Lackawanna set to join Division II PSAC

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced Thursday that it extended an invitation to Lackawanna College to become the conference’s 18th member.

Lackawanna intends to transition from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) to NCAA Division II in the coming years.

The move will allow Lackawanna to expand from a two-year athletics program to a four-year structure, starting with the 2026-27 school year. It could become a full-fledged NCAA member eligible to compete for championships by 2030.

Lackawanna College President Dr. Jill Murray and director of athletics Erik Larson, along with PSAC commissioner Steve Murray, unveiled a banner marking the milestone Thursday at the campus in Scranton.

“This is a transformative moment for Lackawanna College,” Murray said. “We are committed to finding innovative ways to broaden our offerings in both academics and athletics so that students of all backgrounds can pursue their dreams. Our invitation to join the PSAC is a direct result of this mission and validates the investments we’ve made in academic quality, athletic infrastructure and student-athlete success.”

Lackawanna will be the third institution nationally to transition from the NJCAA directly to NCAA Division II and the first to do so with a football program.

“This move allows us to elevate our athletics programs to new heights,” Larson said. “Our student-athletes will now compete at the highest level of NCAA Division II athletics with increased exposure, scholarship opportunities and academic support. We are honored to be welcomed into the conference.”

The PSAC, founded in 1951, currently has 17 member schools after Mercyhurst moved to Division I last fall.

In football, Lackawanna will compete in the PSAC East, and Lock Haven will move to the PSAC West, along with Cal (Pa.), Slippery Rock, IUP, Gannon, Edinboro, Clarion and Seton Hill.

Other teams in the PSAC East include Kutztown, East Stroudsburg, Bloomsburg, West Chester, Shepherd, Shippensburg and Millersville.

Mansfield and Pitt-Johnstown also are members of the PSAC but don’t field football teams.

“It is a new era in collegiate athletics, and this is a new paradigm for the PSAC as we welcome Lackawanna to the conference,” Steve Murray said. “President Jill Murray’s vision for Lackawanna College is remarkable, and we believe that the movement to a four-year athletics program and Division II supports that vision and the future of the institution. The PSAC and its member institutions are committed to making this a successful transition for the Falcons’ athletics program.”