Austin Hemmingson | Daily Press Bay College’s Matt Wagner drives past Finlandia’s Tristan Johnston Jan. 25 at Bay College.

HANCOCK — Finlandia University is one of six members of the American Collegiate Athletic Association that will join the Capital Athletic Conference on June 15. Both are NCAA Division III leagues.

The CAA is more than doubling its membership from five to 11 full-time members, though it will shrink back to eight for 2021-22.

With the expansion, the CAC is looking to rebrand, according to a conference news release from earlier this week, which is expected to include a new name and logo for the league.

The other ACAA members coming into the CAC are spread across the country, according to a news release from Finlandia also released last week — Mount Mary, Wisconsin; Pine Manor, Massachusetts; Pratt Institute, New York; Mills, California; and California-Santa Cruz.

That will leave behind three ACAA members, SUNY-Delhi, New York; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; and affiliate member Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The existing CAA schools are Christopher Newport, Virginia; University Mary Washington, Virginia; Salisbury, Maryland; Southern Virginia; and St. Mary’s of Maryland; though Southern Virginia, St. Mary’s of Maryland and Pine Manor will depart in another year.

“This is a great opportunity, not only for athletics, but for Finlandia University as a whole,” Finlandia athletic director Curtis Wittenberg said. “We now have the chance to potentially qualify for the NCAA tournament in all of our sports, which will help increase the recruiting regions for our programs.”

The Lions will have the chance to qualify for the NCAA tournament by winning its conference championship in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and volleyball.

“The Capital Athletic Conference is pleased to welcome these six institutions as the league’s newest members,” said University of Mary Washington President Dr. Troy Paino, chairman of the CAC board of directors.

“We look forward to the bright future this newly structured league will be able to offer our schools and student-athletes.”

The CAC sponsors championships in 18 sports, eight men’s and 10 women’s, which also include baseball, cross country, field hockey, tennis, lacrosse and indoor and outdoor track and field.

The ACAA doesn’t include four sports teams at Finlandia — football, men’s and women’s hockey, and esports.