RICHMOND, VA -- The Colonial Athletic Association announced today that the University of Massachusetts and Penn State University will join the league as associate members in men’s lacrosse beginning with the 2010 season.

The two schools will join Delaware, Drexel, Hofstra, and Towson in the six-team league whose champion will continue to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

The additions come about after recent announcements that CAA members Villanova, Sacred Heart, and Robert Morris will join newly-created men’s lacrosse conferences. Villanova will join the Big East and Sacred Heart and Robert Morris will each join the Northeast Conference following the 2009 season. Both UMass and Penn State previously competed as members of the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

“We are proud to welcome the University of Massachusetts and Penn State to the CAA in men’s lacrosse,” said CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager, who added that the CAA will continue to evaluate additional membership options. “Both schools have excellent programs along with outstanding coaches and players. Their addition will keep CAA men’s lacrosse among the top Division I conferences in the nation.”

“We are very excited to see old rivals UMass and Penn State join the CAA,” said Delaware head coach Bob Shillinglaw (at right), who will begin his 31st season at UD next spring and enters the year ranked No. 4 among active college coaches with 273 victories. “This certainly makes our league much tougher when you consider that UMass is only two years removed from a national championship game appearance and Penn State is a perennial Top 20 contender. There won’t be any easy games and just making it to the conference playoffs, let alone winning the whole thing, will be an accomplishment. Our strength of schedule will certainly increase and the CAA will be one of those conferences that can anticipate having two or maybe three teams in the NCAA Tournament every year.”

UMass has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 17 times, including four appearances since 2004 and a berth in the 2006 title game under head coach Greg Cannella, while Penn State has advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice since the 2003 campaign.

The CAA annually ranks among the top men’s lacrosse conferences in the nation. Delaware has advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice since 2005, including a berth in the 2007 national semifinals, Towson has advanced to the NCAA Tournament five times in the last eight seasons, and Hofstra has qualified for NCAA Tournament action five time since 2000.

Delaware and UMass have not met since the 1996 season when the Minutemen captured a 13-11 victory, but the Hens have two of the last three meetings with wins of 14-13 in 1994 and 16-15 in 1995. Delaware and Penn State have met 20 times previously and between 1992 and 1999, the teams played eight times with six games being decided by one-goal and three going into overtime.