The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring 1996 semester.
| America East Conference (America East) |
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| Established | 1979 |
| Association | NCAA |
| Division | Division I non-football |
| Members | 11 (full: 9; associate: 2) |
| Sports fielded | 20 (men's: 9 teams; women's: 11 teams) |
| Region | Northeastern United States |
| Former names | ECAC North (1979–1988) North Atlantic Conference (1988–1996) |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Commissioner | Amy Huchthausen |
| Website | americaeast.com |
| Locations | |
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The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring 1996 semester.
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History [edit]
The America East Conference was founded as the ECAC North, a men's basketball-only athletic conference in 1979. The charter members were the following: The University of Rhode Island, the College of the Holy Cross, Canisius College, Niagara University, Colgate University, Northeastern University, Boston University, the University of Maine, the University of New Hampshire and the University of Vermont. Rhode Island left in 1981, while Holy Cross left in 1983. Siena College joined in 1984. The University of Hartford joined in 1985. Central Connecticut State University joined in 1986. Later, the conference became an all-sports conference, named as the North Atlantic Conference in the 1988-89 season, only for Canisius, Niagara and Siena to leave after the spring of 1989 to join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), while Central Connecticut State and Colgate followed the departure in 1990. The University of Delaware and Drexel University joined in 1991. Hofstra University joined in 1994, while Towson University joined in 1995. On July 1, 1996, the conference's name changed to its present name, the America East Conference. During 2001, Delaware, Drexel, Hofstra and Towson left to join the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) while the University at Albany, Binghamton University and Stony Brook University replaced them. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) soon joined in 2003. Northeastern left in 2005. Boston University will leave to join the Patriot League, effective on July 1, 2013, while the University of Massachusetts Lowell will join from Division II.
Member schools [edit]
Full members [edit]
There are nine schools with full membership:
| Institution | Location | Enrollment | Nickname | Founded | Type | Joined | Athletics' Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University at Albany | Albany, NY | 18,202 | Great Danes | 1844 | Public | 2001 | ualbanysports.com |
| Binghamton University | Vestal, NY | 14,898 | Bearcats | 1946 | Public | 2001 | bubearcats.com |
| Boston University | Boston, MA | 31,766 | Terriers | 1839 | Private | 1979 | goterriers.com |
| University of Hartford | Hartford, CT | 7,366 | Hawks | 1877 | Private | 1985 | hartfordhawks.com |
| University of Maine | Orono, ME | 11,818 | Black Bears | 1865 | Public | 1979 | goblackbears.com |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Catonsville, MD | 12,268 | Retrievers | 1966 | Public | 2003 | umbcretrievers.com |
| University of New Hampshire | Durham, NH | 14,964 | Wildcats | 1866 | Public | 1979 | unhwildcats.com |
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY | 24,594 | Seawolves | 1957 | Public | 2001 | goseawolves.org |
| University of Vermont | Burlington, VT | 11,054 | Catamounts | 1791 | Public | 1979 | uvmathletics.com |
- Boston University is leaving for the Patriot League July 1, 2013.[1]
Associate members [edit]
There are two schools with associate membership:
| Institution | Location | Enrollment | Nickname | Founded | Type | Primary Conference | Sport | Joined | Athletics' Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield University | Fairfield, CT | 3,800 | Stags | 1942 | Private | MAAC | Field hockey | 2007 | fairfieldstags.com |
| Providence College | Providence, RI | 3,850 | Friars | 1917 | Private | Big East | Women's volleyball | 2010 | friars.com |
Future members [edit]
There is one school that will reach full membership in the future:
| Institution | Location | Enrollment | Nickname | Founded | Type | Joined | Athletics' Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | Lowell, MA | 16,330 | River Hawks | 1894 | Public | 2013 | goriverhawks.com |
Former members [edit]
Membership timeline [edit]
Full members (non-football) Other Conference Other Conference
Sports Sponsored [edit]
The America East Conference sponsors championship competition in nine men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[2]
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
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| Baseball |
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| Basketball |
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| Cross Country |
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| Field Hockey |
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| Lacrosse |
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| Soccer |
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| Softball |
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| Swimming & Diving |
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| Tennis |
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| Track and Field (Indoor) |
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| Track and Field (outdoor) |
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| Volleyball |
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Facilities [edit]
| Member | Basketball arena | Capacity | Baseball field | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | SEFCU Arena | 4,538 | Varsity Field | N/A |
| Binghamton | Binghamton University Events Center | 5,142 | Varsity Field | 1,000 |
| Boston University | Agganis Arena Case Gym |
7,200 1,800 |
Non-baseball school | |
| Hartford | Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion | 4,017 | Fiondella Field | 1,000 |
| Maine | Alfond Arena | 5,712 | Larry Mahaney Diamond | 3,000 |
| New Hampshire | Lundholm Gym | 3,500 | Non-baseball school | |
| Stony Brook | Stony Brook University Arena | 4,160 | Joe Nathan Field | 1,000 |
| UMass Lowell | Costello Athletic Center Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell[3][4] |
2,100 6,495 |
Edward A. LeLacheur Park | 4,767 |
| UMBC | Retriever Activities Center | 4,024 | The Baseball Factory Field at UMBC | 1,000 |
| Vermont | Patrick Gym | 3,266 | Non-baseball school | |
Future members in gray. Departing members in pink.
- Boston University is leaving for the Patriot League July 1, 2013.[5] UMass Lowell will join the America East at the same time.
The conference does not sponsor football. Members who participate in that sport do so as affiliate members of other conferences:
- Albany – Northeast Conference, moving to the Colonial Athletic Association in 2013
- Maine, New Hampshire – Colonial Athletic Association
- Stony Brook – Big South Conference, moving to the Colonial Athletic Association in 2013
The conference does not sponsor ice hockey. Members who participate in that sport do so as members of Hockey East:
- UMass Lowell, Boston University, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont – Hockey East
Champions [edit]
See also [edit]
- America East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
- America East Conference Baseball Tournament
- America East Conference Women's Basketball Tournament
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.patriotleague.org/genrel/061512aab.html
- ^ http://www.americaeast.com/
- ^ http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_22596851/umass-lowell-move-makes-lot-sense?IADID=Search-www.lowellsun.com-www.lowellsun.com
- ^ http://www.uml.edu/News/news-articles/2013/Globe-DI-editorial.aspx
- ^ http://www.patriotleague.org/genrel/061512aab.html
External links [edit]
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