The East Coast Conference (ECC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located primarily in the state of New York, with a single member located in the District of Columbia.
History
The East Coast Conference was founded in 1989 as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC). Its charter members included Adelphi University (1989–2009), Concordia College (1989–2009), C. W. Post College (1989–2019), Dowling College (1989–2016), Mercy College (1989–present), Molloy College (1989–present), New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) (1989–2020), Pace University (1989–1997), Queens College (1989–present) and Southampton College of Long Island University (1989–2005).
Other members that joined were: University of Bridgeport (2000–2022), University of New Haven (2002–2008), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) (1997–2000), Philadelphia University (1991–2005), College of Saint Rose (1991–2000), St. Thomas Aquinas College (2000–present), University of the District of Columbia (2011–present), Roberts Wesleyan College (2012–present), Daemen University (2013–present), D'Youville University (2020–present) and College of Staten Island (2020–present).
The ECC has become a lacrosse powerhouse, seeing six ECC teams win the Division II Men's Lacrosse championship over the past 10 years. In addition, at least 1 ECC team has competed in 13 the last 14 championship games. Recent ECC champions include Adelphi (1998, 1999, 2001), C.W. Post (1996, 2006 Tri-Champion), Dowling College (2006 Tri-Champion), NYIT (1997, 2003, 2005, 2008), and Mercyhurst College (2006 Tri-Champion, 2007)
Two changes to the conference membership were announced in the fall of 2018. First, it was announced on October 3, 2018 that Long Island University would unite its two athletic programs—the Division II LIU Post program and Division I program at LIU Brooklyn—into a single Division I program under the overall university name effective in 2019–20. Second, it was announced on December 7, 2018 that beginning with the 2020 season (2019–20 school year), Frostburg State University will join the conference as an associate member in men's lacrosse, contingent on being accepted into Division II by the NCAA.
The next change in conference membership was announced in March 2019, when the College of Staten Island (CSI), preparing to begin a transition from NCAA Division III, was accepted as a member effective with the 2020–21 school year. The following August, Tusculum University was announced as a bowling affiliate, effective in 2019–20. In March 2020, then-current Division III member D'Youville College ("University" since 2022) was announced as a future member effective in 2020–21, contingent on NCAA approval of that school's transition to D-II; the NCAA's acceptance was officially announced on July 10, 2020.
In December 2021, the University of Bridgeport published its acceptance into the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference as its new member for the 2022–23 school year.
Chronological timeline 1989 – The East Coast Conference (ECC) was founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC). Its charter members included Adelphi University, Concordia College of New York, Dowling College, the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University (LIU Post), Mercy College, Molloy College, the New York Institute of Technology (New York Tech or NYIT), Pace University, Queens College and Southampton College of Long Island University (LIU Southampton), beginning the 1989–90 academic year. 1991 – The Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science (later Philadelphia University, now Thomas Jefferson University) and the College of Saint Rose joined the NYCAC in the 1991–92 academic year. 1997 – Pace left the NYCAC to join the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) after the 1996–97 academic year. 1997 – The New Jersey Institute of Technology (New Jersey Tech or NJIT) joined the NYCAC in the 1997–98 academic year. 2000 – Two institutions left the NYCAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 1999–2000 academic year: New Jersey Tech (NJIT) to join the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) and Saint Rose to join the NE-10 2000 – The University of Bridgeport and St. Thomas Aquinas College joined the NYCAC in the 2000–01 academic year. 2002 – The University of New Haven joined the NYCAC in the 2002–03 academic year. 2005 – Two institutions left the NYCAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 2004–05 academic year: Philadelphia (now Jefferson) to join the CACC and LIU Southampton to discontinue its athletic program and close the school 2005 – Mercyhurst University joined the NYCAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse in the 2006 spring season (2005–06 academic year). 2006 – The NYCAC was rebranded as the East Coast Conference (ECC) in the 2006–07 academic year. 2006 – Dominican College of New York, known since 2022 as Dominican University New York, joined the ECC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse in the 2007 spring season (2006–07 academic year). 