As of July 1, the New Jersey Institute of Technology will be part of the Atlantic-Sun Conference, making the conference eight institutions strong for the 2015-16 year.
Florida Gulf Coast University will be seeing NJIT in a variety of sports including baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s tennis and volleyball.
Because of existing commitments, men’s soccer will not play in the A-Sun until the 2016-17 academic year.
“We have developed excellent working relationships with the Atlantic Sun presidents and conference leadership. We share a commitment to academic excellence, the best possible quality student athlete experience and the value of long-standing partnerships,” commented Joel S. Bloom, president of theNew Jersey Institute of Technology.
“The quality of interaction with our colleagues in the Atlantic Sun has been invigorating, and we look forward to being part of what clearly is a remarkable conference at a very special point in its history.”
NJIT, located in Newark, New Jersey, has an enrollment of 10,646 and has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report, Forbes and the Brookings Institute, to name a few, for its success academically. NJIT also ranked 14th among national universities on the Campus Ethnic Diversity list.
In a meeting back in June, many members of the Atlantic Sun Conference Presidents Council expressed their excitement over the expansion.
“This expansion provides a mutually beneficial increase in institutional and conference exposure for student recruitment, alumni engagement and media coverage of our athletic achievements,” said Dr. Tom Moore, the A-Sun Presidents Council Chair and USC Upstate Chancellor.
A-Sun Commissioner Ted Gumbart added to the excitement, saying, “NJIT brings an overall institutional presence that will contribute academically, athletically and with the overall student athlete experience. We look forward to celebrating this announcement together and competing with them for championships this coming season.”
While most schedules have yet to be finalized, the men’s basketball programs will be facing each other for the first time on January 14, 2016 at FGCU.