BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – Long Island University claimed its second consecutive Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup, the NEC announced on Tuesday. The Sharks also repeated as champions of the NEC Men’s Commissioner’s Cup.

The NEC’s Commissioner’s Cup program rewards the all-around performance of an athletic department in NEC sponsored sports.

The point formula was modified for 2025-26, awarding five bonus points to the NEC regular season champions in sports with round-robin formats and eight bonus points to NEC Tournament champions in all sports. The scoring also shifted to a bottom-up scoring model, in which the last-place team in each sport earns one point, the second-to-last earns two points, and so on.

LIU outlasted both FDU and Wagner in a Commissioner’s Cup battle that came down to the final stretch of the season, with the Sharks clinching the Brenda Weare Cup and Men’s Cup by securing the NEC baseball regular season crown.

The Sharks racked up 197 points, beating out the Knights (174) and the Seahawks (170).

LIU claimed NEC Tournament championships in baseball, men’s basketball and women’s volleyball, adding regular season titles in those three sports as well as softball.

Highlighting the program’s depth, LIU earned top-three NEC finishes in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, softball and women’s volleyball.

“Our goal for 2025-26 was to pursue the highest level of competitiveness across all programs,” said Elliott Charles, LIU’s Director of Athletics. “We raised the bar across the board in 2024-25 and entered 2025-26 expecting nothing less.

Winning the 2025-26 Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup is an incredible honor and a hallmark of a back-to-back championship era for Long Island University. This recognition is the result of a collective effort by our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, fans, and the university community as we push into the next era that will define LIU Athletics. We are blessed to continue to have the opportunity to lead the NEC and we will continue to do so with grit, unwavering effort, and humility.

Thank you to Commissioner Noreen Morris and the NEC staff, President Dr. Kimberly Cline, our fellow NEC member institutions and SharkNation for making this such a special year! #FinsUp”

LIU repeated as NEC Men’s Cup champion with 102.5 points, while FDU (79), Wagner (77.5) and CCSU (73) finished bunched together in a tight battle for second.

LIU’s strong all-around year included the program’s seventh NEC men’s basketball and fourth baseball title, along with tournament runner-up finishes in men’s golf and men’s lacrosse. The Sharks have now logged top-three finishes in the Men’s Cup standings in each of the last six seasons.

Weare, who passed away in June 2009, made a lasting impact in her three years as Commissioner of the NEC. In that time, she introduced a number of new programs aimed at upgrading the caliber of the league’s championship sports and enhancing the opportunities and experiences for the more than 4,000 student-athletes that compete in the conference. In addition to securing Bryant as an NEC full-time member, Weare was instrumental in the NEC gaining automatic access to the NCAA Division I Football Championship beginning in 2010, spearheading the conference’s Strategic Plan and implementing a new leaguewide sportsmanship policy. The Commissioner’s Cup was renamed in her honor in May of 2009.

The AI² Center brings together LIU’s expanding portfolio of academic programs, industry partnerships, advanced research initiatives, and next-generation facilities to prepare students for leadership in an increasingly AI-driven world. The initiative builds upon LIU’s growing national reputation in emerging technologies and its recognition among the top 7% of universities in the United States for research.

The AI² Center will serve as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning across the University’s more than 150 academic programs. LIU offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Artificial Intelligence, in addition to the nation’s first Bachelor of Engineering in Digital Engineering. Through these forward-focused academic programs, students gain the knowledge and applied experience needed for the future workforce.

As part of the initiative, LIU is also expanding its Artificial Intelligence Competency Distinction, a 9-credit interdisciplinary credential available to students across all majors. The credential equips students with foundational and applied AI skills that can be integrated into careers ranging from healthcare and business to education, communications, science, and the arts. Students also have access to one-on-one mentorship with AI-expert postdoctoral fellows, as well as open studio hours in LIU’s state-of-the-art 3DS simulation and fabrication labs.

Led by Mohammed Cherkaoui, PhD, Senior Vice President for Research and Artificial Intelligence, the AI² Center advances LIU’s leadership in artificial intelligence, interdisciplinary research, workforce development, and emerging technologies. Dr. Cherkaoui has been recognized among the top 1% of scientists in the world.

