/notables/2022/04/no-fooling-keystone-to-landmark

No fooling: Keystone moving to Landmark

More news about: Keystone

Beginning in 2023, Keystone will join the Landmark Conference as an associate football member, it was announced on April 1. Until that time, the Giants will continue football membership in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference. 

"Keystone College is thrilled and honored to join the Landmark Conference as an associate football member beginning in 2023," said Keystone president Tracy L. Brundage. "This will be an exciting and valuable experience for our student-athletes as we continue to build our football program in the years to come. We also wish to thank the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference for the opportunity to be a part of their conference as a new program."

D3sports.com initially broke the news on Feb. 9 that the Landmark was adding two new full member programs, giving them six football-playing schools and the ability to get an automatic bid in football.

Membership in the Landmark will enable Keystone to play more area schools, including Wilkes. The Eastern Collegiate Football Conference has members from Massachusetts and Vermont to Washington, D.C. The ECFC will be left with just five schools in 2023, as SUNY-Maritime previously announced it was moving to the NEWMAC that fall. Without a change in membership or another beneficial change in automatic qualification rules, the ECFC will lose its football automatic bid in 2025.

Currently, the Landmark and ECFC have the same commissioner, Katie Boldvich.

Keystone began football this past fall after a 70-plus year break and the program is seeking its first win.

"Our program is grateful for our experience in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference in our inaugural season and we are looking forward to competing again in the conference this fall. I am excited for the opportunity and future in the Landmark Conference, beginning in 2023," said Keystone coach Justin Higgins. "The Landmark Conference will provide regional competition on the field and help shape our recruiting. With the shifting dynamics of conferences these past few months, we felt this opportunity would provide conference stability as we continue to build our program."

Keystone athletic director Scott Gower added: "The Landmark Conference has an established history of both academic and athletic excellence. We're excited to become an associate member and for the opportunity this presents to our athletic department, our football program, and our student-athletes."

The school plays home games at the Turf Field Athletic Complex which has undergone recent renovations to include a bigger press box, additional bleacher seating, and a new scoreboard sitting on the southwest end of the complex. The field also is next to the college's new fieldhouse which includes state-of-the-art locker room facilities for a highly positive game-day environment.

Keystone's associate membership brings Landmark football sponsorship to seven institutions including full-member institutions Catholic, Juniata, Lycoming (effective 2023), Moravian, Susquehanna and Wilkes (effective 2023).

The Giants' other athletic teams will continue as members of the Colonial States Athletic Conference.

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
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