Liberty League

Last updated
Liberty League
Liberty League logo.svg
FormerlyUpstate Collegiate Athletic Association
Association NCAA
Founded1995
CommissionerTracy King
Sports fielded
  • 26
    • men's: 14
    • women's: 13
Division Division III
No. of teams12
Headquarters Troy, New York
Region Upstate New York
Official website libertyleagueathletics.com
Locations
Liberty-USA-states.png

The Liberty League is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Member schools are all located in the state of New York.

Contents

History

Map showing current full member institutions (click to enlarge) Map - New York - Liberty League locations.svg
Map showing current full member institutions (click to enlarge)

It was founded in 1995 as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association. The conference was renamed during the summer of 2004 to the current name.

The league includes founding members Clarkson University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Rochester, St. Lawrence University, Skidmore College, and Union College. Vassar College became a full member of the league during the 2000–01 academic year, Bard College and Rochester Institute of Technology joined for the 2011–12 academic year, and Ithaca College officially joined for the 2017–18 academic year. Founding member Hamilton College departed following the 2010–11 academic year in order to fully integrate its athletic programs within the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).

The United States Merchant Marine Academy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Springfield College are associate members in football only.

At the beginning of the 2012–13 season, New York University became an associate member in both men's and women's golf, while Wellesley College and Mount Holyoke College became associate members in women's golf.

Accomplishments

Offensive linesman Ali Marpet of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, drafted in the 2nd round, 61st overall, of the 2015 NFL draft, is the highest-drafted pick in the history of Division III football. [1] He was three-time All-Liberty League first team (2012, 2013, 2014), and 2014 Liberty League Co-Offensive Player of the Year—the first offensive lineman in league history to be so honored. [2] [3] [4]

Chronological timeline

Member schools

Current members

The Liberty League currently has 12 full members, all are private schools:

InstitutionLocation [a] FoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [b] Football?
Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson 1860 Episcopal 1,958 Raptors 2011No
Clarkson University Potsdam 1896 Nonsectarian 2,848 Golden Knights 1995No
Hobart College [c] Geneva 1822Episcopal905 Statesmen 1995Yes
Ithaca College Ithaca 1892Nonsectarian6,769 Bombers 2017Yes
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(RPI)
Troy 1824Nonsectarian5,431 Engineers 1995Yes
University of Rochester [d] Rochester 1850Nonsectarian12,233 Yellowjackets 1995Yes
Rochester Institute of Technology
(RIT)
Henrietta 1829Nonsectarian18,000 Tigers 2011No
St. Lawrence University Canton 1856Nonsectarian2,327 Saints 1995Yes
Skidmore College Saratoga Springs 1903Nonsectarian2,734 Thoroughbreds 1995No
Union College Schenectady 1795Nonsectarian2,197 Garnet Chargers 1995Yes
Vassar College Poughkeepsie 1861Nonsectarian2,446 Brewers 2001No
William Smith College [c] Geneva 1908Episcopal1,045 Herons 1995No
Notes
  1. All cities were located in the State of New York.
  2. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  3. 1 2 Hobart (men) and William Smith (women) are together the Colleges of the Seneca and usually grouped together, but they participate separately in athletics.
  4. Rochester holds dual conference membership with both the Liberty and the University Athletic Association (UAA).

Associate members

The Liberty League currently has seven associate members, all but one are private schools:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [a] Liberty
sport
Primary
conference
Buffalo State University Buffalo, New York 1871 Public [b] 8,339 Bengals 2019Football S.U. New York (SUNYAC)
Denison University Granville, Ohio 1831Nonsectarian2,100 Big Red 2022m.sq.Men's squash North Coast (NCAC)
2022w.sq.Women's squash
Haverford College Haverford, Pennsylvania 1833Nonsectarian1,268 Fords 2023m.sq.Men's squash Centennial
2023w.sq.Women's squash
Hilbert College Hamburg, New York 1957 Catholic
(Franciscan)
800 Hawks 2025Football Allegheny Mountain (AMCC)
New York University New York City 1832Nonsectarian22,280 Violets 2012m.gf.Men's golf University Athletic (UAA)
2012w.gf.Women's golf
St. John Fisher University Rochester, New York 1948Catholic
(Basilians)
4,000 Cardinals 2013Women's rowing Empire 8 (E8)
Wellesley College Wellesley, Massachusetts 1870Nonsectarian2,300 Blue 2012Women's golf New England (NEWMAC)
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. Part of the State University of New York System.

