NC Athletics Joins New Conference

Inland Empire Athletic Conference Logo

Beginning July 1, 2019, Norco College will begin a new era. We are very excited to announce that we will be joining the newly formed Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC). Dean of Student Life and Athletic Director, Mark Hartley, stated, "Norco College has been a part of the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) for the past seven years and we are grateful for the hospitality we have experienced from the membership. Through mentorship and friendship, we launched an athletic program with Men's and Women's Soccer in 2012 and began growing with our inaugural year of Women's Cross Country in the Fall of 2018. We will remember all of the lessons we have learned while in the OEC and wish all their programs the best!"

Together with the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), the IEAC membership has been working over the past six months to develop a strong foundation which Norco College can grow upon in the years to come.  Certified Athletic Trainer, Kaytlyn Blank added, "We are excited to have hired Tony Lipold, retired athletic director from Saddleback College, as our first ever commissioner. He brings years of first-class experience as a leader in community college athletics and within the CCCAA organization."

Joining Norco College as founding members of the IEAC are Barstow College, Cerro Coso College, Crafton Hills College, Chaffey College, College of the Desert, Copper Mountain College, Mt. San Jacinto College, Palo Verde College, San Bernardino Valley College, and Victor Valley College. Hartley continued, "As we transition into the 2019-20 athletic season, we are excited to face our new opponents in conference play."

Men's Soccer begins the season against Long Beach City College on August 20 at 3pm and the Women's Soccer host Pasadena City College on September 10 at 4pm.

In addition to this move, we will also be launching Men's Cross Country this Fall. Please contact Head Coach Michael Tongg if interested in being a part of this inaugural year! Both Men's and Women's Cross Country schedules will be released shortly. For each sport's full schedule, please visit their respective schedule webpages.