ALFRED —The Empire 8 athletic conference announces the addition of two affiliate members for the sport of football, which will result in the conference champion being awarded an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III football playoffs.

Chuck Mitrano, commissioner of the Empire 8, said Norwich (VT) University and Springfield (MA) College will join the conference, for football only, effective July 1, 2004.

The addition of Norwich and Springfield brings to seven the total number of football-playing schools in the Empire 8, the minimum a conference must have to be awarded an automatic NCAA bid. The conference champion will earn a bid to the NCAAs beginning in the 2004 season.

Norwich University and Springfield College both are current members of the Freedom Football Conference (FFC). Norwich has been a member of the FFC since 1992 and last season compiled a 7-3 record. Springfield has been an FFC member since 1995 and in six years has won three conference crowns. The pride won 11 games last year and made it to the regional finals of the NCAAs.

"We are pleased to welcome Norwich and Springfield to our football conference," Mitrano commented. "They are committed to academics and quality competition for their student-athletes, both pillars of the Empire 8. We feel this will have a positive impact on our conference as a whole."

Currently, five Empire 8 schools sponsor football: Alfred University, Hartwick College, Ithaca College, St. John Fisher College and Utica College. Conference members that don’t sponsor football include Elmira College, Nazareth College and RIT.