NJIT Highlanders

Last updated
NJIT Highlanders
NJIT Highlanders logo.svg
University New Jersey Institute of Technology
Conference America East (primary)
Southland (men's & women's tennis)
EIVA (men's volleyball)
NCAA Division I
Athletic director Lenny Kaplan
Location Newark, New Jersey
Varsity teams19
Basketball arena Wellness and Events Center
Baseball stadium Yogi Berra Stadium
Soccer stadium J. Malcolm Simon Stadium
Other venues Prudential Center
MascotThe Highlander
NicknameHighlanders
ColorsRed and white [1]
   
Website www.njithighlanders.com

The NJIT Highlanders, formerly the New Jersey Tech Highlanders, are the varsity sport members of the Division I NCAA-affiliated sports teams of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). There are ten men's teams, seven women's teams, and three club teams along with a variety of intramural teams. The school's primary conference is the America East Conference. In November 2017 NJIT opened the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) which incorporates upgraded facilities for most Division 1 sports including a 3,500-seat arena for basketball and volleyball. [2]

Contents

NJIT is located in an area of Newark presently known as University Heights, and formerly known as the Newark Highlands. In addition, NJIT's mailing address used to be High Street until the street was renamed in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These various references to 'High' are, in large measure, what led the school's students to choose The Highlander as its mascot. Upon moving up to NCAA Division I in 2006 -07, NJIT athletics updated its graphics. This included a new logo which depicts a stylized Scottish Highlander warrior in traditional garb.

Sports sponsored

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross countrySoccer
Lacrosse Tennis
SoccerTrack and field†
Swimming and divingVolleyball
Tennis
Track and field†
Volleyball
Co-ed sports
Fencing
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor
America East Conference logo in NJIT's colors America East logo in NJIT colors.svg
America East Conference logo in NJIT's colors

A member of the America East Conference, NJIT sponsors teams in ten men's, seven women's, and one coed NCAA sanctioned sports.

Move to Division I

NJIT athletics moved to NCAA Division I, the top level of college athletics, in 2006.

Prior to the reclassification of the athletic program, all teams competed at the Division II level. In the process of reclassification, both men's and women's soccer programs moved up to Division I faster than the other programs by taking advantage of a policy that allows lower division schools to elevate one sport in each gender to Division I in two years. NJIT men's soccer became a full member of NCAA Division I with championship eligibility at the start of the 2005 season. NJIT women's soccer began a similar two-year process in 2005, with full Division I status and championship eligibility arriving with the 2007 season.

NJIT athletics officially gained across-the-board active membership in NCAA Division I, beginning September 1, 2009. [3]

Men's lacrosse, which was elevated from club to full varsity status for the 2015 season (2014–15 school year), competed as an independent through the 2019 season, after which the team joined the Northeast Conference. [4]

Facilities

Besides the on-campus Estelle & Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center, the NJIT basketball teams also play at the Prudential Center in downtown Newark. Pudcentnewarkjeh.JPG
Besides the on-campus Estelle & Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center, the NJIT basketball teams also play at the Prudential Center in downtown Newark.
The NJIT cross-country teams practice at the nearby Branch Brook Park and Van Cortlandt Park in NYC. Branchbrook Park.jpg
The NJIT cross-country teams practice at the nearby Branch Brook Park and Van Cortlandt Park in NYC.

Branch Brook Park, located approximately a 1/2 mile away from campus is the home for NJIT cross country teams.

The Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center, was the former athletic facility for the NJIT Highlanders. The facility and adjoining field were demolished in 2016 to make way for the Wellness & Events Center and Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium. Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium was the former home of the NJIT baseball team. The facility was demolished in 2019 to make way for a commercial-residential project named Riverfront Square.

