The league was originally chartered on May 16, 1989, as a men's basketball conference and now sponsors 17 sports (nine for men and 8 for women). The Skyline Conference sponsors baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's volleyball.
Primarily comprising schools from the New York metropolitan area, the Skyline Conference currently has 11 full-time member schools, as well as two part-time members that compete in men's volleyball only.
Prior to the 2007–08 academic year, the league introduced the Skyline Presidents Cup. St. Joseph's (LI) won the first three Presidents Cups (2007–10), followed by Farmingdale State winning in 2010–11. St. Joseph's (LI) collected its fourth Presidents Cup in 2011–12, with Farmingdale State regaining the title in both 2012–13 and 2013–14.
In May 2018,Manhattanville College announced that they would leave theMAC Freedom Conference and return to the Skyline for the 2019–20 academic year. Manhattanville was a charter member of the Skyline before leaving to join the MAC in 2007.[1]
On April 22, 2025,New Jersey City University (NJCU) announced that it would leave the Skyline as an affiliate member for men's volleyball to join theCity University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) for that sport after the 2025 spring season of the 2024–25 academic year (who would later join for all sports, beginning 2027–28).[2]
Ramapo College joined the Skyline as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse in the 2007 spring season (2006–07 academic year).
2011:
Bard left the Skyline to join theLiberty League after the 2010–11 academic year.
New Jersey City University (NJCU) joined the Skyline as an affiliate member for men's volleyball (with Kean and Ramapo adding for that sport), all effective in the 2012 spring season (2011–12 academic year):
2013 – Kean, Montclair State and Ramapo left the Skyline as affiliate members for women's lacrosse in the 2013 spring season (2012–13 academic year).
2014:
NYU Poly left the Skyline to discontinue its athletics program as it was merged intoNew York University after the 2013–14 academic year.
2016 – U.S. Merchant Marine rejoined the Skyline in the 2016–17 academic year.
2017:
The Sage Colleges (Russell Sage and Sage [or SCA]) left the Skyline to join theEmpire 8 after the 2016–17 academic year.
Five institutions left the Skyline as affiliate members, all effective after the 2017 spring season (2016–17 academic year):
Kean for men's and women's lacrosse and men's volleyball
Montclair State for men's and women's lacrosse
New Jersey City (NJCU) for men's volleyball
Stockton for men's lacrosse
and Ramapo for women's lacrosse
2019:
Manhattanville rejoined the Skyline in the 2019–20 academic year.
New Jersey City (NJCU) and Ramapo rejoined the Skyline as affiliate members for men's volleyball in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year).
2025 – New Jersey City (NJCU) left the Skyline as an affiliate member for men's volleyball to join theCity University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) after the 2025 spring season (2024–25 academic year).
^Manhattanville had been a charter member in 1989, but left the Skyline after the 2006–07 school year to join theMAC Freedom Conference, before rejoining in 2019–20.
^Also known as theState University of New York at Purchase.
^Also known as theState University of New York Maritime College.
^Also known as theState University of New York at Old Westbury.
^Merchant Marine had been a charter member in 1989, but left the Skyline after the 2006–07 school year to join theLandmark Conference, before rejoining in 2016–17.
^Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^abBoth New Jersey City and Ramapo had previously competed as affiliate members of the Skyline for men's volleyball from the 2012 to 2017 spring seasons (2011–12 to 2016–17 school years).[3]
^Ramapo competed in the Skyline as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse from the 2008 to 2013 spring seasons (2007–08 to 2012–13 school years).
^Stony Brook adopted its current nickname of Seawolves, beginning the 1994–95 school year; immediately following the school's departure from the Skyline Conference.
^Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition end.
^Both New Jersey City and Ramapo had previously competed as affiliate members of the Skyline for men's volleyball from the 2012 to 2017 spring seasons (2011–12 to 2016–17 school years).[3]
^Ramapo remains in the Skyline as an affiliate member for men's volleyball.
NYU Poly became affiliated withNew York University in 2008, but retained a separate athletic program until it completely merged into NYU in 2014. NYU competes in theUniversity Athletic Association (UAA).
The Kean and Ramapo men's volleyball programs left in 2017 for theContinental Volleyball Conference (CVC). Kean remains a men's lacrosse affiliate, and Ramapo returned men's volleyball to the Skyline in 2019.
New Jersey City men's volleyball left in 2017 for independent status, but returned to the Skyline in 2019. NJCU will leave the Skyline in 2025 to become a men's volleyball affiliate of theCity University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC), which it will fully join in 2027.
The Sage Colleges left in 2017 for theEmpire 8. They merged in 2020 and kept the Russell Sage College name.
