New Jersey Athletic Conference

The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), formerly the New Jersey State Athletic Conference, is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. All of its current full members are public universities in New Jersey, although it will add one new full member from New York in 2026. Affiliate members (track-only, or football-only) are located in Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Two affiliate members (men's lacrosse-only) located in Colorado and Louisiana will join in 2026–27.

History

Recent events

On July 2, 2024, the State University of New York at New Paltz announced that it will join the NJAC as a full member, thus becoming the NJAC's first-ever full member located outside of the state of New Jersey, beginning the 2026–27 academic year.

Chronological timeline

• 1957 – In 1957, the NJAC was founded as the New Jersey State Athletic Conference (NJSAC). Charter members included Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), Montclair State College (now Montclair State University), Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University), Newark State College (now Kean University), Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) and William Paterson College (now William Paterson University), beginning the 1957–58 academic year.
• 1976 – Ramapo College of New Jersey joined the NJSAC in the 1976–77 academic year.
• 1977 – Stockton State College (now Stockton University) joined the NJSAC in the 1977–78 academic year.
• 1985:
• Women's programs became part of the NJSAC, when the Jersey Athletic Conference (a women's sports athletic conference) was merged into the NJSAC; thus being rebranded as the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), beginning the 1985–86 academic year.
• Rutgers University at Camden and Rutgers University at Newark joined the NJAC in the 1985–86 academic year.
• 2000 – The State University of New York at Cortland joined the NJAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2000 fall season (2000–01 academic year).
• 2004:
• New Jersey City left the NJAC to become an NCAA D-III Independent after the 2003–04 academic year.
• Western Connecticut State University joined the NJAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2004 fall season (2004–05 academic year).
• 2005 – New Jersey City rejoined the NJAC after spending one season as an NCAA D-III Independent school in the 2005–06 academic year.
• 2006 – Buffalo State College (now Buffalo State University) joined the NJAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2006 fall season (2006–07 academic year).
• 2008 – The State University of New York at Brockport and the State University of New York at Morrisville (a.k.a. Morrisville State College) joined the NJAC as affiliate members for football in the 2008 fall season (2008–09 academic year).
• 2011 – The State University of New York at Farmingdale (a.k.a. Farmingdale State College) and St. Joseph's College–Long Island (now St. Joseph's University–Long Island) joined the NJAC as affiliate members for men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field in the 2011–12 academic year).
• 2012 – Buffalo State left the NJAC as an affiliate member for football after the 2011 fall season (2011–12 academic year).
• 2013 – Western Connecticut State left the NJAC as an affiliate member for football after the 2012 fall season (2012–13 academic year).
• 2014:
• SUNY Brockport left the NJAC as an affiliate member for football after the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
• Southern Virginia University joined the NJAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
• 2015:
• SUNY Cortland and SUNY Morrisville left the NJAC as affiliate members for football after the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
• Christopher Newport University, Frostburg State University, Salisbury University and Wesley College joined the NJAC as affiliate members for football in the 2015 fall season (2015–16 academic year).
• 2018 – The State University of New York at Oneonta, the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater joined the NJAC as affiliate members for men's tennis in the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
• 2019:
• Frostburg State and Southern Virginia left the NJAC as affiliate members for football after the 2018 fall season (2018–19 academic year).
• Five institutions joined the NJAC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2019–20 academic year:
• Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg (a.k.a. Penn State–Harrisburg) for men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field
• and the State University of New York at Oneonta, the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater for men's tennis
• 2020 – St. Joseph's–Long Island left the NJAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field after the 2019–20 academic year; due to athletic budget cuts.
• 2021 – Wesley (Del.) left the NJAC as an affiliate member for football after the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year); after the school closed down to later be acquired by Delaware State University.
• 2023:
• Five institutions left the NJAC as affiliate members, all effective after the 2022–23 academic year:
• Penn State–Harrisburg for men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field
• and SUNY Oneonta, Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Wisconsin–La Crosse and Wisconsin–Whitewater left the NJAC as affiliate members for men's tennis
• The University of Mary Washington, Roger Williams University and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (a.k.a. Merchant Marine) [with Salisbury adding to its NJAC affiliate membership] joined the NJAC as affiliate members for men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2023–24 academic year.
• 2024 – SUNY Farmingdale left the NJAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's outdoor track & field after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year).
• 2025 – Vermont State University–Castleton joined the NJAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year).
• 2026:
• New Jersey City will merge with Kean and seek affiliation outside of the NCAA at the end of the 2025–26 academic year.
• The State University of New York at New Paltz (a.k.a. SUNY New Paltz) will join the NJAC, beginning the 2026–27 academic year; thus becoming the NJAC's first-ever full member located outside of the state of New Jersey.
• The NJAC will begin sponsoring men's lacrosse, adding Centenary College of Louisiana and Colorado College.

Member schools

Current full members

The NJAC currently has ten full members, all are public schools:

Notes:

Future full members

The NJAC will have one future full member, a public school:

Notes:

Affiliate members

The NJAC currently has seven affiliate members, all but one are public schools:

Notes:

Future affiliate members

The NJAC will have two new affiliate members, both private schools:

Notes:

Former affiliate members

The NJAC had 15 former affiliate members, all but two were public schools:

Notes:

Membership timeline

Sports

The NJAC sponsors championships in the following sports:

Notes:

Men's sports

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the NJAC

Women's sports

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the NJAC

National championship teams

Since the NCAA established the three division system in 1973, NJAC members have won a total of 63 team championships.

• Baseball

Kean: 2007<br /> Montclair State: 1987, 1993, 2000<br /> Ramapo: 1984<br /> Rowan: 1978, 1979<br /> William Paterson: 1992, 1996

• Men's Basketball

Rowan: 1996

• Field Hockey

Rowan: 2002<br /> TCNJ: 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2011

• Men's Golf

Ramapo: 1982

• Women's Lacrosse

TCNJ: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2006

• Men's Soccer

Kean: 1992<br /> Richard Stockton: 2001<br /> Rowan: 1981, 1990<br /> TCNJ: 1996

• Women's Soccer

TCNJ: 1993, 1994, 2000

• Softball

Rutgers-Camden: 2006<br /> TCNJ: 1983, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996

• Women's Tennis

TCNJ: 1986

• Men's Outdoor Track

Rowan: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984

• Wrestling

Montclair State: 1976, 1986<br /> TCNJ: 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987

References

Notes

External links