Conference history

NJIT competed independently until 2009, when the Highlanders became a part of the Great West Conference in the summer of 2008 as one of six programs to form a Division I all-sports league that began full conference scheduling and championships in 2009–10. The Great West Conference was formerly a football-only league. Chicago State University joined the conference in October 2008, increasing the total full-sports members to 7. [5]

The newly expanded conference was not eligible for automatic Division I championship postseason qualification, men's basketball tournament champion was granted an automatic bid to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). [6]

During the 2012–13 basketball season, the NCAA underwent major changes in conference realignment where the WAC added three of five Great West schools, while Houston Baptist accepted an invitation to the Southland Conference. With only NJIT left, the conference folded. Although the Northeast Conference and Atlantic Sun Conference were discussed, [7] it was not offered a spot in either for the 2013–2014 season.

Some teams began competing as associate members in various conferences. The men's volleyball team joined the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA). In 2013–14, the NJIT men's swimming and diving team began competing in the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA). In 2014, NJIT women's tennis became an associate member of the America East Conference and in 2014–15, soccer began play in the Sun Belt Conference.

After two years as an independent, NJIT announced on June 12, 2015, that it would become a full member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, now known as the ASUN Conference, beginning nineteen days later on July 1. [8] The university confirmed on June 12, 2020, its departure from the ASUN after five years to join the America East Conference beginning nineteen days later on July 1. [9] With the America East not sponsoring tennis for either men or women, both tennis teams were independent in the 2020–21 school year before joining the Southland Conference in July 2021. [10]

Club sports

NJIT plays club-level ice hockey at the Prudential Center in the Colonial States College Hockey Conference. Prudential Center hockey rink.jpg
NJIT plays club-level ice hockey at the Prudential Center in the Colonial States College Hockey Conference.

Recognitions

Men's soccer
In 1960, NJIT was NAIA men's soccer co-champions with Elizabethtown College. The title game went into four overtimes and ended in a 2–2 draw.

NCAA Division I men's basketball recognitions for futility
NJIT's men's basketball program set the record of the most winless team in D-I history in the 2007–2008 season with a losing streak of 51 games, breaking Sacramento State’s old D-I record. This acknowledgment has given NJIT's athletic program national recognition for futility. The unofficial NCAA record was set during NJIT's second NCAA Division I transitional season. It came despite a promising 5–24 debut Division I transitional season (2006–07) du4ing which the team won its first two matches (away and home). [11] With a new head coach (Jim Engles), an entirely new coaching staff and additional new recruits, the NJIT men's basketball team ended the 51-game losing streak on January 21, 2009, with a 61–51 win over the Bryant Bulldogs and finished the 2008–09 season with a 1–30 record. The Highlanders improved the following season (2009–10) and ended with a 10–21 record [12] during its first official NCAA Division I season.

NJIT currently holds three NCAA Division I men's basketball reclassifying records: [13]

NCAA Division III men's basketball recognitions for best performances
Despite performing way below Division I standards during its reclassifying seasons from Division II, the Highlanders till this day still hold several Division III men's basketball records more than a decade after elevation from Division III. These records [14] include:

Noteworthy accomplishments in Division I

Notable Highlanders

See also

List of NCAA Division I schools that have never sponsored football

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">America East Conference</span> US collegiate athletic conference

The America East Conference (AmEast) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I whose members are located in the Northeastern United States. The conference is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division I</span> Highest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic powers, with large budgets, more elaborate facilities and more athletic scholarships than Divisions II and III as well as many smaller schools committed to the highest level of intercollegiate competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Sun Conference</span> American college sports league

The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Division I FCS level in 2022. Originally established as the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) in 1978, it was renamed as the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001, and briefly rebranded as the ASUN Conference from 2016 to 2023. The conference still uses "ASUN" as an official abbreviation. The conference headquarters are located in Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Nittany Lions</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Penn State University

The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The intercollegiate athletics logo was commissioned in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Michigan Broncos</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Western Michigan University

