ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's golf program has partnered with six other Division III teams to found the Colonial Women's Golf Conference (CWGC), which was announced as having been officially approved for active NCAA Division III single-sport conference status on Thursday morning.

Along with Babson College, Carlow University, Christopher Newport University, Kean University, Salisbury University, and Stockton University, the Lions will be part of a new Division III conference dedicated exclusively to women's golf, a growing sport in the NCAA.

"The formation of the Colonial Women's Golf Conference represents a significant step forward for women's golf in Division III," stated CWGC Commissioner Chris Roekle. "Our member institutions are committed to fostering high-level competition and providing student-athletes with outstanding opportunities to excel both on the course and in the classroom. We are thrilled to begin this new journey together."

The inaugural CWGC Championship will take place from October 26-28, 2025, at Wyncote Golf Club in Oxford, Pennsylvania, a highly regarded venue for golf enthusiasts and competitors alike. This championship will mark the beginning of a new chapter in Division III women's golf.

"We are excited to join the Colonial Women's Golf Conference, furthering our commitment to providing our women's golf team competitive opportunities with top athletic and academic institutions who possess similar visions for women's golf," said Penn State Altoona golf head coach Tom Koehle. "When we established the women's golf program last year, we had a three-to-five-year plan to secure a women's golf conference for our student-athletes to compete for a championship and eventual AQ to the NCAA postseason. To move this forward in year two is a great accomplishment, and we are thankful to Commissioner Chris Roekle and the fellow CWGC members for their efforts to advance women's golf."

Penn State Altoona women's golf is in the midst of its inaugural season as an NCAA team sport at Ivyside. The Lions competed in four events during the fall semester, with four more on the docket this spring. The team is back in action this Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, when it will host the Pennsylvania Classic at the Penn State White Course in State College.

As a newly formed single-sport league, the CWGC will not yet be eligible for automatic qualification into the NCAA Women's Golf Tournament. Under current NCAA regulations, the conference must meet a two-year waiting period before earning automatic qualifier (AQ) status. The conference is in the process of securing the required waiver from the Division III Championships Committee.

The CWGC can be followed on social media at Facebook.com/ColonialWGC, X.com/ColonialWGC & Instagram.com/ColonialWGC.