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The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association‘s (NCAA) Division I. The A-10’s member schools are located mostly on the East Coast and Midwest of the United States: Illinois, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Although some of its members are state-funded, half of its membership is made up of private, Catholic institutions. Despite the name, there are 14 full-time members in the conference; three affiliate members participate in women’s field hockey and men’s lacrosse.

The conference’s commissioner since 2008 is Bernadette McGlade. McGlade will retire at the conclusion of the 2025–26 academic year; her replacement will be Dan Leibowitz, who joins the league having most recently been the senior men’s basketball administrator for the Big East Conference. In fall 2023 the A-10 moved its headquarters from Newport News, Virginia, to Washington, D.C.

History

Atlantic 10 Conference
Map
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220km
137miles
St. Bonaventure
Delaware
Hobart
High Point
Loyola
Chicago
Saint Louis
Dayton
Duquesne
Davidson
George Mason
GWU
Richmond
VCU
La Salle
Saint Joseph’s
Lock Haven
Fordham
URI
UMass
   
Locations of A-10 members Full member Associate member

Early history

The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (ECBL) and began conference play in 1976. At that time, basketball was its only sport. After its first season, it added sports other than basketball and changed its name to the Eastern Athletic Association. However, despite its official names, it was popularly known as the Eastern 8, as it then had eight members (Villanova, Duquesne, Penn State, West Virginia, George Washington, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers).

After changes in membership that saw charter members Villanova and Pittsburgh leave (in 1980 and 1982, respectively) and new members St. Bonaventure (1979), Rhode Island (1980), Saint Joseph’s (1982), and Temple (1982) enter, establishing the league with 10 members, the conference adopted the current Atlantic 10 name in 1982.

Expansion, contraction, and football

Further membership changes saw the league expand to its maximum of 16 members. From 1997 through 2006, the league also operated a football conference; during that period, more than 20 schools were participating in A-10 competition in at least one sport. This ended when the A-10 football programs all departed to join a new football conference sponsored by the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA; now known as the Coastal Athletic Association). In 2012, Butler joined the conference after leaving the Horizon League and VCU joined after leaving the CAA.

Conference realignments and expanding media presence

Conference realignment in 2013 saw the departure of Temple to the American Athletic Conference, Butler and Xavier to the reconfigured Big East, and Charlotte to Conference USA. George Mason joined from the CAA, and Davidson from the Southern Conference announced it would join in 2014.

The league headquarters is located in Washington, DC. In the Fall of 2023 they relocated the HQ from Newport News, Virginia where it had been located since fall 2009.[1] Prior to that, the headquarters was in Philadelphia, within a few miles of member schools Saint Joseph’s and La Salle.

The conference currently has media deals with ESPN, CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports, and digital broadcasts with ESPN+.

On November 16, 2021, Loyola University Chicago announced that its athletic program – the Loyola Ramblers – would leave the Missouri Valley Conference and join the A-10 effective July 1, 2022.[2] On May 23, 2022, the addition of men’s lacrosse was announced for the 2023 season. The four full members that sponsor the sport (Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph’s, UMass) were joined by new affiliate members High Point and Hobart.[3]

On December 14, 2023, the conference announced a five-year media deal with its current affiliates, ESPN, CBS, and NBC. The deal would expand basketball coverage and revenue for the schools. The first year of the new contract is the 2024–2025 season and runs through the 2028–29 season.[4]

In late February 2024, it was announced that the 2024–25 season for UMass sports will be the last season as members of the Atlantic 10. The Minutemen will rejoin the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full member beginning in 2025.[5][6]

Member schools

Current members

Full members

The following is a list of the full members of the conference and the year they joined:

