Elmira College Men's Wrestling to Join SUNYAC as Associate Member for 2025-26 Season
— Elmira College Athletics (@ECSoaringEagles) June 6, 2025
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ELMIRA, N.Y. – Elmira College is excited to announce that its men's wrestling program has been accepted as an associate member of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), beginning with the 2025–26 academic year. This pivotal decision aligns the Soaring Eagles with a robust Division III athletic conference renowned for its competitive excellence.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes," said John Franchi, Elmira's head coach. "Joining the SUNYAC means facing some of the best Division III wrestling programs in New York and surrounding states. It's an exciting step forward for our team and our college."
The SUNYAC officially welcomed men's wrestling as its 22nd sponsored sport in October 2023, creating a nine-team competitive league that includes SUNY-system and private schools alike. Elmira joins a distinguished group—Brockport, Cortland, Oneonta, Oswego, plus Ithaca, RIT, St. John Fisher, and Utica—to launch a strong slate of regular season competition and championships.
"I would like to thank the SUNYAC membership for allowing Elmira men's wrestling program to join their team," Rhonda Faunce, the director of athletics for the Soaring Eagles, said. "Being a part of such a strong, established conference has great benefits for our wrestling team and coaches. The wrestlers are thrilled to have a home finally. They are also thankful to have a more consistent schedule, as well as opportunities for post-season and individual and team awards. It is a good day for the EC athletics program."
Elmira has made notable strides in recent seasons. During the 2024–25 campaign, standout performers like Selvin Maldonado '25 and Kaiden Ellis '28 earned top-six honors at the New York State Collegiate Open, while the team displayed strong competitiveness in dual meets, including close contests with SUNYAC opponents such as Brockport.
"Our program has been building steadily, with strong finishes at open tournaments and growing depth," said Coach Franchi. "Competing in SUNYAC will elevate our level further and provide great exposure for our student-athletes."
In May of 2023, the SUNYAC had just one associate member competing in two sports while sponsoring 20 conference championships. Entering the 2026-27 season of competition, the SUNYAC will offer 22 championships, increase its full membership to 12, and boast 13 associate members, for a total of 25 different institutions that will be members of the SUNYAC.
"The growth in the SUNYAC has been unprecedented and illustrates the strength of the league and its position as one of the premier NCAA Division III conferences," Commissioner Tom DiCamillo said. "There is no doubt we are stronger than ever."
For more information on Elmira College men's wrestling and updates on the upcoming season, visit athletics.elmira.edu.