The Western Michigan Broncos are a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I program representing Western Michigan University (WMU) in college athletics. They compete in the Mid-American Conference in men's baseball, basketball, football, and tennis; and women's basketball, cross-country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. The men's ice hockey team competes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and the men's soccer team competes in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Broncos also have a flight team, the SkyBroncos, who have won the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) National Championship award five times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binghamton Bearcats</span> Athletic teams representing Binghamton University

The Binghamton Bearcats are the NCAA Division I athletics teams at Binghamton University located in Binghamton, New York. United States. They are one of four Division I programs in the SUNY system. A member of the America East Conference, Binghamton University, SUNY sponsors teams in eleven men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. The men's golf, men's tennis, and women's tennis teams are affiliate members of the Northeast Conference, and the wrestling team is a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UC Davis Aggies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Califlornia, Davis

The UC Davis Aggies are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindenwood Lions</span> Athletic teams of Lindenwood University

The Lindenwood Lions and Lady Lions are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Lindenwood University, located in St. Charles, Missouri, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Ohio Valley Conference for most of its sports since the 2022–23 academic year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Flames and Lady Flames</span> Athletics teams of Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States

The Liberty Flames and Lady Flames are the athletics teams of Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. They are a member of the NCAA Division I level in 20 sports. As of July 1, 2023, LU is a member of Conference USA (C-USA) for most sports, joining that league after five years as a member of the ASUN Conference. Four sports that are not sponsored by C-USA are housed elsewhere. The field hockey team was a member of the Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference before that league's demise after the 2014 season. After playing the 2015 season as an independent, the team joined the Big East Conference in 2016. Women's lacrosse remains in the ASUN Conference, and women's swimming & diving joined the ASUN when it effectively absorbed the swimming & diving side of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association after the 2022–23 season. Men's soccer competes in the Ohio Valley Conference. In football, Liberty had participated in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as an independent before joining C-USA. The mascot, Sparky, is frequently seen at events. Liberty University is the second youngest school in NCAA Division I, founded in 1971. As a member of the Big South Conference, Liberty regularly competed for the Sasser Cup, which is the trophy for the university which has the best sports program among the member institutions. Liberty won the Sasser Cup 14 times, the most in Big South Conference history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Florida Ospreys</span> Collegiate sports club in the United States

The North Florida Ospreys are the athletic teams of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. The Ospreys compete in the ASUN Conference in NCAA Division I. UNF became a full-fledged member of Division I in 2009; previously, the Ospreys were members of the Sunshine State Conference and Peach Belt Conference in NCAA Division II. UNF fields teams in seven men's sports and ten women's sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach State athletics</span> Collegiate athletic teams of California State University, Long Beach

Long Beach State athletics, or simply Beach athletics, are the athletic teams that represent California State University, Long Beach. Teams compete in 19 sports at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. Long Beach State is a founding member of the Big West Conference, and also competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Golden Coast Conference for sports not sponsored by the Big West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UC Riverside Highlanders</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of California, Riverside

The UC Riverside Highlanders represent the University of California, Riverside (UCR) in Riverside, California in 15 men's and women's intercollegiate athletics. The Highlanders compete in NCAA Division I; they are members of the Big West Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Gulf Coast Eagles</span> Group of university sports teams

The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles refer to the fifteen intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Florida Gulf Coast University, located in unincorporated Lee County, Florida near Fort Myers, in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and tennis; women's-only: softball, swimming and diving, indoor volleyball, and beach volleyball; and men's-only: baseball. The Eagles compete in the NCAA Division I and are members of the ASUN Conference (ASUN). FGCU is also notable as the youngest institution competing in NCAA Division I, having been officially founded in 1991 and started classes in 1997. Their mascot is Azul the Eagle.