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Endowment
(millions)
Nickname Joined[a] Colors
Davidson College Davidson, North Carolina 1837 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
1,843 $1,300 Wildcats 2014    
University of Dayton Dayton, Ohio 1850 Catholic
(Marianists)
11,241 $770 Flyers 1995    
Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1878 Catholic
(Spiritans)
9,274 $472.1 Dukes 1976[b]    
1993[b]
Fordham University Bronx, New York 1841 Catholic
(Jesuit)
16,515 $972 Rams 1995    
George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia[c] 1957 Public 35,047 $222.2 Patriots 2013    
George Washington University Washington, D.C. 1821 Nonsectarian 28,172 $2,400 Revolutionaries 1976    
La Salle University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1863 Catholic
(De La Salle
Brothers
)
5,191 $80 Explorers 1995    
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, Illinois 1870 Catholic
(Jesuit)
16,437[7] $1,072 Ramblers 2022    
University of Rhode Island[d] Kingston, Rhode Island 1892 Public 16,883 $278.7 Rams 1980      
University of Richmond[d] Richmond, Virginia 1840 Nonsectarian 4,002 $3,100 Spiders 2001    
St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure, New York 1858 Catholic
(Franciscan)
2,381 $92.3 Bonnies 1979    
Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1851 Catholic
(Jesuit)
7,589 $378.8 Hawks 1982    
Saint Louis University St. Louis, Missouri 1818 Catholic
(Jesuit)
12,883 $1,700 Billikens 2005    
Virginia Commonwealth University
(VCU)
Richmond, Virginia 1838 Public 31,076 $2,720 Rams 2012    
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ a b Duquesne left the A-10 for the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC, now known as the Horizon League) only for the 1992–93 school year, but returned to the A-10 in 1993–94.
  3. ^ While the main campus has a Fairfax mailing address, it is located in an area of unincorporated Fairfax County designated by the US Census Bureau as George Mason, Virginia.
  4. ^ a b Massachusetts (UMass), Rhode Island and Richmond also played football within the A-10 from the 1997 to the 2006 fall seasons (1997–98 to 2006–07 school years) after the Yankee Conference was absorbed. However, Richmond’s primary conference until the 2000-01 school year was the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

Associate members

The “joined” column indicates the calendar year in which each school became an A-10 associate, which for spring sports such as lacrosse is the year before the first season of competition.

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] A-10
sport(s)
Primary
conference
University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 1743 Public[b] 23,774[8] Blue Hens 2025 Men’s lacrosse Conf. USA (CUSA)
High Point University High Point, North Carolina 1924 United
Methodist
4,545 Panthers 2022 Men’s lacrosse Big South (BSC)
Hobart College Geneva, New York 1822 Nonsectarian 2,105 Statesmen 2022 Men’s lacrosse Liberty (LL)[c]
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Lock Haven, Pennsylvania 1870 Public[d] 3,425 Bald Eagles 2010 Field hockey Pennsylvania (PSAC)[e]
University of Massachusetts Amherst[f]
(UMass)
Amherst, Massachusetts 1863 Public[g] 30,593 Minutemen 2025[h] Men’s lacrosse Mid-American (MAC)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Delaware is officially chartered as a “privately-governed, state-assisted” institution. This status is broadly similar to that of New York State’s statutory colleges, most of which are housed at Cornell University, or institutions in Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth System of Higher Education.
  3. ^ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  4. ^ Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education System (PASSHE).
  5. ^ Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  6. ^ Massachusetts (UMass) was a full member of the NAC from 1976–77 to 2024–25.
  7. ^ Part of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) System.
  8. ^ Measured from UMass’ departure from full A-10 membership.

Former members

Former full members

None of these institutions played football in the A-10 during their tenure as full members.

