Conference changes

[Gray Fox]

UCSC would fit into the SCIAC if they were closer.
In it's history, the SCIAC has included UCLA and San Diego State.  But that was long ago.

[Jake Feldman]

Neither the SCIAC nor the NWC would ever consider UCSC.  It doesn't make sense for either of them.

They can all schedule UCSC as they see fit without being required to do so.

This. UCSC is unlike any of the SCIAC schools in two important ways: 1) it's a state school, and the SCIAC consists of private schools; and 2) it's in northern California, and, as the name of the conference indicates, the SCIAC is is in southern California. The Banana Slugs are a five-hour drive away from the nearest SCIAC campus.

The NWC is the same in both respects, except that the distances are even further between UCSC and the Oregon- and Washington-based NWC schools.

So it looks like they either can go D2/NAIA to cut travel budgets but add scholarships, or stay in C2C and struggle to compete with the Mary Washingtons, Christopher Newports, and Salisburys, all while adding further strain on the overall school budget for possible travel expenses. The SCIAC would be most logical for them, since the LA area is 300 miles away, but I recognize your point.

The UCSC student body passed an additional fee on themselves a few years back to keep athletics.

They could probably raise a chunk of athletics money just by aggressively marketing Banana Slugs merch.

You can get a t-shirt here (I'm tempted): https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/california/santacruz/uc-santa-cruz-athletics

My dad has an old shirt from there, with the Fiat Slug nerd logo.

[Gregory Sager]

Neither the SCIAC nor the NWC would ever consider UCSC.  It doesn't make sense for either of them.

They can all schedule UCSC as they see fit without being required to do so.

This. UCSC is unlike any of the SCIAC schools in two important ways: 1) it's a state school, and the SCIAC consists of private schools; and 2) it's in northern California, and, as the name of the conference indicates, the SCIAC is is in southern California. The Banana Slugs are a five-hour drive away from the nearest SCIAC campus.

The NWC is the same in both respects, except that the distances are even further between UCSC and the Oregon- and Washington-based NWC schools.

So it looks like they either can go D2/NAIA to cut travel budgets but add scholarships, or stay in C2C and struggle to compete with the Mary Washingtons, Christopher Newports, and Salisburys, all while adding further strain on the overall school budget for possible travel expenses. The SCIAC would be most logical for them, since the LA area is 300 miles away, but I recognize your point.

The UCSC student body passed an additional fee on themselves a few years back to keep athletics.

They could probably raise a chunk of athletics money just by aggressively marketing Banana Slugs merch.

You can get a t-shirt here (I'm tempted): https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/california/santacruz/uc-santa-cruz-athletics

Back in 2015 the UCSC men's soccer team visited North Park for a match against the Vikings. The Banana Slugs brought a boxful of t-shirts with them and a Slug parent sold them in the stands. They were sold out in minutes. (I'm happy to report that none of North Park's fans put on their new t-shirts that night until after the Vikings had claimed a 3-0 victory over the Banana Slugs.)

Wearing a Banana Slug t-shirt in Pulp Fiction is probably the closest that John Travolta has ever come to being hip.

[Jake Feldman]

Neither the SCIAC nor the NWC would ever consider UCSC.  It doesn't make sense for either of them.

They can all schedule UCSC as they see fit without being required to do so.

This. UCSC is unlike any of the SCIAC schools in two important ways: 1) it's a state school, and the SCIAC consists of private schools; and 2) it's in northern California, and, as the name of the conference indicates, the SCIAC is is in southern California. The Banana Slugs are a five-hour drive away from the nearest SCIAC campus.

The NWC is the same in both respects, except that the distances are even further between UCSC and the Oregon- and Washington-based NWC schools.

So it looks like they either can go D2/NAIA to cut travel budgets but add scholarships, or stay in C2C and struggle to compete with the Mary Washingtons, Christopher Newports, and Salisburys, all while adding further strain on the overall school budget for possible travel expenses. The SCIAC would be most logical for them, since the LA area is 300 miles away, but I recognize your point.

The UCSC student body passed an additional fee on themselves a few years back to keep athletics.

