The Empire 8 will have eight teams competing for its football championship beginning in 2011 after adding Frostburg State and Salisbury as associate members in the sport.

The league will retain automatic qualification for the Division III Football Championship with the additions. Norwich recently departed the conference to play in the newly formed Eastern Collegiate Football Conference.

The two new members, which are expected to play a partial Empire 8 schedule during 2010, join five multisport league members and associate member Springfield.

“These are two outstanding universities and we are honored to add them to the Empire 8,” said Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “The addition of these fine institutions further enhances us as one of the premier Division III football conferences.”

The Maryland schools join football-playing league members in New York and Massachusetts.

“This is an enormous honor to be invited to join the Empire 8 football conference,” said Frostburg State President Jonathan Gibralter. “This will provide a level of competition in an outstanding conference that will benefit Frostburg State University and be a true asset to our student-athletes.”

As with Frostburg State, the move will give Salisbury the opportunity to play a conference schedule in football as student-athletes compete for regular-season and postseason league honors.

“This affiliation will provide our football student-athletes the opportunity to have a full conference schedule and to compete against some of the finest Division III institutions and football programs in the nation,” said Michael Vienna, Salisbury director of athletics.