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Subsequent
conference
Current
conference
Butler University Indianapolis,
Indiana
1855 Private 4,667 Bulldogs 2012 2013 Big East
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
(UNC Charlotte, Charlotte)
Charlotte,
North Carolina
1946 Public 26,232 49ers 2005 2013 Conf. USA (CUSA) American
University of Massachusetts Amherst[c]
(UMass)
Amherst,
Massachusetts
1863 Public 30,593 Minutemen &
Minutewomen
1976 2025 Mid-American (MAC)
Pennsylvania State University
(Penn State)
University Park,
Pennsylvania
1855 Public 45,351 Nittany
Lions
1976 1979 Big Ten (B1G)
1982 1991
University of Pittsburgh
(Pitt)
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
1787 Public 28,766 Panthers 1976 1982 Big East Atlantic Coast (ACC)
Rutgers University New Brunswick,
New Jersey
1766 Public 58,788 Scarlet
Knights
1976 1995 Big East/American[d] Big Ten (B1G)
Temple University Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
1884 Public 38,648 Owls 1982 2013 American
Villanova University Villanova,
Pennsylvania
1842 Catholic
(Augustinian)
10,482 Wildcats 1976 1980 Big East Big East
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(Virginia Tech)
Blacksburg,
Virginia
1872 Public 31,087 Hokies 1995 2000 Big East Atlantic Coast (ACC)
West Virginia University Morgantown,
West Virginia
1867 Public 29,707 Mountaineers 1976 1995 Big East Big 12
Xavier University Cincinnati, Ohio 1831 Catholic
(Jesuit)
6,650 Musketeers 1995 2013 Big East
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ Massachusetts (UMass) remains in the A-10 as an associate member for men’s lacrosse.
  4. ^ Rutgers spent one season in the renamed American Athletic Conference before joining the Big Ten in the 2014–15 school year.

Former associate members

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] A-10
sport(s)
Primary
conference
Saint Francis University Loretto, Pennsylvania 1847 Catholic
(Franciscan)
2,449 Red Flash 2013 2020 Field hockey Northeast (NEC)
(Presidents’ (PAC)[c] in 2026)
West Chester University West Chester, Pennsylvania 1880 Public[d] 13,271[e] Golden Rams 1996 2011 Field hockey Pennsylvania (PSAC)[f]
2,576[g]
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  4. ^ Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education System (PASSHE).
  5. ^ Full-time enrollment.
  6. ^ Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  7. ^ Part-time enrollment.

Former football-only members

After expansion in the Colonial Athletic Association brought that conference to 6 football-playing schools, it was agreed that the CAA would take over management of the Atlantic 10’s football conference starting in the 2007–08 school year as the legally separate entity of CAA Football. All the schools on this list (except Boston U. and Connecticut) were in the A-10 football conference when it became CAA Football, but Hofstra and Northeastern discontinued their football programs after the 2009–10 school year. Membership dates include time in the Yankee Conference (which was an all-sports conference from the 1947–48 to 1975–76 seasons, and a football-only conference after that) which merged into the A-10 in the 1997–98 school year.

Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Primary
conference(s)
at the time
of their tenure
Current
primary
conference
Boston University Boston, Massachusetts 1839 Nonsectarian[c] Terriers 1973 1998[d] Independent (1976–79)
America East (1979–2013)
Patriot League (2013–present)
University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut 1881 Public Huskies 1947 2000[e] Independent (1976–79)
Big East (1979–2013)
American (2013–20)
Big East (2020–present)
University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 1743 Public Fightin’
Blue Hens
1986 2007 East Coast (1958–91)
America East (1991–2001)
CAA (2001–25)
CUSA (2025–present)
Hofstra University Hempstead, New York 1935 Nonsectarian Pride 2001 2007[f] CAA (2001–present)
James Madison University Harrisonburg, Virginia 1908 Public Dukes 1993 2007 CAA (1979–2022) Sun Belt (2022–present)
University of Maine Orono, Maine 1865 Public Black Bears 1947 2007 Independent (1976–79) America East (1979–present)
University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire 1866 Public Wildcats 1947 2007 Independent (1976–79) America East (1979–present)
Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts 1898 Nonsectarian Huskies 1993 2007[g] America East (1979–2005) CAA (2005–present)
Towson University Towson, Maryland 1866 Public Tigers 2004 2007 CAA (1979–82)
East Coast (1982–92)
Big South (1992–95)
America East (1995–2001)
CAA (2001–present)
Villanova University[h] Villanova, Pennsylvania 1842 Catholic
(Augustinian)
Wildcats 1988 2007 Big East (1980–2013) Big East (2013–present)
The College of William & Mary Williamsburg, Virginia 1693 Public Tribe 1993 2007 CAA (1979–present)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ Historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
  4. ^ Boston University dropped football after the 1997 fall season (1997–98 school year).
  5. ^ UConn moved to FBS after the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 school year), and eventually joined the Big East for that sport in the 2004 fall season (2004–05 school year).
  6. ^ Hofstra dropped football after the 2009 fall season (2009–10 school year).
  7. ^ Northeastern dropped football after the 2009 fall season (2009–10 school year).
  8. ^ Villanova was originally a charter and full member of the A-10 from 1976–77 to 1979–80 in all sports except football.

