The Patriot League College Conference
The Patriot League comprises some of the US’s oldest and most respected schools. These schools were founded on the principles of excellence in education and athletics.
Here is everything you need to know about the Patriot League College Conference. Read about the 30+ year history of the college conference below and which schools call it home.
The History of the Patriot League
The Patriot League is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Initially established in 1986 as the Colonial League, it was a football-only college conference.
In 1990, the conference changed its name to the Patriot League, as it is still known and included all collegiate sports. The conference emphasizes the balance between academic achievement and athletic success.
Patriot League schools often compete at the NCAA Division I level in all collegiate sports, including lacrosse and basketball.
This college conference has nearly forty years of history and is still going strong today.
Key Moments in the History of the Patriot League
- 1986: The college conference was founded as the Colonial League. Its five original members included Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, and Lehigh.
- 1990: The Colonial League officially rebranded as the Patriot League, which it is still known as today. The inclusion of all collegiate sports marked this rebrand.
- 1991: Army joins as a full member of the conference, while Navy joins as a partial member for football. Navy later became a full conference member, and the other three colleges joined later.
- 2001: The conference begins allowing athletic scholarships in sports other than football. This was a significant policy shift, which led to Patriot League schools becoming more competitive.
- 2013: Football scholarships were changed from “need-based” to the same as the other Division 1 schools.
Patriot League Schools
There are currently ten full members of the Patriot League and four associate members of the college conference.
Full Patriot League Members
- American University
- Boston University
- Bucknell University
- Colgate University
- College of the Holy Cross
- Lafayette University
- Lehigh University
- Loyola University Maryland
- United States Military Academy(Army)
- United States Naval Academy(Navy)
Associate Members
- Fordham University(Football)
- Georgetown University(Football)
- MIT(Women’s Rowing)
- Richmond University(Football & Women’s Golf)
Former Full Members
- Fordham University(1990 to 1995)
Former Associate Members
- Davidson College(1986 to 1989)
- Fairfield University(1996 to 2004)
- Hobart College(1999 to 2004)
- University of Richmond(2014 to 2024)
- Townsend University(1997 to 2004)
- Ursinus College(1996 to 2002)
- Villanova University(1998 to 2006)
Where are the Patriot League Schools Located?
All of the universities of this conference are located in the northeast of the US. The schools’ close proximity is the main reason the conference was first established. All of the schools are within a few hundred miles of one another.
The Rivalry
The Patriot League is home to “The Rivalry,” the oldest uninterrupted rivalry in college football. This rivalry between Lafayette and Lehigh dates back to 1884.
For over 130 years, Lehigh and Lafayette have played football against each other annually. The Lafayette Leopards currently lead the rivalry with an overall record of 87-72-5.
They have also won the last two meeting against Lehigh University.
Patriot League Football
Only five of the ten full conference members compete in college football. Those five schools are part of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision(FCS).
Those five schools include:
- Bucknell
- Colgate
- Holy Cross
- Lafayette
- Lehigh
Army and Navy play football within the American Athletic Conference(The American). American, Boston University, and Loyola Maryland University do not have college football teams.
Three other associate schools participate in football within the conference.
- Fordham University
- Georgetown University
- Richmond University
Lafayette University is the current reigning conference champion, winning the title in 2023. They finished the season with a 5-1 conference record and an overall record of 9-3.
Patriot League Basketball
All ten of the full members of the conference participate in college basketball. Each year, the winner of the conference finals earns a spot in the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Colgate University is the reigning champion in basketball and holds the most titles, with seven. They earned 25 wins during the 2023-2024 season and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Baylor.
Patriot League Lacrosse
Nine of the ten teams within the conference participate in lacrosse, excluding American University. Lehigh is currently the most dominant school, winning four straight conference titles in Lacrosse.
Patriot League Baseball
Only six of the ten conference schools currently participate in baseball: Army, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, and Navy. Army is the most dominant school in the conference, having won the 2023 championship and 13 titles.
Patriot League Soccer
All ten of the schools within the conference participate in the sport of soccer(futbol). Boston University won its first conference title in school history in 2023 after defeating Lafayette 1-0.
Patriot League Swimming & Diving
All ten schools within the conference compete in swimming and diving events. In 2023, Navy won nearly every event and took the team conference title.
Patriot League Cross-Country
All of the Patriot League schools also compete in cross-country. Last year, Navy took the men’s team title, while Army won the title in the women’s division.
