Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The A-10's member schools are located in states mostly on the United States Eastern Seaboard, as well as some in the Midwest – Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Ohio, and Missouri as well as in the District of Columbia. 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, and two affiliate members that participate in women's field hockey only. The current commissioner is Bernadette McGlade, who began her tenure in 2008.
History
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League 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.After changes in membership that saw charter members Villanova and Pittsburgh leave and new members St. Bonaventure, Rhode Island, Saint Joseph's, and Temple enter, establishing the league with 10 members, the conference adopted the current Atlantic 10 name in 1982.
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. In 2012, Butler joined the conference after leaving the Horizon League and VCU joined after leaving the CAA.
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 they would join in 2014.
The league office headquarters has been located in Newport News, Virginia since the Fall of 2009. 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, NBCSN, Stadium, and digital broadcasts with ESPN+.
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 | Joined | Nickname | Colors |
| Davidson College | Davidson, NC | 1837 | Private – Presbyterian | 1,843 | 2014 | Wildcats | |
| Dayton, OH | 1850 | Private – Catholic | 11,241 | 1995 | Flyers | ||
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, PA | 1878 | Private – Catholic | 9,274 | 1976, 1993† | Dukes | |
| Fordham University | Bronx, NY | 1841 | Private – Catholic | 16,515 | 1995 | Rams | |
| George Mason University | Fairfax, VA | 1957 | Public | 35,047 | 2013 | Patriots | |
| George Washington University | Washington, D.C. | 1821 | Private – Non-sectarian | 28,172 | 1976 | Colonials | |
| La Salle University | Philadelphia, PA | 1863 | Private – Catholic | 5,191 | 1995 | Explorers | |
| Amherst, MA | 1863 | Public | 30,593 | 1976 | Minutemen and Minutewomen | ||
| Kingston, RI | 1892 | Public | 16,883 | 1980 | Rams | ||
| Richmond, VA | 1830 | Private – Non-sectarian | 4,002 | 2001 | Spiders | ||
| St. Bonaventure, NY | 1858 | Private – Catholic | 2,381 | 1979 | Bonnies | ||
| Saint Joseph's University | Philadelphia, PA | 1851 | Private – Catholic | 7,589 | 1982 | Hawks | |
| Saint Louis University | St. Louis, MO | 1818 | Private – Catholic | 11,823 | 2005 | Billikens | |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA | 1968 | Public | 31,076 | 2012 | Rams |
; Notes
† – Duquesne left the A-10 for the Midwestern Collegiate Conference only for the 1992–93 season, but returned in the 1993–94 season.
Associate members
Former members
Former full members
None of these institutions played football in the A-10 during their tenure as full members.Former associate members
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 2007. All the schools on this list were in the A-10 football conference when it became the CAA football conference, but Hofstra and Northeastern discontinued their football programs after the 2009–10 season. Membership dates include time in the Yankee Conference which merged into the A-10 in 1997.| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Joined | Left | Nickname | Primary Conference |
| Boston University | Boston, Massachusetts | 1839 | Private | 29,978 | 1973 | 19971 | Terriers | Independent America East Patriot League |
| Storrs, Connecticut | 1881 | Public | 25,583 | 1947 | 19992 | Huskies | Independent Big East The American Big East | |
| Newark, Delaware | 1743 | Public | 19,391 | 1986 | 2006 | Fightin' Blue Hens | East Coast America East CAA | |
| Hofstra University | Hempstead, New York | 1935 | Private | 12,400 | 2001 | 20063 | Pride | CAA |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia | 1908 | Public | 19,927 | 1993 | 2006 | Dukes | CAA |
| Orono, Maine | 1865 | Public | 10,901 | 1947 | 2006 | Black Bears | Independent America East | |
| Durham, New Hampshire | 1866 | Public | 11,942 | 1947 | 2006 | Wildcats | Independent America East | |
| Northeastern University | Boston, Massachusetts | 1898 | Private | 12,913 | 1993 | 20064 | Huskies | America East CAA |
| Towson University | Towson, Maryland | 1866 | Public | 21,950 | 2004 | 2006 | Tigers | CAA |
| Villanova University5 | Villanova, Pennsylvania | 1842 | Private | 10,482 | 1988 | 2006 | Wildcats | Big East Big East |
| Williamsburg, Virginia | 1693 | Public | 8,258 | 1993 | 2006 | Tribe | CAA |
;Notes:
- Boston University dropped football after the 1997–98 season.