Membership timeline

Loyola University ChicagoDavidson CollegeGeorge Mason UniversityVirginia Commonwealth UniversityBig East ConferenceButler UniversitySaint Louis University (United States)American Conference (NCAA)Conference USAUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteCoastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceTowson UniversityCoastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceHofstra UniversityUniversity of RichmondCoastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceCollege of William & MaryCoastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceNortheastern UniversityCoastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceUniversity of New HampshireCoastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceUniversity of MaineSun Belt ConferenceCoastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceJames Madison UniversityConference USACoastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceUniversity of DelawareAmerican Conference (NCAA)Big East Conference (1979–2013)University of ConnecticutBoston UniversityLa Salle UniversityFordham UniversityUniversity of DaytonBig East ConferenceXavier UniversityAtlantic Coast ConferenceBig East Conference (1979–2013)Virginia TechSaint Joseph's UniversityAmerican Conference (NCAA)Temple UniversityUniversity of Rhode IslandSt. Bonaventure UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityHorizon LeagueDuquesne UniversityMid-American ConferenceUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstBig 12 ConferenceBig East Conference (1979–2013)West Virginia UniversityBig Ten ConferenceAmerican Conference (NCAA)Big East Conference (1979–2013)Rutgers UniversityBig Ten ConferencePennsylvania State UniversityAtlantic Coast ConferenceBig East Conference (1979–2013)University of PittsburghBig East ConferenceBig East Conference (1979–2013)Villanova University

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football)   Associate member (sport)  Other Conference  Other Conference 
Notes
* – Virginia Tech did not participate in wrestling.

Atlantic 10 rivalries

There are a number of intense rivalries within the Atlantic 10,[under discussion] with rivalries that carry over from the Big 5 which includes Saint Joseph’s, La Salle, and Temple (now in the American Athletic Conference). URI and UMass also have a long-standing rivalry. St. Bonaventure and Duquesne also maintain a rivalry that predates their affiliation with the conference. UMass and Temple also had a basketball rivalry while John Chaney was coaching Temple but it has died down a bit since, and even more so now that Temple has left the conference. The long-standing crosstown rivalry between Richmond and VCU, now known as the Capital City Classic, became a conference rivalry with VCU’s arrival in the A10. Rivals St. Louis and Dayton play each year in basketball for the Arch-Baron Cup.[citation needed] George Washington and George Mason compete annually in the Revolutionary Rivalry across all sports.

Sports

In the 2021–22 academic year, the Atlantic 10 Conference sponsors championship competition in ten men’s and thirteen women’s NCAA sanctioned sports, with lacrosse becoming the 10th sponsored men’s sport in 2022–23 and women’s golf becoming the 13th sponsored women’s sport in 2024–25.[9] In addition to the 15 full members, Lock Haven and Saint Francis is an affiliate member in field hockey. High Point and Hobart became men’s lacrosse affiliates in July 2022. Delaware will join as a men’s lacrosse affiliate on July 1, 2025 and UMass will compete as a men’s lacrosse affiliate when the majority of its sports join the Mid-American Conference on July 1, 2025.

