CRYSTAL LAKE – Faith Lutheran will have a new home next year for sports: the Northeastern Athletic Conference.

The tiny Crystal Lake private school received an official letter from the NAC on Monday, stating it had been approved for membership for the 2013-14 school year. Faith is an independent school for athletics, although it co-ops with NAC member Alden-Hebron in some sports.

“We’re real excited to be in a conference like they have,” Faith athletic director Drew Potthoff said. “It will really be fun to work with these [athletic directors]. It gives us some credibility as a school when you get a conference schedule. We don’t have to travel all over the place and hunt for games. Right away, this is a group to call our own.”