Colonial Athletic Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Colonial Athletic Association | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Data | |
| Classification | NCAA Division I FCS |
| Established | 1983 |
| Members | 12 |
| Sports fielded | 21 (10 men's, 11 women's) |
| Region | East Coast |
| States | 8 - Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania |
| Past names | ECAC South |
| Headquarters | Richmond, Virginia |
| Locations | |
 |
|
The Colonial Athletic Association, also known as the CAA, is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered near Richmond, Virginia. The CAA is generally considered one of the better mid-major conferences in the country.[citation needed]
The CAA was founded in 1983 as the ECAC South basketball league. It was renamed the CAA in 1985. As of 2006, it organizes championships in 21 men's and women's sports. The recent addition of Northeastern University gave the conference the NCAA minimum of six football programs needed to sponsor football. For the 2007 football season, all of the Atlantic Ten Conference's football programs will join the CAA football conference, as agreed to in May 2005. In 2009, Old Dominion University will restart it's football program, and join the conference. The CAA football conference will be a member of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), still frequently referred to by its former designation of Division I-AA.
The CAA has expanded in recent years, following the exits of longtime members such as the United States Naval Academy, University of Richmond, East Carolina University and American University. In 2001 the 6 member conference added Towson University, Drexel University, Hofstra University, and the University of Delaware. Four years later the league expanded again when Georgia State and Northeastern were added.
On the playing field, the CAA has produced 16 national team champions in five different sports, 33 individual national champions, 11 national coaches of the year, 11 national players of the year and 12 Honda Award winners.
The CAA plays its men's basketball championship in the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. The 2007 Champions were the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams, who defeated the 2006 NCAA "Cinderella" George Mason University Patriots in the final. The Rams followed that win up with an upset of Duke University in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. The Rams' success follows that of George Mason in 2006 when they reached the Final Four after defeating Michigan State in the first round, North Carolina in second round, Wichita State in the Sweet 16, and Connecticut in the Elite 8. In doing so, George Mason not only became the first team from the CAA to advance to the Final Four, but the first team designated as a true mid-major to make it that far since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. Many consider David Robinson to be the best CAA participant ever, playing in the conference during his time at Navy.
Contents |
[edit] Members
The league currently has 12 full members:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Year Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | 1743 | Public | 19,067 | 2001 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1891 | Private/Non-sectarian | 17,000 | 2001 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax, Virginia | 1957 | Public | 29,728 | 1985 |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, Georgia | 1913 | Public | 27,267 | 2005 |
| Hofstra University | Hempstead, New York | 1935 | Private/Non-sectarian | 13,000 | 2001 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia | 1908 | Public | 16,241 | 1985 |
| Northeastern University | Boston, Massachusetts | 1898 | Private/Non-sectarian | 22,942 | 2005 |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk, Virginia | 1930 | Public | 21,625 | 1991 |
| Towson University | Towson, Maryland | 1866 | Public | 18,111 | 2001 |
| University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Wilmington, North Carolina | 1947 | Public | 11,300 | 1985 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, Virginia | 1838 | Public | 30,381 | 1995 |
| College of William and Mary | Williamsburg, Virginia | 1693 | Public | 7,700 | 1985 |
- Team names
- Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
- Drexel Dragons
- George Mason Patriots
- Georgia State Panthers
- Hofstra Pride
- James Madison Dukes
- Northeastern Huskies
- Old Dominion Monarchs and Lady Monarchs
- Towson Tigers
- UNC-Wilmington Seahawks
- Virginia Commonwealth Rams
- William & Mary Tribe
By 2007, the CAA will have 17 associate members:
- Binghamton University (wrestling)
- Boston University (wrestling)
- Campbell University (wrestling)
- College of Charleston (swimming & diving)
- Davidson College (swimming & diving)
- University of Dayton (women's golf)
- University of Maine (football)
- University of Massachusetts (football)
- University of New Hampshire (football)
