BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- CSU Bakersfield men's golf has accepted an invitation to join the American Sky Conference effective spring 2012, bringing CSUB's total to 11 conference affiliated teams.
The Roadrunners will begin competition with the American Sky Conference immediately making them eligible to participate in the conference tournament at Lake of Isles at the Foxwoods Resort in Stonington Conn., April 30-May 2 where they will play for the conference's automatic qualifying spot in the NCAA Tournament.
“We're happy for our men's golf program and encouraged by the fact that CSU Bakersfield continues to attract conference partners that make sense for our teams,” said CSUB Athletic Director Jeff Konya. “The American Sky Conference gives our student-athletes yet another chance to compete for a conference title and for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.”
With the addition of CSUB, the conference will have 12 members: Sacramento State, Weber State, Seattle University, Northern Colorado, North Dakota, Binghamton, Houston Baptist, Chicago State, Hartford, Utah Valley and Texas-Pan American.
“It's very exciting and it happened very fast,” said CSUB head coach Dave Barber. “The kids are excited about it as well, it gives you a goal that the last several years we haven't had. It's something to look forward to at the end of the season when you can play in a conference tournament with the chance of advancing into the NCAA Tournament, without a conference it's very difficult to do that.”
The conference is a single sport conference that was created by bringing together the men's golf teams from the Big Sky Conference and America East Conference. The American Sky received an automatic qualifier spot in the NCAA Tournament during the September meeting of the NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.
“The institutions of the America Sky welcome California State University Bakersfield into the conference,” said Ed Grom, American Sky Commissioner. “CSU Bakersfield is a new Division I program like many of those in the America Sky, and they know how important is has been to compete for championships. Now that our conference champion advances into NCAA Regional competition, all the schools will be stepping up their programs.”
Men's golf joins CSUB Wrestling (PAC 12), Baseball (WAC 2013), Softball (Pacific Coast Softball Conference), Men's Track (Great West), Women's Track (Great West), Men's Soccer (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation), Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) and Women's Water Polo (Western Water Polo Association) as conference affiliated members.
