City University of New York Athletic Conference

City University of New York Athletic Conference
AssociationNCAA &
NJCAA
Founded1978 (informal), 1987 (charter)
CommissionerKurt Patberg
Sports fielded
  • 16
    • men's: 8
    • women's: 8
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams8 (NCAA-DIII)
6 (NJCAA)
HeadquartersFlushing, New York
RegionNew York City
Official websitecunyathletics.com
Locations

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

Current members
– college division members
– community college division
– future college division members

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."[1][2] 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.[3]

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.[4]

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:
  • 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 will join the CUNYAC beginning in the 2027–28 academic year; thus becoming the first full member 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.

Institution Location[a] Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Colors Joined[b]
Baruch College Manhattan 1919 Public[c] 15,500 Bearcats     1978
Brooklyn College Brooklyn 1930 15,385 Bulldogs       1978;
1996[d]
City College of New York Manhattan 1847 13,244 Beavers       1978
Hunter College Manhattan 1870 21,309 Hawks     1978
John Jay College of Criminal Justice Manhattan 1964 14,000 Bloodhounds     1978
Lehman College The Bronx 1968 10,615 Lightning     1978
Medgar Evers College Brooklyn 1970 7,081 Cougars     1978
York College Queens 1966 6,000 Cardinals       1978
Notes
  1. ^ All locations are within New York City.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  3. ^ Part of the City University of New York System.
  4. ^ Brooklyn left the CUNYAC after the 1979–80 school year, before rejoining in the 1996–97 school year.

Future members

The senior college division of the CUNYAC will have one new full member, a private school (and also the conference's first member outside the CUNY system).

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Colors Joining[a] Current
conference
Pratt Institute Brooklyn 1887 Nonsectarian 4,907 Cannoneers         2027 Atlantic East (AEC)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

Former members

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

Institution Location[a] Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[b] Left[c] Current
conference
New York City College of Technology Brooklyn 1946 Public[d] 15,368 Yellow Jackets 1999 2011 None[e]
Queens College Queens 1937 18,494 Knights 1978 1980 East Coast (ECC)[f]
College of Staten Island Staten Island 1976 11,263 Dolphins 1978 2019 East Coast (ECC)[f]
Notes
  1. ^ All locations are within New York City.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  3. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  4. ^ Part of the City University of New York System.
  5. ^ New York City Tech's athletics program is on hiatus.
  6. ^ a b Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.

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.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] CUNYAC
sport 		Current
primary
conference 		Current
conference
in former
CUNYAC
sport
Finlandia University Hancock, Michigan 1896 Lutheran
(ELCA) 		507 Lions 2017 2018 baseball Closed in 2023
University of Maine at Presque Isle
(UMPI) 		Presque Isle, Maine 1903 Public 1,600 Owls 2015[c] 2018 North Atlantic (NAC)[d]
New Jersey City University
(NJCU) 		Jersey City, New Jersey 1929 Public 6,800 Gothic Knights 2003 2004 New Jersey (NJAC)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ Maine–Presque Isle (UMPI) joined the CUNYAC in baseball prior to the 2016 conference tournament (2015–16 school year). It played its first full regular-season conference schedule during the 2017 spring season (2016–17 school year).
  4. ^ During their tenure as an affiliate member of the CUNYAC, UMPI's primary home conference was being an NCAA D-III Independent for 2015–16 and 2016–17, and in the American Collegiate Athletic Association during the 2017–18 school year.

Membership timeline

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football)   Associate member (sport) 

NJCAA (community college division)

Current members

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

Institution[5] Location[a] Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[b]
Bronx Community College The Bronx 1957 Public[c] 9,003 Broncos 1987
Borough of Manhattan Community College Manhattan 1963 21,986 Panthers 1987
Hostos Community College The Bronx 1968 6,499 Caimans 2002
Kingsborough Community College Brooklyn 1963 18,634 Wave 1987
LaGuardia Community College Queens 1968 17,569 Red Hawks 2022[d]
Queensborough Community College Queens 1959 15,000 Tigers 1987
Notes
  1. ^ All locations are within New York City.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  3. ^ Part of the City University of New York System.
  4. ^ LaGuardia was part of the conference between 2013–14 and 2016–17 and then it put their athletic program on hiatus but they returned in the 2022–23 school year.[6]

Former members

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

Institution Location[a] Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[b] Left[c] Current
conference
New York City College of Technology Brooklyn 1946 Public[d] 15,368 Yellow Jackets 1987 1999 None[e]
Notes
  1. ^ All locations are within New York City.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  3. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  4. ^ Part of the City University of New York System.
  5. ^ New York City Tech's athletic program is currently on hiatus.

Membership timeline

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football)   Associate member (sport) 

Sports

NCAA Division III

See also: CUNYAC men's basketball tournament

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

School Baseball Basketball Cross
country		 Soccer Swimming
& Diving		 Tennis Track & Field
(Indoor)		 Track & Field
(Outdoor)		 Volleyball Total
Baruch Y Y Y Y Y Y N N Y 7
Brooklyn N Y Y Y Y Y N N Y 6
CCNY Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y 8
Hunter N Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y 7
John Jay Y Y Y Y N Y N N Y 6
Lehman Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9
Medgar Evers N Y Y Y N N Y Y Y 6
York (NY) N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the CUNYAC that are played by CUNYAC schools
School Fencing Rifle Wrestling
Hunter MACFA N IND
John Jay N MARC N

Women's sports

School Basketball Cross
country		 Soccer Softball Swimming
& Diving		 Tennis Track & Field
(Indoor)		 Track & Field
(Outdoor)		 Volleyball Total
Baruch Y Y N Y Y Y N N Y 6
Brooklyn Y Y Y Y Y Y N N Y 7
CCNY Y Y Y N N N Y Y Y 6
Hunter Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y 8
John Jay Y Y Y Y Y Y N N Y 7
Lehman Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9
Medgar Evers Y Y Y N N N Y Y Y 6
York (NY) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the CUNYAC that are played by CUNYAC schools
School Fencing Rifle
CCNY EWFC N
Hunter NIWFA N
John Jay N MARC

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

  1. ^ "New Jersey City University First to Join CUNYAC Institutions in Forming New and Expanded Division III Conference in 2027" (Press release). City University of New York Athletic Conference. April 16, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  2. ^ "Crossing the Hudson: NJCU Athletics Announces Historic Move to Become Founding Member of Reimagined New Conference with CUNYAC Institutions" (Press release). NJCU Gothic Knights. April 16, 2025. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  3. ^ Carino, Jerry (February 3, 2026). "Kean and NJCU are merging; here's how that impacts their sports teams". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  4. ^ "Pratt to Join New and Expanded Division III Conference in 2027" (Press release). City University of New York Athletic Conference. February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  5. ^ "About Us". cunyathletics.com.
  6. ^ "CUNY Athletic Conference Welcomes Back LaGuardia Community College Red Hawks for 2022-23 Season".
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