Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a NCAA conference that plays in NCAA Division I. The conference is headquartered in Newport News, Virginia and features universities and colleges from the Eastern and Midwestern United States.
History
The A-10 was founded by eight Eastern schools in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League, and began play in 1976. It first played only men's basketball, but added other sports in 1977 and became the Eastern Athletic Association. Despite its official names, the conference was more often called the Eastern 8. By 1982, the conference had 10 schools, and it became the Atlantic 10.
Although the conference has had "10" in its name since 1982, it has not had 10 members since Penn State left for the second and final time in 1991. Since then, the A-10 has had anywhere from 8 to 16 full members (schools that play most of their sports in the conference). From 1997 to 2006, the A-10 ran a football league, but it dropped the sport when the Colonial Athletic Association began a football league.
Members
Fourteen schools are full members. Most of the members are private schools; seven are run by the Catholic Church.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) | Nickname | Joined A-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | 1837 | Private (Presbyterian) | Wildcats | 2014 |
| University of Dayton | Dayton, Ohio | 1850 | Private (Catholic) | Flyers | 1995 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1878 | Private (Catholic) | Dukes | 1976, 1993[a 1] |
| Fordham University | Bronx, New York | 1841 | Private (Catholic) | Rams | 1995 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax, Virginia | 1957 | Public | Patriots | 2013 |
| George Washington University | Washington, D.C. | 1821 | Private (nonsectarian) | Colonials | 1976 |
| La Salle University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1863 | Private (Catholic) | Rams | 1995 |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, Massachusetts | 1863 | Public | Minutemen & Minutewomen | 1976 |
| University of Rhode Island | Kingston, Rhode Island | 1892 | Public | Rams | 1980 |
| University of Richmond | Richmond, Virginia | 1830 | Private (nonsectarian) | Spiders | 2001 |
| St. Bonaventure University | St. Bonaventure, New York | 1858 | Private (Catholic) | Bonnies | 1979 |
| Saint Joseph's University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1851 | Private (Catholic) | Hawks | 1982 |
| Saint Louis University | St. Louis, Missouri | 1818 | Private (Catholic) | Billikens | 2005 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, Virginia | 1838 | Public | Rams | 2012 |
- Duquesne left the A-10 in 1992 to join the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now known as the Horizon League), but came back in 1993.
Future members
The A-10 will add one member in July 2022.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) | Nickname | Joining A-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 1870 | Private (Catholic) | Ramblers | 2022 |
Associate members
Two schools are "associate members" that play only one sport in the A10.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) | Nickname | Joined | A-10 Sport | Main Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania | Lock Haven, Pennsylvania | 1870 | Public | Bald Eagles | 2010 | Field hockey | PSAC (Div. II) |
| Saint Francis University | Loretto, Pennsylvania | 1847 | Private (Catholic) | Red Flash | 2013 | Field hockey | Northeast Conference |
Former members
Ten schools were once full members of the A-10, but are no longer in the conference.
References
- "Atlantic 10 Conference". atlantic10.com. Retrieved 2014-07-06.