PITMAN—The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced on July 1 that the league will sponsor the sports of men’s tennis and men’s volleyball during the upcoming 2018-19 academic year. The addition of the two new sports increases the league’s sport sponsorship total to an all-time high of 21.
The New Jersey Athletic Conference Board of Athletic Administrators recently voted to enact a policy change which triggered the addition of the two sports. Prior to the 2018-19 academic year, league policy dictated that five institutions were needed for the conference to sponsor a championship in a given sport. As per a recommendation from the conference’s membership subcommittee, the sport sponsorship threshold was reduced from five to four member institutions, triggering the two new sport additions.
The NJAC previously sponsored the sport of men’s tennis from the inception of the conference in 1959 until 1983. This spring, the league will crown a men’s tennis champion for the first time in 35 years. The sport of men’s tennis is currently sponsored by Ramapo, Rutgers-Camden, Rutgers-Newark, and TCNJ.
Amanda DeMartino, the Director of Athletics at The College of New Jersey, was recently appointed as the NJAC men’s tennis sport chair. During the 2018-19 academic year, Ramapo, Rutgers-Camden and Rutgers-Newark will also compete for one final season in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in addition to competing for the NJAC title.
The NJAC will utilize single round-robin competition in men’s tennis among the four programs, with the team possessing the best conference record being crowned the NJAC champion. A postseason tournament will not take place in the sport of men’s tennis.
The NJAC will sponsor the sport of men’s volleyball for the first in league history beginning in 2018-19. The sport is currently sponsored by Kean, NJCU, Ramapo and Rutgers-Newark. The addition of the sport in the conference comes at a unique time, as Kean University is scheduled to host the 2019 NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball National Championships on April 26-27.
Mary Stadelmann, the Associate Director of Athletics at Rutgers University-Newark, was recently appointed as the NJAC men’s volleyball sport chair. During the 2018-19 academic year, Kean, Ramapo, and Rutgers-Newark will continue to compete in the single-sport Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) in addition to competing for the NJAC title.
The NJAC will utilize single round-robin competition in men’s volleyball among the four programs, with the team possessing the best conference record being crowned the NJAC champion. A postseason tournament will not take place in the sport of men’s volleyball.
In addition to the championship opportunities for NJAC student-athletes in both new sports, the conference will select players of the week, all-conference teams, and special awards in both sports beginning this spring. Student-athletes in each sport will also be eligible for the NJAC All-Academic Team, and competition in both sports will count in the annual NJAC Cup standings.