In 1971, the university moved to its present Old Westbury site in Nassau County, Long Island – an estate, known as "Broad Hollow," formerly owned by agriculturist, industrialist, sportsman and philanthropist F. Ambrose Clark.

[6] The first president of the Old Westbury campus college was John D. Maguire, who had been a religion professor at Wesleyan University and a civil rights activist.

SUNY Old Westbury teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III.

The F. Ambrose Clark Physical Education & Recreation Center, aka the Clark Athletic Center, houses a 25-meter swimming pool; a gymnasium with seating for 2,000; a strength and conditioning facility; and an aerobic workout room with physical fitness accessories.

The Clark Center is a venue for the Nassau County, New York high school men's basketball playoffs as well as some women's tournament games.

Runners in cross country competition train on European-styled courses that traverse Old Westbury's 604-acre (2.44 km2) wooded campus.