West Babylon, N.Y. - Bloomfield College and Caldwell University will join the East Coast Conference as associate members in the sport of women's bowling, ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff, announced on Wednesday morning.

Bloomfield joins the ECC as the program embarks on its inaugural season during the 2018-19 campaign. Caldwell makes the move to the ECC after spending the past four seasons as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). Both schools will now be eligible for ECC weekly and postseason awards and will compete in the ECC Women's Bowling Championship.

Already the largest NCAA bowling conference in the country, the addition of the two New Jersey institutions brings the number of schools competing in the ECC to 13. The Bears and Cougars become the seventh and eighth associate members of the league joining Adelphi University, Chestnut Hill College, Felician University, Kutztown University, Lincoln Memorial University, and Wilmington University. Full-time ECC members Daemen College, LIU Post, Molloy College, Roberts Wesleyan College, and St. Thomas Aquinas College round out the league's bowling roster.

"We are very pleased to welcome both Bloomfield College and Caldwell University as our newest associate members in the sport of Women's Bowling," said Dranoff. "Adding Bloomfield's new team, as well as an established program such as Caldwell to our current roster, is an exciting opportunity for the East Coast Conference."

Dranoff wrapped up his sentiments by saying, "We feel strongly about our contribution to the growth of NCAA Division II bowling and look forward to having Bloomfield and Caldwell participate in our 2019 championship."