The Queens Royals are the athletic teams that represent Queens University of Charlotte, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, in NCAA intercollegiate sporting competitions. On July 1, 2022, the Royals began a four-year transition from NCAA Division II to Division I as new members of the ASUN Conference. Before then, Queens had competed in the South Atlantic Conference for 20 of their varsity sports; the men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed in the Bluegrass Mountain Conference and the men's volleyball team competed in the Independent Volleyball Association, a scheduling alliance among schools that are independents in that sport's National Collegiate division. Queens had been a member of the SAC since 2013, when it moved from Conference Carolinas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellarmine Knights</span> Intercollegiate athletic teams of Bellarmine University

The Bellarmine Knights are the athletic teams that represent Bellarmine University, located in Louisville, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the ASUN Conference for most sports in the 2020–21 academic year. The Knights previously competed in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) of the NCAA Division II ranks from 1978–79 to 2019–20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal Collegiate Sports Association</span> NCAA Division I college athletic conference

The Coastal Collegiate Sports Association is an NCAA Division I college athletic conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros</span>

The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros is a collegiate athletic program that represents the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The Vaqueros inherited the NCAA Division I status of the Texas–Pan American Broncs and compete in the Western Athletic Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2019–20 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team represented the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by fourth-year head coach Brian Kennedy, played their home games at the Wellness and Events Center in Newark, New Jersey as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 9–21, 6–10 in ASUN play to finish in eighth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the ASUN tournament to Liberty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2020–21 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team represented the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by fifth-year head coach Brian Kennedy, played their home games at the Wellness and Events Center in Newark, New Jersey as first-year members of the America East Conference. In a season limited by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they finished the season 7–12, 6–10 in America East play to finish in eighth place. They lost to Albany in the first round of the America East tournament.

References

  1. ↑ NJIT Branding Guidelines (PDF). January 1, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Education NJIT cuts ribbon on WEC, an athletic facility and more (slideshow)". ROI. 10 November 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ 'NJIT: NJIT Officially Gains Active NCAA Division I Membership'
  4. ↑ "NEC Welcomes NJIT as Men's Lacrosse Associate Member" (Press release). Northeast Conference. October 19, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  5. ↑ "'Great West Conference: About Great West Conference'". Archived from the original on 2010-04-18. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  6. ↑ "'Great West Conference: Great West Granted Automatic Bid Into CIT Field'". Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  7. ↑ "Conference Realignment". CollegeSportsInfo.com. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  8. ↑ "NJIT Athletics Finds Its Home in the Sun," New Jersey Institute of Technology Athletics, Friday, June 12, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2021
  9. ↑ "NJIT to Join America East Conference as 10th Member Institution - NJIT Highlanders". NJIT Highlanders. 2020-06-12. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  10. ↑ "NJIT Men's and Women's Tennis Joins Southland Conference" (Press release). NJIT Highlanders. June 22, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  11. ↑ 'NJIT Men's Basketball Team Media Guide'
  12. ↑ 'NJIT Highlanders: 2009-10 Men's Basketball Schedule'
  13. ↑ 'NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Records (2009 Edition)'
  14. ↑ 'NCAA Division 3 Men's Basketball Records (2009 Edition)'
  15. ↑ 'NJIT: Sabrina Baby and NJIT Claim NCAA Division I Statistical Championships'
  16. ↑ 'NJIT: Sabrina Baby Named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team'
  17. ↑ 'NJIT's Christian Baumbach Wins Prestigious IC4A Championship Race'
  18. ↑ NJIT Highlanders : WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! - Co-Captain Colin McArdle scores late in OT for the Highlanders' first-ever championship
  19. ↑ Women's Tennis Captures Great West Conference Title
  20. ↑ "NJIT stuns No. 17 Michigan with critical 3-pointer"
  21. ↑ "Men's Soccer Honored with ASUN Conference Championship Rings". New Jersey Institute of Technology Athletics. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  22. ↑ "NJIT first victory in NCAA Tournament"
  23. ↑ 'NJIT : Hall of Fame Induction Class of 1996'
  24. ↑ "'NSCAA: All-America Awards (1980)'". Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.