EDISON, NJ (Jan. 16, 2026) – Canisius University Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator Lisa Liotta has been elected as Vice Chair of the newly created NCAA Division I Membership Committee. She most recently served on the former NCAA Division I Council from May 2024 until the Council was eliminated as a committee in August 2025. She will serve on the DI Membership Committee until the conclusion of her term in August 2026; during which the committee will strategically manage membership matters, including the reclassification process and Division I membership requirements for active Division I institutions and conferences.
A member of the Canisius athletic department staff since 2018, Liotta was elevated to the role of Deputy Director of Athletics in October 2023. She oversees internal operations and all aspects of the student-athlete experience, working closely with Canisius' coaching and student-services staff to ensure a quality experience for the University's 450-plus student-athletes in competition, in the classroom and within the campus community.
She serves as the sport administrator for seven varsity sports programs: hockey, women's basketball, women's soccer, men's and women's cross country/track, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's lacrosse and acrobatics and tumbling. Liotta represents Canisius as vice chair on the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) Board of Directors and serves on the MAAC Council of Athletic Administrators. In 2023, she began a five-year term as a member of the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Oversight and Championships Committee, while also serving as the chairperson of the MAAC Swimming and Diving Committee.
Additionally, in the summer of 2023, Liotta was selected to participate in the Women Leaders In Sports Executive Institute (EI). EI prepares and positions women for advancement to the highest level by providing an immersive development experience that coaches on executive leadership skills and career strategy. In 2021-22, she was one of 22 senior-level athletic administrators selected by the NCAA leadership development team to participate in the NCAA Pathways Program. The NCAA Pathways Program is a year-long experiential learning opportunity for senior administrators committed to becoming athletic directors or conference commissioners.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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