State University of New York Athletic Conference

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.

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), effective 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, effective in the 1959-60 academic year.
 * 1963 – The NYSIAC has been rebranded as the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), effective in the 1963-64 academic year.
 * 1973 – Harpur College (now Binghamton University) joined the SUNYAC, effective in the 1973–74 academic year.
 * 1978 – The University at Buffalo joined the SUNYAC, effective in the 1978–79 academic year.
 * 1983 – Women's sports became part of the SUNYAC, effective 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, effective 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, effective 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, effective 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, effective after the 1996–97 academic year.
 * 2007 – The State University of New York at Morrisville (also known as Morrisville State College) joined the SUNYAC, effective 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), effective after the 2007–08 academic year.
 * 2009 – SUNY Morrisville left the SUNYAC to join the NEAC after a tenure of two seasons, effective after the 2008–09 academic year. But the school has since remained in the league as an associate member from 2009–10 on forward for the sports of field hockey and ice hockey.
 * 2023 – SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo both announced that they would become full members of the Empire 8 starting in the 2024-25 season.
 * 2023 – SUNYAC announced that absorbed the NEWHL women's ice hockey league and started to sponsor the sport. 5 full members of SUNYAC were members of the NEWHL and SUNY Canton and SUNY Morrisville became affiliate members of SUNYAC in that sport in the 2023–24 season.
 * 2023 – SUNYAC announced that started to sponsor men's wrestling effective immediately in 2023-24 academic year, absorbing the remnants of the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference, 4 full members of SUNYAC sponsors the sport. SUNYAC also welcomed Ithaca, RIT, St. Johns Fisher and Utica as affiliate members in that sport. Also in the same date, SUNYAC announced that SUNY Canton and SUNY Morrisville will join the conference as full members starting in 2024-25.
 * 2025 – 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.

Current members
The SUNYAC currently has ten full members, all are public schools:


 * Notes:

Affiliate members
The SUNYAC currently has six affiliate members, all but two are private schools:


 * Notes

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


 * 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
 * Morrisville State (SUNY Morrisville) left to join the North Eastern Athletic Conference

Sports
The SUNYAC sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in the following sports: