Eastern confirmed what D3sports.com reported Wednesday night, that the school will be joining the Middle Atlantic Conference. It will join the MAC Freedom starting in 2008-09, continuing the exodus of schools to the league from the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.

The Eagles, who went 16-11, 10-8 in men's basketball and 3-22, 2-14 in women's this past season, join Arcadia (2007-08), Alvernia (2008-09) and Misericordia (2008-09) on the pipeline to the MAC. Wesley is leaving the league as well, joining the Capital Athletic Conference this coming season.

The move is part of the continued shuffling of conference affiliation in the Mid-Atlantic Region which started when three schools announced announced they were pulling out of the MAC for football. Those three along with five others formed the Landmark Conference for all sports except football.

Since then, Villa Julie has left the NEAC to join the CAC. SUNY-Purchase, Bard and Polytechnic are leaving the NEAC to join the Skyline. Manhattanville is leaving the Skyline to join the MAC, Merchant Marine left to join the Landmark, Stevens left the league (and the Landmark) to join the Empire 8, while Centenary is getting out of the league to join the PnAC. The PnAC is also adding Notre Dame (Md.). Keystone and Philadelphia Bible have since been announced as new conference members following Eastern's departure.

Outgoing Eastern athletic director Harry Gutelius said: "I am truly excited at the prospect of Eastern's entering competition with the (MAC) in the fall of 2008. I believe that this new affiliation offers our university the best possible opportunity for athletic competition that will be appropriately challenging, while maintaining our goal of minimizing class time missed by our student-athletes due to travel."