The CUNY Athletic Conference and the CUNY Welcome Center for the first time will host a series of conferences with the New York City Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL).  The first of three planned events for coaches and high school administrators will be held on the evening of Tuesday, November 24, 2009, at the CUNY Graduate Center, located in Manhattan.

The event will kick-off with a meet-and-greet, followed by a formal program comprised of a series of informational panels. Topics will include an overview of CUNY admissions, athletic offerings, academic scholarships and financial aid. NJCAA and NCAA rules will also be presented.

Collaboration between CUNY and PSAL is notable because approximately 70% of the 2009 freshman class graduated from New York City public high schools. “We are both uniquely positioned to serve the youth of this city, and this collaboration makes sense on so many levels,” stated CUNY Athletic Conference Commissioner Zak Ivkovic. “So many PSAL student-athletes continue their education at CUNY colleges, and we will be able to provide them the information they need to make the best decisions they can.”

The conferences are designed to update high school coaches and administrators about CUNY’s athletic programs and to emphasize that academics are the first priority at CUNY.  CUNY campuses provide outstanding opportunities for student-athletes both academically and athletically.  CUNY student-athletes excel and many are enrolled in the exceptional Macauley Honors College. Each year, the CUNY Athletic Conference recognizes the best and brightest student-athletes at the Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner.  Recently a Brooklyn College tennis student-athlete was named as a Rhodes Scholar.

Athletically, the CUNY Athletic Conference produces national champions and national record holders. Staten Island’s Pavel Buyanov is a two-time national champion in men’s swimming, while Bronx Community College’s Claudette Hetmeyer set a new national record in the 800-meter run in outdoor track. The Kingsborough Community College women’s tennis team captured the national championship, while Brooklyn College’s Richard Jean-Baptiste earned All-America status after leading the Bridges to their first men’s basketball championship in 36 years.

The 16 CUNY colleges that sponsor intercollegiate athletics will be present, including eleven four-year and five community colleges. Queens College competes at the NCAA Division II level. Colleges that compete at the NCAA Division III level include Baruch College, Brooklyn College, The City College of New York, ­College of Staten Island, Hunter College, John Jay College, Lehman College, Medgar Evers College, New York City College of Technology, and York College. Five colleges compete in the NJCAA’s Region XV, including Borough of Manhattan Community College, Bronx Community College, Hostos Community College, Kingsborough Community College and Queensborough Community College.