Mar 21, 2018 3 min read

Cheyney to leave PSAC, NCAA

Cheyney University has announced its will end its membership in the NCAA, effective at the end of the 2017-18 school year.

The nation’s oldest historically black university, Cheyney has been a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, which also includes California University, since the league was formed in 1951. The decision comes only a few months after Cheyney announced it would drop its football program.

The PSAC released the following statement:

“PSAC membership requires that all members be in good standing with the NCAA. PSAC officials have been in communication and consultation with Cheyney University President Aaron Walton and his staff throughout this deliberative process for the institution. The announcement of full withdrawal from the NCAA and PSAC was inevitable given the financial requirements of membership in the NCAA.”

PSAC commissioner Steve Murray added, “It is a sad loss for our entire PSAC family to have a charter member leave our membership. “These are difficult financial times in higher education throughout our nation and particularly in the Commonwealth, and very difficult decisions have to be made at every level.”

The reason for the decision is primarily financial as Cheyney’s enrollment has dipped to about 1,000 students in recent years.

Athletics will not completely come to an end though, just as an affiliate of the NCAA. Men’s and women’s basketball, along with volleyball, will operate either in another conference or as an independent.

“Cheyney has been a great member of our conference and we wish their administration, coaches, student-athletes and alumni well,” Murray said. “They remain the only member institution to win an NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship (1979) and they have proudly supported our conference throughout these many decades of membership.”

The PSAC Board of Directors will take formal action on the announcement from Cheyney during its annual meeting in May.

The PSAC will take time to review its membership options for the future, with every intention to return to 18 full-time members.

In college softball

The Washington & Jefferson softball team split a pair of contests in its penultimate day of its PFX Spring Games.

The Presidents held off a late rally to defeat SUNY-New Paltz 4-3 led by the effort from the top of their lineup in Clermont, Fla.

The first three batters for W&J (3-7), Rachel Johnson, Dana Parker and Ally Doty, went a combined 7-for-12 and each had an RBI. They had seven of the 12 hits for the Presidents, who opened up a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning on an RBI single from Parker that scored Brooke McCleester.

SUNY-New Paltz (3-6) was paced by leadoff hitter Katie Conrad, who had two hits.

Taylor Andres scattered six hits in her seven innings to earn the win for W&J.

In the second game, the Presidents couldn’t string hits together as they fell to Thomas (Maine) 6-2.

Eight different players had a hit – W&J had 12 as a team – but the Presidents could only score their two runs in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Thomas (3-3) then added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings to seal the victory.

Lexi Colpack led the Terriors with three hits and three RBI.

Four players for W&J had a pair of hits.

Meadows card canceled

The Meadows Racetrack & Casino canceled Wednesday’s card because of snow. Racing resumes Saturday with first post of 1:05 p.m.