The State University of New York at Canton baseball program has joined the Empire 8 Conference as an affiliate member.
 
SUNY Canton, who joins full-time Empire 8 baseball members, Elmira College, Houghton College, Ithaca College, St. John Fisher College, Stevens Institute of Technology and Utica College, will compete this year in the inaugural Empire 8 Championship.  
 
This will be the first time the Empire 8 champion will be determined by a year-end tournament, featuring all seven Empire 8 programs.  
 
"We are excited to welcome SUNY Canton to Empire 8 baseball," said Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. "This addition will provide great opportunities for SUNY Canton's student-athletes and further enhance the experience of the current Empire 8 membership."
 
"We are elated to have our baseball program joining the Empire 8," said SUNY Canton Director of Athletics Randy Sieminski. "It'll be an honor to compete with such outstanding schools and fantastic teams. I'd like to thank Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano, along with the administrators from each school, for welcoming us to the conference."
 
SUNY Canton is coming off its best season in the program's 10-year history with a 15-19 overall record. The Roos women's hockey participates in the newly formed ECAC North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton is also in its third and final year as a provisional Division III member of the NCAA and expects to be a full-fledged NCAA member beginning in the 2015-16 academic year.
 
"Our players and coaching staff can't wait to compete with the other Empire 8 schools," said SUNY Canton Head Coach Joe Carbone. "There are some powerhouse programs in the Empire 8, and those are the types of teams we love to play. It will be a historical moment for our program when we begin competing in the league and the first SUNY Canton pitch is tossed in conference play."
 
A member conference of the NCAA Division III, the Empire 8 has nine full members and sponsors championships in 23 sports. The member institutions place the highest priority of the overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of its student-athletes' academic programs. The membership seeks to distinguish itself among its peers group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the Empire 8.
 
The Empire 8's beginnings trace back to 1964 with the founding of the Independent College Athletic Conference (ICAC). In 1991, the ICAC regrouped to become the Empire Athletic Association (EAA) and in 1999, the EAA became the Empire 8 Conference.