NJCU joining "New" CUNYAC

[Kuiper]

Wonder which non-CUNYAC schools will be next?  Maybe this is SUNY New Paltz' destination.

New Jersey City University First to Join CUNYAC Institutions in Forming New and Expanded DIII Conference in 2027

New Jersey City University will be the first of several institutions to join the eight current City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) institutions in an expanded and newly-formed NCAA Division III conference to begin play in the 2027-28 academic year.
 
The Gothic Knights, currently a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), will wrap up membership in that league following the 2025-26 season before beginning competition as an affiliate member of the CUNYAC in 2026-27 in multiple sports.  The transition will begin in the spring of 2026 as NJCU will compete in the CUNYAC in men's volleyball.
 
"We welcome NJCU to the conference and look forward to their student-athletes participating in our student-centered competitions," said Dr. Fernando Delgado, president of Lehman College and chair of the CUNY Athletic Conference Council of Presidents.  "For the conference, this is an important step forward as we evolve and grow."
 
CUNYAC Commissioner Dr. Kurt Patberg added, "This is the first step of several of adding Division III institutions that seek to compete in a conference that has a special emphasis on New York City and the five boroughs."
 
New Jersey City University, located in Jersey City, New Jersey, sponsors a total of 15 NCAA Division III sports and enrolls 4,200 undergraduates and 6,600 total students.  The Gothic Knights compete in 13 CUNYAC-sponsored sports (baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's and women's volleyball).
 
The conference realignment will make NJCU the first school outside of the New York City five borough footprint to join the conference as a full-time member, with schools from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens currently represented. The current CUNYAC membership includes schools Baruch College, Brooklyn College, City College of New York, Hunter College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Lehman College, Medgar Evers College, and York College.
 
"Alexander Hamilton, one of America's founding fathers, prophetically envisioned a great city rising on the west bank of the Hudson—today's Jersey City," said Andrés Acebo, Interim President of New Jersey City University.  "Joining this newly formed conference represents more than an athletic conference realignment; it's a bold strategic decision that showcases our students' and athletic staff's exceptional talent on a great regional stage while advancing NJCU's century-long legacy. As America's most diverse city, Jersey City's global character mirrors our student body and that of the current CUNYAC institutions. This partnership not only strengthens our athletic future but powerfully positions our university's mission for its next chapter.  We're coming and we're bringing our Jersey grit, determination, and resilience with us.""
 
"Jersey City could very well be the sixth borough, and this move represents an exciting new chapter for NJCU Athletics," said NJCU Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Robert Cole.  "By joining the CUNYAC as affiliate members in most sports in 2026-27 and becoming a founding member of the new league the following year, we are positioning our student-athletes to compete on one of the biggest stages in the world—the New York City media market. This alignment not only extends our brand across the Hudson River, but also opens the door to shared resources, institutional partnerships with similar student populations, and access to invaluable opportunities in professional development, internships, and networking that were previously untapped. It's a transformative step for our university, our athletics program, and most importantly, our students."

[Kuiper]

New Jersey City University, which was previously a CUNYAC affiliate in baseball in 2005, described the advantages of the move as the following

The strategic realignment offers numerous advantages for NJCU student-athletes, including:

    Enhanced Student-Athlete Experience: Competition in New York City and exposure to one of the world's largest media markets.
    Improved Competitive Balance: Athletic competition against institutions with similar resources and student demographics.
    Expanded Recruiting Opportunities: Leveraging NJCU's one-tuition model, which offers the same tuition rate for in-state, out-of-state, and international students.
    Career Development Advantages: Access to internship and networking opportunities in the nation's business capital.
    Corporate Partnership Potential: Increased sponsorship possibilities through broader market presence.

NJCU will honor its rich legacy in the NJAC through the 2025-26 academic year while preparing for this exciting new chapter in Gothic Knight athletics.

[Caz Bombers]

Very confusing because I thought Kean was basically absorbing NJCU and not having athletics there anymore.

New Paltz is joining the NJAC, they'll want nothing to do with the CUNY schools that don't fund athletics. The future additions referenced are likely from the Skyline. I'm thinking Purchase, Old Westbury, possibly others.

[jknezek]

Very confusing because I thought Kean was basically absorbing NJCU and not having athletics there anymore.

New Paltz is joining the NJAC, they'll want nothing to do with the CUNY schools that don't fund athletics. The future additions referenced are likely from the Skyline. I'm thinking Purchase, Old Westbury, possibly others.

The proposed merger basically has no information on athletics. See: https://www.kean.edu/jerseycity#g

But yeah. I think NJCU planning for things in 2027/2028... well, you've got to have a plan, always, but i'd consider it highly speculative.

[Ron Boerger]

Pat Coleman responded to someone asking a question similar to Caz':

We suspect deep down this is in part a play for NJCU to retain its own athletics independent of Kean in the merger talks.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

From what we're gathering, a lot of the "merger" talk is politics and negotiation.  Kean's announcement was perhaps an attempt to set the expectation for what merger talks will look like.  It's likely NJCU's move here is something similar.  The only thing we know concretely is that the two schools will be discussing a merger with a tentative announcement by 2027 - nobody really know what that will look like and lots of interested parties are trying to shape the final result.

[Pat Coleman]

Very confusing because I thought Kean was basically absorbing NJCU and not having athletics there anymore.

New Paltz is joining the NJAC, they'll want nothing to do with the CUNY schools that don't fund athletics. The future additions referenced are likely from the Skyline. I'm thinking Purchase, Old Westbury, possibly others.

Yeah, and we address the Kean bit in our story as well. Along with adding more background, taking out the bullet points and such.

https://d3sports.com/notables/2025/04/njcu-heading-to-new-york-city