Liberty League
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "other uses". Script error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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.
History
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, the University of Rochester, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 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
- 1995 – In 1995, the Liberty League was founded as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA). Charter members included Clarkson University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, the University of Rochester, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), St. Lawrence University, Skidmore College and Union College, effective beginning the 1995–96 academic year.
- 2001 – Vassar College joined the UCAA, effective in the 2000–01 academic year.
- 2004 – On July 1, 2004, the UCAA has been rebranded as the Liberty League; effective in the 2004–05 academic year.
- 2004 – The United States Coast Guard Academy (Coast Guard), the United States Merchant Marine Academy (Merchant Marine) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) joined the Liberty League as associate members for football, effective in the 2004 fall season (2004–05 academic year).
- 2006 – U.S. Coast Guard left the Liberty League as an associate member for football, effective after the 2005 fall season (2005–06 academic year).
- 2007 – Susquehanna University joined the Liberty League as an associate member for football, effective in the 2007 fall season (2007–08 academic year).
- 2009 – U.S. Merchant Marine added men's golf to its Liberty League associate membership, effective in the 2010 spring season (2009–10 academic year).
- 2010 – Susquehanna left the Liberty League as an associate member for football, effective after the 2009 fall season (2009–10 academic year).
- 2011 – Founding member Hamilton College left the Liberty League in order to fully integrate its athletic programs within the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), effective after the 2010–11 academic year.
- 2011 – Bard College and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) joined the Liberty League, effective in the 2011–12 academic year.
- 2012 – U.S. Merchant Marine left the Liberty League as an associate member for men's golf after dropping the sport, effective after the 2012 spring season (2011–12 academic year).
- 2012 – Four institutions joined the Liberty League as associate members: Springfield College for football, New York University for both men's and women's golf, and Wellesley College and Mount Holyoke College for women's golf, all effective in the 2012–13 academic year.
- 2013 – St. John Fisher College joined the Liberty League as an associate member for men's and women's rowing, effective in the 2013–14 academic year.
- 2017 – Springfield, U.S. Merchant Marine and Worcester Poly (WPI) left the Liberty League as associate members for football, effective after the 2016 fall season (2016–17 academic year).
- 2017 – Ithaca College joined the Liberty League, effective in the 2017–18 academic year.
- 2019 – Buffalo State College (now Buffalo State University) joined the Liberty League as an associate member for football, effective in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
- 2020 – Mount Holyoke left the Liberty League as an associate member for women's golf after dropping the sport, effective after the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year).
- 2025 – The Liberty League announced that it entered into a scheduling agreement for non-conference football games with the Empire 8 for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. As part of this agreement, Hilbert College will join the Liberty League from the Empire 8 as an associate member for football, effective in the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year), giving both leagues 8 football-playing members.
Member schools
Current members
The Liberty League currently has 12 full members, all are private schools:
- Notes
Associate members
The Liberty League currently has four associate members, all but one are private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Primary conference |
Liberty sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo State University | Buffalo, New York | 1871 | Public | 8,339 | Bengals | 2019–20 | New York State (SUNYAC) | football |
| New York University | New York City | 1832 | Private | 22,280 | Violets | 2012–13m.gf.; 2012–13w.gf. |
University (UAA) | men's golf; women's golf |
| St. John Fisher University | Rochester, New York | 1948 | Private | 4,000 | Cardinals | 2013–14 | Empire 8 | men's rowing women's rowing |
| Wellesley College | Wellesley, Massachusetts | 1870 | Nonsectarian | 2,300 | Blue | 2012–13 | New England (NEWMAC) | women's golf |
Future associate members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joining | Primary conference |
Liberty sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilbert College | Hamburg, New York | 1957 | Catholic (Franciscan)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
800 | Hawks | 2025 | Allegheny Mountain (AMCC) | football |
Former members
The Liberty League had one former full member, which was also a private school:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton CollegeTemplate:Efn | Clinton, New York | 1793 | Nonsectarian | 1,864 | Continentals | 1995–96 | 2010–11 | New England (NESCAC) |
- Notes
Former associate members
The Liberty League had six former associate members, all but two were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference in former Liberty sport |
Current primary conference |
Liberty sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Script error: No such module "sort". (Coast Guard) |
New London, Connecticut | 1876 | Federal | 1,045 | Bears | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | New England (NEWMAC)Template:Efn | football | |
| Script error: No such module "sort". (Merchant Marine) |
Kings Point, New York | 1942 | 910 | Mariners | 2004–05fb.; 2009–10m.gf. |
2016–17fb.; 2011–12m.gf. |
NEWMACfb.; N/Am.gf.Template:Efn |
Skyline | football;[5] men's golf | |
| Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, Massachusetts | 1837 | Nonsectarian | 2,100 | Lyons | 2012–13 | 2019–20 | N/ATemplate:Efn | NEWMAC | women's golf |
