Saint Elizabeth University Is The Newest Commitment To NYC Area Division III Conference
In 2027-28, the Eagles will begin competition by joining Baruch College, Brooklyn College, City College of New York, Hunter College, John Jay College, Lehman College, Medgar Evers College, Pratt Institute and York College. Saint Elizabeth, like Pratt, is a current member of the Atlantic East Conference and will end participation in that league at the end of the 2026-27 academic year. Additional expansion is expected.
“Saint Elizabeth University is proud to join this new Division III conference, an affiliation that reflects a shared commitment to expanding opportunity, elevating competition, and positioning our student-athletes and institutions for long-term success,” said Saint Elizabeth’s president Dr. Gary B. Crosby. “This move strengthens opportunities for competition, enhances the student experience, and supports the continued growth of our athletics program, while positioning the University to thrive in an evolving higher education landscape.”
“Joining the new conference marks a definitive step forward in the evolution of Saint Elizabeth Athletics. This transition is a high-level, strategic move designed to align our university with a conference that matches our ambition and our regional footprint,” added Saint Elizabeth Director of Athletics James Adams. “We are excited to build new rivalries and provide our student-athletes with a championship-caliber experience that reflects the growth and momentum of Saint Elizabeth University.”
“The development of this new conference is an exciting process and Saint Elizabeth’s commitment to join our work is a very positive and welcome step forward,” said Dr. Fernando Delgado, president of Lehman College and chair of the CUNY Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and the presidential leader for this group of schools forming this new conference.
“Saint Elizabeth University, as the second new future member to join this new conference, is significant for several reasons. First and foremost, they fit with our other institutions in many ways, including but not limited to geographical, sport sponsorship, and competitive levels,” said CUNYAC Acting Commissioner Dr. Kurt Patberg. “In addition, they are the second private institution, along with new member Pratt Institute, of what will hopefully be several others that see this new conference as a great fit.”
Saint Elizabeth, located in Morristown, New Jersey, will bring a total of 12 NCAA Division III sports into the new conference. The Eagles will compete in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, and men’s and women’s volleyball. Saint Elizabeth also sponsors STUNT as an NCAA sport.
With the addition of Saint Elizabeth, the new conference’s footprint will expand to New Jersey, with the nine current members located within the five boroughs of New York City in Manhattan (Baruch, CCNY, Hunter, John Jay), Brooklyn (Brooklyn, Medgar Evers, Pratt), Queens (York) and the Bronx (Lehman). Saint Elizabeth has convenient access to Manhattan and the five boroughs and is located on the New Jersey Transit Morristown Line at the Convent Station stop, offering direct access to Penn Station.
About Saint Elizabeth University
Founded in 1899 as the College of Saint Elizabeth, the institution became Saint Elizabeth University on July 1, 2020. The university is located in Morristown, New Jersey and has a population of approximately 1,141 students. Saint Elizabeth moved its athletic programs into the NCAA in 2009 and then became coeducational in the fall of 2016.
About The ‘New Conference’
This new conference is the ‘rebirth’ of the current City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC), an NCAA Division III conference with eight members stretching across four of New York City’s five boroughs. The conference will continue to sponsor championships in 18 NCAA Division III sports. Since officially coming into existence in 1987, this former conference has been amongst the leaders in Division III with initiatives that focus on the student as much as the athlete in the student-athlete.
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