HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY
The New Jersey Athletic Conference originated in 1957 (then called the New Jersey State Athletic Conference) when founding institutional members Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), Montclair State College (now Montclair State University), Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University), Newark State College (now Kean University), Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), and William Paterson College (now William Paterson University) collectively partnered to compete in intercollegiate competition. The conference operated strictly as a men's sport athletic league until 1985, when the league members merged with their corresponding institutions in the Jersey Athletic Conference, a women's sport athletic conference. Since the founding of the conference in 1957, the NJAC has captured 63 NCAA Division III national team championships.
While meeting as a joint body to vote on broader policy and procedure matters, the conference continued to operate with separate legislative divisions governing men's and women's sports. Throughout its evolution, the conference has been guided by the following operating principles:
· - To legislate through bylaws, policies, procedures, and ethical guidelines the administration of the intercollegiate
athletic programs of conference members.
· - To promote intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the total education program.
· - To protect the welfare of the student-athlete.
· - To foster and uphold the highest standards of athletic competition and academic integrity.
· - To support the principles and practices of Title IX and gender equity.
· - To encourage allied membership in appropriate state, regional and national organizations.
· - To cooperate with other amateur athletic organizations in promoting intercollegiate athletics.
In 1999-2000, the New Jersey Athletic Conference added three new chapters to its history. In May, it hired its first Commissioner in Donna Ledwin. In September, the conference amended its constitution to allow affiliate members on a sport-by-sport basis and accepted the State University of New York at Cortland as its first affiliate member for the sport of football. And in October, it revised its constitution and bylaws to merge the men's and women's sports divisions into a single decision-making body; to create committees which more directly addressed the needs and interests of the student-athletes and faculty athletic representatives; and to strengthen the partnership between the office of the president and the department of athletics on each of its member's campuses.
In 2002-03, the conference named its second Commissioner in Terry Small.
In 2003-04, historical changes included the expansion of the conference women's and men's soccer tournaments to six-team fields; the implementation of divisional play in women's and men's basketball; and the expansion of both postseason basketball tournaments to six-team fields.
In 2004-05, the conference added its second affiliate football member in Western Connecticut State University. Other historical changes in 2004-05 included the withdrawal of New Jersey City University as a full member; the return to a single-division format for women's and men's basketball; and the expansion of the conference baseball tournament to a six-team field.
In 2005-06, the conference welcomed the return of New Jersey City University back as a full member. In addition, the league softball tournament was expanded to a six-team field.
In 2006-07, the conference added its third affiliate football member in Buffalo State College. In addition, the league returned to divisional play in women's and men's basketball.
In 2008-09, the conference added Morrisville State College and The College at Brockport as its fourth and fifth affiliate football members respectively. In addition, the conference sponsored men's and women's swimming & diving as varsity sports for the first time since 1995-96 and 2003-04 respectively. The conference also sponsored women's lacrosse as a varsity sport for the first time in league history.
In 2009-10, the conference launched a new interactive web site: www.njacsports.com
In 2011-12, the conference added Farmingdale State College and St. Joseph's College-Long Island as its first-ever affiliate members in the sports of women's and men's indoor & outdoor track & field. The conference also sponsored a league tournament in field hockey for the first time in conference history.
In 2012-13, the conference returned to a single-division format for both women's and men's basketball. In addition, the league football membership was reduced to nine institutions following Buffalo State College's withdrawal of its affiliate membership.
In 2013-14, Kate Clawson was selected to serve in the newly created position of Assistant to the Commissoner funded partially through the NCAA Division III Ethnic Minority & Women's Internshp Grant. The conference also sponsored a league tournament in women's lacrosse for the first time in conference history. In addition, the league received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III women's lacrosse championship for the first time. The league football membership was reduced to eight instituitons following Western Connecticut State University's withdrawal of its affiliate membership.
In 2014-15, Southern Virginia University was added as an affiliate football member. The league football membership remained at eight institutions following the withdrawal of The College at Brockport as an affiliate member.
In 2015-16, Michelle Serabian was hired as the league's first ever Assistant Commissioner, a newly implemented position funded partially through the NCAA Strategic Alliance Matching Grant. The conference also created a new class of membership deemed as associate membership. Associate members receive two Board of Athletic Administrator votes in the sport for which they hold membership in the same manner as full-member institutions. Christopher Newport University, Frostburg State University, Salisbury University, and Wesley College became the first Associate football members in the history of the conference. Southern Virginia University became the first institution in league history to transition from affiliate football membership to associate football membership. The league football membership consisted of 10 institutions with the addition of the new associate members and the withdrawal of both SUNY Cortland and Morrisville State College as affiliate members. The conference also established and awarded an all-sports cup for the first time in league history.
In 2018-19, the conference sponsored the sport of men's volleyball for the first time in its history. The conference also sponsored the sport of men's tennis for the first time since 1983.
In 2019-20, the conference added the State University of New York at Oneonta, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater as affiliate members in the sport of men's tennis. In addition, the conference added Penn State University-Harrisburg as an affiliate member in the sports of women's and men's indoor and outdoor track & field. The league football membership was reduced to eight institutions following the withdrawal of both Frostburg State University and Southern Virginia University as associate members.
In 2020-21, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference did not sponsor any league competition during the fall semester. The first conference competition was held on January 20 (women's and men's basketball), and specific competition plans were tailored for each league sport which focused primarily on conference play. Despite the pandemic, the league was able to crown champions in 19 league sports while providing every NJAC team with a championship opportunity.
In 2021-22, Wesley College ceased operations, thus terminating their football associate membership.
In 2022-23, the conference added the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point as an affiliate member in the sport of men's tennis. In addition, St. Joseph's College-Long Island discontinued its track & field programs and thus terminated its affiliate track & field membership.
In 2023-24, the conference added the University of Mary Washington, Roger Williams University, Salisbury University, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy as affiliate members in the sports of women’s and men’s swimming & diving in conjunction with the sponsorship of an NJAC swimming & diving championship meet for the first time in league history. In addition, Penn State-Harrisburg withdrew as an affiliate member in the sports of women’s and men’s indoor and outdoor track & field. The NJAC discontinued its sponsor of the sport of men’s tennis due to full-member sponsorship falling below the required four institutions. As a result, SUNY Oneonta, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater all withdrew as men’s tennis affiliate members.