It’s no secret that traveling to Potsdam in the winter can be quite an experience, and before the New York State Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NYSIAC) was formed in 1958 (which later was re-designated the State University of New York Athletic Conference – SUNYAC – in 1963), not many athletic teams wanted to play ball with Potsdam.

 Throughout the 1950s, collegiate athletic directors from a number of New York State institutions discussed the idea of forming an athletic conference. Originally, the league sought, among other things, to serve as a model for public school athletic organizations and to help strengthen the physical education programs of member institutions. By 1974-75, SUNYAC voted to focus on its role of providing a program of intercollegiate athletic competition among its member schools.

The charter members in 1958 included Albany, Brockport, Buffalo State, Cortland, New Paltz, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam. The following year, Geneseo and Fredonia joined the league. Other eventual members included Binghamton (1973-74), SUNY Buffalo (1978-79) and SUNY Utica/Rome (1991-92), which is currently known as SUNYIT. Today, 10 institutions, excluding Albany, SUNY Buffalo, Binghamton, and SUNYIT, continue to compete in the SUNYAC.

Former coach and faculty emeritus Dr. Neil R. Johnson recalls Sam Molnar, one of the founders of SUNYAC’s predecessor and former athletic director, saying, “We need the conference more than they need us.” Before SUNYAC, it was very difficult to schedule games with other colleges because they didn’t want to make the long trip during the winter months. Dean of Student Affairs Emeritus Daniel Hurley ’54, a varsity baseball player, remembers playing Plattsburgh, Geneseo and Albany, but never Buffalo, New Paltz or Fredonia. Other private institutions that were close to Potsdam weren’t interested in playing the public teacher’s college.

“Forming SUNYAC was an excellent move,” said Chip Hunter, former basketball coach. “It brought sanity to the program. Each athletic director didn’t have to try to organize their calendar by phone. There were meetings where they could go and thrash out the SUNYAC schedule.”

One of the oldest small college conferences in the nation, SUNYAC embarks upon its sixth decade with the same commitment to athletic and academic excellence that has remained the league’s guiding light since its formation 50 years ago.