PITMAN, NJ—The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) announced on March 31 that the the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will join the conference as an affiliate member in the sport of men’s tennis beginning in the 2022-23 academic year.
With the addition, the NJAC will feature nine men’s tennis sponsoring institutions in 2022-23, including four full-member programs in New Jersey City University, Ramapo College, Rutgers University-Camden, and The College of New Jersey in addition to five affiliate member programs – The State University of New York at Oneonta, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and new member UW-Stevens Point.
"We are excited to welcome the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point as our newest men's tennis affiliate member in the NJAC," said Kathryn Foster, President of The College of New Jersey, and Chair of the NJAC Presidents Council. "When we expanded our men's tennis membership several years ago, our goal was to provide a conference opportunity for several programs which had traditionally been searching for a conference home. We're excited to provide this same opportunity for the UW-Stevens Point men's tennis program while strengthening our overall conference by aligning with yet another outstanding institution."
“We are thrilled to be added as an NJAC affiliate member in the sport of men’s tennis,” said Brad Duckworth, UWSP Director of Athletics. “NJAC affiliation aligns our men’s tennis program with UW-Whitewater, UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire as west programs. Providing our student-athletes a path to the NCAA Tournament was the critical component to seeking membership; through the process it was clear the NJAC has similar values to the WIAC and our men’s tennis athletes will have similar experiences as the rest of our student-athletes. I couldn’t be more thrilled and thankful to the NJAC membership for accepting us and we look forward to high-level competition for years to come.”
UW-Stevens Point announced earlier this year that it is reinstating the men’s tennis program after a 32-year hiatus. Current UWSP women's tennis coach Matt Hockett was named the head coach of the men's team which will begin competing this fall (2022). The men's tennis program was discontinued in 1990 after a lengthy run of success dating back more than 50 years.
The NJAC will maintain its current men’s tennis divisional structure. UW-Stevens Point will join as a member of the West Division, which will continue to include the other three Wisconsin programs. SUNY Oneonta, currently a member of the West Division, will move to the East Division in 2022-23 to join the four New Jersey-based programs.
The programs in each division play a single in-division round robin, with the winner of each division facing each other for the NJAC championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This season’s championship, slated for Saturday, May 7, on the campus of the West Division winner, takes on extra significance. This year’s championship winner will be the NJAC’s first automatic qualifier following an NCAA mandated two-year waiting period after the conference expanded to include the current affiliate members in 2019-20.
"On behalf of everyone associated with the NJAC, I'd like to officially welcome UW-Stevens Point as our newest men's tennis affiliate member," said Terry Small, Commissioner of the NJAC. "Since our league expansion in men's tennis several years ago, our affiliate members have truly been valued partners as we've worked to provide opportunities for all of our men's tennis student-athletes. I have no doubt that the addition of UW-Stevens Point will continue in that tradition as we continue to move forward."