Mountain East Conference

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The conference is an offshoot of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC), another Division II conference that had operated primarily in West Virginia since 1924. In June 2012, the nine football-playing schools in that conference announced plans to break away and form a new all-sports conference. The schools that made the initial announcement were the University of Charleston, Concord University, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College (now a university), Seton Hill University, Shepherd University, West Liberty University, West Virginia State University, and West Virginia Wesleyan College.{{cite news|url=http://www.wvmetronews.com/news.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=53329 |title=A Break Up For WVIAC |publisher=West Virginia Metro News |location=Charleston, WV |date=June 19, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2012}} All of these schools were in West Virginia, except for Seton Hill, located in Pennsylvania. According to regional media, the split was "supposedly rooted in different philosophies of progressivism",{{cite news |url=http://dailymail.com/Sports/201206240105 |title=More than meets eye in breakup of WVIAC |first=Rich |last=Stevens |newspaper=Charleston Daily Mail |location=Charleston, WV |page=1 |date=June 25, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102083014/http://dailymail.com/Sports/201206240105 |archive-date=January 2, 2013 }} and also was partially driven by a desire to expand the new conference's footprint outside West Virginia.{{cite news |url=http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/573196/Cards--Toppers-Set-To-Jump-Into-New-League.html?nav=523 |title=Cards, Toppers Set To Jump Into New League |first=Shawn |last=Rine |newspaper=The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register |location=Wheeling, WV |date=August 20, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2012 |archive-date=October 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003031915/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/573196/Cards--Toppers-Set-To-Jump-Into-New-League.html?nav=523 |url-status=dead }} The divisions in the WVIAC were also rooted in the split between public and private schools, although the departing schools included institutions of both types.{{cite news |url=http://dailymail.com/Sports/201206240105?page=2&build=cache |title=More than meets eye in breakup of WVIAC |first=Rich |last=Stevens |newspaper=Charleston Daily Mail |location=Charleston, WV |page=2 |date=June 25, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121143831/http://dailymail.com/Sports/201206240105?page=2&build=cache |archive-date=January 21, 2013 |url-status=dead }}

At the time of the original announcement, the nine schools planned to expand to at least 12 members. Before the official launch of the conference on August 20, 2012,{{cite news |url=http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/sports/headlines/UVa-Wise-Accepts-Charter-Membership-in-Mountain-East-Conference-166828466.html |title=UVa–Wise Accepts Charter Membership in Mountain East Conference |publisher=WYMT-TV |location=Hazard, KY |date=August 20, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821142309/http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/sports/headlines/UVa-Wise-Accepts-Charter-Membership-in-Mountain-East-Conference-166828466.html |archive-date=August 21, 2012 |url-status=dead }} the MEC sought to add the WVIAC's other Pennsylvania member, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; however, both Seton Hill and Pittsburgh–Johnstown chose to join the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The MEC filled out its charter membership with another West Virginia school, Wheeling Jesuit University, today known as Wheeling University; two Ohio schools, Notre Dame College and Urbana University; and the University of Virginia's College at Wise (UVA Wise), located in Southwest Virginia. Wheeling Jesuit was a WVIAC member that had been left out of the original WVIAC split. Urbana and UVA Wise were members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) in 2012–13, while Notre Dame was a Division II independent that had housed five of its 22 sports in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UVA Wise, which had previously been turned down for WVIAC membership, was transitioning from the NAIA and did not officially become an active D-II member until 2015-16; all of the other charter members were already full D-II members.

At its launch, the MEC had 11 football members, with Wheeling (then known as Wheeling Jesuit) being the only non-football school. On February 15, 2013, the NCAA accepted the MEC as its 25th D2 conference.{{cite press release|url=http://www.mountaineast.org/news/2013/5/28/GEN_0528134258.aspx |title=NCAA Adds Mountain East Conference As Newest Division II League |publisher=Mountain East Conference |date=February 15, 2013}} The 2015–16 school year was the first in which MEC teams were eligible for automatic bids to NCAA Division II championships; before then, they were eligible only for at-large bids.

