New Jersey Athletic Conference

The New Jersey Athletic Conference was founded in 1985 when the New Jersey State Athletic Conference, a men’s sports conference, merged with their corresponding institutions in the Jersey Athletic Conference, a women’s sports conference. The 10 founding member institutions were Kean, Montclair State, Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University), Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), Ramapo, Rutgers-Camden, Rutgers -Newark, Stockton State College (now The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey), Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), and William Paterson. In 1999, the New Jersey Athletic Conference added three new chapters to its history. In May, it hired Donna Ledwin as its first commissioner. In September, the conference amended its constitution to allow affiliate members on a sport-by-sport basis and accepted the State University of New York at Cortland as its first affiliate member for the sport of football. And in October, it revised its constitution and bylaws to merge the men’s and women’s sports divisions into a single decision-making body.

2000 NJAC Conference Highlights	2000 NJAC Conference Standings
Montclair State claimed its second straight NJAC crown, earning a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Red Hawk's junior quarterback Ed Collins was the NJAC Offensive Player of the Year and his teammate Kevin Kelly, a defensive lineman was chosen Defensive Player of the Year. MSU's Rick Giancola was named Coach of the Year for a second straight season.	1 Montclair State Red Hawks 6 0 7 3 2 Rowan Profs 5 1 7 2 3 Cortland State Red Dragons 4 2 4 6 4 The College of New Jersey Lions 3 3 4 5 5 New Jersey City Gothic Knights 2 4 3 7 6 William Paterson Pioneers 1 5 2 8 7 Kean Cougars 0 6 1 9

2000 New Jersey Athletic Conference Football All Stars

Offensive First Team

QB Ed Collins Jr. Montclair State 6-0 195 Union, NJ RB Dan Harrison Jr. New Jersey City 5-8 180 Plainfield, NJ RB Frank Sinclair Jr. New Jersey City 5-9 180 Brooklyn, NY WR Scott Lipford Jr. Rowan 5-9 160 Egg Harbor, NJ WR Eric Magrini So. Montclair State 5-7 145 Wayne, NJ WR Lou Turso Jr. New Jersey City 5-11 175 Hoboken, NJ TE Mike Sinisi Sr. The College of New Jersey 6-0 216 Cedar Grove, NJ OL Gabe Gagliardo Sr. Montclair State 6-5 302 East Hanover, NJ OL Kevin Kovelski Sr. The College of New Jersey 6-2 230 Edgewater Park, NJ OL Eric Rucker So. Rowan 6-3 275 Flemington, NJ OL Matt Urciuoli Sr. Cortland State 6-2 308 Poughkeepsie, NY OL Anthony Vitale Jr. Montclair State 6-6 280 Roselle Park, NJ

Defensive First Team

DL Carlos Bolanos Sr. Montclair State 6-0 195 Hopatcong, NJ DL Anthony Casciano Jr. The College of New Jersey 5-8 180 West Caldwell, NJ DL Kevin Kelly Sr. Montclair State 5-9 180 West Keansburg, NJ LB Roedell Dupree Sr. Rowan 5-9 160 Jersey City, NJ LB Rick Holt Sr. The College of New Jersey 5-7 145 Roebling, NJ LB Ulyssess Stinson So. New Jersey City 5-11 175 Jersey City, NJ LB John Turi Sr. Montclair State 6-0 216 Clifton, NJ DB Ron Gibson Sr. Rowan 6-5 302 Camden, NJ DB Paul Kergides Sr. William Paterson 6-2 230 Stratford, NJ DB Vic Mesce Sr. Montclair State 6-3 275 Bloomfield, NJ DB Clinton Tabb Jr. Rowan 6-2 308 Pensauken, NJ

Special Teams First Team

PK George Oostmeyer Jr. Cortland State r 195 Islip, NY P Scott Harrison Sr. Cortland State 5-8 180 Rochester, NY RS Bryan Gallagher So. The College of New Jersey 5-9 180 Rockaway, NJ

Offensive Second Team

QB Mike Warker So. Rowan 6-0 195 Egg Harbor, NJ RB Elijah Freer Jr. Rowan 5-8 180 Neptune, NJ RB Laquan Majette So. Montclair State 5-9 180 Newark, NJ WR Brian Babst Jr. Cortland State 5-9 160 Mastic Beach, NY WR Jamel Dorsey Jr. Montclair State 5-7 145 Roselle, NJ WR Abdul McCrary Fr. William Paterson 5-11 175 Elizabeth, NJ TE Anthony Petracca Sr. Kean 6-0 216 Middletown, NJ OL Al Cappello So. Montclair State 6-5 302 West Paterson, NJ OL Steve Ferrentinos So. Montclair State 6-2 230 Ridgefield Park, NJ OL Jason Lachawiec So. William Paterson 6-3 275 Belford, NJ OL George Martin So. Rowan 6-2 308 Tuckerton, NJ OL Adam Solomon Sr. The College of New Jersey 6-6 280 Voorhees, NJ

Defensive Second Team

DL	Russ Alger	Sr.	Cortland State	6-0	195	Boonville, NY
DL	Luke Carpenter	Sr.	Rowan	5-8	180	Pennsville, NJ
DL	Mike Wiley	So.	William Paterson	5-9	180	Newark, NJ
LB	Matt Baranay	Jr.	Rowan	5-9	160	Bayville, NJ
LB	Omar Lucas	Jr.	Montclair State	5-7	145	Irvington, NJ
LB	Shane Smith	Fr.	New Jersey City	5-11	175	Teaneck, NJ
LB	Earle Whitby	Jr.	Rowan	6-0	216	Englewood, NJ
DB	Duane Sates	Jr.	New Jersey City	6-5	302	Summit, NJ
DB	Ben Faery	Sr.	Cortland State	6-2	230	Wilson, NY
DB	Alex Ferrante	Sr.	Rowan	6-3	275	Voorhees, NJ
DB	Kenyatta Jefferson	Jr.	William Paterson	6-2	308	Newark, NJ

