Inter-Academic League
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| Formerly | Interacademic Athletic Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1887 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Region | Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, United States |
The Inter-Academic League (officially known as the Inter-Academic Association of Philadelphia and Vicinity, commonly known as the Inter-Ac) is an inter-scholastic athletic conference. This high school sports league consists of selective private schools in the Philadelphia area.
History
[edit]The schools were organized into a conference early in 1887 when they came together as the Interacademic Athletic Association (the name was later shortened to its present configuration). Two initial sports offered by the league were football and track and field.
It was one of the earliest permanent interscholastic football leagues,[1] and the rivalry between Penn Charter and Germantown Academy is perhaps the oldest football rivalry in the country.[2]
Early members were Germantown Academy, Haverford Grammar, Penn Charter, De Lancey, Friends' Central School, Swarthmore High School, and Episcopal Academy. In the first decade after the turn of the century the league increased the number of sports, adding ice hockey, baseball, tennis, and basketball.[1]
Member schools
[edit]Boys' Members:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episcopal Academy | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania | 1785 | Episcopalianism | 1,268 | Churchmen | |
| Germantown Academy | Fort Washington, Pennsylvania | 1759 | Nonsectarian | 1,189 | Patriots | |
| Haverford School | Haverford, Pennsylvania | 1884 | Nonsectarian | 1,013 | Fords | |
| Malvern Preparatory School | Malvern, Pennsylvania | 1842 | Catholicism | 640 | Friars | |
| Springside Chestnut Hill Academy | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1861 | Nonsectarian | 1,080 | Blue Devils | |
| William Penn Charter School | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1689 | Quakerism | 960 | Quakers |
Girls' Members:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Notre Dame de Namur | Radnor, Pennsylvania | 1856 | Catholicism | 559 | Irish | |
| Agnes Irwin School | Rosemont, Pennsylvania | 1869 | Nonsectarian | 606 | Owls | |
| Baldwin School | Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania | 1888 | Nonsectarian | 571 | Bears | |
| Episcopal Academy | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania | 1785 | Episcopalianism | 1,268 | Churchmen | |
| Germantown Academy | Fort Washington, Pennsylvania | 1759 | Nonsectarian | 1,189 | Patriots | |
| Springside Chestnut Hill Academy | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1861 | Nonsectarian | 1,080 | Blue Devils | |
| William Penn Charter School | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1689 | Quakerism | 960 | Quakers |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Robert Pruter; Project Muse (2013). The Rise of American High School Sports and the Search for Control, 1880-1930. Syracuse University Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8156-5219-9.
- ^ Mike Sielski (1 September 2009). Fading Echoes: A True Story of Rivalry and Brotherhood from the Football Field to the Fields of Honor. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-101-13997-4.