About The Empire 8
The Empire 8 can trace its beginnings back to 1964 with the founding of the Independent College Athletic Conference (ICAC). At this time, the conference was made up of Alfred University, Clarkson University, Hobart College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), St. Lawrence University, and Union College. After Union left the league, Ithaca College and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) joined the ICAC.
In 1991, the ICAC regrouped to become the Empire Athletic Association (EAA). Hobart/William Smith, RPI, and St. Lawrence left in 1993, to be replaced by Elmira College, Nazareth College, and Utica College. Alfred re-joined and St. John Fisher College joined the league in 1998.
The EAA became the Empire 8 Athletic Conference in 1999, hosting 13 sports.
Stevens Institute of Technology joined as a field hockey member beginning in 2006 and became a full member in 2007. Rochester Tech announced on June 5, 2009 that it planned to leave the Empire 8 for the Liberty League beginning in the fall of the 2011-12 season. Houghton College announced that they will join the Empire 8 in the 2012-13 season as they transition from a NAIA school to NCAA Division III status, though they will be ineligible for the postseason until they become full D-III members in 2016.
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