- University of Rhode Island (football)
- University of Richmond (women's golf, football)
- Rider University (wrestling)
- Robert Morris University (men's lacrosse)
- Sacred Heart University (men's lacrosse, wrestling)
- Villanova University (men's lacrosse, football)
- Wagner College (wrestling)
- Xavier University (women's golf)
[edit] Former members
- American University - (1984-2001)
- East Carolina University - (1982-2001)
- United States Naval Academy (Navy) - (1982-1991)
- University of Richmond - (1982-2001)
[edit] Men's Basketball Champions
| Season | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Champion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | William & Mary (9-0) | James Madison | |
| 1984 | Richmond (7-3) | Richmond | |
| 1985 | Navy (11-3) | Navy | |
| 1986 | Navy (13-1) | Navy | |
| 1987 | Navy (13-1) | Navy | |
| 1988 | Richmond (11-3) | Richmond | |
| 1989 | Richmond (13-1) | George Mason | |
| 1990 | James Madison (11-3) | Richmond | |
| 1991 | James Madison (12-2) | Richmond | |
| 1992 | Richmond (12-2) | Old Dominion | |
| 1993 | James Madison (11-3) | East Carolina | |
| 1994 | Old Dominion (10-4) | James Madison | |
| 1995 | Old Dominion (12-2) | Old Dominion | |
| 1996 | Virginia Commonwealth (14-2) | Virginia Commonwealth | |
| 1997 | Old Dominion (10-6) | Old Dominion | |
| 1998 | UNC-Wilmington (13-3) | Richmond | |
| 1999 | George Mason (13-3) | George Mason | |
| 2000 | George Mason (12-4) | UNC-Wilmington | |
| 2001 | Richmond (12-4) | George Mason | |
| 2002 | UNC-Wilmington (14-4) | UNC-Wilmington | |
| 2003 | UNC-Wilmington (15-3) | UNC-Wilmington | |
| 2004 | Virginia Commonwealth (14-4) | Virginia Commonwealth | |
| 2005 | Old Dominion (15-3) | Old Dominion | |
| 2006 | UNC-Wilmington/George Mason (15-3) | UNC-Wilmington | |
| 2007 | Virginia Commonwealth (16-2) | Virginia Commonwealth |
The CAA tournament has been contested at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia, since 1990 and is scheduled to be at least through 2012. Prior hosts include:
- Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia: 1987-1989
- Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia: 1986
- William and Mary Hall, Williamsburg, Virginia: 1985
- Convocation Center, Harrisonburg, Virginia: 1984
- Robins Center, Richmond: 1983
Note: The conference was known as the ECAC South from 1983-1985.
[edit] Football conference
After Northeastern accepted the CAA's offer of membership, the CAA invited the University of Richmond to become a football-only member in 2007. Once UR accepted the offer, this left the Atlantic 10 football conference with only five members, less than the six required under NCAA rules. As a result, the remaining A-10 football programs all decided to join the CAA on a football-only basis, spelling the end of the A-10 football conference.
The new CAA football conference will have the following members:
Northern Division
Southern Division
- Delaware
- James Madison
- Old Dominion (Program begins 2009)
- Richmond
- Towson
- Villanova
- William & Mary
[edit] Conference facilities
| School | Football stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium | 22,000 | Bob Carpenter Center | 5,000 | |
| Drexel | Non-Football School | N/A | Daskalakis Athletic Center (The "DAC") | 2,300 | |
| George Mason | Non-Football School | N/A | Patriot Center | 10,000 | |
| Georgia State | Non-Football School | N/A | GSU Sports Arena | 4,500 | |
| Hofstra | James M. Shuart Stadium | 15,000 | Hofstra Arena (The "Mack") | 5,124 | |
| James Madison | Bridgeforth Stadium | 14,000 | JMU Convocation Center (The "Convo") | 7,156 | |
| Northeastern | Parsons Field | 7,000 | Matthews Arena (mens) Cabot Center (womens) |
6,000 2,500 |
|
| Old Dominion | Foreman Field | 20,000 | Ted Constant Convocation Center (The "Ted") | 8,650 | |
| Towson | Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas Stadium | 11,198 | Towson Center | 5,000 | |
| UNC-Wilmington | Non-Football School | N/A | Trask Coliseum | 6,100 | |
| Virginia Commonwealth | Non-Football School | N/A | ALLTEL Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center | 7,500 | |
| William & Mary | Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field | 12,259 | Kaplan Arena | 8,600 |
[edit] Football-only Members
| School | Football stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | Morse Field at Alfond Stadium | 10,000 |
| Massachusetts | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium | 17,000 |
| New Hampshire | Mooradian Field at Cowell Stadium | 6,500 |
| Rhode Island | Meade Stadium | 6,580 |
| Richmond | University of Richmond Stadium | 22,000 |
| Villanova | Villanova Stadium | 12,500 |
Note: Old Dominion will not reinstate its football program until 2009, but already has a suitable on-campus stadium.
[edit] External links
| Colonial Athletic Association |
|---|
| Delaware • Drexel • George Mason • Georgia State • Hofstra • James Madison • Northeastern • Old Dominion • Towson • UNC–Wilmington • Virginia Commonwealth • William & Mary |
