Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico

The Inter-university Athletic League, often abbreviated LAI, is a college athletics conference in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.^[1]

Inter-university Athletics League

Formerly	Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1929–1942)
Conference	FISU
Founded	February 2, 1929; 96 years ago (February 2, 1929)
Commissioner	José Enrique Arrarás
Sports fielded	men's: 16 women's: 13
No. of teams	17
Headquarters	San German, Puerto Rico
Region	Puerto Rico
Official website	laipr.org

The LAI is a non-profit organization whose main purpose is to regulate sports amongst its member institutions. The league was founded in 1929 by Cosme Beitía of the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, Charles Leker for the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, and Luis Izquierdo Galo y José D. Morales from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.^[2] The league is best known for its flagship inter-collegiate sports event locally called Las Justas which takes place yearly during the month of April, generally in the city of Ponce.^[3]

History

The League began celebrating three sports events amongst its member institutions in 1929; Baseball, Basketball, and Athletics. For 40 years, the League's events were open to male athletes only. Women began competing in the league starting in the 1969–1970 academic year. Today, male athletes compete in some 16 events and female athletes in 13. Every year the league hosts the Justas de Atletismo y Festival Deportivo, their flagship sports competition event. For many years the event was held in San Juan, but in 1993 the event was moved to the city of Ponce.^[4] In 2010 the event was held in Mayagüez in preparation for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.^[5] Games resumed in Ponce in 2011, and continued in Ponce in 2012.^[6]

The league is administered by a "Administrative Council" made up of the Deans of Students, Athletic Directors, and a student representative. There is also a "Cuerpo Rectoral" called the "Junta de Gobierno" made up of the Rectors and presidents of the member institutions. The "Junta de Gobierno" chooses an employee called "The Commissioner" who is appointed to act as executive officer of the LAI for a period of two years. The League is a founding member of International University Sports Federation.

Sports

• men's baseball
• men's & women's basketball
• men's & women's cross country
• men's & women's judo
• men's & women's taekwondo
• men's & women's soccer
• men's & women's softball
• men's & women's swimming
• men's & women's table tennis
• men's & women's tennis
• men's & women's track and field
• men's & women's volleyball
• men's water polo
• men's & women's weightlifting
• men's wrestling

Member schools

Current members

Institution (English)	Institution (Spanish)	Acronym	Colors	Nickname	Location[a]	Joined	Affiliation	Enrollment[b]	Section
University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Río Piedras	UPRRP		Gallitos & Jerezanas	San Juan	1929	Public	18,653	Beitia
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Mayagüez	RUM		Tarzanes & Juanas	Mayagüez	1929	Public	13,148	Mangual
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico	Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico	UIPR		Tigres	San German	1929	Private	50,000	Mangual
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico	Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico	PUCPR		Pioneros	Ponce	1954	Catholic	12,000	Mangual
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey	UPRC		Toritos & Toritas	Cayey	1971	Public	4,128	Mangual
University of Puerto Rico at Humacao	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Humacao	UPRH		Buhos & Buhas	Humacao	1975	Public	4,732	Beitia
University of the Sacred Heart	Universidad del Sagrado Corazón	USC		Delfines	Santurce	1979	Catholic	5,261	Beitia
University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Bayamón	UPRB		Vaqueros & Vaqueras	Bayamón	1980	Public	5,014	Beitia
University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Arecibo	UPRA		Lobos & Lobas	Arecibo	1983	Public	3,693	Mangual
Bayamón Central University	Universidad Central de Bayamón	UCB		Halcones	Bayamón	1991	Catholic	2,133	Beitia
University of Puerto Rico at Ponce	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ponce	UPRP		Leones & Leonas	Ponce	1992	Public	4,000	Mangual
University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Aguadilla	UPRAG		Tiburones	Aguadilla	1992	Public	3,393	Mangual
University of Puerto Rico at Carolina	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Carolina	UPRCA		Jaguares	Carolina	1994	Public	4,240	Beitia
University of Puerto Rico at Utuado	Universidad de Puerto Rico en Utuado	UPRU		Guaraguaos	Utuado	1998	Public	1,682	Mangual
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico	Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico	PUPR		Castores	San Juan	1999	Private	5,195	Beitia
Caribbean University		CU		Grifones	Bayamón	2005	Private	1,603	Beitia
Ana G. Méndez University	Universidad Ana G. Méndez	UAGM		Taínos & Taínas	San Juan	2019[c]	Private	24,700	Mangual

Notes

1. All cities are located in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
2. Undergraduate
3. UAGM was formed in 2019 from the merger of the three institutions under the Ana G. Mendez University System: the University of Turabo, Metropolitan University and the Universidad del Este, all of whom were LAI members at the time of merger.

Former members

Institution (English)	Institution (Spanish)	Acronym	Colors	Nickname	Location[a]	Joined	Left	Affiliation	Enrollment[b]	Section	Current conference
University of the Virgin Islands	Universidad de las Islas Vírgenes	UVI		Bucaneros & Bucaneras	St. Thomas	2005	2017	Public	2,138	N/A	HBCU (HBCUAC)[c]
Ana G. Méndez University at Gurabo[d]	Universidad Ana G. Méndez en Gurabo	UT		Taínos & Taínas	Gurabo	1975	2019	Private	16,000	Mangual	N/A[e]
Ana G. Méndez University at Carolina[f]	Universidad Ana G. Méndez en Carolina	UNE		Pitirres	Carolina	2005	2019	Private	10,366	Mangual
Ana G. Méndez University at Cupey[g]	Universidad Ana G. Méndez en Cupey	UMET		Cocodrilos	San Juan	2005	2019	Private		Beitia
American University of Puerto Rico		AUPR		Piratas	Bayamón	1991	2023	Private	2,934	Beitia	N/A[h]

Notes

1. All cities were located in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; excluding the UVI, which was located in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
2. Undergraduate
3. Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
4. Formerly known as the University of Turabo (or Universidad del Turabo).
5. All three universities were former independent institutions that were part of the Ana G. Méndez University System, before being merged to form Ana G. Méndez University.
6. Formerly known as the University of the East (or Universidad del Este).
7. Formerly known as the Metropolitan University of Puerto Rico (or Universidad Metropolitana).
8. Closed following the end of the 2022–23 school year.

Membership timeline

 Full member (non-football)   Associate member (sport)