The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. The A-10's member schools are located mostly on the East Coast and Midwest of the United States: Illinois, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Although some of its members are state-funded, half of its membership is made up of private, Catholic institutions. Despite the name, there are 14 full-time members in the conference; three affiliate members participate in women's field hockey and men's lacrosse.
The conference's commissioner since 2008 is Bernadette McGlade. McGlade will retire at the conclusion of the 2025–26 academic year; her replacement will be Dan Leibowitz, who joins the league having most recently been the senior men's basketball administrator for the Big East Conference. In fall 2023 the A-10 moved its headquarters from Newport News, Virginia, to Washington, D.C.
History
Early 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 Villanova and Pittsburgh leave (in 1980 and 1982, respectively) 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.
Expansion, contraction, and football Further membership changes saw the league expand to its maximum of 16 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; now known as the Coastal Athletic Association). In 2012, Butler joined the conference after leaving the Horizon League and VCU joined after leaving the CAA.
Conference realignments and expanding media presence Conference realignment in 2013 saw the departure of Temple to the American Athletic Conference, Butler and Xavier to the reconfigured Big East, and Charlotte to Conference USA. George Mason joined from the CAA, and Davidson from the Southern Conference announced it would join in 2014.
The league headquarters is located in Washington, DC. In the Fall of 2023 they relocated the HQ from Newport News, Virginia where it had been located since fall 2009. Prior to that, the headquarters was in Philadelphia, within a few miles of member schools Saint Joseph's and La Salle.
The conference currently has media deals with ESPN, CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports, and digital broadcasts with ESPN+.
On November 16, 2021, Loyola University Chicago announced that its athletic program - the Loyola Ramblers - would leave the Missouri Valley Conference and join the A-10 effective July 1, 2022. On May 23, 2022, the addition of men's lacrosse was announced for the 2023 season. The four full members that sponsor the sport (Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's, UMass) were joined by new affiliate members High Point and Hobart.
On December 14, 2023, the conference announced a five-year media deal with its current affiliates, ESPN, CBS, and NBC. The deal would expand basketball coverage and revenue for the schools. The first year of the new contract is the 2024–2025 season and runs through the 2028–29 season.
In late February 2024, it was announced that the 2024–25 season for UMass sports will be the last season as members of the Atlantic 10. The Minutemen will rejoin the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full member beginning in 2025.
Member schools
Current members
Full members The following is a list of the full members of the conference and the year they joined:
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Endowment Nickname Joined Colors Davidson College Davidson, North Carolina 1837 Presbyterian 1,843 $1,300 Wildcats 2014 Dayton, Ohio 1850 Catholic 11,241 $770 Flyers 1995 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1878 Catholic 9,274 $472.1 Dukes 1976 1993 Fordham University Bronx, New York 1841 Catholic 16,515 $972 Rams 1995 George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia 1957 Public 35,047 $222.2 Patriots 2013 George Washington University Washington, D.C. 1821 Nonsectarian 28,172 $2,400 Revolutionaries 1976 La Salle University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1863 Catholic 5,191 $80 Explorers 1995 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, Illinois 1870 Catholic 16,437 $1,072 Ramblers 2022 Kingston, Rhode Island 1892 Public 16,883 $278.7 Rams 1980 Richmond, Virginia 1840 Nonsectarian 4,002 $3,100 Spiders 2001 1858 Catholic 2,381 $92.3 Bonnies 1979 Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1851 Catholic 7,589 $378.8 Hawks 1982 Saint Louis University St. Louis, Missouri 1818 Catholic 12,883 $1,700 Billikens 2005 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia 1838 Public 31,076 $2,720 Rams 2012
Notes
Associate members The "joined" column indicates the calendar year in which each school became an A-10 associate, which for spring sports such as lacrosse is the year before the first season of competition.
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined A-10sport(s) Primaryconference Newark, Delaware 1743 Public 23,774 Blue Hens 2025 Men's lacrosse Conf. USA (CUSA) High Point University High Point, North Carolina 1924 UnitedMethodist 4,545 Panthers 2022 Men's lacrosse Big South (BSC) Hobart College Geneva, New York 1822 Nonsectarian 2,105 Statesmen 2022 Men's lacrosse Liberty (LL) Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Lock Haven, Pennsylvania 1870 Public 3,425 Bald Eagles 2010 Field hockey Pennsylvania (PSAC) Amherst, Massachusetts 1863 Public 30,593 Minutemen 2025 Men's lacrosse Mid-American (MAC)
Notes
Former members
Former full members None of these institutions played football in the A-10 during their tenure as full members.
Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequentconference Currentconference Butler University Indianapolis,Indiana 1855 Nonsectarian 4,667 Bulldogs 2012 2013 Big East Charlotte,North Carolina 1946 Public 26,232 49ers 2005 2013 Conf. USA (CUSA) American Amherst,Massachusetts 1863 Public 30,593 Minutemen &Minutewomen 1976 2025 Mid-American (MAC) Pennsylvania State University University Park,Pennsylvania 1855 Public 45,351 NittanyLions 1976 1979 Big Ten (B1G) 1982 1991 Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania 1787 Public 28,766 Panthers 1976 1982 Big East Atlantic Coast (ACC) Rutgers University New Brunswick,New Jersey 1766 Public 58,788 ScarletKnights 1976 1995 Big East/American Big Ten (B1G) Temple University Philadelphia,Pennsylvania 1884 Public 38,648 Owls 1982 2013 Villanova University Villanova,Pennsylvania 1842 Catholic 10,482 Wildcats 1976 1980 Big East Big East Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg,Virginia 1872 Public 31,087 Hokies 1995 2000 Big East Atlantic Coast (ACC) West Virginia University Morgantown,West Virginia 1867 Public 29,707 Mountaineers 1976 1995 Big East Big 12 Xavier University Cincinnati, Ohio 1831 Catholic 6,650 Musketeers 1995 2013 Big East
Notes
Former associate members Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined Left A-10sport(s) Primaryconference Saint Francis University Loretto, Pennsylvania 1847 Catholic 2,449 Red Flash 2013 2020 Field hockey Northeast (NEC) West Chester University West Chester, Pennsylvania 1880 Public 13,271 Golden Rams 1996 2011 Field hockey Pennsylvania (PSAC) 2,576
Notes
Former football-only members After expansion in the Colonial Athletic Association brought that conference to 6 football-playing schools, it was agreed that the CAA would take over management of the Atlantic 10's football conference starting in the 2007–08 school year as the legally separate entity of CAA Football. All the schools on this list (except Boston U. and Connecticut) were in the A-10 football conference when it became CAA Football, but Hofstra and Northeastern discontinued their football programs after the 2009–10 school year. Membership dates include time in the Yankee Conference (which was an all-sports conference from the 1947–48 to 1975–76 seasons, and a football-only conference after that) which merged into the A-10 in the 1997–98 school year.
Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Joined Left Primaryconference(s)at the timeof their tenure Currentprimaryconference Boston University Boston, Massachusetts 1839 Nonsectarian Terriers 1973 1998 Independent (1976–79)America East (1979–2013) Patriot League (2013–present) Storrs, Connecticut 1881 Public Huskies 1947 2000 Independent (1976–79)Big East (1979–2013)American (2013–20) Big East (2020–present) Newark, Delaware 1743 Public Fightin'Blue Hens 1986 2007 East Coast (1958–91)America East (1991–2001)CAA (2001–25) CUSA (2025–present) Hofstra University Hempstead, New York 1935 Nonsectarian Pride 2001 2007 CAA (2001–present) James Madison University Harrisonburg, Virginia 1908 Public Dukes 1993 2007 CAA (1979–2022) Sun Belt (2022–present) Orono, Maine 1865 Public Black Bears 1947 2007 Independent (1976–79) America East (1979–present) Durham, New Hampshire 1866 Public Wildcats 1947 2007 Independent (1976–79) America East (1979–present) Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts 1898 Nonsectarian Huskies 1993 2007 America East (1979–2005) CAA (2005–present) Towson University Towson, Maryland 1866 Public Tigers 2004 2007 CAA (1979–82)East Coast (1982–92)Big South (1992–95)America East (1995–2001) CAA (2001–present) Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania 1842 Catholic Wildcats 1988 2007 Big East (1980–2013) Big East (2013–present) Williamsburg, Virginia 1693 Public Tribe 1993 2007 CAA (1979–present)
Notes
Membership timeline
Notes
* - Virginia Tech did not participate in wrestling.
Atlantic 10 rivalries There are a number of intense rivalries within the Atlantic 10, with rivalries that carry over from the Big 5 which includes Saint Joseph's, La Salle, and Temple (now in the American Athletic Conference). URI and UMass also have a long-standing rivalry. St. Bonaventure and Duquesne also maintain a rivalry that predates their affiliation with the conference. UMass and Temple also had a basketball rivalry while John Chaney was coaching Temple but it has died down a bit since, and even more so now that Temple has left the conference. The long-standing crosstown rivalry between Richmond and VCU, now known as the Capital City Classic, became a conference rivalry with VCU's arrival in the A10. Rivals St. Louis and Dayton play each year in basketball for the Arch-Baron Cup. George Washington and George Mason compete annually in the Revolutionary Rivalry across all sports.
Sports