Weeks after Merrimack announced that it was making the transition to Division I, another Division II powerhouse has done the same.

LIU Post, a branch of Long Island University, will join with LIU Brooklyn as one Long Island University and play in the Division I ranks as part of the Northeast Conference. The move will take effect in the fall of 2019.

The news comes as part of the “One LIU” initiative, which brings together both LIU Brooklyn — already classified in Division I — and LIU Post as one program. Also included in the announcement was the construction of a multi-purpose athletic facility, which will begin in 2019.

"This is an exciting step forward for Long Island University," LIU Board of Trustees Chairman Eric Krasnoff said. "Athletics plays such an important role in bringing people together and promoting educational values. As we elevate the LIU brand nationally through academic excellence and world-class research, our athletics program will unite our entire community and compete at the highest levels."

The new Long Island University will join the Northeast Conference, which now houses Saint Joseph’s, Bryant, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary’s, Hobart and Wagner in men’s lacrosse. On the women’s side, the Northeast Conference is made up of Bryant, Robert Morris, Saint Francis, Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary’s, Wagner, Central Connecticut and LIU Brooklyn, which will merge with LIU Post after the 2018-19 school year and will be eligible to win a conference title and compete in the NCAA tournament.

"The Northeast Conference looks forward to the growth and enhancement of the league through the unification of the LIU athletic departments into a more robust Division I program with the addition of LIU's football, men's lacrosse, and men's cross country teams to the conference," said Northeast Conference Commissioner Noreen Morris. "With the announcement of the LIU unification, we are excited about the future of LIU Athletics and the NEC."

The LIU Post (formerly C.W. Post) lacrosse programs are some of the most accomplished in all of college lacrosse. 

The men’s lacrosse team won Division II national championships in 1996, 2009 and 2010 while advancing to four other NCAA championship games. The Pioneers had not turned in a losing season since 2004.

Eric Wolf recently took over the reins of the men’s program after John Jez led the Pioneers to two national titles in 11 seasons. Wolf, an Albany alum, spent time as an assistant with the Great Danes (2011-15) and Harvard (2016).

"Outside of the last two years, all I’ve ever known was Division I as a player and a coach," he said. "I’m pretty comfortable with the landscape and what it takes to be successful at that level. We know what it’s going to take and what recruits you need to get and how hard you have to work. It’s a new day for our program and it’s a positive thing for us.”

Wolf said the members of his current Pioneers roster will continue on with the program through their entirety of their careers. The next step for LIU Post is, ironically, a fall matchup with Sarcred Heart on Friday.

“It was going to be a nice test to so what we are like against a Division I team," he said. "In a year, it’s going to be a conference game. The dynamic for tomorrow night has certainly changed. … It got a little more pop to it.”

By contrast, the women’s program joined on as a Division II program in 2001 and has not had a losing season. The Pioneers won Division II national championships in 2001 and 2007 under Karen MaCrate Harding and in 2012 and 2013 under current coach Meghan McNamara. The 2013 season ended with a 20-0 record.

The move follows a similar path to Merrimack, which announced it was moving to the Northeast Conference on Sept. 10. The Warriors moved all of its sports to the Division I level, excluding men’s and women’s hockey, which are already at that level. 

Bryant also made the jump from Division II to Division I in 2007 and recently made the NCAA tournament in 2017.