A-10 Conference teams
Sport Men’s Women’s
Baseball
12
Basketball
15
15
Cross country
15
15
Field hockey
8
Golf
11
6
Lacrosse
7
10
Rowing
9
Soccer
14
15
Softball
10
Swimming & Diving
8
11
Tennis
10
13
Track and Field (Indoor)
10
14
Track and Field (Outdoor)
13
15
Volleyball
10

Men’s sponsored sports by school

School Baseball Basketball Cross
Country
Golf Lacrosse Soccer Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Track & Field
(Indoor)
Track & Field
(Outdoor)
Total
A-10 Sports
Davidson Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
Dayton Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No 6
Duquesne No Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes 5
Fordham Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
George Mason Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
George Washington Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes 7
La Salle Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes 8
Loyola Chicago No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes 6
Rhode Island Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes 7
Richmond Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No 6
St. Bonaventure Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes[a] 9
Saint Joseph’s Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 9
Saint Louis Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 8
VCU Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes 8
Associate Members
Delaware Yes 1
High Point Yes 1
Hobart Yes 1
Massachusetts Yes 1
Totals 12 14 14 11 3+4 13 7 10 9 11.5[a] 105+4
Notes
  1. ^ a b St. Bonaventure sponsors an outdoor distance track program but does not participate in short distance or field events.[10]
Men’s varsity sports not sponsored by the Atlantic 10 Conference which are played by A-10 schools
School Football Ice hockey Rowing[a] Sailing[b] Squash[c] Volleyball Water polo Wrestling
Davidson Pioneer No No SAISA No No No SoCon
Dayton Pioneer No No No No No No No
Duquesne Northeast No No No No No No No
Fordham Patriot No No IRA MAISA No CWPA N No
George Mason No No No No No EIVA No MAC
George Washington No No No No No No CWPA SE No
La Salle No No IRA No No No No No
Loyola Chicago No No No No No MIVA No No
Rhode Island CAA Football No No NEISA No No No No
Richmond Patriot No No No No No No No
St. Bonaventure No No No No No No No No
Saint Joseph’s No No IRA No No No No No
Notes
  1. ^ Men’s rowing is sanctioned by the Intercollegiate Rowing Association, not by the NCAA.
  2. ^ Intercollegiate sailing is sanctioned by the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association, not by the NCAA.
  3. ^ Squash is sanctioned by the College Squash Association (CSA), not by the NCAA.

Women’s sponsored sports by school

School Basketball Cross
Country
Field
Hockey
Golf Lacrosse Rowing Soccer Softball Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Track & Field
(Indoor)
Track & Field
(Outdoor)
Volleyball Total
A-10 Sports
Davidson Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Dayton Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Duquesne Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Fordham Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
George Mason Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
George Washington Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
La Salle Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No 10
Loyola Chicago Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes 7
Rhode Island Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Richmond Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No 10
St. Bonaventure Yes Yes No No[a] Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes[b] No 8
Saint Joseph’s Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No 11
Saint Louis Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
VCU Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
Associate Members
Lock Haven Yes 1
Totals 14 14 6+1 6 10 8 14 9 10 12 13 13.5[b] 10 139+1
Notes
  1. ^ St. Bonaventure will add women’s golf in 2026–27.[11]
  2. ^ a b St. Bonaventure sponsors an outdoor distance track program but does not participate in short distance or field events.
Women’s varsity sports not sponsored by the Atlantic 10 Conference which are played by A-10 schools
School Acrobatics & tumbling[a] Bowling Gymnastics Rugby[b] Sailing[c] Squash[d] Triathlon[b] Water polo
Davidson No No No No SAISA No No No
Duquesne Independent Northeast No No No No Independent No
Fordham No No No No MAISA No No No
George Washington No No EAGL No MAISA CSA No No
La Salle [e] No No [e] No No [e] MAAC
Notes
  1. ^ Graduated from the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program to full championship status in January 2026, with the first official NCAA championship to take place in 2026–27.
  2. ^ a b Part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.
  3. ^ Intercollegiate sailing is sanctioned by the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association, not by the NCAA.
  4. ^ Squash is sanctioned by the College Squash Association (CSA), not by the NCAA.
  5. ^ a b c La Salle will add acrobatics & tumbling, rugby, and triathlon in 2025–26.

