NJCU joining "New" CUNYAC

[Kuiper]

Perhaps this is the destination for SUNY New Paltz as well?  A bigger conference for NYC-area schools makes sense, especially with similar state schools in the area that are not CUNY schools.

New Jersey City University joining CUNYAC schools in forming a new and expanded DIII conference

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."

[BlueJay95]

SUNY New Paltz is moving to the NJAC in 26-27. It was announced last summer.

https://njacsports.com/news/2024/7/2/general-suny-new-paltz-to-become-a-full-member-of-the-njac-in-2026-27.aspx

[jknezek]

SUNY New Paltz is moving to the NJAC in 26-27. It was announced last summer.

https://njacsports.com/news/2024/7/2/general-suny-new-paltz-to-become-a-full-member-of-the-njac-in-2026-27.aspx

Doesn't mean they have to stay there if something better comes up. Of course, the odds on NJCU making it to 27/28 without a merger with Kean is pretty up in the air.

[BlueJay95]

I would frame membership into the NJAC as a fairly big feather and step up for New Paltz. Not sure why they would blare the horns about the first full-fledged expansion in 43 years and then renege for a much lesser conference competitively.

[Kuiper]

SUNY New Paltz is moving to the NJAC in 26-27. It was announced last summer.

https://njacsports.com/news/2024/7/2/general-suny-new-paltz-to-become-a-full-member-of-the-njac-in-2026-27.aspx

Thanks.  I had forgotten that was already announced.  Just speculating about the announcement's statement that NJCU was the first of several institutions who would be joining the new CUNYAC