In the world of college sports, the Skyline Conference stands tall as one of the premier NCAA Division III leagues in the nation. The Skyline is composed of ten schools located in the northeast, stretching from Pennsylvania to Vermont.
History
The Skyline Conference has existed for over 20 years, initially beginning in 1998 as the Skyline Athletic Conference. The purpose of the league was to provide a platform for Division III athletic competition in the northeast. Its founding members included Baruch College, NYU-Polytechnic, the College of Staten Island, and St. Joseph’s College (NY). Two years later the Skyline Conference annexed six more schools, making it the conference we know it as today. The member schools have since then changed, but the league has kept the same goal of providing an outlet for athletic competition.
Member Institutions
- Farmingdale State
- Mount Saint Mary College
- Old Westbury
- Stony Brook University-Manhattan
- SUNY Maritime
- SUNY Purchase
- The Sage Colleges
- US Merchant Marine Academy
- Vassar College
- Yeshiva University
Sports
The Skyline Conference is made up of 10 member institutions that field teams in 18 sports. Men’s and women’s basketball, lacrosse, soccer, cross-country, baseball, softball, and tennis are all offered. Some of the notable schools are known for more individual sports, such as Vassar College competing in golf, Old Westbury in swimming and diving, Stony Brook-Manhattan in bowling, and Sage Colleges participating in equestrian.
Notable Achievements & Rivalries
The Skyline Conference is home to a number of impressive feats, and some of its members have become among the best in certain sports. Stony Brook-Manhattan have been consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally for men’s basketball, while Vassar College have been at the top of the NCAA rankings in women’s basketball for many years. In lacrosse, Farmingdale State & Mount Saint Mary College have also have seen success, both having won national championships in recent years.
The Skyline Conference is also home to some of the most heated rivalries in college sports. Old Westbury-Mount Saint Mary College is one of the most intense rivalries, playing each other in various sports more than any other teams in the conference. Other notable rivalries include Farmingdale State-Stony Brook and Sage Colleges-Vassar College.
Conference Operations
The Skyline Conference is a member-driven organization, with a Council of Presidents who set policies for the conference. The Conference is led by an Executive Director, with staff responsible for academic programs, compliance, and marketing. Each school is represented by an Athletic Director and faculty representative.
The Skyline Conference determines the sport schedules for each season, then host conference tournaments for each sport. In some cases, the league also holds joint championships, in which teams can battle against each other for more than one championship trophy.
Role & Impact
The Skyline Conference is the leading force in NCAA Division III athletics in the northeast of the United States. The league serves as a valuable platform for a plethora of schools to prosper athletically, and also offers additional opportunities for student athletes who may have not been successful at securing scholarship offers. Additionally, the historically competitive nature of the conference has produced multiple NCAA All-Americans across the various sports.
At the local level, the Skyline Conference has had a tremendous impact on the various communities that come from the schools in the league. These schools have become the points for many towns and cities, offering athletic events and scholarship opportunities. This has had a far-reaching effect in the region, with many of the conference’s alumni positively impacting their respective localities by providing community outreach or becoming involved on town boards.
Future Prospects
The Skyline Conference is currently going through a period of transition, with many of the member schools looking to secure their futures in college athletics. After years of stability, the league has recently seen an influx of new schools, and the conference is now looking ahead to the future with optimism. With more schools joining the fold, the Skyline Conference has the potential to become even stronger, with more competitive teams and rivalries.
The latest trend has seen the conference develop into a conference with a broader geographic scope, with the potential of even more schools joining into the league. This could have far-reaching implications for the region, helping to continue the growth of college athletics and further developing the local communities.
The future of the Skyline Conference is an exciting one, and the league is continuing a long tradition of premier NCAA Division III athletics. With new member schools, a wider geographic range, and more competitive teams, the conference will be well positioned to continue to grow and remain one of the top NCAA Division III leagues in the country.