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| NJCU University Communications photo by Paul Gargiulo |
The City University of New York Athletic Conference can no longer simply be contained by the five boroughs of New York City, and is bringing in its first full conference member from outside the city, as New Jersey City University will cross the Hudson River and become a full CUNYAC member in the fall of 2026.
NJCU refers to the move as "a transformative decision" and that the change will result in a new athletic conference, one involving NJCU, the seven current members of the CUNYAC, and more members to come. It is expected that NJCU will become a founding member of a reconstituted, relaunched, and rebranded league for an anticipated start on July 1, 2027 with the league’s eight current institutions. Further league expansion is anticipated ahead of the official relaunching of the new league.
The move takes place also in an environment in which Kean has submitted and made public a proposal to merge with New Jersey City University. The NJCU board of trustees said in March it would "pursue a strategic merger with Kean University."
CUNYAC commissioner 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.”
The Gothic Knights will begin competing in the CUNYAC with its conference-sponsored sports in Fall 2026 as an affiliate member in most sports during the 2026-27 academic year with full membership anticipated by July 1, 2027. NJCU's men's volleyball team, which currently affiliates with the Skyline Conference, will start in the CUNYAC in the 2025-26 academic year.
“As one of our founding members, NJCU has significantly contributed to the growth and development of the NJAC throughout its 68 years of membership in our conference," NJAC commissioner Terry Small said in a statement. "NJCU has had a positive impact on all facets of our league, and we look forward to their participation in the NJAC for the remainder of this year and during the upcoming 2025-26 academic year.”
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, Brooklyn, City College of New York, Hunter, John Jay, Lehman, Medgar Evers and York (N.Y.).
NJCU previously participated in the CUNYAC as an affiliate member in the sport of baseball in 2005 and reached the league’s championship game. The Gothic Knights participated as an independent in most other sports during the 2004-05 academic year during a one-year sabbatical from the NJAC in which they tried to gain admission to the Skyline Conference, but were unsuccessful.
“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 NJCU interim president Andrés Acebo. “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. 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.”
Fernando Delgado, president of Lehman College and the current CUNYAC representative of the D3 Presidents Advisory Group and chair of the CUNYAC Presidents, stated, “We welcome NJCU to the conference and look forward to their student-athletes participating in our student-centered competitions. For the conference, this is an important step forward as we evolve and grow.”
“Jersey City could very well be the sixth borough, and this move represents an exciting new chapter for NJCU athletics,” said Robert Cole, associate vice president and director of athletics. “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.”
The addition of NJCU returns the CUNYAC to nine full members, a number the conference last held in the 2018-19 academic year, before the College of Staten Island moved to NCAA Division II. (Staten Island has finished last in the Commissioner's Cup in the D-II East Coast Conference each of the past three seasons.)