Former full members

The Liberty League had one former full member, which was also a private school:

InstitutionLocation [a] FoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [b] Left [c] Current
conference
Hamilton College [d] Clinton 1793 Nonsectarian 1,864 Continentals 19952011 New England (NESCAC)
Notes
  1. All cities were located in the State of New York.
  2. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  3. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  4. Hamilton left the Liberty League after the 2010–11 school year in order to fully align with the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), of which it has been a charter member since 1971. The school previously held dual membership with both the Liberty and NESCAC conferences.

Former associate members

The Liberty League had seven former associate members, all but two were private schools:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [a] Left [b] Liberty
sport
Current
primary
conference
United States Coast Guard Academy
(Coast Guard)
New London, Connecticut 1876 Federal 1,045 Bears 20042006Football [c] New England (NEWMAC)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
(Merchant Marine)
Kings Point, New York 1942910 Mariners 2004fb.2017fb.Football [d] [5] Skyline
2009m.gf.2012m.gf.Men's golf [e]
Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, Massachusetts 1837 Nonsectarian 2,100 Lyons 2012w.gf.2020w.gf.Women's golf [f] New England (NEWMAC)
2023w.sq.2024w.sq.Women's squash
St. John Fisher University Rochester, New York 1948 Catholic
(Basilians)
4,000 Cardinals 20132022Men's rowing Empire 8 (E8)
Springfield College Springfield, Massachusetts 1885Nonsectarian5,062 Pride 20122017Football [7] New England (NEWMAC)
Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania 1858 Lutheran (ELCA) 2,200 River Hawks 20072011Football [g] Landmark
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(WPI)
Worcester, Massachusetts 1865Nonsectarian5,071 Engineers 20042017Football New England (NEWMAC)
Liberty League other members
Liberty League
Transparent.svg
Transparent.svg
110km
68miles
Blue pog.svg
St. John Fisher
Black pog.svg
Susquehanna
Black pog.svg
Merchant Marine
Black pog.svg
Mount Holyoke
Black pog.svg
WPI
Black pog.svg
Springfield
Black pog.svg
Coast Guard
Red pog.svg
Hamilton
Blue pog.svg
Buffalo State
Blue pog.svg
Wellesley
Blue pog.svg
NYU
Locations of Liberty League other members, 2021–2022 Blue pog.svg Current associate Red pog.svg Former full Black pog.svg Former associate
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. Coast Guard competed in the Liberty League as a football-only associate member in the 2004 and 2005 fall seasons after its previous conference, the Freedom Football Conference, disbanded (it competed in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) in most other sports, where it remains). After two seasons it moved to the New England Football Conference (since rebranded as Commonwealth Coast Football [CCF], now being part of the Conference of New England [CNE]), where it remained through the 2016 fall season. Coast Guard's football program soon joined its other sports in the NEWMAC in fall 2017, when that league began sponsoring football.
  4. After competing in the Liberty League as an associate member, Merchant Marine's football team joined the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) as of the 2017 fall season (2017–18 school year).
  5. Merchant Marine discontinued men's golf after the 2012 spring season (2011–12 school year).
  6. Mount Holyoke discontinued women's golf after the 2020 spring season (2019–20 school year). [6]
  7. Susquehanna competed in the Liberty League as a football-only associate member for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 fall seasons after leaving its previous football conference, the Middle Atlantic Conferences (it then competed in the Landmark Conference in most other sports, where it remains to this day). After three seasons it moved to the Centennial Conference.

Membership timeline

Hilbert CollegeHaverford CollegeDenison UniversityBuffalo State UniversityIthaca CollegeSt. John Fisher CollegeSpringfield College (Massachusetts)Wellesley CollegeNew York UniversityMount Holyoke CollegeRochester Institute of TechnologyBard CollegeSusquehanna UniversityWorcester Polytechnic InstituteUnited States Merchant Marine AcademyUnited States Coast Guard AcademyVassar CollegeHobart and William Smith CollegesUnion CollegeSt. Lawrence UniversitySkidmore CollegeUniversity of RochesterRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteHobart and William Smith CollegesHamilton College (New York)Clarkson UniversityLiberty League

 Full member (all sports)  Full member (non-football)  Associate member (football)  Associate member (sport) 

Sports

The Liberty League sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's crew, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, men's football, men's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's squash, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and women's volleyball.

