Liberty joined App State in the Big East for field hockey in 2016 after a year as D-I independents following the demise of the Nor-Pac Field Hockey Conference. The remaining western schools (Cal, UOP, Stanford, and UC Davis) ironically joined the America East Conference immediately once the Nor-Pac folded.
First, Liberty and App are in a west-oriented league, and now their former conference mates are in an east-oriented league. Doesn't make much sense.
FYI, other former Nor-Pac teams include Davidson (jumped to the A-10 in 2014), Davis & Elkins (dropped the program), Longwood (now an associate member of the MAC), SW MO State (also a MAC associate), Radford (dropped the program after 2013), and Saint Louis (jumped to the A-10 after 2005). No, I've never heard of Davis & Elkins, either. They're a D-II school in WV affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). One notable alumnus was the father of Pete Maravich.






