| Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) | |
| Established | 1976 |
|---|---|
| Association | NCAA |
| Division | Division I non-football |
| Members | 17 (16 full; 1 associate) |
| Sports fielded | 21 (men's: 9; women's: 12) |
| Region | Eastern United States Midwestern United States |
| Former names | Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (1976–77) Eastern Athletic Association (1977–82) Eastern 8 (unofficial, 1976–82) |
| Headquarters | Newport News, Virginia |
| Commissioner | Bernadette McGlade |
| Website | atlantic10.com |
| Locations | |
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a college athletic conference which operates mostly on the United States' eastern seaboard. It also has several members in the Midwest, including two member schools in Ohio, Dayton and Xavier (located in Dayton and Cincinnati, respectively); Saint Louis (in St. Louis, Missouri); and Butler (located in Indianapolis). Virginia Commonwealth and Butler joined the A-10 on July 1, 2012.[1] Although some of its members are state-funded, more than half of its membership is made up of private, Catholic institutions. Despite the name, there are 17 partial or full-time members: 16 basketball and other sports, and one affiliate member that participate in women's field hockey only.
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 Pittsburgh and Villanova leave 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.
Further membership changes saw the league expand to its 16 current 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). In 2012, Butler joined the conference after leaving the Horizon League and VCU joined after leaving the CAA.
The league office headquarters has been located in Newport News, Virginia since the Fall of 2009.[2] Prior to that, the headquarters was in Philadelphia, within a few miles of three member schools (Temple, Saint Joseph's, and La Salle).
Member schools[]
Full members[]
Locations of Atlantic 10 conference full member institutions.
The following is a list of the full members of the conference and the year they joined:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | US News Ranking | Joined | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler University | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1855 | Private | 4,667 | 2 (Regional-Midwest) | 2012 | Bulldogs |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina | 1946 | Public | 25,144 | 194 (National) | 2005††† | 49ers |
| University of Dayton | Dayton, Ohio | 1850 | Private | 10,920 | 101 (National) | 1995 | Flyers |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1878 | Private | 10,106 | 101 (National) | 1976, 1993† |
Dukes |
| Fordham University | Bronx, New York | 1841 | Private | 14,666 | 53 (National) | 1995 | Rams |
| George Washington University | Washington, D.C. | 1821 | Private | 25,116 | 50 (National) | 1976 | Colonials |
| La Salle University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1863 | Private | 6,176 | 41 (Regional-North) | 1995 | Explorers |
| University of Massachusetts* | Amherst, Massachusetts | 1863 | Public | 26,359 | 94 (National) | 1976 | Minutemen |
| University of Rhode Island* | Kingston, Rhode Island | 1892 | Public | 15,904 | 147 (National) | 1980 | Rams |
| University of Richmond | Richmond, Virginia | 1830 | Private | 4,249 | 27 (National Liberal Arts Colleges) | 2001 | Spiders |
| St. Bonaventure University | St. Bonaventure, New York | 1858 | Private | 2,406 | 32 (Regional-North) | 1979 | Bonnies |
| Saint Joseph's University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1851 | Private | 7,900 | 8 (Regional-North) | 1982 | Hawks |
| Saint Louis University | St. Louis, Missouri | 1818 | Private | 16,500 | 90 (National) | 2005 | Billikens |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1884 | Public | 35,490 | 132 (National) | 1982†† | Owls |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, Virginia | 1838 | Public | 32,303 | 170 (National) | 2012 | Rams |
| Xavier University | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1831 | Private | 6,584 | 4 (Regional-Midwest) | 1995 | Musketeers |
- Notes
† - Duquesne left the A-10 for the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now known as the Horizon League) only for the 1992-93 season; but re-joined back in the 1993-94 season.
†† - Temple will be joining the Big East Conference for all sports beginning on July 1, 2013.
††† - Charlotte will be re-joining C-USA for all sports on July 1, 2013.
* - Massachusetts and Rhode Island also played football within the A-10 when the Yankee Conference was absorbed from 1997 to 2006.
Associate members[]
| Institution | Location | Conference | Type | Enrollment | Joined | Nickname | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania | Lock Haven, Pennsylvania | PSAC | Public | 5,500 | 2010 | Bald Eagles | Field Hockey |
Former members[]
| Institution | Location | Nickname | Membership Type | Years | Conference Moved To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University | Boston, Massachusetts | Terriers | Football member | 1973–1997† | America East, dropped football after 1997 season (to join Patriot League in July 2013) |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs, Connecticut | Huskies | Football member | 1947–1999† | Big East |
| University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | Fightin' Blue Hens | Football member | 1986–2006† | CAA |
| Hofstra University | Hempstead, New York | Hofstra Pride | Football member | 2001–2006 | CAA (dropped football after 2009 season) |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Dukes | Football member | 1993–2006† | CAA |
| University of Maine | Orono, Maine | Black Bears | Football member | 1947–2006† | America East, CAA (football) |
| University of New Hampshire | Durham, New Hampshire | Wildcats | Football member | 1947–2006† | America East, CAA (football) |
| Northeastern University | Boston, Massachusetts | Huskies | Football member | 1993–2006† | CAA (dropped football after 2009 season) |
| Pennsylvania State University | University Park, Pennsylvania | Nittany Lions | Full member (excluding football) | 1976–1979, 1982–1991 | Big Ten |
| University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Panthers | Full member (excluding football) | 1976–1982 | Big East (to join ACC in July 2013) |
| Rutgers University | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Scarlet Knights | Full member (excluding football) | 1976–1995 | Big East (to join Big Ten in 2014 or 2015) |
| Towson University | Towson, Maryland | Tigers | Football member | 2004–2006 | CAA |
| Villanova University | Villanova, Pennsylvania | Wildcats | Full member (excluding football) | 1976–1980 | Big East |
| Football member | 1988–2006† | CAA | |||
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg, Virginia | Hokies | Full member (excluding football and wrestling) | 1995–2000 | Big East (now in ACC) |
| West Virginia University | Morgantown, West Virginia | Mountaineers | Full member (excluding football) | 1976–1995 | Big East (now in Big 12) |
| The College of William & Mary | Williamsburg, Virginia | Tribe | Football member | 1993–2006† | CAA |
† - Includes time in the Yankee Conference, which merged with the Atlantic 10 for football in 1997.
