Indianapolis - The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced this afternoon that the College of Staten Island has been accepted into the Division II membership process. With the announcement, the CSI athletic department officially begins a three-year process towards active membership status in Division II and the East Coast Conference.

The ECC announced in March that an invitation was extended to CSI to become the league's 10th member institution. Full membership in the ECC will be contingent upon CSI successfully completing the NCAA-mandated three-year transition to active member status in Division II.

With their acceptance in the membership process, CSI will begin Provisional Year One during the 2019-20 season. The Dolphins will not appear on ECC schedules and play a mix of Division II and Division III opponents. The ECC will also begin to offer CSI services and support through the conference office. During Provisional Years Two (2020-21) and Three (2021-22), CSI will be placed on ECC schedules and become eligible for ECC awards. 

CSI will be eligible for ECC and NCAA Division II Championships as early as 2022-23. Their advancement through the membership process will be determined annually by the NCAA Division II Membership Committee.

"On behalf of the East Coast Conference and its member institutions, we are truly excited with the news of the College of Staten Island's acceptance into the Division II membership process and as a provisional member of the ECC," said Commissioner Dr. Robert Dranoff. "This is a program with a strong tradition in intercollegiate athletics and academics and a big part of the Staten Island community. The work done by President William Fritz and Director of Athletics Charles Gomes and the entire staff in putting together their DII application is a great indication of the commitment they have made to this program and their readiness for this next step. We believe they will make an excellent member of the East Coast conference."

The Dolphins currently sponsor 16 sports of which 14 are currently championship sponsored sports in the ECC (baseball, men's/women's basketball, men's/women's cross country, men's/women's indoor track & field, men's/women's outdoor track & field, men's/women's soccer, softball, and men's/women's tennis).

Note: The NCAA also announced that Frostburg State College has also been accepted into the Division II membership process. Frostburg State will now officially be a provisional associate member of the ECC in the sport of men's lacrosse beginning in the 2020 season.