitecentennial.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. The institutions are renowned nationally for their traditions in higher education excellence, each with impressive academic histories. Ten of the eleven members of the Centennial Conference rank among the top 100 national liberal arts colleges (with Johns Hopkins University being the only research intensive university in the conference), and six of the members are within the top 50.

On the average, Centennial members boast of 19 varsity teams per campus which is well above the national norm. Conference members have won nine NCAA team titles: Johns Hopkins women's cross country (2012), Gettysburg women's lacrosse (2011), Haverford men's cross country (2010), Franklin & Marshall women's lacrosse (2007, 2009), Ursinus field hockey (2006), Washington men's lacrosse (1998), and Washington men's tennis (1994, 1997).

History[]

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. Those private colleges were Dickinson College, Franklin & Marshall College, Gettysburg College, Johns Hopkins University, Muhlenberg College, Swarthmore College, Ursinus College, and Western Maryland College (later renamed and now known as McDaniel College).

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, MAC. Johns Hopkins and McDaniel College both played in the Mason-Dixon Conference prior to entering the MAC in 1975.

Member schools[]

Current members[]

Institution Location Founded Enrollment Type Joined Nickname US News Ranking 2013
for Liberal Arts
Football?
Bryn Mawr College1 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 1885 1,890 Private 1992 Owls 26 No
Dickinson College Carlisle, Pennsylvania 1783 2,381 Private 1981 Red Devils 46 Yes
Franklin & Marshall College Lancaster, Pennsylvania 1787 2,104 Private 1981 Diplomats 46 Yes
Gettysburg College Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 1832 2,600 Private/Lutheran 1981 Bullets 46 Yes
Haverford College Haverford, Pennsylvania 1833 1,169 Private 1992 Fords 9 No
Johns Hopkins University2 Baltimore, Maryland 1876 4,478 Private 1981 Blue Jays 13
(National Universities)
Yes
McDaniel College Westminster, Maryland 1867 1,635 Private 1981 Green Terror 140 Yes
Muhlenberg College Allentown, Pennsylvania 1848 2,483 Private/Lutheran 1981 Mules 70 Yes
Swarthmore College Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 1864 1,525 Private 1981 Garnet 3 No
Ursinus College Collegeville, Pennsylvania 1869 1,583 Private 1981 Bears 75 Yes
Washington College Chestertown, Maryland 1782 1,450 Private 1992 Shoremen (men's)
Shorewomen (women's)
96 No
Note
  1. - Bryn Mawr is a women's college; therefore, it doesn't sponsor men's sports.
  2. - Johns Hopkins was on multiple all-sports conference affiliation membership for some sports in the University Athletic Association until the end of the 2000-01 season.

Affiliate members[]

Institution Location Founded Enrollment Type Joined Nickname US News Ranking 2013
for Liberal Arts
Primary
Conference
Centennial
Sport
Juniata College Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 1876 1,460 Private 2007 Eagles 100 Landmark football
Merchant Marine Kings Point, New York 1943 1,011 US Service Academies Mariners 3 (Regional Colleges (North)) Landmark wrestling
New York University New York City 1832 22,280 Private NYU Violets 32 (National Universities) University Athletic Association Wrestling
Moravian College Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 1742 1,495 Private 2007 Greyhounds 140 Landmark football
Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania 1858 2,200 Private/Lutheran 2010 Crusaders 124 Landmark football, women's golf
Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, New Jersey 1870 2,040 Private Ducks 75(National University) Empire 8 wrestling
Washington and Lee University Lexington, Virginia 1749 1,800 Private 1992 Generals 14 ODAC wrestling

Membership timeline[]

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Sports[]

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.

References[]

External links[]

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