“Artificial intelligence is not limited to one industry or one discipline. It is reshaping the future of how we live, work, research, and innovate,” said Mohammed Cherkaoui, PhD, Senior Vice President for Research and Artificial Intelligence. “The AI² Center positions LIU as a national leader in preparing students with the skills, experiences, and research opportunities necessary to lead in this rapidly evolving technological era.”

The initiative is strengthened through LIU’s strategic partnership with Dassault Systèmes, establishing the 3DEXPERIENCE Education Center of Excellence at LIU. The partnership supports cutting-edge research and experiential learning in areas including precision medicine, healthcare innovation, digital engineering, and artificial intelligence applications.

LIU is also making significant investments in facilities designed for the future of AI and scientific discovery. At the Post Campus, the University recently broke ground on a new 40,000-square-foot state-of-the-art science and innovation building that will support advanced teaching, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration. At the Brooklyn Campus, newly constructed 20,000-square-foot 3D design, simulation, and fabrication laboratories provide students and researchers with access to advanced technologies and experiential learning environments.

“Artificial intelligence is transforming every aspect of society, and LIU is committed to leading that transformation through education, research, and innovation,” said Dr. Kimberly Cline, President of Long Island University. “The AI² Center reflects our vision for the future of higher education, one that prepares students across every discipline to thrive in an AI-driven economy.”

Through the AI² Center, LIU continues to expand its role as a leader in artificial intelligence, innovation, and research, preparing students not only to participate in the future workforce, but to shape it.

About the AI² Center at Long Island University
The AI² Center (Artificial Intelligence & Academic Innovation Center) at Long Island University advances education, research, and innovation in artificial intelligence across the University’s more than 150 academic programs. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, industry partnerships, experiential learning, and state-of-the-art facilities, the Center prepares students to lead in an increasingly AI-driven world. Led by Mohammed Cherkaoui, PhD, Senior Vice President for Research and Artificial Intelligence, the AI² Center supports undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and university-wide AI initiatives shaping the future of technology and innovation.

About Long Island University
Long Island University, founded in 1926, is a leading research and teaching university that continues to redefine higher education by providing high-quality academic instruction by world-class faculty, serving more than 16,000 students from its Long Island and Brooklyn campuses.

Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its “value added” to student outcomes, the University is ranked in the top 7% of national research universities. LIU has a network of more than 200,000 alumni, including industry leaders and entrepreneurs around the globe.

Visit www.liu.edu and www.liu.edu/ai for more information.

Walt “Clyde” Frazier — Hall of Famer, two-time NBA champion, longtime New York Knicks broadcaster, and one of New York City’s most iconic sports figures — addressed graduates during Long Island University’s 2026 Centennial Commencement ceremony at Barclays Center. During the celebration, LIU awarded Frazier the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

Known to generations of fans as “the voice of the Knicks,” Frazier reflected on lessons from his legendary career on and off the court, encouraging graduates to “keep striving and thriving” and “never stop reaching for your dreams.” Drafted by the Knicks in 1967, Frazier helped lead the franchise to two NBA championships and became one of the most decorated players in basketball history, earning induction into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Frazier’s appearance highlighted the university’s longstanding connection to New York basketball and capped a landmark year for LIU men’s basketball under Head Coach Rod Strickland, whose team captured the NEC Championship and earned an NCAA Tournament appearance. Earlier this year, Frazier and fellow Knicks icons Bernard King, Stephon Marbury, Allan Houston, and Rod Strickland visited campus for a special panel discussion hosted by ESPN and Knicks broadcaster Monica McNutt.

Ray Dalio ’71—founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, and New York Times bestselling author—returned to Long Island University as the keynote speaker for the University’s Centennial Commencement ceremony at Shark Stadium, where LIU celebrated 100 years since its founding before thousands of graduates, families, faculty, and alumni. During the ceremony, Dalio received an Honorary Doctor of Business and delivered a powerful address to the Class of 2026 focused on personal growth, wellbeing, and long-term success.

As part of his commencement gift to graduates, Dalio announced that every member of the Class of 2026 will receive a scholarship to learn the Transcendental Meditation (TM) Technique through support from Dalio Philanthropies in partnership with the David Lynch Foundation. Dalio, who first learned TM while attending LIU in 1969, shared how the practice has positively influenced his personal wellbeing, decision-making, and professional achievements throughout his career. Each graduate also received copies of Dalio’s bestselling books, Principles: Life and Work and Principles: Your Guided Journal, placed on their seats prior to the ceremony.