Conference sports
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Green check.svgY
Basketball
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Cross Country
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Field Hockey
Green check.svgY
Football
Green check.svgY
Golf
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Lacrosse
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Rowing
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Soccer
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Softball
Green check.svgY
Squash
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Swimming & Diving
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Tennis
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Track & Field (Indoor)
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Track & Field (Outdoor)
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Volleyball
Green check.svgY

Men's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBaseballBasketballCross CountryFootballGolfLacrosseRowingSoccerSquashSwimming
& Diving
TennisTrack & Field
(Indoor)
Track & Field
(Outdoor)
Total Liberty
League Sports
BardGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg [a] Green check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg9
ClarksonGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgRed x.svg7
HobartGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg A10 Green check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svg10
IthacaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
RITGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
RochesterGreen check.svg UAA UAA Green check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svg UAA Green check.svg UAA UAA Green check.svgGreen check.svg6
RPIGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
SkidmoreGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svg8
St. LawrenceGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg13
UnionGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
VassarGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
Totals111096+2 [b] 6+1 [c] 86+1 [d] 105+2 [e] 10988106+5
  1. Swimming only
  2. Associate members Buffalo State and Hilbert
  3. Associate member NYU
  4. Associate member St. John Fisher
  5. Associate members Denison and Haverford

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Liberty League

SchoolAlpine
Skiing
CrewFencingIce HockeyNordic
Skiing
RidingRugbySailingVolleyballWrestling
BardNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo NECC No
ClarksonIndependentNoNo ECAC Hockey IndependentNoNoNoNoNo
HobartIndependentNoNo SUNYAC NoNoNoIndependent UVC No
IthacaNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo SUNYAC
RITNoNoNo AHA NoNoNoNoNo SUNYAC
RPINoNoNo ECAC Hockey NoNoNoNoNoNo
SkidmoreNoNoNo SUNYAC No IHSA [a] NoNoNoNo
St. LawrenceIndependentNoNo ECAC Hockey Independent IHSA [a] NoNoNoNo
UnionNoIndependentNo ECAC Hockey NoNoNoNoNoNo
VassarNoNo NFC NoNoNoIndependentNo UVC No
  1. 1 2 Co-Ed

Women's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBasketballCross CountryField HockeyGolfLacrosseRowingSoccerSoftballSquashSwimming
& Diving
TennisTrack & Field
(Indoor)
Track & Field
(Outdoor)
VolleyballTotal Liberty
League Sports
BardGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg [a] Green check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
ClarksonGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svg7
IthacaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg13
RITGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
Rochester UAA UAA Green check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg UAA Green check.svgRed x.svg UAA UAA Green check.svgGreen check.svg UAA 6
RPIGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svg10
SkidmoreGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svg9
St. LawrenceGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg14
UnionGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg12
VassarGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg13
William SmithGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svg11
Totals10985+2 [b] 117+1 [c] 1084+2 [d] 109889116+5
  1. Swimming only
  2. Associate members NYU and Wellesley
  3. Associate member St. John Fisher
  4. Associate members Denison and Haverford

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Liberty League

SchoolAlpine
Skiing
BowlingCrewFencingGymnasticsIce HockeyNordic
Skiing
RidingRugbySailingScullingWrestling
ClarksonIndependentNoNoNoNo ECAC Hockey IndependentNoNoNoNoNo
IthacaNoNoNoNo NCGA NoNoNoNoNoIndependent Independent
RITNoNoNoNoNo AHA NoNoNoNoNoNo
RPINoNoNoNoNo ECAC Hockey NoNoNoNoNoNo
SkidmoreNoNoNoNoNoNoNo IHSA [a] NoNoNoNo
St. LawrenceIndependentNoNoNoNo ECAC Hockey Independent IHSA [a] NoNoNoNo
UnionNoNoIndependentNoNo ECAC Hockey NoNoNoNoNoNo
VassarNoNoNo NFC NoNoNoNoIndependentNoNoNo
William SmithIndependentIndependentNoNoNo SUNYAC NoNoNoIndependentNoNo
  1. 1 2 Co-Ed

See also

References

  1. Kevin McGuire (May 2, 2015). "Ali Marpet puts D3 Hobart on the NFL Draft scoreboard – College Football Talk". NBC Sports.
  2. "Liberty League Athletics – Liberty League announces 2014 Football Award Recipients". Liberty League.
  3. "Press Release: News: Senior Bowl". seniorbowl.com.
  4. "AFCA Announces 2014 Division III Coaches All-America Team". afca.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-27.
  5. Liberty League Archived 2006-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Mount Holyoke College Discontinues Varsity Golf Program". Mount Holyoke College. 2020-09-10.
  7. "Springfield College to Join the Liberty League as Associate Member in Football". Archived from the original on 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-02-05.