The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (or CACC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Its eleven member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

The CACC was founded in 1961 as an athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and later joined the NCAA in 2002 on provisional status. The CACC Conference Office has been located in New Haven, Connecticut since 2004, the same year that it upgraded to full active status. The CACC has three full-time staff members and one part-time.

History

Recent events On August 2, 2022, the CACC announced that it added bowling, a women-only sport in the NCAA, that began in the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year), with full members Bloomfield, Caldwell, Chestnut Hill, Felician, Holy Family, and Wilmington as the inaugural teams. All but Holy Family, which launched its varsity team in 2022–23, had previously been affiliates of the East Coast Conference in that sport.

On November 28, 2023, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania accepted an invitation to join the CACC as an associate member in baseball and women's soccer, beginning the 2024–25 academic year.

On November 6, 2025, the conference announced its addition of Monroe University, pending Monroe's acceptance into Division II. On May 26, 2026, Monroe reported that it will apply for NCAA membership in the 2027–28 academic year by October 1.

Chronological timeline 1961 – The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) was founded. Charter members included Bloomfield College (now Bloomfield College of Montclair State University), Adelphi Suffolk College (later Dowling College), The King's College, the C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University, Southampton College of Long Island University, Marist College (now Marist University), Monmouth College of New Jersey and Nyack College (later Alliance University), beginning the 1961–62 academic year. 1965 – St. Thomas Aquinas College joined the CACC in the 1965–66 academic year. 1981 – Marist left the CACC to join the Division I ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the ECAC Metro Conference (now known as the Northeast Conference) after the 1980–81 academic year. 1982 – Dominican College of New York (now Dominican University New York) joined the CACC in the 1982–83 academic year. 1983 – Georgian Court College (now Georgian Court University) joined the CACC in the 1983–84 academic year. 1985 – Monmouth (N.J.) left the CACC to fully align with the NCAA Division I ranks and join the ECAC Metro after the 1984–85 academic year. 1987 – Caldwell College (now Caldwell University) and Post College (now Post University) joined the CACC in the 1987–88 academic year. 1989 – Four institutions left the CACC to join their respective new home primary conferences, all effective after the 1988–89 academic year: Dowling, LIU Post and LIU Southampton join the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference [NYCAC; now known as the East Coast Conference (ECC)] and King's College as an Independent 1999: St. Thomas Aquinas left the CACC to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent (which would later join the NYCAC) beginning the 2000–01 school year.) after the 1998–99 academic year. Felician College (now Felician University), Goldey–Beacom College, Holy Family College (now Holy Family University), the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP; later the University of the Sciences before being absorbed by Saint Joseph's University in 2022) and Wilmington College of Delaware (now Wilmington University) joined the CACC in the 1999–2000 academic year. 2000 – The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) joined the CACC in the 2000–01 academic year. 2002 – The CACC was granted provisional membership status within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II ranks, transitioning from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), beginning the 2002–03 academic year. 2004 – The CACC had achieved full membership status within the NCAA Division II ranks in the 2004–05 academic year. 2005 – Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University) joined the CACC in the 2005–06 academic year. 2006 – NJIT left the CACC to join the NCAA Division I ranks as an NCAA D-I Independent after the 2005–06 academic year. 2007 – Chestnut Hill College joined the CACC in the 2007–08 academic year. 2009 – Concordia College of New York joined the CACC in the 2009–10 academic year. 2017 – The CACC began sponsoring men's lacrosse, with play starting in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year). 2021 – Concordia (N.Y.) left the CACC as the school announced that it would close at the end of the 2020–21 academic year. 2022: USciences left the CACC when it merged into Saint Joseph's University at the end of the 2021–22 academic year. The University of Bridgeport joined the CACC in the 2022–23 academic year. The CACC began sponsoring bowling, a women-only sport in the NCAA, with play starting the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year), with full members Bloomfield, Caldwell, Chestnut Hill, Felician, Holy Family, and Wilmington as the inaugural teams. All but Holy Family, which launched its varsity team in 2022–23, had previously been affiliates of the East Coast Conference in that sport. 2023 – Alliance left the CACC as the school announced that it would close at the end of the 2022–23 academic year. 2024 – Lincoln University of Pennsylvania joined the CACC as an associate member for baseball and women's soccer in the 2024–25 academic year. 2025 – Bloomfield left the CACC and the NCAA to join the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) as an Independent after the 2024–25 academic year. 2026 – Three institutions joined the CACC as associate members, all effective in the 2026–27 academic year: the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and Queens College for women's tennis and St. Thomas Aquinas College for men's golf and women's tennis 2027 – Monroe University will join the CACC, beginning the 2027–28 academic year; pending its acceptance into NCAA Division II.

