The Stony Brook Seawolves are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Stony Brook University (SBU) in Stony Brook, New York. The Seawolves play as members of the Coastal Athletic Association (formerly known as the Colonial Athletic Association), which competes at the NCAA Division I level. Stony Brook had previously been a part of the America East Conference from 2001 to 2022, though has competed in CAA Football since 2013. The university's mascot is Wolfie the Seawolf, and the official colors of the Seawolves are red, grey, and blue.
The Seawolves currently field 18 varsity sports, including football and baseball for men only; softball, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball for women only; and basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, and track and field for both genders. The most recent change to Stony Brook's roster of varsity sports was the discontinuation of men's tennis at the end of the 2016–17 school year.
Varsity teams Men's sports Women's sports Baseball Basketball Basketball Cross country Cross country Lacrosse Football Soccer Lacrosse Softball Soccer Swimming & diving Track and field Tennis Track and field Volleyball Stony Brook University sponsors teams in seven men's and 10 women's NCAA sanctioned sports and is a full member of the Coastal Athletic Association, with the football program competing in that conference's technically separate football league of CAA Football. Before joining the all-sports CAA, Stony Brook had been a member of the America East Conference, with women's tennis as an associate member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Football
Stony Brook first fielded a football team in 1984 as the Division III Stony Brook Patriots. In 1995, the team rose to Division II and changed the team name to the Seawolves. The team ascended to Division I in 1999, joining the Northeast Conference, where they won a share of the conference championship title for the first time in 2005. The program left the NEC and spent one year as a Division I-AA independent in 2007. From there, the Seawolves joined the Big South Conference in 2008 as a football-only member. Stony Brook won four straight Big South titles from 2009 to 2012, and made their first appearance in the FCS Playoffs in 2011, where they beat in-state rivals Albany at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium 31–28 in the first round before losing to top-seeded Sam Houston State in the second round. In 2012, the Seawolves returned to the FCS Playoffs, beating Villanova 20–10 at home in the first round before losing to Montana State. Stony Brook has beaten one FBS opponent, Army, with a 23–3 victory in 2012.
In August 2012, Stony Brook accepted an offer to join CAA Football. The team struggled initially, failing to put up a winning record during their first four seasons in the conference. However, the Seawolves finished 10–3 and second place in 2017, returning to the playoffs, where they beat Lehigh 59–29 in the first round but lost to James Madison in the second round. In 2018, the Seawolves made the FCS Playoffs for a second straight year but lost to Southeast Missouri State 28–14 in the first round.
Men's basketball
Stony Brook men's basketball was founded in 1960 at the Division III level. When the Seawolves moved to Division I in 1999, they spent the first two years as an independent before accepting an invitation to join the America East in 2001. In 2005, Stony Brook hired Steve Pikiell to become the tenth head coach in program history. In the six seasons before his arrival, the Seawolves had gone 63–107. After going 20–67 in his first three seasons, Pikiell led Stony Brook to their first winning record as a Division I program after the 2008–09 season, ending the season 16–14 (8–8 America East).
In 2009–10, Stony Brook won their first America East regular season title after a 21–8 (13–3) season, but lost to Boston University in the semifinals of the America East Tournament. The Seawolves were invited to participate in the NIT, but fell in the first round to Illinois in a sellout crowd at the Stony Brook Sports Complex. Despite finishing the 2010–11 season with a 13–16 (8–8) record, the Seawolves entered the America East Tournament as the No. 5 seed and beat Albany and top seed Vermont to earn their first ever trip to the America East Finals. They fell to the Boston Terriers 56–54 in the closing seconds despite leading for most of the game.
The 2011–12 season saw the Seawolves return to the NIT after winning their second America East regular season title, finishing 22–10 (14–2), losing to Seton Hall in the first round. The Seawolves won their first NIT game in 2013 against UMass but lost to Iowa in the second round, capping off a 25–8 (14–2) season where they won their third America East regular season title. Stony Brook would lose to Albany in two straight America East Finals in 2014 and 2015, the second coming on a buzzer-beater three.
Stony Brook finally made their first NCAA Tournament appearance after besting Vermont in the 2016 America East Finals. As the No. 13 seed, they lost to Kentucky in the first round. Pikiell left the program three days later to accept the head coaching job at Rutgers. In April, longtime Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Boals was hired to be Pikiell's successor. After three seasons, Boals resigned in March 2019 to accept the head coaching position at Ohio University. Boals went 55–41 in three seasons at Stony Brook, including a 24–8 record, his first 20-win season, in his final year.
Women's basketball
Stony Brook reached the America East championship game in 2002 and 2014, but lost to Hartford 60–57 and Albany 70–46, respectively. The Seawolves did not win an America East regular season or tournament championship until 2020, when Stony Brook had a 28–3 record. However, the season was cut short before the America East championship game against Maine as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stony Brook was still named both regular season and tournament champions. In 2021, Stony Brook reached the America East championship game against Maine in a rematch of the game that was canceled because of the pandemic. As the No. 2 seed, Stony Brook upset No. 1 seed Maine 64–60 to win their 2nd straight America East championship and reach their first ever NCAA Tournament. Stony Brook was given a No. 14 seed in the 2021 NCAA tournament and lost to No. 3 seed Arizona, the eventual tournament runners-up, 79–44 in the first round.