In 2018, UVA Wise and the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) jointly announced on April 13 that UVA Wise would leave the MEC to join the SAC for 2019–20 and beyond.{{cite press release|url=http://www.uvawisecavs.com/news/2018/4/12/general-uva-wise-to-join-south-atlantic-conference-in-2019-20.aspx |title=UVa-Wise to Join South Atlantic Conference in 2019-20 |publisher=UVA–Wise Cavaliers |date=April 13, 2018 |access-date=July 29, 2019}} Next, Shepherd and the PSAC jointly announced on June 7 that Shepherd would join the PSAC in 2019, becoming that league's first full member outside of Pennsylvania.{{cite press release|url=http://psacsports.org/news/2018/6/7/general-shepherd-university-to-join-psac-in-2019-20.aspx |title=Shepherd University to Join PSAC in 2019–20 |publisher=Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference |date=June 7, 2018 |access-date=June 19, 2018}} The MEC would replace both members in the ensuing months. On July 5, the Mountain East Conference announced that Frostburg State University had accepted an offer of membership beginning with the 2019–20 academic year, contingent upon Frostburg State achieving active membership status in NCAA Division II (which would occur on the announced schedule).{{cite press release |date=July 5, 2018 |title=Frostburg State Set To Join Mountain East Conference |url=http://www.mountaineast.org/news/2018/7/5/general-frostburg-state-set-to-join-mountain-east-conference.aspx |type=Press release |location=Bridgeport, West Virginia |publisher=Mountain East Conference |access-date=July 5, 2018}} Finally, on August 30, the MEC announced two additional new members effective in 2019–20. Davis & Elkins College would become a full member, and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNC Pembroke) would join in five sports. UNC Pembroke began MEC competition in men's and women's indoor track & field, women's swimming & diving, and wrestling in 2019, with football following in 2020.{{cite press release |url=http://www.mountaineast.org/news/2018/8/30/general-mec-membership.aspx |title=Davis & Elkins To Join MEC; UNC Pembroke To Be Associate Member |location=Bridgeport, West Virginia |publisher=Mountain East Conference |date=August 30, 2018 |access-date=September 16, 2018}}

Multiple MEC membership changes were announced in 2020. On April 16, multi-sport associate member UNC Pembroke announced it would join Conference Carolinas (CC) effective in 2021–22. Because CC sponsors all of the non-football sports that UNCP housed in the MEC, UNCP is now an MEC member only in football.{{cite press release|url=https://conferencecarolinas.com/newmembers |title=Conference Carolinas Announces Addition of Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke |publisher=Conference Carolinas |date=April 16, 2020 |access-date=April 24, 2020}} Five days later, charter member Urbana announced it would close at the end of the 2019–20 school year.{{cite news |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200421/ohiorsquos-urbana-university-to-close-due-to-coronavirus-challenges-low-enrollment |title=Ohio's Urbana University to close due to coronavirus challenges, low enrollment |first=Jennifer |last=Smola |newspaper=The Columbus Dispatch |date=April 21, 2020 |access-date=April 24, 2020 |archive-date=October 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002073739/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200421/ohiorsquos-urbana-university-to-close-due-to-coronavirus-challenges-low-enrollment |url-status=dead }} Finally, on June 5, Alderson Broaddus University, a West Virginia school left out of the WVIAC split, announced that it would leave the G-MAC to join the MEC the following month.{{cite press release|url=https://mountaineast.org/news/2020/6/5/general-alderson-broaddus-to-join-mec.aspx |title=Alderson Broaddus to Join MEC |publisher=Mountain East Conference |date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=June 11, 2020}} However, their tenure in the MEC was short-lived, as on July 31, 2023, Alderson Broaddus' authorization to grant degrees was revoked, resulting in the immediate suspension of all athletics.{{cite news |url=https://www.wboy.com/news/barbour/alderson-broaddus-authorization-to-award-degrees-revoked/ |title=Alderson Broaddus' authorization to award degrees revoked |first=Alexandra |last=Weaver |publisher=WBOY-TV |date=July 31, 2023 |access-date=July 31, 2023 }}

In 2024, charter member Notre Dame College announced it would shut down. That same year, it was announced that Point Park University would join the conference from the NAIA River States Conference. This marked the MEC’s first member in Pennsylvania.

