Liberty League

Liberty League
Established	1995
Association	NCAA
Division	Division III
Members	11
Sports fielded	26 (men's: 13; women's: 13)
Region	Upstate New York
Former names	Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association
Headquarters	Troy, New York
Commissioner	Tracy King
Website	libertyleagueathletics.com
Locations

The Liberty League is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member schools are top institutions that are all located in the State of New York.

History

Originally 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, and Bard College and Rochester Institute of Technology joined for the 2011-12 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 2012-2013 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.

Map showing current full member institutions (click to enlarge)

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]

Member schools

Current members

Full member institutions include:

Institution	Nickname	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined	Football?
Bard College	Raptors	Annandale-on-Hudson, New York	1860	Private	1,958	2011	No
Clarkson University	Golden Knights	Potsdam, New York	1896	Private	2,848	1995	No
Hobart College[5]	Statesmen	Geneva, New York	1822	Private	905	1995	Yes
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Engineers	Troy, New York	1824	Private	5,431	1995	Yes
Rochester Institute of Technology	Tigers	Henrietta, New York	1829	Private	18,000	2011	No
University of Rochester	Yellowjackets	Rochester, New York	1850	Private	5,601	1995	Yes
St. Lawrence University	Saints	Canton, New York	1856	Private	2,327	1995	Yes
Skidmore College	Thoroughbreds	Saratoga Springs, New York	1903	Private	2,734	1995	No
Union College	Dutchmen	Schenectady, New York	1795	Private	2,197	1995	Yes
Vassar College	Brewers	Poughkeepsie, New York	1861	Private	2,446	2001	No
William Smith College[5]	Herons	Geneva, New York	1908	Private	1,045	1995	No

Note

• Rochester holds both dual conference membership with the Liberty and with the University Athletic Association (UAA).

Associate members

Institution	Nickname	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined	Primary Conference	Liberty Sport
Mount Holyoke College	Lyons	South Hadley, Massachusetts	1837	Private	2,100	2012-13	NEWMAC	women's golf
New York University	Violets	New York City	1832	Private	22,280	2012-13	UAA	men's golf women's golf
St. John Fisher College	Cardinals	Rochester, New York	1948	Private	4,000	2013-14	Empire 8	men's rowing women's rowing
Springfield College	Pride	Springfield, Massachusetts	1885	Private	5,062	2012-13	NEWMAC	football[6]
United States Merchant Marine Academy	Mariners	Kings Point, New York	1942	Federal	910	2004-05	Landmark	football[7]
Wellesley College	Blue	Wellesley, Massachusetts	1870	Private/Non-sectarian	2,300	2012-13	NEWMAC	women's golf
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Engineers	Worcester, Massachusetts	1865	Private	5,071	2004-05	NEWMAC	football

Former members

Institution	Nickname	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined	Left	Current Conference
Hamilton College^*	Continentals	Clinton, New York	1793	Private	1,864	1995	2011	NESCAC

Note

• Hamilton left the Liberty League after the 2010-11 academic 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. Therefore, the school held both dual conference membership of the Liberty and the NESCAC.

Former associate members

Institution	Nickname	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined	Left	Current Conference	Primary Conference	Liberty Sport
Susquehanna University	Crusaders	Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania	1858	Private	2,200	2007-08	2009-10	Centennial^1	Landmark	football
United States Coast Guard Academy	Bears	New London, Connecticut	1876	Federal	1,045	2004-05	2005-06	NEFC^2	NEWMAC	football
United States Merchant Marine Academy^3	Mariners	Kings Point, New York	1942	Federal	910	2009-10	2011-12	n/a	Landmark	men's golf

Notes

1. - Susquehanna was a football-only associate member in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons after leaving its previous conference, the Middle Atlantic Conferences (now it competed in the Landmark Conference in most other sports, where it remains). After three seasons it moved to the Centennial Conference.
2. - U.S. Coast Guard was a football-only associate member in the 2004 and 2005 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.
3. - U.S. Merchant Marine is still an associate member for football within the Liberty League.

Membership 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.

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.
5. Hobart (men) and William Smith (women) are together the Colleges of the Seneca and usually grouped together, but they participate separately in athletics.
6. http://www.spfldcol.edu/homepage/athletics.nsf/Headline/F6154E7D46617C5F852576C1004F27F1
7. Liberty League

External links

• Official website