Head coach Caroline McCombs left for George Washington weeks later. In McCombs' final three years, Stony Brook went 66–17. Her successor was James Madison assistant Ashley Langford. Langford led Stony Brook to wins over St. John's, Rutgers and Washington State in her first year.
Baseball
Since joining Division I in 2002, Stony Brook has won six conference tournaments: 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2019. The Seawolves have participated NCAA tournament six times, winning their first game ever in the NCAA tournament in 2010 against North Carolina State. They are coached by Matt Senk, who has led the team since 1991.
The 2012 season was a breakthrough for Stony Brook baseball. The team won 10 consecutive games en route to their second consecutive regular season championship, and ended the regular season 43–11 (21–3 America East). Stony Brook won the America East Tournament to earn the program's fourth title, beating Maine 13–6 in the finals to advance to the 2012 NCAA Division I baseball tournament with a 46–11 record, the best record in Division I. For the first time in the history of the program, Stony Brook was ranked at No. 25 in the Baseball America poll and No. 29 in the NCBWA poll.
Stony Brook played in the Coral Gables Regional as the fourth seed. The Seawolves topped Central Florida to win the regional and advance to face the LSU Tigers in the Super Regionals. In the Super Regional, Stony Brook defeated LSU and advanced to the College World Series. Stony Brook was ranked No. 7 in the NCBWA poll, their highest ranking ever, but suffered consecutive losses against UCLA and Florida State to end their run to the College World Series, finishing the season 52–15, the most wins by any Division I team in 2012. Seven players from the Stony Brook baseball team were selected in the 2012 MLB Draft including first round draftee Travis Jankowski. Matt Senk was announced to be the 2012 National Coach of Year.
Joe Nathan is the only Stony Brook baseball player to have his number retired (No. 22). Joe Nathan Field was named after him in honor of his $500,000 donation. Multiple Seawolves have gone on to play in the MLB, including Nathan, Jankowski, Tom Koehler, Nick Tropeano and Daniel Zamora.
Women's lacrosse
The Stony Brook's women's lacrosse team began play in 2003 and won their first America East regular season title in 2007 under head coach Allison Comito. After failing to win more than four games in three straight seasons, Comito was let go in 2011. Joe Spallina, the program's third head coach in team history, was hired in 2012 and the Seawolves saw instant improvements, advancing all the way to the America East Championship, where they fell to Albany. Petersen was named the America East Player of the Year, as well as Stony Brook's first ever All-American.
In the 2013 season, Stony Brook entered the year ranked in the preseason polls for the first time ever in school history. The Seawolves continued their success during the season. Following a win over Albany, Stony Brook was ranked 13th in both top national polls. Undefeated in conference play and the America East playoffs, the Seawolves advanced to the NCAA tournament, defeating Towson in the first round, but losing in the second round to Maryland. Stony Brook finished the season with a 17–3 record and ranked No. 12 in the nation. The season began a string of eight straight where Stony Brook would win the America East regular season and conference championships.
In 2017, Kylie Ohlmiller set the all-time NCAA single-season record for points (164) and assists (86). Ohlmiller would end her career as the NCAA all-time leader in career points (498) and assists (246). Her teammate Courtney Murphy set the all-time NCAA single-season record for goals with 100 in 2016, and Murphy broke the NCAA record for career goals in 2018 with 341.
The Seawolves are 159–30 in ten seasons under Spallina, who has brought Stony Brook to eight straight NCAA tournaments and NCAA quarterfinal appearances in 2017, 2018 and 2021. The 2018 team finished the regular season undefeated before losing in the quarterfinals to Boston College to end their season at 20–1. The team had been ranked No. 1 for the majority of the season in all of the major lacrosse polls.
Men's lacrosse
Stony Brook first fielded a lacrosse program at the NCAA level in 1983. The team began play at the Division I level in 1988 with new head coach John Espey and earned full funding starting in 1998. Stony Brook was one of six founding members of the ECAC Lacrosse League but left for the America East Conference in 2002 and the CAA in 2022.
In their first season in the America East, Stony Brook finished 10–7 (3–2), and won the conference tournament with an 8–6 win over the Albany Great Danes to advance to the NCAA tournament in their first year, where they lost 12–3 to Cornell in the first round. Espey's head coaching tenure ended in 2004 after 16 years, and Stony Brook hired Penn State assistant Lars Tiffany to take his place. The Seawolves lost in the America East playoffs to Albany in the finals in 2005 and the semifinals in 2006. Tiffany left his position to coach at Brown, and Rick Sowell took over his position.