CAPE COD, Mass. — ECAC Commissioner Rudy Keeling is pleased to announce the addition of five new members to the ECAC Lacrosse League. Air Force, Bellarmine, Denver, Ohio State and Quinnipiac will join existing members Fairfield, Hobart and Loyola to form one of the top lacrosse conferences in the country for the 2009-2010 season.

“The lacrosse world is going through a metamorphosis and the ECAC Lacrosse League has emerged stronger than ever,” said Keeling. “The combination of the teams from the ECAC and the Great Western Lacrosse League will make us one of the power lacrosse conferences in the country.”

Three of the eight teams in the newly constituted league qualified for the NCAA tournament last season: Denver, Loyola and Ohio State. Each of those teams had an RPI in the Top 25 in the final national rankings. Six of the eight teams in the new ECAC had .500 or better records last season.

“Overall, we feel it is going to continue to be a highly competitive league and we are excited for 2010,” said Keeling. “The game of lacrosse is growing rapidly across the nation, and we are excited to bring some of the western teams into the East and for those eastern teams to have a chance to play out West. It will only accelerate the growth of the sport across the country.”

In its nine-year history, the ECAC Lacrosse League has enjoyed tremendous success. League members have earned 19 NCAA Tournament bids, and more than two thirds (68%) of those berths have been at-large selections. An ECAC team has advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in seven of the league’s nine years, and in six of the last seven seasons. In 2003, the ECAC had four teams qualify for the NCAA tournament, a quarter of the 16-team field.