NJIT Highlanders

The NJIT Highlanders represent a technical university in Newark, bringing Division I basketball to a campus better known for engineering than athletics. Playing at the NJIT Wellness and Events Center, the Highlanders transitioned to Division I in 2006 after decades of Division III competition. NJIT's move into the America East Conference reflects a program still building its Division I identity. It's a modest but persistent effort to establish a winning tradition in a crowded New Jersey/New York basketball landscape.

NJIT basketball has its roots in the school's Division III era, where the Highlanders reached the NCAA Division III Elite Eight in 1995. The program jumped to Division I for the 2006-07 season, competing as an independent before joining the Great West Conference and later the Atlantic Sun and America East conferences. NJIT has not yet reached the Division I NCAA Tournament, with its lone Division I postseason appearance coming in the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The program remains focused on building sustained Division I relevance.