New Jersey Athletic Conference
The New Jersey Athletic Conference, formerly the New Jersey State Athletic Conference, is an [List of National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA conferences|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 are located in Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
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. Charter members included Glassboro State College, Montclair State College, Jersey City State College, Newark State College, Trenton State College and William Paterson College, 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 joined the NJSAC in the 1977–78 academic year.
- 1985:
- * Women's programs became part of the NJSAC, when the Jersey Athletic Conference was merged into the NJSAC; thus being rebranded as the New Jersey Athletic Conference, 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.
- 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.
- 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 joined the NJAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2006 fall season.
- 2008 – The State University of New York at Brockport and the State University of New York at Morrisville joined the NJAC as affiliate members for football in the 2008 fall season.
- 2011 – The State University of New York at Farmingdale and St. Joseph's College–Long Island.
- 2012 – Buffalo State left the NJAC as an affiliate member for football after the 2011 fall season.
- 2013 – Western Connecticut State left the NJAC as an affiliate member for football after the 2012 fall season.
- 2014:
- * SUNY Brockport left the NJAC as an affiliate member for football after the 2013 fall season.
- * Southern Virginia University joined the NJAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2014 fall season.
- 2015:
- * SUNY Cortland and SUNY Morrisville left the NJAC as affiliate members for football after the 2014 fall season.
- * Christopher Newport University, Frostburg State University, Salisbury University and Wesley College joined the NJAC as affiliate members for football in the 2015 fall season.
- 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.
- 2019:
- * Frostburg State and Southern Virginia left the NJAC as affiliate members for football after the 2018 fall season.
- * Five institutions joined the NJAC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2019–20 academic year:
- ** Pennsylvania State University at 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 left the NJAC as an affiliate member for football after the 2020 fall season ; 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 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.
- 2025 – Vermont State University–Castleton joined the NJAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2025 fall season.
- 2026:
- * New Jersey City will leave the NJAC to join the City University of New York Athletic Conference at the end of the 2025–26 academic year.
- * The State University of New York at 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.
Member schools
Current full members
The NJAC currently has ten full members, all are public schools:| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Colors | Football |
| Kean University | Union, New Jersey | 1855 | Public | 13,352 | Cougars | 1957 | Yes | |
| Montclair State University | Upper Montclair, New Jersey | 1908 | Public | 22,570 | Red Hawks | 1957 | Yes | |
| New Jersey City University | Jersey City, New Jersey | 1929 | Public | 6,800 | Gothic Knights | 1957; 2005 | No | |
| Ramapo College | Mahwah, New Jersey | 1969 | Public | 5,145 | Roadrunners | 1976 | No | |
| Rowan University | Glassboro, New Jersey | 1923 | Public | 22,903 | Profs | 1957 | Yes | |
| Rutgers University–Camden | Camden, New Jersey | 1950 | Public | 6,158 | Scarlet Raptors | 1985 | No | |
| Rutgers University–Newark | Newark, New Jersey | 1945 | Public | 12,321 | Scarlet Raiders | 1985 | No | |
| Stockton University | Galloway, New Jersey | 1969 | Public | 8,392 | Ospreys | 1977 | No | |
| The College of New Jersey | Ewing, New Jersey | 1855 | Public | 7,340 | Lions | 1957 | Yes | |
| William Paterson University | Wayne, New Jersey | 1855 | Public | 8,398 | Pioneers | 1957 | Yes |
;Notes:
Future full members
The NJAC will have one future full member, a public school:| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joining | Current conference | Colors |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz, New York | 1828 | Public | 7,489 | Hawks | 2026 | S.U. New York (SUNYAC) |
;Notes:
Affiliate members
The NJAC currently has seven affiliate members, all but one are public schools:;Notes:
Former affiliate members
The NJAC had 15 former affiliate members, all but two were public schools:;Notes:
Membership timeline
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id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
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bar:3 color:FullxF from:1957 till:1969 text:New Jersey City
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bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:CUNYAC
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1957 till:1969 text:Rowan
bar:4 color:Full from:1969 till:end
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1957 till:1969 text:TCNJ
bar:5 color:Full from:1969 till:end
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1957 till:1972 text:William Paterson
bar:6 color:Full from:1972 till:end
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1981 text:Ramapo
bar:7 color:Full from:1981 till:1993
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1993 till:end
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1977 till:end text:Richard Stockton
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1985 till:end text:Rutgers–Camden
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1985 till:end text:Rutgers–Newark
bar:11 color:AssocF from:2000 till:2015 text:SUNY Cortland
bar:12 color:AssocF from:2004 till:2013 text:Western Connecticut State
bar:13 color:AssocF from:2006 till:2012 text:Buffalo State
bar:14 color:AssocF from:2008 till:2014 text:SUNY Brockport
bar:15 color:AssocF from:2008 till:2015 text:SUNY Morrisville
bar:16 color:AssocOS from:2011 till:end text:SUNY Farmingdale
bar:17 color:AssocOS from:2011 till:2020 text:St. Joseph's (N.Y.)–Long Island
bar:18 color:AssocF from:2014 till:2019 text:Southern Virginia
bar:19 color:AssocF from:2015 till:end text:Christopher Newport
bar:20 color:AssocF from:2015 till:2019 text:Frostburg State
bar:21 color:AssocF from:2015 till:end text:Salisbury
bar:22 color:AssocF from:2015 till:2021 text:Wesley (Del.)
bar:23 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:2023 text:SUNY Oneonta
bar:24 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:2023 text:Wisconsin–Eau Claire
bar:25 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:2023 text:Wisconsin–La Crosse
bar:26 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:2023 text:Wisconsin–Whitewater
bar:27 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2023 text:Penn State–Harrisburg
bar:28 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Mary Washington
bar:29 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Merchant Marine
bar:30 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Roger Williams
bar:31 shift: color:AssocF from:2025 till:end text:Vermont State–Castleton
bar:32 shift: color:FullxF from:2026 till:end text:SUNY New Paltz
bar:N color:powderblue from:1957 till:1985 text:New Jersey State Athletic Conference
bar:N color:blue from:1985 till:end text:New Jersey Athletic Conference
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Sports
The NJAC sponsors championships in the following sports:| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Baseball | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Cross country | ||
| Field hockey | ||
| Football | ||
| Lacrosse | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Softball | ||
| Swimming & diving | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Track & field (indoor) | ||
| Track & field | ||
| Volleyball |
;Notes:
National championship teams
Since the NCAA established the three division system in 1973, NJAC members have won a total of 63 team championships.- Baseball
Montclair State: 1987, 1993, 2000
Ramapo: 1984
Rowan: 1978, 1979
William Paterson: 1992, 1996
- Men's Basketball
- Field Hockey
TCNJ: 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2011
- Men's Golf
- Women's Lacrosse
- Men's Soccer
Richard Stockton: 2001
Rowan: 1981, 1990
TCNJ: 1996
- Women's Soccer
- Softball
TCNJ: 1983, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996
- Women's Tennis
- Men's Outdoor Track
- Wrestling
TCNJ: 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987