Conferences: The North Eastern Athletic Conference will welcome three new members for the 2007-08 academic year, setting the league’s membership at 10 institutions after the departure of five current members at the end of 2006-07. Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, slated to begin its first year of Division III provisional membership in 2007-08, will join Wells College and Wilson College as new members of the league. Wells, which became a coeducational institution last year, and Wilson, a women’s college, previously were members of the recently disbanded Atlantic Women’s Colleges Conference. "I am absolutely thrilled with the diversity that the new members bring to the conference," said Susan Phillip Speece, chancellor of Penn State Berks College and chair of the league’s presidents council. "While we will miss those departing members, the NEAC is alive and well, and will continue to be very strong in the future." The conference will continue to sponsor competition in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball, and also will consider adding other sports that fit the league’s new membership profile. Current NEAC members Bard College, Polytechnic University and Purchase College State University of New York are joining the Skyline Conference; Villa Julie College is joining the Capital Athletic Conference; and Chestnut Hill College is exploring reclassification to Division II.

 Sports sponsorship: Westfield State College plans to add women’s lacrosse as its 18th varsity sport next spring. The school, which has had a club program in the sport for three years, will sponsor the team as an independent during its inaugural season and as a member of the 10-school New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance beginning in 2008. "The addition of the women’s lacrosse team will enhance our intercollegiate programs and strengthen our commitment to gender equity," said Arthur Jackson, Westfield State’s vice president of student affairs. "Women’s lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the Northeast, and we look forward to our participation in NEWLA in 2008." Westfield State is filling a spot in NEWLA currently held by Western New England College, which will begin play in the Commonwealth Coast Conference in 2008.

Milestones: Rhonda Faunce collected her 400th victory in women’s volleyball when Elmira College defeated Hamilton College September 9. Faunce, who also coaches softball at Elmira, has been at the school for 18 years, during which she has coached three teams to Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship appearances.

Miscellaneous: The USA South Athletic Conference is addressing sportsmanship among student-athletes, coaches and fans with its "Got Sportsmanship!" campaign. "We clearly state what our expectations are for our coaches, our student-athletes and our spectators," said Commissioner Rita Wiggs. "We are implementing a standard for event management and procedures across the conference and pushing a strong educational program for all constituencies involved in our athletics events. Our approach will be much more coordinated among our institutions. Our overriding message is to exhibit behavior that is positive for your team — whether as a student-athlete, coach or fan." The conference, which is participating in the Division III Commissioners Association’s Fan Sportsmanship Program (see the September 11 issue of The NCAA News), established a code of spectator conduct that contains the following five elements: (1) Cheer loudly and proudly for your team, not against the opponents; (2) No profanity, vulgarity, racist or sexist remarks; (3) Show that you know the game; (4) Stay away from the playing area and team bench areas; and (5) Zero tolerance for alcohol at all contests. The code will appear on signage at both indoor and outdoor venues, in game programs, on Web sites and in student newspapers at all member institutions. "Good sportsmanship is the foundation of any quality athletics program and athletics conference," said Bob McEvoy, president of the league and athletics director at Methodist College. "While our coaches and student-athletes have been solid in this area in the past, I believe the sporting behavior of all involved will take the USA South to the next level and set us apart from many conferences in the area of good sportsmanship."