By Michael Kelley ’14

This past Wednesday, Loyola of Maryland joined Boston University as the second school to accept a formal invitation to the Patriot League since June. Both memberships are effective starting July 1, 2013.

Loyola, the current NCAA men’s lacrosse champions, will compete in all sports except softball, baseball, and field hockey, while Boston will contend in all sports except baseball and volleyball. Neither school has a football team.

These new additions complete the goal of ten full league members set by the Council of Presidents and league athletic directors.

“A big goal over the years has been to provide stability for the league and the best way to do that is through expansion,” Athletic Director Bruce McCutcheon said. “All the stars came together at this time.”

The process of expansion has been in the works for several years and both Loyola and Boston proved to be the right fit. Other schools that were considered for invitations were not disclosed.

“Loyola and Boston joined precisely because they’re committed to the academic and athletic mission of the Patriot League,” Chairman of the Patriot League Council of Presidents Daniel H. Weiss said. “They’re really interested in competing in the kind of way that we compete.”

Weiss, the outgoing president of Lafayette, stated that the acquisitions do not signal any kind of shift in priorities within the League.

Loyola hails from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), while Boston exits the American East Conference (AEC).

With the Naval Academy nearby, Loyola “further strengthens the league in the southern portion of our footprint,” Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich said.

In the league, spots remain to compete exclusively in football, although the desired number is unavailable.

Fordham University and Georgetown University are the two current associate members in football.