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City University of New York Athletic Conference

The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNY Athletic Conference or CUNYAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Its member institutions are all located in New York City and are campuses of the City University of New York. The CUNYAC also has a community college division, affiliated with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

History

Recent additions

On April 16, 2025, New Jersey City University announced it would return back to the CUNYAC, first as a men's volleyball affiliate beginning in the 2026 spring season (2025–26 academic year), followed by multi-sport affiliation beginning in the 2026–27 academic year, and finally full membership beginning in the 2027–28 academic year, becoming the first full member outside of the City University of New York system. In CUNYAC's official announcement, the conference stated that NJCU was "the first of several" new members. NJCU's official announcement stated that it expected to "become a founding member of a new reconstituted, relaunched, and rebranded league for an anticipated start on July 1, 2027." However, NJCU later announced they would instead merge with Kean University following the 2025–26 academic year, greatly downsizing their athletic department and seeking affiliation outside of the NCAA in the process.

On February 25, 2026, the CUNYAC announced that Pratt Institute would join the CUNYAC beginning in the 2027–28 academic year, taking NJCU's place as the first new member in the relaunched league. One month later, the CUNYAC announced that Saint Elizabeth University would also join the rebranded CUNYAC in the 2027–28 academic year as well.

Chronological timeline

NCAA Division III (Senior college division)

  • 1978 – The CUNYAC was founded as the CUNY Athletic Directions Association (CUNYADA). Charter members included Baruch College, Brooklyn College, the City College of New York (CCNY), Hunter College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Lehman College, Medgar Evers College, Queens College, the College of Staten Island and York College, beginning the 1978–79 academic year.
  • 1980 – Two institutions left the CUNYAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 1979–80 academic year:
  • Brooklyn to join the Division I ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-I Independent
  • and Queens to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent
  • 1987 – The CUNYADA has rebranded as the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) in the 1987–88 academic year.
  • 1996 – Brooklyn rejoined the CUNYAC in the 1996–97 academic year.
  • 1999 – New York City College of Technology (New York City Tech) joined the senior college ranks of the CUNYAC in the 1999–2000 academic year.
  • 2003 – New Jersey City University (NJCU) joined the CUNYAC as an affiliate member for baseball in the 2004 spring season (2003–04 academic year).
  • 2004 – New Jersey City (NJCU) left the CUNYAC as an affiliate member for baseball after the 2004 spring season (2003–04 academic year).
  • 2011 – New York City Tech left the CUNYAC to put its athletic program on hiatus after the 2010–11 academic year.
  • 2015 – The University of Maine at Presque Isle (Maine–Presque Isle or UMPI) joined the CUNYAC as an affiliate member for baseball during the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
  • 2017 – Finlandia University joined the CUNYAC as an affiliate member for baseball in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year).
  • 2018 – Finlandia and Maine–Presque Isle (UMPI) left the CUNYAC as affiliate members for baseball after the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year).
  • 2019 – Staten Island left the CUNYAC to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the East Coast Conference (ECC) after the 2018–19 academic year.
  • 2025 – New Jersey City (NJCU) joined the CUNYAC as an affiliate member for men's volleyball, beginning in the 2026 spring season (2025–26 academic year).
  • 2026 – New Jersey City (NJCU) left the CUNYAC as an affiliate member for men's volleyball after the 2026 spring season (2025–26 academic year).
  • 2027 – Pratt Institute and Saint Elizabeth University will both join the CUNYAC beginning in the 2027–28 academic year; thus becoming the first full members outside of the City University of New York System.

NJCAA (Community college division)

Member schools

NCAA Division III (Senior college division)

Current members

The senior college division of the CUNYAC currently has eight full members, all public schools.

Notes:

Future members

The senior college division of the CUNYAC will have two new full members, both private schools (and also the conference's first members outside the CUNY system).

Notes:

Former members

The senior college division of the CUNYAC had three former full members, all were public schools:

Notes:

Former associate members

The senior college division of the CUNYAC has two former associate members, both public schools, One of these, New Jersey City, will become a CUNYAC affiliate in men's volleyball in 2025 and in most other sports in 2026 before becoming a full member of the new conference to be formed by CUNYAC members in 2027.

Notes:

Membership timeline

NJCAA (community college division)

Current members

The community college division of the CUNYAC currently has six full members, all are public schools:

Notes:

Former members

The community college division of the CUNYAC had two former full members, both were public schools:

Notes:

Membership timeline

Sports

NCAA Division III

The CUNYAC sponsors Division III intercollegiate athletic competition in men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and men's and women's volleyball.

Men's sports

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the CUNYAC that are played by CUNYAC schools

Women's sports

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the CUNYAC that are played by CUNYAC schools

Community college

The CUNYAC sponsors community college (NJCAA) intercollegiate athletic competition in men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's soccer, and women's volleyball.

References

External links