NEW PALTZ – The members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) have accepted SUNY New Paltz's application to join their conference as a full member ahead of the 2026-27 season.  

New Paltz will continue competing in the SUNY Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), with no changes to the existing structure, for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.  

The move to NJAC positions SUNY New Paltz to improve the athletics and academic experience for all SUNY New Paltz students – including student athletes on our 16 varsity teams and the thousands of students who take advantage of intramural sports, athletics facilities, group exercise classes and the many other wellness opportunities provided on our campus.  

"We are excited to enter a new era of Hawks athletics, and I am grateful to NJAC leadership for their support throughout this process," said SUNY New Paltz President Darrell P. Wheeler. "I also want to thank the SUNY Athletic Conference, their members and their leadership for their stewardship of the DIII athletics experience in New York State and their support of our institution throughout our years as a member."  

NJAC was founded in 1957 and expanded to 10 teams in 1983. It has had a consistent membership in the 40+ years since. The two-year window before New Paltz joins will allow the conference to conduct a sport-by-sport study to develop new regular season and postseason competition plans that will be implemented ahead of the 2026-27 academic year.  

"We are excited to welcome New Paltz to the NJAC family and we're looking forward to all of the various developments that will occur with the addition of another outstanding full-member institution," said NJAC Commissioner Terry Small. "In studying SUNY New Paltz, it was evident that it is an outstanding institution with a strong history of athletic success. I am confident that SUNY New Paltz will be a good fit for the NJAC, and the NJAC will be a good home for SUNY New Paltz."  

Competing in NJAC will meaningfully reduce away-game travel time for SUNY New Paltz varsity teams, providing a better experience for athletes and helping the University realize cost savings that will be reinvested into athletics and wellness programs that benefit all New Paltz students.  

"Moving to the New Jersey Athletic Conference presents opportunities to enhance the profile and competitiveness of Hawks athletics programs at a time when our varsity teams are performing at historic levels," said Director of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation Renee Bostic. "Coordinating this transition along a two-year timeline will also help us provide a smooth experience for our current student athletes, particularly juniors and seniors who are focused on building on last year's record-breaking season." 

************** 
To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks, Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.