The Skyline Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference based in the New York City area that competes in the NCAA's Division III.

The league was originally chartered on May 16, 1989, as a men's basketball conference and now sponsors 17 sports (nine for men and 8 for women). The Skyline Conference sponsors baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's volleyball.

Primarily comprising schools from the New York metropolitan area, the Skyline Conference currently has 11 full-time member schools, as well as two part-time members that compete in men's volleyball only.

Prior to the 2007–08 academic year, the league introduced the Skyline Presidents Cup. St. Joseph's (LI) won the first three Presidents Cups (2007–10), followed by Farmingdale State winning in 2010–11. St. Joseph's (LI) collected its fourth Presidents Cup in 2011–12, with Farmingdale State regaining the title in both 2012–13 and 2013–14.

History

Recent events In May 2018, Manhattanville College announced that they would leave the MAC Freedom Conference and return to the Skyline for the 2019–20 academic year. Manhattanville was a charter member of the Skyline before leaving to join the MAC in 2007.

On April 22, 2025, New Jersey City University (NJCU) announced that it would leave the Skyline as an affiliate member for men's volleyball to join the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) for that sport after the 2025 spring season of the 2024–25 academic year (who would later join for all sports, beginning 2027–28).

Chronological history 1989 – On May 16, 1989, the Skyline Conference was founded. Charter members included Manhattanville College, the College of Mount Saint Vincent, the State University of New York at Old Westbury, the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (Merchant Marine), beginning the 1989–90 academic year. 1993 – Mount Saint Mary College joined the Skyline in the 1993–94 academic year. 1994 – Stony Brook left the Skyline to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-II Independent after the 1993–94 academic year. 1996 – The State University of New York Maritime College joined the Skyline in the 1996–97 academic year. 1998 – Yeshiva University joined the Skyline in the 1998–99 academic year. 1999 – St. Joseph's College of New York at Long Island (now St. Joseph's University of New York at Long Island) joined the Skyline in the 1999–2000 academic year. 2000 – Stevens Institute of Technology joined the Skyline in the 2000–01 academic year. 2003 – Centenary College of New Jersey (now Centenary University) and the State University of New York of Farmingdale (also known as Farmingdale State College) joined the Skyline in the 2003–04 academic year. 2005 – Three institutions joined the Skyline as affiliate members, all effective in the 2006 spring season (2005–06 academic year): Kean University and Montclair State University for men's and women's lacrosse and Stockton University for men's lacrosse 2007: Four institutions had left the Skyline to join their respective new home primary conferences, all effective after the 2006–07 academic year: Centenary (N.J.) to the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC; later the Colonial States Athletic Conference or CSAC) Manhattanville and Stevens to the MAC Freedom Conference and U.S. Merchant Marine to the Landmark Conference Bard College, Polytechnic Institute of New York (later the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, or NYU Poly), the State University of New York at Purchase and The Sage Colleges (women's college Russell Sage College and the co-ed Sage College of Albany) joined the Skyline in the 2007–08 academic year. Ramapo College joined the Skyline as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse in the 2007 spring season (2006–07 academic year). 2011: Bard left the Skyline to join the Liberty League after the 2010–11 academic year. New Jersey City University (NJCU) joined the Skyline as an affiliate member for men's volleyball (with Kean and Ramapo adding for that sport), all effective in the 2012 spring season (2011–12 academic year): 2013 – Kean, Montclair State and Ramapo left the Skyline as affiliate members for women's lacrosse after the 2013 spring season (2012–13 academic year). 2014: NYU Poly left the Skyline to discontinue its athletics program as it was merged into New York University after the 2013–14 academic year. Sarah Lawrence College joined the Skyline in the 2014–15 academic year. 2015 – St. Joseph's College of New York at Brooklyn (now St. Joseph's University of New York at Brooklyn) joined the Skyline in the 2015–16 academic year. 2016 – U.S. Merchant Marine rejoined the Skyline in the 2016–17 academic year. 2017: The Sage Colleges (Russell Sage and Sage [or SCA]) left the Skyline to join the Empire 8 after the 2016–17 academic year. Five institutions left the Skyline as affiliate members, all effective after the 2017 spring season (2016–17 academic year): Kean for men's and women's lacrosse and men's volleyball Montclair State for men's and women's lacrosse New Jersey City (NJCU) for men's volleyball Stockton for men's lacrosse and Ramapo for women's lacrosse 2019: Manhattanville rejoined the Skyline in the 2019–20 academic year. New Jersey City (NJCU) and Ramapo rejoined the Skyline as affiliate members for men's volleyball in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year). 2025 – New Jersey City (NJCU) left the Skyline as an affiliate member for men's volleyball to join the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) after the 2025 spring season (2024–25 academic year).