Current tournament champions

The Atlantic 10 Conference sponsors championship competition in 10 men’s and 12 women’s NCAA sanctioned sport.[12]

Regular-season champions are indicated with “(RS)” and tournament champions with “(T)”.

Season Sport Men’s
champion
Women’s
champion
Fall 2025 Cross country Loyola Loyola
Field hockey   Richmond & VCU (RS)
Saint Joseph’s (T)
Soccer Saint Louis (RS & T) Dayton (RS & T)
Volleyball   Dayton (RS)
Loyola (T)
Winter 2024–25 Basketball VCU (RS & T) Richmond (RS)
George Mason (T)
Swimming & Diving George Washington George Washington
Track & field (Indoor) Rhode Island George Mason
Spring 2025 Golf Davidson Richmond
Tennis VCU VCU
Lacrosse Richmond (RS & T) UMass (RS & T)
Baseball Rhode Island (RS & T)  
Softball   Dayton (RS)
Saint Louis (T)
Rowing   Rhode Island
Track & field (Outdoor) George Mason UMass

Football (1997–2006)

Origin

The A-10 began sponsoring football in 1997 when it absorbed the Yankee Conference, a Division I-AA (now known as Division I FCS) football-only conference. The move was triggered by a change in NCAA rules that reduced the influence of single-sport conferences over NCAA legislation. The following teams were in the Yankee Conference at the time of its demise:

Boston University dropped football after the first season of A-10 football. After the 1999 season, UConn started a transition from Division I-AA to Division I-A football (now Division I FBS) that was completed in 2002. In 2004, UConn, already a member of the Big East for other sports, became a football member of that conference. The other schools all remained in the A-10 football conference until the management change after the 2006 season.

Football champions

Season Regular season champion
1997 Villanova
1998 Richmond
1999 James Madison, Massachusetts
2000 Delaware, Richmond
2001 Hofstra, Maine, Villanova, William & Mary
2002 Maine, Northeastern
2003 Delaware, Massachusetts
2004 Delaware, James Madison, William & Mary
2005 New Hampshire, Richmond
2006 Massachusetts

Demise/”rename”

The 2005 move of Northeastern University, a football-only member of the A-10, to the Colonial Athletic Association for basketball and Olympic sports began a chain of events that would lead to the demise of the A-10 football conference, at least under the A-10 banner.

At that time, the CAA did not sponsor football, but five of its members in the 2004–05 academic year (Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Towson, and William & Mary) were football members of the A-10. The addition of Northeastern gave the CAA six schools with football programs, which under NCAA rules allows a conference to sponsor football. Northeastern agreed to join any future CAA football conference, which meant that the A-10 football conference would drop to six members once CAA football began operation.

With six football members in place, the CAA decided to start a football conference in 2007. The league then invited Richmond, a member of the CAA from 1983 to 2001, to rejoin for football only, because of UR’s long-standing in-state rivalries with William & Mary and James Madison. UR accepted the invitation, taking the A-10 football conference below the NCAA minimum of six. Shortly after this, the A-10 football conference opted to disband, with all of its members becoming charter members of the CAA football conference. This league continues to operate under the administration of the multi-sports CAA, now known as the Coastal Athletic Association, as the legally separate entity of CAA Football (in full, the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference).