• 2013 – The Mountain East Conference was founded. Charter members included the University of Charleston, Concord University, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College (now Glenville State University), Notre Dame College of Ohio, Shepherd University, Urbana University, the University of Virginia's College at Wise (UVA Wise), West Liberty University, West Virginia State University, West Virginia Wesleyan College and Wheeling Jesuit University (now Wheeling University), beginning the 2013–14 academic year. Every member school (except UVA Wise, Notre Dame (Oh.) and Urbana) came from the defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).
• 2019
• UVA Wise left the MEC to join the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) after the 2018–19 academic year.
• Davis & Elkins College and Frostburg State University joined the MEC in the 2019–20 academic year.
• The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNC Pembroke) joined the MEC as an associate member for men's and women's indoor track & field, women's swimming & diving and wrestling in the 2019–20 academic year.
• 2020
• Alderson Broaddus University joined the MEC in the 2020–21 academic year.
• UNC Pembroke added football to its MEC associate membership in the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year).
• 2021 – UNC Pembroke left the MEC as an associate member for men's and women's indoor track & field, women's swimming & diving and wrestling after the 2020–21 academic year.
• 2023 – Alderson Broaddus left the MEC before the 2023–24 academic year began, as the school had suspended all athletic programs. For the 2023-2024 academic year, the Mountain East Conference announced a non-conference scheduling agreement with NCAA Division II Independent and former WVIAC member Salem University to fill in the scheduling gaps left by the Alderson Broaddus' closure. The Tigers would compete against MEC schools in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, and women’s volleyball.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-11 |title=MEC Announces 2023-24 Non-Conference Scheduling Agreement with Salem |url=https://mountaineast.org/news/2023/8/11/general-mec-announces-2023-24-non-conference-scheduling-agreement-with-salem.aspx |access-date=2023-09-19 |website=mountaineast.org |language=en}}
• 2024
• Point Park University joined the MEC in the 2024–25 academic year.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-11 |title=Mountain East Conference Extends Invitation to Point Park University

|url=https://mountaineast.org/news/2024/1/9/mountain-east-conference-extends-invitation-to-point-park-university.aspx |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=mountaineast.org |language=en}}

• Notre Dame announced it would permanently close at the end of the 2023–24 academic year.{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Conor |title=Notre Dame College to close its doors at end of spring semester |url=https://www.ideastream.org/education/2024-02-29/notre-dame-college-close-spring-semester-2024 |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=Ideastream Public Media |date=29 February 2024 |language=en}}
• Dominican University of California joined the MEC as an associate member for women's lacrosse for the 2025 seasons (2024–25 academic year). Dominican will not play regular season games against MEC member schools, but will participate in the conference women's lacrosse tournament in order for the MEC to maintain the 6 member minimum required to maintain an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II women's lacrosse tournament.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=MEC Adds Dominican University of California as Associate Member in Women's Lacrosse |url=https://mountaineast.org/news/2024/9/4/mec-adds-dominican-university-of-california-as-associate-member-in-womens-lacrosse.aspx |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=mountaineast.org |language=en}}
• Salem joined the MEC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming & diving and men's wrestling for the 2024–25 academic year. Additionally, the MEC also announced it would extend the non-conference scheduling agreement it made with Salem through the 2024–25 academic year.{{cite web|url=https://mountaineast.org/news/2024/11/1/mec-adds-salem-as-associate-member-in-wrestling-swimming.aspx|title=MEC Adds Salem as Associate Member in Wrestling, Swimming|publisher=Mountain East Conference|date=November 1, 2024|access-date=November 1, 2024}}
• 2025 – UNC Pembroke will leave the MEC as an associate member for football after the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year), thus ending its associate membership within the conference.

The Mountain East currently has 11 full members, with five being private and six being public schools. Reclassifying members listed in yellow.

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=full}}

The Mountain East currently has three associate members, one public school and two private schools:

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=assoc}}

The Mountain East had five former full members; three are private schools which left the MEC when the schools closed, while two are public schools that remain in operation.

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=former}}

Current Mountain East football associate UNC Pembroke had housed four sports in the MEC before it joined a conference that sponsored all of those sports.

