The Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 conference is one of the longest running conferences in all of college sports. This conference has been going strong since 1976, with a lot of history made within it.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Atlantic 10 conference. Check out the history of the conference below and see which schools currently call it home.
The History of the Atlantic 10
The Atlantic 10 conference has almost fifty years of history, with numerous schools being part of the conference. It was originally founded in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League(ECBL).
The conference began to exclusively participate in basketball in 1976. After the inaugural season, the conference added more sports and changed its name to the Eastern Athletic Association(EAA).
It was known by the nickname the Eastern 8 from the conference’s eight founding members.(Villanova, Duquesne, Penn State, West Virginia, George Washington, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers)
During the early 1980s, changes were made to membership which saw some original members leave, while new schools were added.
In 1982, the conference formally changed the name to the Atlantic 10.
Realignments, Inclusions, & Exclusions
There have been many changes in the forty two years since the conference was formerly named the Atlantic 10.
During the 1990s, the conference reached a maximum of sixteen full members due to the inclusion of football. However, in 2006, the Atlantic ended its participation in football that saw many schools leave the conference.
In the early 2010, conference realignment occurred, which led to many schools exiting and others entering.
Atlantic 10 Teams
As of 2024, the Atlantic 10 conference has fourteen full members, three associate members, and two future associate members.
Current Full Members
There are currently fourteen universities that are full members of the Atlantic 10. Here is the current list of full members.
- Davidson College
- University of Dayton
- Duquesne University
- Fordham University
- George Mason University
- George Washington University
- La Salle University
- Loyola University-Chicago
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Richmond
- St. Bonaventure University
- Saint Joseph’s University
- Saint Louis University
- Virginia Commonwealth University
Associate Members
As of 2024, there are currently three associate members within the Atlantic 10.
- High Point University: Lacrosse
- Hobart University: Lacrosse
- Lock Haven University: Women’s Field Hockey
Former Full Members
Since 1976, there have been ten full members of the Atlantic-10, who have left to join another conference.
- Butler University: Joined in 2012, left in 2013
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte: Joined 2005, left in 2013
- Pennsylvania State University: Joined in 1976, left in 1979, joined again in 1982 to 1991
- University of Pittsburgh: Joined in 1976, left in 1982
- Rutgers University: Joined in 1976, left in 1995
- Temple University: Joined in 1982, left in 2013
- Villanova University: Joined in 1976, left in 1980
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Joined in 1995, left in 2000
- West Virginia University: Joined in 1976, left in 1995
- Xavier University: Joined in 1995, left in 2013
Former Associate Members
There are two former associate members, who used to participate within the conference.
- Saint Francis University: Left in 2019-2020(Field Hockey)
- West Chester University: Left in 2011-2012(Field Hockey)
Future Associate Members
There are currently two universities set to join the conference in 2025.
- University of Delaware: Men’s Lacrosse
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst: Men’s Lacrosse
Atlantic 10 Football
The Atlantic 10 operated in college football from 1997 through 2006. During that time, the following school’s participated in football within the conference.
- Boston University
- University of Connecticut
- University of Delaware
- Hofstra University
- James Madison University
- University of Maine
- University of New Hampshire
- Northeastern University
- Towson University
- Villanova University
- The College of William & Mary
Atlantic 10 Basketball
The Atlantic 10 is known for being one of the strongest basketball conferences in the country. Here are the fourteen schools that play basketball within the conference.
- Davidson
- Dayton
- Duquesne
- Fordham
- George Mason
- George Washington
- La Salle
- Loyola Chicago
- Rhode Island
- Richmond
- St. Bonaventure
- Saint Joseph’s
- Saint Louis
- VCU
Duquesne is the current reigning Atlantic 10 champion, who beat VCU last year 57-51 in the tournament finals. They upset BYU in the first round before losing to Illinois in the second round.
Atlantic 10 Baseball
There are currently 11 schools that participate in baseball within the conference. Here is the list of those current schools.
- Davidson
- Dayton
- Fordham
- George Mason
- George Washington
- Rhode Island
- Richmond
- St. Bonaventure
- Saint Joseph’s
- Saint Louis
- VCU
George Mason won the Atlantic 10 baseball championship in 2023 by beating Saint Louis in the finals. They later went 2-2 in the Winston-Salem Regional.
