NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The United States Collegiate Athletic Association and its Board of Directors have announced the addition of two new full members for the 2015-16 academic year; Villa Maria College and Wright State University-Lake Campus.
“We are thrilled with the addition of Villa Maria College and Wright State-Lake Campus to the association,” states USCAA Executive Director Matthew Simms. “Each institution is a great fit for the organization with competitive nature and long term buy in to the USCAA mission. We look forward to providing first class post season opportunity and student athlete recognition to each institution for many years to come."
A private, Catholic college, Villa Maria will begin competing in intercollegiate athletics in the fall of 2015. The Buffalo, New York school will begin its first athletics campaign by offering men’s and women’s soccer and basketball.
Villa Maria’s Athletic Director Don Silveri was hired back in February to kick start Villa Maria’s athletic program after serving as a Head Men’s Basketball Coach of USCAA member, Daemen College.
“Villa Maria College is extremely excited about being accepted as a full member of the USCAA,” states Silveri. “We feel that the USCAA is a great fit for our athletic program. We look forward to competing in 2015-16 in men’s and women's basketball and adding men’s and women's soccer and various other sports in 2016-17.”
Wright State University-Lake Campus
Wright State University-Lake Campus joins the USCAA as a member of the Ohio Regional Campus Conference (ORCC). Wright State University-Lake Campus is located in Celina, Ohio and offers varsity Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, and Baseball.
The primary aim of the Wright State University-Lake Campus program of intercollegiate athletics is to promote and provide a variety of opportunities for men and women to participate in advanced levels of competition with students from other colleges and universities. This philosophy aligns perfectly with the mission of the USCAA.
"Overall, the Athletic programs at the Lake Campus are very strong and are currently in a very good position to continue to strengthen,” states Trent Kline, Coordinator of Housing and Athletics at the Lake Campus. "In assessing the current status of the athletic programs at the Lake Campus and, as Wright State and the Lake Campus embark on a Capital Campaign to support strategic initiatives that include growth in athletics, we plan to solidify the future of Wright State–Lake Campus Athletics and are excited about the opportunity to compete at a higher level.”
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is a national organization that exists to provide quality athletic competition on a regional and national level. The USCAA focuses specifically on smaller institutions of higher learning and their student-athletes. The association believes that all athletes and programs deserve the same national opportunities as larger institutions.
VILLA MARIA COLLEGE
WRIGHT STATE LAKE CAMPUS