- Connecticut moved to FBS after the 1999–2000 season, and eventually joined the Big East for that sport in the 2004–05 season.
- Hofstra dropped football after the 2009–10 season.
- Northeastern dropped football after the 2009–10 season.
- Villanova was originally a charter and full member of the A-10 during the 1976–77 through the 1979–80 seasons in all sports except football.
Membership timeline
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bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:1997 shift: text:Big East
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bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2013
bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:Big East
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bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:ACC
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1979 text:Penn State
bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1982
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bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1993
bar:3 color:OtherC2 from:1993 till:end text:Big Ten
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bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1995 till:2013 text:Big East
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2014 text:AAC
bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:2014 till:end text:Big Ten
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1995 text:West Virginia
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1995 till:2012 text:Big East
bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:end text:Big 12
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1992 text:Duquesne
bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:1993 text:MCC
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1993 till:end
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1976 till:end text:George Washington
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1976 till:end text:Massachusetts
bar:8 color:Full from:1997 till:2007
bar:8 color:FullxF from:2007 till:end
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1979 till:end text:St. Bonaventure
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1980 till:1997 text:Rhode Island
bar:10 color:Full from:1997 till:2007
bar:10 color:FullxF from:2007 till:end
bar:11 color:FullxF from:1982 till:2013 text:Temple
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:AAC
bar:12 color:FullxF from:1982 till:end text:Saint Joseph's
bar:13 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2000 text:Virginia Tech *
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:2004 shift: text:Big East
bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:2004 till:end text:ACC
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2013 text:Xavier
bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Big East
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:Dayton
bar:16 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:Fordham
bar:17 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text:La Salle
bar:18 color:AssocF from:1997 till:1998 text:Boston University
bar:19 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2000 text:UConn
bar:19 color:OtherC2 from:2000 till:2002
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:2002 till:2013 shift: text:Big East
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:AAC
bar:20 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2007 text:Delaware
bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:end text:CAA
bar:21 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2007 text:James Madison
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:end text:CAA
bar:22 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2007 text:Maine
bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:end text:CAA
bar:23 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2007 text:New Hampshire
bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:end text:CAA
bar:24 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2007 text:Northeastern
bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2010 text:CAA
bar:25 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2007 text:William & Mary
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:end text:CAA
bar:26 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2001 text:Richmond
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bar:26 color:FullxF from:2007 till:end text:
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bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2010 text:CAA
bar:28 color:AssocF from:2004 till:2007 text:Towson
bar:28 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:end shift: text:CAA
bar:29 color:FullXF from:2005 till:2013 text:Charlotte
bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:C-USA
bar:30 color:FullXF from:2005 till:end text:Saint Louis
bar:31 shift: color:AssocOS from:2010 till:end text:Lock Haven
bar:32 shift: color:FullxF from:2012 till:end text:Butler
bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Big East
bar:33 shift: color:FullxF from:2012 till:end text:VCU
bar:34 shift: color:FullxF from:2013 till:end text:George Mason
bar:35 shift: color:AssocOS from:2013 till:end text:Saint Francis
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Notes
* - Virginia Tech did not participate in wrestling.