A-10 schools in DI-A/FBS

A-10 charter members Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia, and Villanova played I-A football as independents while members of the A-10 in other sports. Villanova became a member of the Big East in 1980 with Pittsburgh following in 1982. Temple joined the A-10 that year. Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1991 (effectively in 1993), and three A-10 members joined the Big East as football-only members: Rutgers, West Virginia, and Temple (only Rutgers and West Virginia would later join the Big East as full members in 1995).

Virginia Tech joined the A-10 in 1995 as a result of the merger that created Conference USA. They would then join the Big East as full members in 2000, following the football program which was already a member of the league. Temple remained a football-only member of the Big East until 2004; they would join the MAC for football in 2007 until 2012, and re-joined the Big East in football for the 2012 season. Temple planned to move the rest of its sports into the Big East in 2013, but the conference realigned into the football-sponsoring American Athletic Conference, now known as the American Conference, and a new non-football Big East. Temple joined the American. Massachusetts joined them in FBS football with membership in the MAC beginning in the 2012 season and as an FBS independent beginning in 2016, remaining as such until returning to the MAC in 2025 as a full member. Charlotte, which started a football program in 2013, left for Conference USA and eventually joined the American in 2023.

A-10 schools in DI-A/FBS
Schools currently in the A-10 Schools formerly in the A-10
N/A Penn State
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
Temple
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Charlotte
Massachusetts

Facilities

School Basketball arena Capacity Baseball stadium Capacity Soccer stadium Capacity
Davidson John M. Belk Arena 5,223 T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field 700 1992 Team Field at Alumni Stadium 2,000
Dayton University of Dayton Arena 13,435 Woerner Field 500 Baujan Field 2,000
Duquesne UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse 3,500 Non-baseball school Rooney Field 2,200
Fordham Rose Hill Gymnasium 3,200 Houlihan Park 500 Coffey Field 7,000
George Mason EagleBank Arena 10,000 Spuhler Field 900 George Mason Stadium 5,000
George Washington Smith Center 4,338 Barcroft Park 1,000 Mount Vernon Athletic Fields N/a
La Salle John Glaser Arena 3,400 Hank DeVincent Field 1,000 McCarthy Stadium 7,500
Loyola Chicago Joseph J. Gentile Arena 4,963 Non-baseball school Loyola Soccer Park 1,000
Rhode Island Ryan Center 8,000 Bill Beck Field 1,000 URI Soccer Complex 1,547
Richmond Robins Center 7,201 Malcolm U. Pitt Field 600 Presidents Field 500
St. Bonaventure Reilly Center 5,480 Fred Handler Park N/a Marra Athletics Field N/a
Saint Joseph’s Hagan Arena 4,200 Smithson Field 400 Sweeney Field 3,000
Saint Louis Chaifetz Arena 10,600 Billiken Sports Center 500 Hermann Stadium 6,050
VCU Stuart C. Siegel Center 7,617 The Diamond 9,560 Sports Backers Stadium 3,250

References

  1. ^ “Atlantic 10 to relocate to Washington, DC”. Atlantic 10. Atlantic 10 news story.
  2. ^ Mikula, Jeremy. “Loyola is moving to the Atlantic 10 Conference in July after nearly a decade in the Missouri Valley”. chicagotribune.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  3. ^ “Atlantic 10 Conference Adds Men’s Lacrosse as 22nd Championship Sport” (Press release). Atlantic 10 Conference. May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  4. ^ “Atlantic 10 Announces Media Rights Agreements with CBS Sports, ESPN, and NBC Sports”.
  5. ^ Withers, Tom (February 27, 2024). “UMass will join Mid-American Conference as a full sports member in 2025, MAC commissioner says”. Associated Press. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Hernandez, Victoria (February 26, 2024). “UMass to join MAC conference, including previously independent football, per reports”. USA Today. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  7. ^ “Loyola University Chicago | Loyola at a Glance Loyola at a Glance”. Luc.edu. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
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