| Springfield College | Springfield, Massachusetts | 1885 | Nonsectarian | 5,062 | Pride | 2012–13 | 2016–17 | New England (NEWMAC) | football[6] | |
| Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania | 1858 | Lutheran ECLA | 2,200 | River Hawks | 2007–08 | 2009–10 | CentennialTemplate:Efn | Landmark | football |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) |
Worcester, Massachusetts | 1865 | Nonsectarian | 5,071 | Engineers | 2004–05 | 2016–17 | New England (NEWMAC) | football | |
- Notes
Membership timeline
<timeline>
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1995 till:2028
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#
Colors =
id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote)
id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:Clarkson (1995–present)
bar:2 color:AssocOS from:1995 till:2011 text:Hamilton (N.Y.) (1995–2011)
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:Hobart (1995–present)
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:RPI (1995–present)
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:Rochester (1995–present)
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:Skidmore (1995–present)
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:St. Lawrence (1995–present)
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:Union (1995–present)
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:William Smith (1995–present)
bar:10 color:FullxF from:2000 till:end text:Vassar (2001–present)
bar:11 color:AssocF from:2004 till:2006 text:Coast Guard (2004–2006)
bar:12 color:AssocF from:2004 till:2017 text:Merchant Marine (2004–2017) bar:12 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2012 text:
bar:13 color:AssocF from:2004 till:2017 text:WPI (2004–2017)
bar:14 color:AssocF from:2007 till:2010 text:Susquehanna (2007–2010)
bar:15 color:FullxF from:2011 till:end text:Bard (2011–present)
bar:16 color:FullxF from:2011 till:end text:RIT (2011–present)
bar:17 color:AssocOS from:2012 till:2021 text:Mount Holyoke (2012–2021)
bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2012 till:end text:NYU (2012–present)
bar:19 color:AssocOS from:2012 till:end text:Wellesley (2012–present)
bar:20 color:AssocF from:2012 till:2017 text:Springfield (2012–2017)
bar:21 color:AssocOS from:2013 till:end text:St. John Fisher (2013–present)
bar:22 color:FullxF from:2017 till:end text:Ithaca (2017–present)
bar:23 color:AssocF from:2019 till:end text:Buffalo State (2019–present)
bar:24 color:AssocF from:2025 till:end text:Hilbert (2025–present)
bar:N color:red from:1995 till:2004 text:Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association bar:N color:blue from:2004 till:end text:Liberty League
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1996
</timeline>
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.
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | |
| Basketball | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Cross Country | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Field hockey | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | |
| Football | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | |
| Golf | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Lacrosse | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Rowing | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Soccer | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Softball | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | |
| Squash | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Swimming & Diving | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Tennis | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Track and field (indoor) | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Track and field (outdoor) | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Volleyball | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
Men's sponsored sports by school
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Liberty League
| School | Alpine Skiing | Crew | Fencing | Ice Hockey | Nordic Skiing | Riding | Rugby | Sailing | Volleyball | Wrestling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bard[8] | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | NECC | No |
| Clarkson[9] | Independent | No | No | ECAC Hockey | Independent | No | No | No | No | No |
| Hobart[10] | Independent | No | No | SUNYAC | No | No | No | Independent | Independent | No |
| Ithaca[11] | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | SUNYAC |
| RPI[12] | No | No | No | ECAC Hockey | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| RIT[14] | No | No | No | AHA | No | No | No | No | No | SUNYAC |
| St. Lawrence[15] | Independent | No | No | ECAC Hockey | Independent | Independent | No | No | No | No |
| Skidmore[16] | No | No | No | SUNYAC | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Union[17] | No | Independent | No | ECAC Hockey | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Vassar[18] | No | No | Northeast Fencing Conference | No | No | No | Independent | No | UVC | No |
Women's sponsored sports by school
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Liberty League
| School | Alpine Skiing | Bowling | Crew | Fencing | Gymnastics | Ice Hockey | Nordic Skiing | Riding | Rugby | Sailing | Sculling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarkson[9] | Independent | No | No | No | No | ECAC Hockey | Independent | No | No | No | No |
| Ithaca[11] | No | No | No | No | Independent | No | No | No | No | No | Independent |
| RPI[12] | No | No | No | No | No | ECAC Hockey | No | No | No | No | No |
| RIT[14] | No | No | No | No | No | AHA | No | No | No | No | No |
| St. Lawrence[15] | Independent | No | No | No | No | ECAC Hockey | Independent | Independent | No | No | No |
| Skidmore[16] | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Independent | No | No | No |
| Union[17] | No | No | Independent | No | No | ECAC Hockey | No | No | No | No | No |
| Vassar[18] | No | No | No | Northeast Fencing Conference | No | No | No | No | Independent | No | No |
| William Smith[10] | Independent | Independent | No | No | No | SUNYAC | No | No | No | Independent | No |
See also
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Liberty League Template:Webarchive
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:NCAA Division III conference navbox Script error: No such module "Navbox".