The River States Conference is the new name for the NAIA conference in which Carlow University is a member.
| Marketing and Communications | For Immediate Release |
| Drew Wilson, Director, Media Relations | March 04, 2016 |
| 412.578.2095 (phone) | |
| 412.260.6807 (cell) | |
| 412.578.2080 (fax) | |
| agwilson@carlow.edu |
KIAC Member Carlow University Now Belongs to the River StatesConference
Pittsburgh, Pa. –The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC), the oldest conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), has changed its name to the River States Conference, effective July 1, 2016.
“This is a wonderful day for theKIAC and the River States Conference as we prepare for our name change this summer and unveil our new logo,” said KIAC commissioner Scott McClure at a press conference held today. “While we look forward to a bright future as the River States Conference, we are extremely mindful of our historic past, and the roots of the KentuckyIntercollegiate Athletic Conference will forever be the foundation of our growth as a conference.”
McClure made the announcement today along with KIAC BoardPresident Joe Glover, the director of Athletics at Indiana UniversitySoutheast, at a press conference held on the Indiana school’s campus.
“This new name and branding helps lead our conference into a bright future,” said Glover. “We are in the midst of unparalleled growth and success, and this is just another step for our league.”
Carlow University, along with Point Park University, are the twoPittsburgh universities that are members of the 13-team league composed of member schools from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, andPennsylvania.
“I believe the new name is especially fitting for our conference,” saidCarlow director of Athletics, George Sliman. “It uses an appropriate central theme – the Ohio River – to unify all of the member schools.”
The Ohio River is a central figure and a key player in the development of the River States Conference name. The Ohio River flows through the center of the conference and is near many of the 13 member schools. It also passes through each of the five states featured in the membership and forms the southern border of Ohio and Indiana, the northern board of Kentucky and the western border of the West Virginia.
The Ohio River has its origin in Pittsburgh, Pa., just blocks from the campuses of Point Park (Pa.) University and Carlow (Pa.) University. It continues on all the way to the western border of the conference near Brescia (Ky.) University in Owensboro, Ky., and beyond.
The introduction of the River States Conference and the associated logo is the culmination of a four-year process that began in 2012. Over the last four years, the conference has undergone several changes in membership.
And after a process that included input from presidents, athletic directors, coaches, sports information directors and student-athletes, the conference has put forward a new name that unifies member schools under the river that runs through them and reflects the geographical layout that spans five different states. With that goal in mind, the River States Conference is born.
For more information about theKIAC – now River States Conference – please contact KIAC and Point ParkUniversity Sports Information Director Kevin Taylor at ktaylor@pointpark.edu or by phone at(724) 549-3427.
### About CarlowUniversity
Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carlow University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929. Offering both undergraduate and graduate programs, Carlow University is a comprehensive master’s institution dedicated to learner-centered education at the collegiate levels and at the elementary school level in the Campus School of Carlow University.