Long Island University to unify Brooklyn and Post athletic programs; will compete in NEC

Long Island University will combine their Brooklyn and Post athletic departments into one and move to the Northeast Conference in time for the start of the 2019-20 academic year, which was announced this morning in a press conference at the New York Athletic Club. The two campuses are roughly an hour apart from each other.

The LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds are currently a member of the NEC, while the LIU-Post Pioneers are a member of the East Coast Conference with football as an affiliate member of the Northeast-10. With the move, football will be a member of Division I FCS. All LIU teams will be immediately eligible to compete in NEC and NCAA tournaments, according to a university spokesperson.

LIU will feature a Los Angeles Chargers-like blue and gold color scheme. Their official mascot will be chosen by LIU students and alumni.

Long Island University

In regards to lacrosse, Post is the only campus that features a men’s lacrosse team. The Pioneers finished last season 10-5 and fell to NYIT in overtime in the ECC Championship game in head coach Eric Wolf’s first year in charge. LIU will be the 75th team in Division I men’s lacrosse and the ninth in the Northeast Conference, joining Merrimack who announced their move back in September. The NEC will be tied with the Patriot League as the largest men’s lacrosse conferences with nine teams each.

LIU Post will be scrimmaging the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Friday, according to a source. The Pioneers were scheduled to take on the Quinnipiac Bobcats before the team was suspended for violating the school’s student conduct policy.

As for women’s lacrosse, both Brooklyn and Post campuses field teams and will be combined into one starting next year. On the Brooklyn side, the Blackbirds went 3-13 last season in Allison Hanley’s sixth season as head coach. As for Post, they finished 14-6 in 2018 with an ECC Championship. They fell to Adelphi in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament under legendary head coach Meghan McNamara, who wrapped up her 11th year in charge. McNamara has an overall record of 179-33 record, first among active Division II coaches in winning percentage (.844) and also the fifth winningest coach among all divisions by percentage. She also has two national championships under her belt in 2012 and 2013. LIU will be the 119th Division I women’s program, joining Merrimack and the Akron Zips next season. With Merrimack coming in as the ninth program and LIU Brooklyn already a member of the NEC, the conference will also have nine women’s lacrosse teams.

The men’s and women’s lacrosse programs will play on the Post campus. Women’s lacrosse, along with men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, and softball will combine teams from the two campuses. The school will also add women’s ice hockey and women’s water polo.

Both basketball and track & field teams, along with women’s bowling, women’s fencing, women’s ice hockey, softball, women’s swimming, women’s volleyball, and women’s water polo will compete on the Brooklyn campus. Along with both lacrosse teams, both cross country, golf, and soccer teams, along with baseball, equestrian, field hockey, football, women’s rowing, women’s rugby, women’s tennis, and wresting will compete on the Post campus.