They could probably raise a chunk of athletics money just by aggressively marketing Banana Slugs merch.

You can get a t-shirt here (I'm tempted): https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/california/santacruz/uc-santa-cruz-athletics

Back in 2015 the UCSC men's soccer team visited North Park for a match against the Vikings. The Banana Slugs brought a boxful of t-shirts with them and a Slug parent sold them in the stands. They were sold out in minutes. (I'm happy to report that none of North Park's fans put on their new t-shirts that night until after the Vikings had claimed a 3-0 victory over the Banana Slugs.)

Wearing a Banana Slug t-shirt in Pulp Fiction is probably the closest that John Travolta has ever come to being hip.

Don't **** on Saturday Night Fever or Grease! Those are classics!

[Gregory Sager]

Perhaps ... but they weren't hip.

[Berewyn]

The Atlantic East and the United East have announced plans to explore a "strategic conference partnership," highlighting a desire to protect AQ access. The announcement specifically states that this is NOT a merger:

https://atlanticeast.com/news/2026/3/17/general-atlantic-east-united-east-launch-strategic-conference-partnership-discussions.aspx

[KnightSlappy]

So it's a scheduling agreement and some consolidation of conference office personnel?

[Ralph Turner]

As I ran the sponsored sports by member institutions, the Atlantic East does not have Men's or Women's Volleyball, Indoor Track and Field (M & W), Women's Flag Football or Men's golf.

The United East does not have M & W Swimming / Diving.

The AEC only has 5 teams for M & W Tennis, the UEC, 8 & 7.

The AEC has 6 M & W LAX. The UEC has 4 Men's LAX members plus 1 associate; they have 4 women's LAX teams.

[Caz Bombers]

As I ran the sponsored sports by member institutions, the Atlantic East does not have Men's or Women's Volleyball, Indoor Track and Field (M & W), Women's Flag Football or Men's golf.

The United East does not have M & W Swimming / Diving.

The AEC only has 5 teams for M & W Tennis, the UEC, 8 & 7.

The AEC has 6 M & W LAX. The UEC has 4 Men's LAX members plus 1 associate; they have 4 women's LAX teams.

Field Hockey - Immaculata, Gwynedd Mercy, and Manhattanville probably just going to affiliate with the UEC going forward.

M/W soccer, women's volleyball, M/W basketball won't lose their AQs until 2029-30 and the remaining 5 will probably affiliate with the UEC at that time.

Baseball and softball won't lose the AQ until 2028-29 and the remaining 5 will probably affiliate with the UEC at that time.

Men's lacrosse likely to go the other way with the United East teams going under the AEC banner. The UEC's 2-year AQ grace period expires after this season.

UEC women's lax I believe has already had their grace period expire and they won't have an AQ to the 2026 NCAA tournament. Their remaining programs definitely need to hop on board with the AEC.

Atlantic East hasn't had men's or women's tennis AQs in a number of years and their remaining members should probably just go over to the UEC as soon as possible. The men's champion plays the AMCC champion for what is technically the AMCC's auto bid.

**down the line, sometime around 2030, maybe the Atlantic East will re-classify itself as a single sport conference for lacrosse (men's and women's). Of course many institutions may close or re-classify or re-align between now and then.

[Berewyn]

Field Hockey - Immaculata, Gwynedd Mercy, and Manhattanville probably just going to affiliate with the UEC going forward.

The conferences had previously announced that Gwynedd Mercy and Immaculata would be joining UEC field hockey - which was also labeled a partnership rather than adding associate members:

https://gounitedeast.com/news/2025/12/3/general-united-east-and-atlantic-east-announce-field-hockey-partnership.aspx

There's been no word yet on what Manhattanville will do.

[mailsy]

2 years ago Cabrini closes and soon the conference it helped start 8 years ago goes with it.  

