Juniata Magazine

Landmark Decision

Juniata Joins New Athletic Conference to Improve Competition, Recruitment

Next fall, Juniata will start competing in a new athletic conference, the Landmark Conference. For the College, the decision to switch conferences is truly a landmark because all eight conference members have similar academic missions and admissions standards. This means that all student-athletes within the conference compete on a level playing field.

In the past, Juniata competed against colleges and universities that recruited from a much larger pool of athletes made possible by lower admissions standards. In the new conference, every member college has dedicated itself to academic excellence while maintaining athletic competition as an integral part of the undergraduate experience.

Juniata's move helps the College recruit in New Jersey, New York, the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metroplex, and parts of other states such as Connecticut and Delaware. Increased geographical diversity does not apply only to athletics. The new conference will increase Juniata's public profile in those states, giving the College a leg up in recruiting more of the country's best students. The same issues inspired Juniata's move to the Centennial Conference, where the College starts competing in football this fall.

"We have a very active alumni base in the Washington, D.C. area and we would like to expand our presence and programming in those areas and in the New York-New Jersey areas. Having the athletic conference in those areas will help our alumni play a bigger role in recruiting, not only athletes but non-athletes as well," says Bub Parker '91, director of alumni relations.

The new conference also will provide each college and university with landmark opportunities to collaborate on academic programs. Some proposed ideas include creating an undergraduate research conference, sharing faculty projects and academic programs, and expanding existing programs (such as Juniata's Science in Motion) beyond state borders.