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 left 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 upgraded 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:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors State University of New York Alfred State College(Alfred State) Alfred 1908 Public 3,500 Pioneers 2026 State University of New York Buffalo State University(Buffalo State) Buffalo 1871 Public 8,339 Bengals1958 State University of New York at Canton(SUNY Canton) Canton 1906 Public 3,122 Roos 2024 State University of New York at Cobleskill(SUNY Cobleskill) Cobleskill 1911 Public 2,087 Fighting Tigers 2026 State University of New York at Cortland(SUNY Cortland) Cortland 1868 Public 6,832 Red Dragons 1958 State University of New York at Delhi(SUNY Delhi) Delhi 1913 Public 3,088 Broncos 2026 State University of New York at Fredonia(SUNY Fredonia) Fredonia 1826 Public 3,780 Blue Devils 1959 State University of New York at Morrisville(SUNY Morrisville) Morrisville 1908 Public 2,486 Mustangs 2007;2024 State University of New York at Oneonta(SUNY Oneonta) Oneonta 1889 Public 6,733 Red Dragons 1958 State University of New York at Oswego(SUNY Oswego) Oswego 1861 Public 7,636 Lakers 1958 State University of New York at Plattsburgh(SUNY Plattsburgh) Plattsburgh 1889 Public 5,257 Cardinals 1958 State University of New York at Potsdam(SUNY Potsdam) Potsdam 1816 Public 3,098 Bears 1958

Notes

Affiliate members The SUNYAC currently has 14 affiliate members, half of them are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined SUNYACsport(s) Primaryconference Elmira College Elmira, New York 1855 Nonsectarian 768 Soaring Eagles 2025 Men's wrestling Empire 8 (E8) Hilbert College Hamburg, New York 1957 Catholic 1,100 Hawks 2024 Men's indoor track & field Allegheny Mountain (AMCC) 2024 Men's outdoor track & field 2024 Women's indoor track & field 2024 Women's outdoor track & field Hobart College Geneva, New York 1822 Nonsectarian 2,337 Statesmen 2025 Men's ice hockey Liberty (LL) Ithaca College Ithaca, New York 1892 Nonsectarian 6,769 Bombers 2023 Men's wrestling Liberty (LL) Penn State Altoona Logan Township, Pennsylvania 1939 Public 3,800 Lions 2025 Men's swimming & diving Allegheny Mountain (AMCC) 2025 Women's swimming & diving Penn State Erie, The Behrend College Erie, Pennsylvania 1948 Public 4,700 Lions 2024 Men's indoor track & field Allegheny Mountain (AMCC) 2024 Men's outdoor track & field 2024 Women's indoor track & field 2024 Women's outdoor track & field 2025 Men's swimming & diving 2025 Women's swimming & diving Bradford, Pennsylvania 1963 Public 1,502 Panthers 2025 Men's swimming & diving Allegheny Mountain (AMCC) 2025 Women's swimming & diving Rochester Institute of Technology(RIT) Henrietta, New York 1829 Nonsectarian 18,000 Tigers 2023 Men's wrestling Liberty (LL) Rochester, New York 1948 Nonsectarian 3,610 Cardinals 2023 Men's wrestling Empire 8 (E8) Salisbury University Salisbury, Maryland 1925 Public 8,657 Sea Gulls 2025 Field hockey Coast to Coast (C2C) Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York 1903 Nonsectarian 2,500 Thoroughbreds 2025 Men's ice hockey Liberty (LL) State University of New York at Brockport(SUNY Brockport) Brockport, New York 1867 Public 7,924 Golden Eagles 2024 Men's wrestling Empire 8 (E8) Utica University Utica, New York 1946 Nonsectarian 4,614 Pioneers 2023 Men's wrestling Empire 8 (E8) William Smith College Geneva, New York 1908 Nonsectarian 2,229 Herons 2025 Women's ice hockey Liberty (LL)

Notes

Future affiliate members Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joining SUNYACsport(s) Primaryconference Keuka College Keuka Park, New York 1890 Baptist 1,535 Wolves 2027 Field hockey Empire 8 Saint Francis University Loretto, Pennsylvania 1847 Catholic 2,111 Red Wolves 2028 Field hockey Presidents'

Notes

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

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Currentconference University at Albany(SUNY Albany) Albany 1844 Public 17,500 Great Danes 1958 1995 America East (AmEast) Binghamton University(SUNY Binghamton) Vestal 1946 Public 14,713 Bearcats 1973 1997 America East (AmEast) University at Buffalo(SUNY Buffalo) Buffalo 1846 Public 28,601 Bulls 1978 1988 Mid-American (MAC) State University of New York at Brockport(SUNY Brockport) Brockport 1867 Public 7,924 Golden Eagles 1958 2024 Empire 8 (E8) State University of New York at Geneseo(SUNY Geneseo) Geneseo 1871 Public 4,910 Knights 1959 2024 Empire 8 (E8) State University of New York at New Paltz(SUNY New Paltz) New Paltz 1828 Public 7,489 Hawks 1958 2026 New Jersey (NJAC) State University of New York Institute of Technology(SUNY Poly) Marcy 1966 Public 2,870 Wildcats 1991 2008 Empire 8 (E8)

Notes

Membership timeline

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