WHEELING - The Mountain East Conference has released the league football schedule for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
To accommodate member schools' existing non-conference obligations this fall, the MEC's 11 football-playing institutions will play a nine-game league schedule in the inaugural season before kicking off round-robin play with a full 10-game conference slate in 2014.
West Liberty's MEC opener is set for Sept. 14 when it welcomes Glenville State to Russek Field. West Liberty's complete 2013 grid slate will be released later this month.
''This is a very exciting time for the Mountain East Conference,'' onference Commissioner Reid Amos said. ''As we grow toward a 10-game MEC schedule in 2014, all signs suggest that the MEC will be a highly competitive conference that will position its teams well for increased opportunities in NCAA competition. This format will ultimately keep our many strong rivalries intact and will create some new rivalries.''
The Mountain East Conference announced its formation in August 2012 and submitted credentials in December 2012 seeking approval to become the newest NCAA Division II conference. Members of the 12-team league along with West Liberty include eight other West Virginia schools - Concord, Fairmont State, Glenville State, Shepherd, Charleston, West Virginia State, West Virginia Wesleyan and Wheeling Jesuit - along with Notre Dame College and Urbana University from Ohio and the University of Virginia's College at Wise. Wheeling Jesuit sponsors 20 NCAA Division II sports but does not currently include football among its offerings.
If the MEC is approved by the NCAA for competition in 2013-14, the league would meet the NCAA requirement for conference championships in 16 sports: men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and volleyball.
Fact Box
2013 MEC
COMPOSITE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Sept. 14
Notre Dame (OH) at Urbana
Glenville State at West Liberty
UVa.-Wise at W.Va. Wesleyan
W.Va. State at Concord
Shepherd at Fairmont State
Thursday, Sept. 19
Fairmont State at Glenville State
Saturday, Sept. 21
Urbana at Shepherd
W.Va. Wesleyan at Notre Dame (OH)
West Liberty at W.Va. State
Charleston at UVa.-Wise
Saturday, Sept. 28
Glenville State at Urbana
Shepherd at W.Va. Wesleyan
W.Va. State at Fairmont State
Notre Dame (OH) at Charleston
Concord at West Liberty
Saturday, Oct. 5
Urbana at W.Va. State
W.Va. Wesleyan at Glenville State
Charleston at Shepherd
Fairmont State at Concord
UVa.-Wise at Notre Dame (OH)
Saturday, Oct. 12
Concord at Urbana
Glenville State at Charleston
W.Va. State at W.Va. Wesleyan
West Liberty at Fairmont State
Shepherd at UVa.-Wise
Saturday, Oct. 19
Urbana at West Liberty
UVa.-Wise at Glenville State
W.Va. Wesleyan at Concord
Charleston at W.Va. State
Notre Dame (OH) at Shepherd
Saturday, Oct. 26
Fairmont State at Urbana
Glenville State at Notre Dame (OH)
West Liberty at W.Va. Wesleyan
W.Va. State at UVa.-Wise
Concord at Charleston
Saturday, Nov. 2
Shepherd at Glenville State
W.Va. Wesleyan at Fairmont State
Notre Dame (OH) at W.Va. State
UVa.-Wise at Concord
Charleston at West Liberty
Saturday, Nov. 9
Urbana at W.Va. Wesleyan
W.Va. State at Shepherd
Fairmont State at Charleston
Concord at Notre Dame (OH)
West Liberty at UVa.-Wise
Saturday, Nov. 16
Charleston at Urbana
Glenville State at W.Va. State
Shepherd at Concord
UVa.-Wise at Fairmont State
Notre Dame (OH) at West Liberty
2014 MEC COMPOSITE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Sept. 6
UVa.-Wise at Urbana
Glenville State at Concord
Charleston at W.Va. Wesleyan
Shepherd at West Liberty
Notre Dame (OH) at Fairmont
Saturday, Sept. 13
Urbana at Notre Dame (OH)
West Liberty at Glenville State
W.Va. Wesleyan at UVa.-Wise
Concord at W.Va. State
Fairmont State at Shepherd
Thursday, Sept. 18
Glenville State at Fairmont State
Saturday, Sept. 20
Shepherd at Urbana
Notre Dame (OH) at W.Va. Wesleyan
W.Va. State at West Liberty
UVa. Wise at Charleston
Saturday, Sept. 27
Urbana at Glenville State
W.Va. Wesleyan at Shepherd
Fairmont State at W.Va. State
Charleston at Notre Dame (OH)
West Liberty at Concord
Saturday, Oct. 4
W.Va. State at Urbana
Glenville State at W.Va. Wesleyan
Shepherd at Charleston
Concord at Fairmont State
Notre Dame (OH) at UVa.-Wise
Saturday, Oct. 11
Urbana at Concord
Charleston at Glenville State
W.Va. Wesleyan at W.Va. State
Fairmont State at West Liberty
UVa. Wise at Shepherd
Saturday, Oct. 18
West Liberty at Urbana
Glenville State at UVa.-Wise
Concord at W.Va. Wesleyan
W.Va. State at Charleston
Shepherd at Notre Dame (OH)
Saturday, Oct. 25
Urbana at Fairmont State
Notre Dame (OH) at Glenville State
W.Va. Wesleyan at West Liberty
UVa.-Wise at W.Va. State
Charleston at Concord
Saturday, Nov. 1
Glenville State at Shepherd
Fairmont State at W.Va. Wesleyan
W.Va. State at Notre Dame (OH)
Concord at UVa.-Wise
West Liberty at Charleston
Saturday, Nov. 8
W.Va. Wesleyan at Urbana
Shepherd at W.Va. State
Charleston at Fairmont State
Notre Dame (OH) at Concord
UVa.-Wise at West Liberty
Saturday, Nov. 15
Urbana at Charleston
W.Va. State at Glenville State
Concord at Shepherd
Fairmont State at UVa.-Wise
West Liberty at Notre Dame (OH)