The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division will be reduced to seven teams this year, but will return to eight in 2019 when Shepherd University joins. The PSAC is losing Cheney, who dropped their football program, but the following season will gain an Eastern Region power, especially in football. Shepherd sent notice to its current Mountain East Conference Friday of their athletic intentions.
The Shepherd football team played for the national championship in 2015 and were semifinalists in 2016.
Shepherd University is located in Eastern West Virginia, just south of Hagerstown, Maryland.