State University of New York Athletic Conference

The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, consisting of schools in the State University of New York system. It was chartered in 1958 as the New York State Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

History

Recent changes

On May 12, 2023, the SUNYAC announced that the conference absorbed the Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL; a women's ice hockey-only league) and started to sponsor the sport. 5 full members of the SUNYAC were members of the NEWHL, therefore SUNY Canton and SUNY Morrisville became affiliate members of SUNYAC in that sport in the 2023–24 season.

On August 21, 2023, SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo both announced that they would become full members of the Empire 8 starting in the 2024-25 season.

On October 5, 2023, the SUNYAC announced that started to sponsor men's wrestling effective immediately during the 2023-24 academic year, absorbing the remnants of the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference (ECWC), which 4 full members of the SUNYAC sponsor the sport. Also the SUNYAC welcomed Ithaca, RIT, St. Johns Fisher and Utica as affiliate members in that sport. Also in the same date, the SUNYAC announced that SUNY Canton and SUNY Morrisville will join the conference as full members starting in 2024-25.

On April 3, 2024, SUNY New Paltz announced that they would leave the SUNYAC after the conclusion of the 2025-26 season to join the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).

On June 5, 2025, it was announced that Alfred State College, SUNY Cobleskill, and SUNY Delhi would join the conference starting in 2026-27.

Chronological timeline

• 1958 – On September 19, 1958, the SUNYAC was founded as the New York State Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NYSIAC). Charter members included the New York State College for Teachers at Albany (now the University at Albany), the Brockport State Teachers College (now the State University of New York at Brockport), the State University College for Teachers at Buffalo (now Buffalo State University), Cortland State Teachers College (now the State University of New York at Cortland), the New York State College for Teachers at New Paltz (now the State University of New York at New Paltz), the State University College of Education at Oneonta (now the State University of New York at Oneonta), Oswego State Teachers College (now the State University of New York at Oswego), Plattsburgh State Normal and Training School (now the State University of New York at Plattsburgh) and the New York State College for Teachers at Potsdam (now the State University of New York at Potsdam), beginning the 1958–59 academic year.
• 1959 – Geneseo Normal and Training School (now the State University of New York at Geneseo) and Fredonia State Teachers College (now the State University of New York at Fredonia) joined the SUNYAC in the 1959–60 academic year.
• 1963 – The NYSIAC was rebranded as the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) in the 1963–64 academic year.
• 1973 – Harpur College (now Binghamton University) joined the SUNYAC in the 1973–74 academic year.
• 1978 – The University at Buffalo joined the SUNYAC in the 1978–79 academic year.
• 1983 – Women's sports became part of the SUNYAC in the 1983–84 academic year.
• 1988 – SUNY Buffalo left the SUNYAC to join the Division I ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-I Independent after the 1987–88 academic year.
• 1991 – The State University of New York at Utica/Rome (now the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)) joined the SUNYAC in the 1991–92 academic year.
• 1995 – SUNY Albany left the SUNYAC to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent after the 1994–95 academic year.
• 1997 – SUNY Binghamton left the SUNYAC to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent after the 1996–97 academic year.
• 2007 – The State University of New York at Morrisville (also known as Morrisville State College) joined the SUNYAC in the 2007–08 academic year.
• 2008 – SUNYIT left the SUNYAC to join the North East Athletic Conference (NEAC; now known as the United East Conference) after the 2007–08 academic year.
• 2009 – SUNY Morrisville left the SUNYAC to join the NEAC (after a tenure of two seasons) at the end of the 2008–09 academic year; while the school has since remained in the league as an associate member from 2009–10 on forward for field hockey and men's ice hockey.
• 2023: Six institutions joined the SUNYAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2023–24 academic year: Ithaca College, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), St. John Fisher University and Utica University for men's wrestling; all coming from the defunct wrestling-only Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference (ECWC) and the State University of New York at Canton (SUNY Canton) and former full member SUNY Morrisville for women's ice hockey; both coming from the defunct ice hockey-only Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL)
• 2024: SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo left the SUNYAC to join the Empire 8 Athletic Conference (Empire 8) after the 2023–24 academic year; while SUNY Brockport remained in the league as an associate member for men's wrestling. SUNY Canton upgraded as a full member for all sports (with SUNY Morrisville following suit) in the 2024–25 academic year. Five institutions joined the SUNYAC as associate members, all effective in the 2024–25 academic year: Alfred State College, Hilbert College and Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College (a.k.a. Penn State–Behrend) and the State University of New York at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) for men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field and the State University of New York at Delhi (SUNY Delhi) for men's and women's indoor track & field
• 2025: Ten institutions will join the SUNYAC as associate members (and/or add other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2025–26 academic year: Elmira College for men's wrestling Hobart College and Skidmore College for men's ice hockey Pennsylvania State University at Altoona (a.k.a. Penn State–Altoona), Penn State–Behrend and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for men's and women's swimming & diving Salisbury University for field hockey SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Delhi for men's and women's cross country and William Smith College for women's ice hockey
• 2026: SUNY New Paltz will leave the SUNYAC to join the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) at the end of the 2025–26 academic year. Alfred State, SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Delhi will upgrade as full members of the SUNYAC for all sports, beginning the 2026–27 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

The SUNYAC currently has ten full members, all are public schools:

Notes

Future full members

Notes

Affiliate members

The SUNYAC currently has 17 affiliate members, half of them are private schools:

Notes

Former members

The SUNYAC had six former full members, all were public schools:

Notes

Membership timeline

Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football) Associate member (sport)

• Buffalo left to join the East Coast Conference while reclassifying to Division I and the Mid-American Conference
• Albany and Binghamton left to join the New England Collegiate Conference while reclassifying to Division I and the America East Conference
• SUNYIT left to join the North Eastern Athletic Conference
• Morrisville State (SUNY Morrisville) left to join the North Eastern Athletic Conference

Conference facilities

Sports

The SUNYAC sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in the following sports:

Men's sponsored sports by school

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the SUNYAC

Women's sponsored sports by school

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the SUNYAC

See also

• Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• Mid Hudson Conference
• Yankee Small College Conference

Notes

External links