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=fass}}

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:2013 till:2028

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

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id:line value:black

id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # all sports

id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # all sports except for football

id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # football only

id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # associate

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width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:Charleston (2013–present)

bar:2 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:Concord (2013–present)

bar:3 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:Fairmont State (2013–present)

bar:4 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:Glenville State (2013–present)

bar:5 color:Full from:2013 till:2024 text:Notre Dame (Oh.) (2013–2024)

bar:6 color:Full from:2013 till:2019 text:Shepherd (2013–2019)

bar:7 color:Full from:2013 till:2020 text:Urbana (2013-2020)

bar:8 color:Full from:2013 till:2019 text:UVA Wise (2013–2019)

bar:9 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:West Liberty (2013–present)

bar:10 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:West Virginia State (2013–present)

bar:11 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:West Virginia Wesleyan (2013–present)

bar:12 color:FullxF from:2013 till:2019 text:Wheeling (2013–present)

bar:12 color:Full from:2019 till:end

bar:13 color:FullxF from:2019 till:end text:Davis & Elkins (2019–present)

bar:14 color:Full from:2019 till:end text:Frostburg State (2019–present)

bar:15 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2021 text:UNC Pembroke (indoor track (M+W), swimming (W), wrestling 2019–2021; football 2020–2025)

bar:15 color:AssocF from:2021 till:2025

bar:16 color:Full from:2020 till:2023 text:Alderson Broaddus (2020–2023)

bar:17 color:FullxF from:2024 till:end text:Point Park (2024–present)

bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Dominican (CA) (lacrosse (W) 2024–present)

bar:19 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Salem (swimming (M+W), wrestling 2024–present)

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{{Font color||{{RGB|190|186|218}}| Full members (all sports) }}

{{Font color||{{RGB|141|211|199}}| Full members (non-football) }}

{{Font color||{{RGB|251|128|114}}| Associate members (football-only) }}

{{Font color||{{RGB|128|177|211}}| Associate members (other) }}

The MEC sponsored 16 sports in all, eight each for men and women, at its formation. Women's lacrosse became the 17th conference sport for the 2014–15 school year (2015 season). Men's and women's swimming and diving were added as the 18th and 19th conference sports for 2017–18, with the MEC and Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) forming a swimming and diving alliance that conducts a joint conference championship meet.{{cite press release|url=http://greatmidwestsports.com/news/2017/9/14/general-great-midwest-mountain-east-form-2018-conference-championship-event.aspx |title=Great Midwest, Mountain East Form 2018 Conference Championship Event |publisher=Great Midwest Athletic Conference |date=September 14, 2017 |access-date=July 7, 2018}} The following school year saw the MEC add acrobatics & tumbling as an official sport, two years before it was added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.{{cite press release|url=https://mountaineast.org/news/2018/4/9/general-mec-adds-acrobatics-tumbling-to-championships-offering.aspx |title=MEC Adds Acrobatics & Tumbling to Championships Offering |publisher=Mountain East Conference |date=April 9, 2018 |access-date=September 5, 2020}} The MEC was the first NCAA conference to establish acrobatics & tumbling as an official sport.{{cite press release|url=https://conferencecarolinas.com/news/2020/1/25/1_25_2020_4.aspx |title=Conference Carolinas to Sponsor Acrobatics and Tumbling in 2020-21 Athletic Year; Coker Joins as Affiliate Member in NCAA Emerging Sport |publisher=Conference Carolinas |date=January 25, 2020 |access-date=September 5, 2020 |quote=Conference Carolinas joins the Mountain East Conference as the only NCAA conferences to presently sponsor the sport.}} The most recently added sports are men's and women's indoor track & field and wrestling, which debuted in 2019–20.

{{see also|Mountain East Conference men's basketball tournament}}

Departing member in pink.

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Mountain East Conference which are played by MEC schools:

{{notelist|group=m}}

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Mountain East Conference which are played by MEC schools:

{{notelist|group=w}}

In addition to the above:

• Charleston considers its female cheerleaders (but not its male cheerleaders) to be varsity athletes.
• Glenville State considers its female cheerleaders (but not its male cheerleaders) to be varsity athletes. It also fields men's and women's teams in the non-NCAA sport of boxing.
• Wheeling fields a varsity team in the non-NCAA sport of men's rugby.
• Future member Point Park considers its cheerleaders, both male and female, and its all-female dance team to be varsity athletes. It also sponsors a varsity esports program, with men and women competing alongside and against one another.

{{Reflist}}

{{commons cat}}

• {{Official website}}

{{Mountain East Conference navbox}}

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Category:Sports leagues established in 2012

Category:2012 establishments in West Virginia

Category:Harrison County, West Virginia