Atlantic 10 rivalries
There are a number of intense rivalries within the Atlantic 10, with rivalries that carry over from the Big 5 which includes Saint Joseph's, La Salle, and Temple. 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. Due to both teams sharing the Ram mascot, the Fordham - URI rivalry has increased in recent years as the competitions are heralded as "The Battle of the Rams." 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. George Washington and George Mason compete annually in the Revolutionary Rivalry across all sports.Sports
In the 2017–18 academic year, the Atlantic 10 Conference sponsors championship competition in nine men's and twelve women's NCAA sanctioned sports. In addition to the 14 full members, two Pennsylvania schools, Lock Haven and Saint Francis, are affiliate members in field hockey.| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Baseball | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Cross Country | ||
| Field Hockey | ||
| Golf | ||
| Lacrosse | ||
| Rowing | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Softball | ||
| Swimming & Diving | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Track and Field | ||
| Track and Field | ||
| Volleyball |
Men's sponsored sports by school
;NotesMen's varsity sports not sponsored by the Atlantic 10 Conference which are played by A-10 schools:
| School | Football | Ice hockey | Lacrosse | Rowing | Sailing | Squash | Volleyball | Water polo | Wrestling |
| Davidson | Pioneer | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | SoCon |
| Dayton | Pioneer | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Duquesne | Northeast | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Fordham | Patriot | No | No | No | MAISA | CSA | No | CWPA N | No |
| George Mason | No | No | No | No | No | No | EIVA | No | MAC |
| George Washington | No | No | No | IRA & SIRA | MAISA | CSA | No | CWPA SE | No |
| La Salle | No | No | No | IRA | No | No | No | CWPA SW | No |
| Massachusetts | FBS Independent | Hockey East | CAA | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Rhode Island | CAA | ESCHL | No | No | NEISA | No | No | No | No |
| Richmond | CAA | No | SoCon | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| St. Bonaventure | No | No | MAAC | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Saint Joseph's | No | No | Northeast | IRA | No | No | No | No | No |
;Notes
Women's sponsored sports by school
;NotesWomen's varsity sports not sponsored by the Atlantic 10 Conference which are played by A-10 schools:
| School | Bowling | Golf | Gymnastics | Sailing | Squash | Water polo |
| Dayton | No | MAAC | No | No | No | No |
| George Washington | No | No | EAGL | MAISA | CSA | CWPA SE |
| La Salle | No | MAAC | No | No | No | MAAC |
| Richmond | No | Patriot League | No | No | No | No |
| Duquesne | Northeast | No | No | No | No | No |
;Notes
Current tournament champions
The Atlantic 10 Conference sponsors championship competition in nine men's and twelve women's NCAA sanctioned sports.Regular-season champions are indicated with "" and tournament champions with "".
| Season | Sport | Men's champion | Women's champion |
| Fall 2018 | Cross Country | Dayton | Richmond |
| Fall 2018 | Field Hockey | Saint Joseph's | |
| Fall 2018 | Soccer | VCU Rhode Island | Saint Louis |
| Fall 2018 | Volleyball | VCU Dayton | |
| Winter 2018–19 | Basketball | VCU Saint Louis | Fordham, VCU Fordham |
| Winter 2018–19 | Swimming & Diving | George Washington | Duquesne |
| Winter 2018–19 | Track & Field | George Mason | VCU |
| Spring 2019 | Golf | VCU | |
| Spring 2019 | Tennis | VCU | VCU |
| Spring 2019 | Women's Lacrosse | UMass Richmond | |
| Spring 2019 | Baseball | VCU Fordham | |
| Spring 2019 | Softball | Fordham Fordham, George Washington | |
| Spring 2019 | Rowing | Rhode Island | |
| Spring 2019 | Track & Field | George Mason | George Mason |
Football (1997–2006)
Origin
The A-10 began sponsoring football in 1997 when it absorbed the Yankee Conference, a Division I-AA 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 Terriers football
- Connecticut Huskies football
- Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
- James Madison Dukes football
- Maine Black Bears football
- UMass Minutemen football
- New Hampshire Wildcats football
- Northeastern Huskies football
- Rhode Island Rams football
- Richmond Spiders football
- Villanova Wildcats football
- William & Mary Tribe football
Football champions
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 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.
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, and three A-10 members joined the Big East as football-only members: Rutgers, West Virginia, and Temple.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 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. Charlotte, which started a football program in 2013, left for Conference USA.