St. Andrews Approved For Membership in AAC

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The Appalachian Athletic Conference Council of Presidents voted unanimously Thursday to extend an invitation to membership effective 2012-13 to St. Andrews University, AAC Commissioner John Sullivan announced. St. Andrews' memberships is contingent upon being accepted into membership in the NAIA, which will be addressed by the NAIA Council of Presidents in April 2012.

"We are delighted to welcome St. Andrews University to the Appalachian Athletic Conference," said Sullivan. "St. Andrews brings strong leadership and a well-balanced athletic program to our league. We believe St. Andrews will be a good fit for the AAC with its emphasis on the primacy of the education program while recognizing the important role that intercollegiate athletics plays in the mission of the university."

St. Andrews is located in Laurinburg, N.C., and is affiliated with the Presbyterian church. St. Andrews used to be in the NAIA, but for the past 16 years, the Knights have competed in the Conference Carolinas of NCAA Division II.

"On behalf of St. Andrews University, I want to thank the member schools of the Appalachian Athletic Conference for voting us into membership," said Glenn Batten, the Director of Athletics and Dean of Students at St. Andrews. "It is obvious that the conference schools share an interest in helping young people do well in the classroom and on the field of competition. Like St. Andrews, schools in the AAC are committed to providing students with athletic opportunities in which the development of character is a critical component. My coaches and I are looking forward to spirited competition and warm collegiality - both hallmarks of the Conference."

St. Andrews competes in 14 intercollegiate athletic programs. The sports it sponsors are: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling.

St. Andrews, a branch of Webber International University located in Babson Park, Fla., is a student and teaching-focused university. It offers a broad range of undergraduate liberal arts and sciences majors, to both traditional residential students and adult learners, in a curriculum that is global in scope and practical in its application. The quality of the St. Andrews educational experience has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and GI Jobs among others.

In addition to its many academic programs, St. Andrews has an acclaimed university press, a nationally competitive equestrian program, opportunities for international study, and an award-winning pipe band.

For more information about St. Andrews, visit its school website at www.sapc.edu.