Member schools Current members The CACC currently has 11 full members, all are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Bridgeport, Connecticut 1927 Nonsectarian 3,838 Purple Knights 2022 Caldwell University Caldwell, New Jersey 1939 Catholic 2,193 Cougars 1987 Chestnut Hill College Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1924 Catholic 1,417 Griffins 2007 Dominican University New York Orangeburg, New York 1952 Catholic 1,083 Chargers 1982 Felician University Rutherford, New Jersey 1923 Catholic 2,427 Golden Falcons 1999 Georgian Court University Lakewood, New Jersey 1908 Catholic 1,910 Lions 1983 Goldey–Beacom College Wilmington, Delaware 1886 Nonsectarian 1,074 Lightning 1999 Holy Family University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1954 Catholic 3,278 Tigers 1999 Post University Waterbury, Connecticut 1890 For-profit 21,699 Eagles 1987 Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1824 Nonsectarian 8,315 Rams 2005 Wilmington University New Castle, Delaware 1968 Nonsectarian 20,384 Wildcats 1999

Notes

Future members Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joining Colors Primaryconference Monroe University New Rochelle, New York 1933 For-profit 7,924 Mustangs 2027 Independent

Notes

Associate members Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors CACCsport(s) Primaryconference Washington, D.C. 1851 Public 4,202 Firebirds 2026 Women's tennis East Coast (ECC) Lincoln University Chester County, Pennsylvania 1854 State-related 1,848 Lions 2024 Baseball Central (CIAA) Women's soccer Queens College Queens, New York 1937 Public 15,965 Knights 2026 Women's tennis East Coast (ECC) Sparkill, New York 1952 Catholic 1,950 Spartans 2026 Women's tennis East Coast (ECC) Men's golf

Notes

Former members The CACC had twelve former full members; all but two were private schools.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Currentconference Alliance University New York City, New York 1882 Christian 3,318 Warriors 1961 2023 Closed in 2023 Bloomfield College (of Montclair State) Bloomfield, New Jersey 1868 Public 1,533 Bears 1961 2025 North American (NACIA) Concordia College Bronxville, New York 1881 Lutheran LCMS N/A Clippers 2009 2021 Closed in 2021 Dowling College Oakdale, New York 1955 Nonsectarian N/A Golden Lions 1961 1989 Closed in 2016 New York City, New York 1938 Christian 550 Lions 1961 1989 Closed in 2025 Long Island University–Post Brookville, New York 1954 Nonsectarian 8,472 Pioneers 1961 1989 Northeast (NEC) Marist College Poughkeepsie, New York 1929 Nonsectarian 6,624 Red Foxes 1961 1981 Metro Atlantic (MAAC) Monmouth University West Long Branch, New Jersey 1933 Nonsectarian 6,167 Hawks 1961 1985 Coastal (CAA) New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, New Jersey 1968 Public 11,652 Highlanders 2000 2006 America East (AmEast) Sparkill, New York 1952 Catholic 2,400 Spartans 1965 1999 East Coast (ECC) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1821 Nonsectarian 2,749 Devils 1998 2022 Closed in 2022 Southampton College of Long Island University Southampton, New York 1963 Nonsectarian N/A Colonials 1961 1989 Closed in 2005

Notes

Membership timeline

Sports

A divisional format is used for baseball, men's & women's basketball, and volleyball. In baseball, Georgian Court is placed in the North Division. Bridgeport Caldwell Dominican Felician Post Chestnut Hill Georgian Court Goldey–Beacom Holy Family Jefferson Wilmington

+ Conference sports Sport Men's Women'sBaseball Basketball Bowling Cross Country Golf Lacrosse Soccer Softball Tennis Track & Field Outdoor Volleyball

Men's sponsored sports by school SchoolBaseballBasketballCrosscountryGolfLacrosse SoccerTrack& fieldoutdoorTotalCACCsportsBridgeport5Caldwell6Chestnut Hill7Dominican7Felician6Georgian Court6Goldey–Beacom5Holy Family6Jefferson6Post7Wilmington7Totals11+111116+1911974+2

Women's sponsored sports by school SchoolBasketballBowlingCrosscountryLacrosseSoccerSoftballTennisTrack& fieldoutdoorVolleyballTotalCACCsportsBridgeport6Caldwell8Chestnut Hill9Dominican7Felician8Georgian Court7Goldey–Beacom6Holy Family8Jefferson8Post8Wilmington9Totals115111011+1114+3101184+4

Other sponsored sports by school School Men Women Football Icehockey Swimming& diving Tennis Track& fieldindoor Volleyball Wrestling Fieldhockey Golf Gymnastics Icehockey Rowing Swimming& diving Track& fieldindoor Bridgeport NE-10 IND GEC NE-10 Chestnut Hill PSAC Dominican ECC ECC Felician NE-10 IND NE-10 Georgian Court ECC ECC Holy Family ECC ECC Jefferson PSAC NE-10 IND Post NE-10 NE-10 ECC IND NEWHA ECC

References

External links