INTRODUCTION
On March 1, 2019, the College of Staten Island announced their intended move to reclassify NCAA Divisions from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division II. Doing so required the College of Staten Island to officially apply to the NCAA. The NCAA, through a consultant site visit and an exhaustive review of CSI's application, rendered a decision on July 12, 2019, accepting the CSI Athletics program as a provisional Division II member.
An effective application requires an invitation from an NCAA Division II conference to compete within it. CSI's invitation came from the East Coast Conference (ECC).
With the approval, the College of Staten Island will begin NCAA Division II status effective immediately, with provisional NCAA Division II play commencing in September, 2019. That would introduce CSI's three-year "provisional" period within the NCAA Division II. These provisional years would be 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22. After each of the provisional years, the NCAA will review the College of Staten Island's progress within the guidelines of provisional status. The ability to support scholarship, install proper internal and external compliance measures, conform to sport sponsorship minimums, and support competitive play are just some of the thresholds needed to meet provisional status requirements. While postseason play within the ECC could be supported during the provisional period, CSI willÂ
not be eligible NCAA Postseason Tournament play.
ABOUT THE EAST COAST CONFERENCE
The ECC was originally called the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC), prior to adopting its new name in 2006. Prior to that, the conference was the offspring of several single-sport college conferences which existed in the New York City Metropolitan Area in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. It is a direct descendant of the Big Apple Basketball Conference, which was a Men's Division II conference with six members: C.W. Post, Queens, Southampton, Mercy, Concordia, and Dowling.
In 1988, the athletic directors of C.W. Post and Queens invited the athletic directors of all Division II institutions in the New York Metropolitan Area to discuss forming one multi-sport conference administered by member athletic directors to encourage all local teams to compete against each other in all sports where there were at least six teams. It was hoped that the number of teams in each sport would rise as would the quality of play. After several meetings, it was generally agreed that a multi-sport conference was a good idea and the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) was formed.
The conference supported 10 member institutions in 2018-19. LIU-Post, however, has dissolved its athletic program at the close of the academic year, joining forces with their NCAA Division I counterpart in Brooklyn. The result is that nine institutions will comprise the conference on July 1, 2019, with the College of Staten Island joining as the 10th member. CSI will see several ECC opponents of their respective schedules in 2019-20, but will begin full integration into the ECC in time for the 2020-21 season.
THE TIMELINE
MARCH 1, 2019 - The College of Staten Island submits their formal application to the NCAAÂ
MARCH 1, 2019 - The College of Staten Island formally announces an intended reclassification to NCAA Division II
APRIL 11, 2019 - Consultant Site Visit
JUNE 1, 2019 - The College of Staten Island submits final Sports Sponsorship for Division II declaration
JULY 12, 2019 - The NCAA accepts CSI as a provisional member of NCAA Division II
AUGUST 30, 2019 - The College of Staten Island's first varsity contest as a provisional Division II institution
Additional timeline items will be added as they become available.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Why did CSI make the move to NCAA Division II?
 The move is consistent with the strategic plan at the College, designed to continue the academic-based success of our students through scholarship and to build the residence community as a destination campus. The call for out-of-region and even international students to come to college campuses through athletics is profound. Visible now at CSI, it will be accentuated in the move. The College fits the NCAA Division II profile. The academic successes of our student-athletes at CSI and our facilities are in-line with many of their fellow Division II colleagues. CSI has a long-standing tradition to offering a quality athletic program across all of their sport offerings. Having the ability to offer scholarship is a way to bolster the athletic performance of our teams. In short, we fit the Division II model athletically and academically.
Q: Does this mean tuition will increase?
No. A move through NCAA Divisions does not require an increase in tuition or student fees.
Q: Will we remain a public college?
Yes. A move through NCAA Divisions has no bearing on the College being a public or private institution. NCAA Division II schools are made up of both.
Q: I am a current student-athlete at CSI. Does this mean I am getting a scholarship to play?
The College does not intend to offer athletics scholarships in 2019-20. The College is now entering into a "provisional" period. That period usually explores a college's ability to offer athletic aid in year one, with the intention of offering athletic-based aid in year two (2020-21). If you are a current student-athlete, your respective coach will speak with you one-on-one to determine scholarship offerings at the appropriate time.
Q: Is the college currently recruiting Division III athletes or Division II athletes?
The College is recruiting the very best student-athletes with the intention of playing at the NCAA Division II level in 2019-20. Prospective student-athletes at CSI are never labeled as Division II or Division III material. We believe in recruiting the very best students and athletes at CSI, designed to achieve exceptional results in the classroom and on the field of play.
Q: What sports are CSI going to sponsor as an NCAA Division II institution?
The College intends to offer 16 sports in 2019-20 as a NCAA Division II member. They are: Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's & Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's and Women's Cross-Country, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's & Women's Outdoor Track & Field, Baseball, and Softball. CSI also sponsors a club Cheerleading and Women's Volleyball program.