[Greek Tragedy]

Bump


Provisional Pipeline for 2025-26 (now confirmed)
Full Membership: Hartford, Lyon
3rd year provisional members: none
2nd year provisional members: Carlow, Penn State-Brandywine
1st year provisional members: Regent, Johnson and Wales (NC)

Provisional Pipeline for 2026-27
1st year provisional members: Azusa Pacific (reclassification from D2), St. Francis (PA) (reclassification from D1)
Exploratory year: Maine-Augusta

*Games against Year 3 provisional members count the same as games against full-members for NPI and tournament selection purposes (possibly changing to include provisionals that conform to all D3 bylaws but may be earlier in the pipeline)

Conference Changes Starting in 2025-2026
Anna Maria leaves GNAC for the MASCAC
Bryn Athyn (UEC) drops athletics
Ferrum leaves the ODAC for D2
Fontbonne (SLIAC) closes
Hendrix leaves the SAA for the SCAC
Hiram leaves the NCAC for the PAC
John Carroll leaves the OAC for the NCAC
Johnson & Wales (NC) joins the C2C
Johnson & Wales (RI) leaves the GNAC for the CNE
Keystone (UEC) is doing the limbo, but allowed to play
LeTourneau leaves the ASC for the SCAC
Northland closes
Regent joins the C2C
Southwestern leaves the SCAC for the SAA
St. Elizabeth leaves the UEC for the AEC
Trinity (Texas) leaves the SCAC for the SAA
Expecting 43 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 21 Pool C bids

Conference Changes Starting in 2026-2027
Alfred State leaves the AMCC for the SUNYAC
Alverno (Women only) leaves the NACC for the C2C
Asuza Pacific joins the SCIAC (full D3 member 2028-29 academic year)
Luther leaves the ARC for the MWC
Maryville leaves the CCS for the SAA
Marywood leaves the AEC for the MAC Freedom
McMurry leaves the SCAC for the ASC
Neumann leaves the AEC for the MAC Commonwealth
New Jersey City leaves the NJAC for the CUNYAC merges into Kean (no NJCU NCAA D3 athletics)
Rosemont (UEC) ceases athletics (merging into Villanova)
St. Francis (PA) joins the PAC (full D3 member 2028-29 academic year)
Schreiner leaves the SCAC for the ASC
SUNY Cobleskill leaves the NAC for the SUNYAC
SUNY Delhi leaves the NAC for the SUNYAC
SUNY New Paltz leaves the SUNYAC for the NJAC
Wesleyan (Ga.) (Women only) leaves the D3 for NAIA

Conference Changes Starting in 2027-2028
Concordia (WI) leaves the NACC for the CCIW
Pratt leaves the AEC for the CUNYAC

[Inkblot]

As I ran the sponsored sports by member institutions, the Atlantic East does not have Men's or Women's Volleyball, Indoor Track and Field (M & W), Women's Flag Football or Men's golf.

The United East does not have M & W Swimming / Diving.

The AEC only has 5 teams for M & W Tennis, the UEC, 8 & 7.

The AEC has 6 M & W LAX. The UEC has 4 Men's LAX members plus 1 associate; they have 4 women's LAX teams.

Field Hockey - Immaculata, Gwynedd Mercy, and Manhattanville probably just going to affiliate with the UEC going forward.

M/W soccer, women's volleyball, M/W basketball won't lose their AQs until 2029-30 and the remaining 5 will probably affiliate with the UEC at that time.

Baseball and softball won't lose the AQ until 2028-29 and the remaining 5 will probably affiliate with the UEC at that time.

Men's lacrosse likely to go the other way with the United East teams going under the AEC banner. The UEC's 2-year AQ grace period expires after this season.

UEC women's lax I believe has already had their grace period expire and they won't have an AQ to the 2026 NCAA tournament. Their remaining programs definitely need to hop on board with the AEC.

Atlantic East hasn't had men's or women's tennis AQs in a number of years and their remaining members should probably just go over to the UEC as soon as possible. The men's champion plays the AMCC champion for what is technically the AMCC's auto bid.

**down the line, sometime around 2030, maybe the Atlantic East will re-classify itself as a single sport conference for lacrosse (men's and women's). Of course many institutions may close or re-classify or re-align between now and then.

What you're describing sounds pretty much like a merger, which they explicitly say this isn't.