By JACOB POLACHECK
NJIT will be joining the America East Conference next season, the conference announced Thursday.
“NJIT looks forward to joining our new athletic home, the America East Conference,” NJIT President Dr. Joel Bloom said in a press release. “The America East is comprised of both peer and aspirant universities, similar to NJIT are classified as among the highest national research universities-R1, nationally ranked in the top 100 of US News and in the top 50 of the public universities.
“For our student-athletes, they will be playing closer to home, traveling less during this COVID-19 pandemic, and thereby producing cost savings for the university. It is with mixed emotions that we depart the ASUN conference who, like NJIT and the America East, focus on the success of our students academically and athletically.”
NJIT will officially join the America East Conference as its 10th member on July 1, 2020.
“We are very excited to begin this next chapter of NJIT athletics as a member of the America East Conference,” NJIT Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics, Lenny Kaplan said. “Since the beginning of our Division I journey 15 years ago, the goal has always been to be in a regional conference and aligned with like-minded institutions. The America East provides us with an exceptional opportunity and we are happy to call the America East our new athletics home.”
NJIT finished the 2019-20 season. with a 9-21 overall record (6-10 conference) as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
“We are thrilled to welcome NJIT as America East’s 10th member institution,” America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen said. “They will be a great addition to our league and strengthen the academic and athletic profile of our conference.”
Photo: NJIT Athletics
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