Q: Will CSI still be a CUNY school?
Yes. CSI will still be a part of the City University of New York system.
Q: I am a current student-athlete. Does this mean I will no longer be on the current team?
No. All current CSI student-athletes are not affected by the reclassification. They are all still eligible to compete provided they meet the proper NCAA guidelines. Respective coaches will work with our Compliance team to make the transition appropriate for each student-athlete.
Q: I notice that despite getting accepted, CSI is still playing as members of the CUNY Athletic Conference in 2019-20. Why?
Athletic schedules are typically made many months and up to a year in advance, so CSI and the CUNYAC fully intended on honoring their commitments to one another whether or not CSI was accepted as a member of NCAA Division II. Therefore, CSI will still participate in CUNYAC Regular Season play in 2019-20. Beginning in 2020-21, CSI will officially adopt an ECC block schedule, and plans to play a complete schedule comprised of NCAA Division II teams.
Q: What other schools are in the East Coast Conference?
There are currently nine ECC schools. They are: University of Bridgeport, Daemen College, University of the District of Columbia, Mercy College, Molloy College, New York Institute of Technology, Queens College, Roberts-Wesleyan College, and St. Thomas Aquinas College. Depending on the sport, there are also associate members of the ECC. A complete listing of associated members are available on the ECC website at www.eccsports.org.
Q: What are the differences between being academically eligible at the Division III level than the Division IIÂ level?
Depending on whether you are an incoming freshman, transfer student, or returning student, the answer is different. At the Division II level, freshmen coming in directly from high school are processed by the NCAA's Initial Eligibility Center (IEC) and are deemed as qualifiers, partial-qualifiers, or non-qualifiers by the NCAA, whereas incoming freshmen at the Division III level are governed by the rules at their individual campuses. The rules are a little different for returning students. At the Division II level, returners must display good academic standing (a minimum grade point average) and successful progress towards degree requirements (the completion of a certain amount of credits each semester and academic year). This guarantees that student-athletes are on track for graduation. If you are a current student or student-athlete, your respective coach will educate you on the differences that the Division II experience will offer. If you are a prospective student-athlete, be sure to contact the CSI Compliance Office at (718) 982-3170 for more information.
Q: I am currently a high school student and I want to be recruited to play at CSI. What do I need to do?
There are several things you can do. Talk to your High School/Academy guidance counselors or coaches and have them put you in touch with our coaching staff at CSI, or you can contact our coaching staff directly through our Staff Directory page. The other great way to contact us is through our Prospective Athlete Interest Form. It's easy to fill out and will give us a better perspective on who you are and where you are coming from. We'd love to see you show an interest, so don't be shy and ask to be a part of the great things that are happening here.
Q: Why wouldn't CSI be eligible for the NCAA Postseason during the first three years as a Division II member?
Only full NCAA members can be eligible for NCAA postseason play. After each year of the provisional period, CSI is evaluated by the NCAA to determine if they are meeting the criteria to be a full member. Still, as a transitioning Division III member, we will be working diligently to make sure that we are raising the bar competitively so that we are ready for NCAA Postseason by year four. So, the three-year provisional period is a positive one for the NCAA and CSI. It gives the NCAA time to assess us and gives us time to improve competitively.
Q: Even as a provisional member for the first three years, would CSI still be able to win ECC Championships in sports?
CSI will be placed into all ECC schedules beginning with year two of the membership process. Beginning with year two, CSI teams will appear in conference standings and team members will be eligible for conference awards and recognition. However, teams will not be eligible for conference championships until CSI becomes a full member of NCAA Division II (except in track & field and cross-country) as the institution will not be eligible to participate in NCAA Championship tournaments until that time.
Q: As a Division II member, would CSI still be allowed to play against Division III schools?
Yes. Provided that scheduling minimums are met at the Division II level, CSI can and may still play against Division III competition, and may do so from time to time, depending on the sport.
Q: I know CSI isn't offering scholarships until 2020-21 but I'm looking to play at CSI on scholarship, what do I do?
First, make sure that you register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Center (you can do so at any time during your high school career), and fill out all financial aid paperwork for local and federal need-based aid. NCAA Division II schools won't award athletic-based aid (scholarships) until all need-based aid is assessed. No matter where you decide to attend, registering with the IEC and getting your financial aid forms done early are the two most important things you can do. From there, contact the CSI coaching staff (see above) to get yourself recruited. Once the recruiting windows are open, your coaching staff and our compliance team can fully explain to you the scholarship-awarding process.
Q: How do I know if I will be able to play on a scholarship at CSI?
Every potential student-athlete is assessed individually so there is no singular answer. Athletic-based aid is dependent on several factors. Among them are financial aid and need-based aid that would be applied before athletic aid, athletic ability, cost of attendance, housing, etc. The best route to go is to be actively recruited by our coaching staff, registering with the IEC, and completing all financial aid paperwork as early as possible.