Membership timeline[]
Full members Full members (non-football) Associate members (football only) Assoc. member (list sports)
Notes
* - Virginia Tech did not participate in wrestling.
Atlantic 10 rivalries[]
There are a number of intense rivalries within the Atlantic 10.
- REDIRECT Template:Under discussion-inline Rivalries that carry over from the Big 5 which includes Saint Joseph's, Temple, and La Salle include those games between La Salle and Saint Joseph's and especially Temple and Saint Joseph's, a rivalry that has intensified in recent years. Like the Big 5, Dayton and Xavier are near one another and have an intense rivalry that began in 1920. URI and UMass also maintain a long-standing rivalry. St. Bonaventure and Duquesne also maintain a rivalry that predates their affiliation with the conference. A fledgling rivalry that has spawned has been one between Temple and Xavier, two of the most consistent schools in the A-10. UMass and Temple also had a basketball rivalry while John Chaney was coaching Temple but it has died down a bit since. 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 already-existing crosstown rivalry between Richmond and VCU, known as the Black & Blue Classic, became a conference rivalry with VCU's arrival in the A10.
Sports[]
The Atlantic 10 Conference sponsors championship competition in nine men's and twelve women's NCAA sanctioned sports:[3]
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Cross Country | ||
| Field Hockey | ||
| Golf | ||
| Lacrosse | ||
| Rowing | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Softball | ||
| Swimming & Diving | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Track and Field (Indoor) | ||
| Track and Field (Outdoor) | ||
| Volleyball |
Men's basketball champions[]
Women's basketball champions[]
Football[]
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 schools were in the Yankee Conference at the time of its demise:
- Boston University
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- James Madison
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Northeastern
- Rhode Island
- Richmond
- Villanova
- William & Mary
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 A-10 dropped sponsorship 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 |
| 2008 | Richmond |
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. For all intents and purposes, including the conference's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, the A-10 football conference became the CAA football conference.
A-10 schools in I-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.
All but Temple would join the Big East in all sports in 1995, but Virginia Tech joined the A-10 as a result of the merger that created Conference USA; they were already Big East football members, and would join that conference as full members in 2000. Temple remained a football-only member of the Big East until 2004; they would join the MAC for football in 2007-2012, and rejoin the Big East for the 2012 season, with all sports moving in 2013. Massachusetts joined them in FBS football with membership in the MAC beginning in the 2012 season. Charlotte, which will start a football program in 2013, will be leaving for Conference USA that year. It will start as an FCS program and fully transition to FBS in 2015.
Facilities[]
| School | Basketball arena | Capacity | Baseball stadium | Capacity | Soccer stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | Hinkle Fieldhouse | 10,000 | Bulldog Park | 500 | Butler Bowl | 7,500 |
| Charlotte | Dale F. Halton Arena | 9,105 | Hayes Stadium | 3,000 | Transamerica Field | 4,000 |
| Dayton | University of Dayton Arena | 13,435 | Woerner Field | 500 | Baujan Field | 2,000 |
| Duquesne | A. J. Palumbo Center | 4,406 | Non-baseball school | Rooney Field | 2,200 | |
| Fordham | Rose Hill Gymnasium | 3,470 | Houlihan Park | 1,000 | Coffey Field | 7,000 |
| George Washington | Smith Center | 4,338 | Barcroft Park | 1,000 | Mount Vernon Athletic Fields | N/A |
| La Salle | Tom Gola Arena | 4,000 | Hank DeVincent Field | 1,000 | McCarthy Stadium | 7,500 |
| Massachusetts | Mullins Center | 9,493 | Earl Lorden Field | N/A | Rudd Field | N/A |
| Rhode Island | Ryan Center | 7,657 | Bill Beck Field | 1,000 | URI Soccer Complex | 1,547 |
| Richmond | Robins Center | 9,071 | Malcolm U. Pitt Field | 600 | E. Claiborne Robins Stadium | 8,700 |
| St. Bonaventure | Reilly Center | 5,480 | Fred Handler Park | N/A | McGraw-Jennings Field | N/A |
| St. Joseph's | Hagan Arena | 4,200 | Smithson Field | 400 | Finnesey Field | 600 |
| St. Louis | Chaifetz Arena | 10,600 | Billiken Sports Center | 500 | Hermann Stadium | 6,050 |
| Temple Owls | Liacouras Center | 10,206 | Skip Wilson Field | 1,000 | Ambler Soccer Field | N/A |
| Virginia Commonwealth | Stuart C. Siegel Center | 7,617 | The Diamond | 9,560 | Sports Backers Stadium | 3,250 |
| Xavier | Cintas Center | 10,250 | J. Page Hayden Field | 500 | Xavier University Soccer Complex | N/A |
The conference does not sponsor football. Members who participate in football do so as affiliate members of other conferences:
- Butler, Dayton – Pioneer Football League
- Charlotte – To begin football in 2013 as an FCS Independent
- Duquesne – Northeast Conference
- Fordham – Patriot League
- Massachusetts – Mid-American Conference
- Rhode Island, Richmond – Colonial Athletic Association
- Temple – Big East Conference
References[]
External links[]
| |||||
| |||||