2008 – New Haven left the ECC to join the NE-10 after the 2007-08 academic year. 2009 – Two institutions left the ECC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 2008–09 academic year: Adelphi to join the NE-10 and Concordia (N.Y.) to join the CACC 2009 – Four institutions joined the ECC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2010 spring season (2009–10 academic year): Chestnut Hill College and Wheeling Jesuit University for only men's lacrosse Lake Erie College and Seton Hill University for men's and women's lacrosse 2011 – The University of the District of Columbia joined the ECC in the 2011–12 academic year. 2012 – Three institutions left the ECC as affiliate members, all effective after the 2012 spring season (2011–12 academic year): Lake Erie and Seton Hill for men's and women's lacrosse and Mercyhurst and Wheeling Jesuit for only men's lacrosse 2012 – Roberts Wesleyan College joined the ECC in the 2012–13 academic year. 2012 – Georgian Court University joined the ECC as an affiliate member for women's indoor and outdoor track & field in the 2012–13 academic year. 2013 – Georgian Court left the ECC as an affiliate member for women's outdoor track & field after the 2013–14 academic year. 2013 – Daemen College (now Daeman University) joined the ECC in the 2013–14 academic year. 2013 – Georgian Court added men's indoor track & field into its ECC affiliate membership in the 2013–14 academic year. 2015 – Felician University, Franklin Pierce University and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania joined the ECC as affiliate members for women's bowling (with Adelphi rejoining for that sport), all effective in the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year). 2016 Dowling left the ECC to announce that the school would cease operations after the 2015–16 academic year. Three institutions joined the ECC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2017 spring season (2016–17 academic year): Holy Family University for men's and women's indoor track & field and Lincoln Memorial University and Salem University for women's bowling 2017 Three institutions left the ECC as affiliate members, all effective after the 2017 spring season (2016–17 academic year): Chestnut Hill and Dominican (N.Y.) for men's lacrosse and Salem for women's bowling Wilmington University of Delaware joined the ECC as an affiliate member for women's bowling (with Chestnut Hill rejoining for that sport), both effective in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year). 2018 Franklin Pierce left the ECC as an affiliate member for women's bowling after the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year). Three institutions joined the ECC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year): Bloomfield College and Caldwell University for women's bowling and Post University for men's & women's indoor track & field 2019 Long Island University, the parent of LIU Post, announced that it would merge the Post athletic program with the D-I athletic program of its Brooklyn campus after the 2018–19 academic year, creating a D-I program that now competes as the LIU Sharks. Three institutions joined the ECC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year): Frostburg State University for men's lacrosse Lincoln University of Pennsylvania for baseball and women's soccer and Tusculum University for women's bowling 2020 New York Tech (NYIT) left the ECC to announce that the school would suspend its athletic programs until further notice (at least two years) after the 2019–20 academic year. D'Youville College (now D'Youville University) and the College of Staten Island joined the ECC in the 2020–21 academic year. 2021 – Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum left the ECC as affiliate members for women's bowling after the 2021 spring season (2020–21 academic year). 2022 Bridgeport left the ECC to join the CACC after the 2021–22 academic year. Division I member Bryant University and Saint Anselm College joined as affiliate members for women's bowling in the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year). Bloomfield, Caldwell, Chestnut Hill, Felician and Wilmington (Del.) left the ECC as affiliate members for women's bowling after the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year); as their primary conference home (the CACC) launched a bowling league, beginning spring 2023 (2022–23 school year). 2023 – The ECC announced it would sponsor men's volleyball in the 2024 spring season (2023–24 school year) with four schools, three of which started men's volleyball programs in that season. Full members Roberts Wesleyan and St. Thomas Aquinas were joined by associates American International College and Dominican (N.Y.). Alliance University was originally announced as a fifth sponsoring member, but the university announced it would permanently close on July 1 before they had played a single game. Of these schools, only American International played men's volleyball in the 2023 season. 2024 Lincoln (Pa.) left the ECC as an affiliate member in baseball and women's soccer after the 2023–24 academic year. Mercyhurst left the ECC as an affiliate member for women's bowling after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year). 2026 – The ECC began sponsoring field hockey in the 2026 fall season (2026–27 school year). Full members D'Youville, Mercy, Molloy, Roberts Wesleyan, and St. Thomas Aquinas were joined by associate Dominican (N.Y.). 2027 – Saint Anselm will leave the ECC as an affiliate member for women's bowling after the 2027 spring season (2026–27 academic year).
Member schools
Current members The ECC currently has nine full members, all but three are private schools.
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Daemen University Amherst, New York 1947 Nonsectarian 2,540 Wildcats 2013 Washington, D.C. 1851 Public (HBCU) 4,202 Firebirds 2011 Buffalo, New York 1946 Catholic 2,376 Saints 2020 Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, New York 1950 Nonsectarian 8,774 Mavericks 1989 Molloy University Rockville Centre, New York 1955 Catholic 4,845 Lions 1989 Queens College Queens, New York 1937 Public 15,965 Knights 1989 Roberts Wesleyan University Rochester, New York 1866 Free Methodist 1,619 Redhawks 2012 Sparkill, New York 1952 Catholic 1,950 Spartans 2000 Staten Island, New York 1956 Public 10,973 Dolphins 2020
Notes
Affiliate members The ECC currently has 10 affiliate members, most of which are private schools.