Galloway, N.J. – Stockton University will join the newly-created Coastal Lacrosse Conference in men's lacrosse beginning with upcoming Spring 2023 season. The league was formed jointly by the
Coast-To-Coast Conference (C2C) and the
New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
The Ospreys join Kean University, Montclair State University, Christopher Newport University, Salisbury University and University of Mary Washington in the single-sport conference. Stockton, Kean and Montclair State are full-time NJAC members while Christopher Newport, Salisbury and Mary Washington are in the C2C, but neither league sponsors men's lacrosse.
Stockton competed along with Kean and Montclair State in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) from 2019-22. The Ospreys won the CSAC championship twice (2019, 2022) and finished as the CSAC Tournament runner-up in 2021. Stockton played in the Skyline Conference from 2007-17 and Knickerbocker Lacrosse Conference from 2000-06.
Stockton played two of its three new conference foes last season. The Ospreys defeated Mary Washington 21-10 in a non-conference game and fell to Salisbury, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation, by a 22-13 score in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Salisbury and Christopher Newport both reached the 2022 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Joint NJAC/C2C announcement:
The Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) and New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) are excited to announce the formation of the Coastal Lacrosse Conference, an NCAA Division III single-sport men's lacrosse conference.
The three NJAC men's lacrosse-sponsoring schools (Kean University, Montclair State University, Stockton University) will join three C2C men's lacrosse schools (Christopher Newport University, Salisbury University, University of Mary Washington). The six-team conference will start play in Spring 2023.
The formation of the Coastal Lacrosse Conference will give men's lacrosse student-athletes in the six programs the opportunity for weekly and yearly athletic and academic honors, a steady conference schedule, and - after the NCAA-mandated two-year waiting period – a chance to play for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Tournament.
The conference's regular season will consist of a single round-robin schedule. The conference will conduct a postseason tournament for the league title with tournament winner earning the conference's automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Tournament starting in 2025.