Special Teams Second Team

PK	Brent Grablachoff	So	Montclair State	6-0	195	Island Heights, NJ
P	Mickey Hulse	So.	William Paterson	5-8	180	Rutherford, NJ
RS	Abdul McCrary	Fr.	William Paterson	5-9	180	Elizabeth, NJ

Honorable Mention

DL	Earl Biddy	Jr.	Kean	6-0	195	Tuckerton, NJ
LB	Ryan Calkins	Sr.	Cortland State	5-8	180	Jamestown, NY
LB	Bobby Fisher	Jr.	Rowan	5-9	180	Newark NJ
WR	Joe Gargione	So.	The College of New Jersey	5-9	160	Egg Harbor, NJ
P	Matt Hamilton	Jr.	The College of New Jersey	5-7	145	Hamilton, NJ
WR	Keyth Hardy	Fr.	William Paterson	5-11	175	Middlesex, NJ
DL	Bill Heaney	Jr.	Montclair State	6-0	216	Middletown, NJ
DB	John Lionakis	Jr.	New Jersey City	6-5	302	Jersey City, NJ
QB	Ryan McCarthy	Sr.	Cortland State	6-2	230	Wilder, VT
QB	Darren Miller	So.	New Jersey City	6-3	275	Jersey City, NJ
DL	Brian Mullholland	Fr.	The College of New Jersey	6-2	308	Wall, NJ
RS	Dom Narcisco	Jr.	Cortland State	6-6	280	Tappan, NY
LB	Vince Phinn	Sr.	Kean			Morristown, NJ
DB	Andrew Ransome	Jr.	Rowan			Bear, DE
OL	Corey Scott	Fr.	Rowan			Newark, DE
LB	Jim Wilkinson	Sr.	Montclair State			West Orange, NJ

2000 NJAC All Stars

1999 NJAC All Stars

1998 NJAC All Stars

Kean Cougars Montclair State Red Hawks New Jersey City Gothic Knights Rowan Profs

Why has a New York college become an associate member of the NJAC? Dan MacNeill, the head coach of SUNY at Cortland State knows the answer. At the New Jersey Athletic Conference Media Day held at the Princeton Marriott, MacNeill stated simply, "It's really a marriage of convenience. It seems an off marriage, but it was a marriage that had to be. We have been dating for three years. Where else were we going to go? There is nobody else in our state that wanted to play us." Art Eason, the Athletic Director at William Paterson, serves as the NJAC Football Chairperson. "Over the last six years, we talked to Brockport, Buffalo State and Ithaca but Cortland was the one which stuck around," said Eason. "When the NCAA changed its Division III playoff format last season, granting the champion of any conference with at least seven teams, an automatic qualifier, we decided that we wanted a seventh team just to be safe." Scheduling and travel costs are two other areas that were considered with the addition of the Red Dragons will prove beneficial. Montclair State has had trouble finding independents, playing only eight regular season games last year. While it eases this burden. it will add an overnight trip to the budgets. WPC's Eason welcomes Cortland's MacNeill at NJAC Media Day

Cortland Red Dragons The College of New Jersey Lions William Paterson Pioneers New Jersey Athletic Conference Official Site

Rowan head K.C. Keeler and sophomore QB Mike Warker, a USA Football 4th Team pre-season All American look to lead the Profs back to the Stagg Bowl.

Rowan ranked No. 2, Montclair State 13th in USA Football Pre-season poll At the annual New Jersey Athletic Conference Football Media Day held at the Princeton Marriott, there was optimism on the dias when the seven head coaches addressed the media. Rich Giancola, head coach of the defending NJAC championsfrom Montclair State, returns a solid defense that led the Red Hawks into the NCAA Division III playoffs along with runnerup Rowan which advanced to the Stagg Bowl before losing to Pacific Lutheran. Rowan's hopes for a return to the title game in Salem, Virginia revolves around sophomore quarterback Mike Warker who was chosen the fourth-team signal caller on the USA Football pre-season All American teams. Head coach K.C. Keeler has two full-time assistants for the first time in Jay Accorsi, the defensive coordinator, and Tom Doddy, the offensive coordinator. Eric Hamilton, who at the age of 47 begins his 24th season at the helm of The College of New Jersey's program, will rely on his quad-captains, defensive lineman Rob Haines, linebackers Adam Solomon and Mike Wendell along with TE/RB Mike Sinisi to lead the Lions back to the top after finishing 4-5 in 1999. New Jersey City University will be led by senior running back Daniel Harrison who is 346 yards shy of breaking the Gothic Knight's all-time rushing mark. "New" is the common denominator for Cortland State, Kean and William Paterson. The Red Dragons from New York are new members of the NJAC while the Cougars, who have lost 16 straight games, will look to first-year head coach Joe Loth for direction. Larry Arico assumes the challenge of coaching the Pioneers after three years as head coach at FDU/Madison.

TCNJ's Robert Haines, a USA Football Honorable Mention pre-season All American and head coach Eric Hamilton

NJCU's Dan Harrison, a USA Football Honorable Mention pre-season All American and head coach Roy Miller

Montclair State's Kevin Kelly, a USA Football 2nd Team pre-season All American and coach Rich Giancola

Kean's Vincent Phinn, a USA Football Honorable Mention pre-season All American and head coach Joe Loth.

Kean's Joe Sgaramella, a USA Football Honorable Mention pre-season All American and head coach Joe Loth.