# Liberty League

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. 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.

### 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:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Football? |
| Bard College | Annandale-on-Hudson, New York | 1860 | Episcopal | 1,958 | Raptors | 2011 | No |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam, New York | 1896 | Nonsectarian | 2,848 | Golden Knights | 1995 | No |
| Hobart College | Geneva, New York | 1822 | Episcopal | 905 | Statesmen | 1995 | Yes |
| Ithaca College | Ithaca, New York | 1892 | Nonsectarian | 6,769 | Bombers | 2017 | Yes |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) | Troy, New York | 1824 | Nonsectarian | 5,431 | Engineers | 1995 | Yes |
| University of Rochester | Rochester, New York | 1850 | Nonsectarian | 12,233 | Yellowjackets | 1995 | Yes |
| Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) | Henrietta, New York | 1829 | Nonsectarian | 18,000 | Tigers | 2011 | No |
| St. Lawrence University | Canton, New York | 1856 | Nonsectarian | 2,327 | Saints | 1995 | Yes |
| Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs, New York | 1903 | Nonsectarian | 2,734 | Thoroughbreds | 1995 | No |
| Union College | Schenectady, New York | 1795 | Nonsectarian | 2,197 | Garnet Chargers | 1995 | Yes |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, New York | 1861 | Nonsectarian | 2,446 | Brewers | 2001 | No |
| William Smith College | Geneva, New York | 1908 | Episcopal | 1,045 | Herons | 1995 | No |

#### Notes

* 1 2 Hobart (men) and William Smith (women) are together the Colleges of the Seneca and usually grouped together, but they participate separately in athletics.
* ↑ Rochester holds both dual conference membership with the Liberty and with the University Athletic Association (UAA).

### 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 | 2012–13$^{m.gf.}$; 2012–13$^{w.gf.}$ | 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) | 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 College | Clinton, New York | 1793 | Nonsectarian | 1,864 | Continentals | 1995–96 | 2010–11 | New England (NESCAC) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Hamilton left the Liberty League after the 2010–11 school 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. The school previously held dual membership with both the Liberty and NESCAC conferences.

### 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 |
| United States Coast Guard Academy (Coast Guard) | New London, Connecticut | 1876 | Federal | 1,045 | Bears | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | New England (NEWMAC) | New England (NEWMAC) | football |
| United States Merchant Marine Academy (Merchant Marine) | Kings Point, New York | 1942 | Federal | 910 | Mariners | 2004–05$^{fb.}$; 2009–10$^{m.gf.}$ | 2016–17$^{fb.}$; 2011–12$^{m.gf.}$ | NEWMAC$^{fb.}$; N/A$^{m.gf.}$ | Skyline | football; men's golf |
| Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, Massachusetts | 1837 | Nonsectarian | 2,100 | Lyons | 2012–13 | 2019–20 | N/A | NEWMAC | women's golf |
| Springfield College | Springfield, Massachusetts | 1885 | Nonsectarian | 5,062 | Pride | 2012–13 | 2016–17 | New England (NEWMAC) | New England (NEWMAC) | football |
| Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania | 1858 | Lutheran ECLA | 2,200 | River Hawks | 2007–08 | 2009–10 | Centennial | Landmark | football |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) | Worcester, Massachusetts | 1865 | Nonsectarian | 5,071 | Engineers | 2004–05 | 2016–17 | New England (NEWMAC) | New England (NEWMAC) | football |

#### Notes

* ↑ 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 (since rebranded as Commonwealth Coast Football), where it remained through the 2016 season. Coast Guard football joined its other sports in the NEWMAC in 2017, when that league began sponsoring football.
* ↑ Merchant Marine discontinued men's golf after the 2011–12 school year.
* ↑ Mount Holyoke discontinued women's golf after the 2019–20 school year.
* ↑ Susquehanna was a football-only associate member in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons after leaving its previous football conference, the Middle Atlantic Conferences (it then competed in the Landmark Conference in most other sports, where it remains). After three seasons it moved to the Centennial Conference.

### 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.
Conference sports :
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Baseball | Y | |
| Basketball | Y | Y |
| Cross Country | Y | Y |
| Field hockey | | Y |
| Football | Y | |
| Golf | Y | Y |
| Lacrosse | Y | Y |
| Rowing | Y | Y |
| Soccer | Y | Y |
| Softball | | Y |
| Squash | Y | Y |
| Swimming & Diving | Y | Y |
| Tennis | Y | Y |
| Track and field (indoor) | Y | Y |
| Track and field (outdoor) | Y | Y |
| Volleyball | | Y |

### Men's sponsored sports by school

| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Lacrosse | Rowing | Soccer | Squash | Swimming & Diving | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Total Liberty League Sports |
| Bard | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Clarkson | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | 7 |
| Hobart | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | 11 |
| Ithaca | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| RPI | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Rochester | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| RIT | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| St. Lawrence | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 13 |
| Skidmore | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | 8 |
| Union | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Vassar | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Totals | 11 | 11 | 10 | 6+1 | 6+1 | 9 | 6+1 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 115 |
* ↑ Affiliate member Buffalo State.
* ↑ Affiliate member NYU.
* ↑ Affiliate member St. John Fisher.

#### 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 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | NECC | No |
| Clarkson | Independent | No | No | ECAC Hockey | Independent | No | No | No | No | No |
| Hobart | Independent | No | No | NEHC | No | No | No | Independent | Independent | No |
| Ithaca | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference |
| RPI | No | No | No | ECAC Hockey | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| RIT | No | No | No | AHA | No | No | No | No | No | Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference |
| St. Lawrence | Independent | No | No | ECAC Hockey | Independent | Independent | No | No | No | No |
| Skidmore | No | No | No | NEHC | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Union | No | Independent | No | ECAC Hockey | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Vassar | No | No | Northeast Fencing Conference | No | No | No | Independent | No | UVC | No |

### Women's sponsored sports by school

| School | Basketball | Cross Country | Field Hockey | Golf | Lacrosse | Rowing | Soccer | Softball | Squash | Swimming & Diving | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Volleyball | Total Liberty League Sports |
| Bard | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Clarkson | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | 7 |
| Ithaca | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 13 |
| RPI | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | 10 |
| Rochester | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 12 |
| RIT | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| St. Lawrence | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 14 |
| Skidmore | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | 9 |
| Union | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 12 |
| Vassar | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 13 |
| William Smith | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | 11 |
| Totals | 11 | 10 | 8 | 5+2 | 11 | 7+1 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 125 |
* ↑ Affiliate members NYU and Wellesley.
* ↑ Affiliate member St. John Fisher.

#### 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 | Independent | No | No | No | No | ECAC Hockey | Independent | No | No | No | No |
| Ithaca | No | No | No | No | Independent | No | No | No | No | No | Independent |
| RPI | No | No | No | No | No | ECAC Hockey | No | No | No | No | No |
| RIT | No | No | No | No | No | AHA | No | No | No | No | No |
| St. Lawrence | Independent | No | No | No | No | ECAC Hockey | Independent | Independent | No | No | No |
| Skidmore | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Independent | No | No | No |
| Union | No | No | Independent | No | No | ECAC Hockey | No | No | No | No | No |
| Vassar | No | No | No | Northeast Fencing Conference | No | No | No | No | Independent | No | No |
| William Smith | Independent | Independent | No | No | No | NEHC | No | No | No | Independent | No |