Member schools Current members The Skyline currently has 12 full members, all but five are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment NicknameColors Joined Riverdale, New York 1847 Catholic 1,918 Dolphins 1989 East Farmingdale, New York 1912 Public 8,162 Rams 2003 Manhattanville University Purchase, New York 1841 Nonsectarian 2,700 Valiants 1989;2019 Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, New York 1960 Catholic 2,556 Knights 1994 Purchase, New York 1967 Public 4,379 Panthers 2007 Sarah Lawrence College Yonkers, New York 1926 Nonsectarian 1,782 Gryphons 2014 St. Joseph's University (N.Y.)–Brooklyn Brooklyn, New York 1916 Catholic 1,261 Bears 2015 St. Joseph's University (N.Y.)–Long Island Patchogue, New York 1971 Catholic 3,893 Golden Eagles 1999 Throggs Neck, New York 1874 Public 1,755 Privateers 1996 Old Westbury, New York 1965 Public 4,364 Panthers 1989 United States Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point, New York 1942 Federal 910 Mariners 1989;2016 Yeshiva University New York, New York 1886 Orthodox Jewish 6,744 Maccabees 1998

Notes

Affiliate members The Skyline currently has one affiliate member, a public school.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Skylinesport(s) Primaryconference Ramapo College Mahwah, New Jersey 1969 Public 5,233 Roadrunners 2019 New Jersey (NJAC)

Notes

Former members The Skyline had seven former full members, all but one were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Currentconference Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 1860 Episcopal 1.958 Raptors 2007 2011 Liberty (LL) Centenary University Hackettstown, New Jersey 1867 United Methodist 1,597 Cyclones 2003 2007 Atlantic East (AEC) Polytechnic Institute of New York University Brooklyn, New York 1854 Nonsectarian N/A Fighting Jays 2007 2014 N/A The Sage CollegesSage College of Albany (coed)Russell Sage College (women's) Albany and Troy, New York 1916 Nonsectarian 2,389 Gators 2007 2018 Empire 8 (E8) Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, New Jersey 1870 Nonsectarian 5,260 Ducks 2000 2007 MAC Freedom Stony Brook University Stony Brook, New York 1957 Public 26,814 Patriots 1989 1994 Coastal (CAA)

Notes

Former affiliate members The Skyline currently has five affiliate members, all were public schools.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Skylinesport(s) Primaryconference Kean University Union, New Jersey 1855 Public 14,404 Cougars 2006 2017 New Jersey (NJAC) 2005 2013 2011 2017 Montclair State University Montclair, New Jersey 1908 Public 19,464 Red Hawks 2006 2017 New Jersey (NJAC) 2005 2013 New Jersey City University Jersey City, New Jersey 1929 Public 8,443 Gothic Knights 2011 2017 New Jersey (NJAC) 2019 2025 Ramapo College Mahwah, New Jersey 1969 Public 5,233 Roadrunners 2007 2013 New Jersey (NJAC) Stockton University Pomona, New Jersey 1969 Public 8,458 Ospreys 2006 2017 New Jersey (NJAC)

Notes

Membership timeline

Summary

Sports

A divisional format is used for baseball, basketball (M / W), softball, and volleyball (W). St. Joseph's–Brooklyn St. Joseph's–Long Island SUNY Farmingdale SUNY Maritime SUNY Old Westbury U.S. Merchant Marine Manhattanville Mount Saint Mary Mount Saint Vincent Sarah Lawrence SUNY Purchase Yeshiva

The Skyline sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in the following sports:

+ Conference sportsSportMen'sWomen'sBaseballBasketballCross countryGolfLacrosseSoccerSoftballSwimming & DivingTennisTrack and fieldVolleyball

References

External links