Coastal Athletic Association

Coastal Athletic Association
Name	Coastal Athletic Association
Established	1979
Association	NCAA
Division	Division I
Subdivision	FCS (football)
Members	14 (full), 2 (football only)
Sports	22
Region	East Coast of the United States
Headquarters	Richmond, Virginia
Commissioner	Joe D'Antonio

Coastal Athletic Association. The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference operating in the NCAA's Division I, with its football members competing in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Founded in 1979, the conference's membership spans the East Coast of the United States from New England to the Carolinas, with its headquarters located in Richmond, Virginia. The league sponsors championships in 22 sports and is historically recognized as one of the premier conferences in FCS football, having produced multiple national champions.

History

The conference was founded in 1979 as the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Mid-Atlantic Conference, a moniker it held until 1985 when it was renamed the Colonial Athletic Association. The original members included American University, East Carolina University, George Mason University, James Madison University, University of Richmond, UNC Wilmington, and William & Mary. A significant period of expansion and realignment began in the early 2000s, with notable additions including Hofstra University, Northeastern University, and Drexel University. In 2022, the conference announced the addition of several institutions, including Campbell University, Hampton University, Monmouth University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Stony Brook University, leading to its rebranding as the Coastal Athletic Association in 2023 while retaining the CAA acronym.

Member institutions

The conference comprises 14 full member institutions and two associate members that compete solely in FCS football. The full members are University of Delaware, Drexel University, Elon University, Hampton University, Hofstra University, Monmouth University, North Carolina A&T State University, Northeastern University, UNC Wilmington, College of Charleston (Charleston), Stony Brook University, Towson University, William & Mary, and Campbell University. The football-only associates are the University at Albany, SUNY and the University of Rhode Island. Villanova University also competes in the conference for women's water polo.

Sports sponsored

The conference sponsors championship competition in 10 men's and 12 women's sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track and field. Women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, and track and field. Notably, the CAA Football league operates as a separate legal entity but is administered by the conference office.

Conference facilities

Member institutions feature prominent athletic venues, many of which have hosted NCAA Tournament games. These include Trask Coliseum at UNC Wilmington, the Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware, and TD Arena at the College of Charleston. For football, notable stadiums include Bridgeforth Stadium at James Madison University (now in the Sun Belt Conference), Delaware Stadium, and Alumni Stadium at Monmouth University. The Atlantic Union Bank Center at James Madison University and the Schuylkill River for Drexel University's rowing are other significant facilities.

Championships

The conference has a storied history in FCS football, with members like James Madison University (now in the Sun Belt Conference), the University of Delaware, and University of Richmond having won multiple national championships. In basketball, the conference is known for its competitive CAA men's basketball tournament, often held at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C., with champions like UNC Wilmington, George Mason University (now in the Atlantic 10 Conference), and Virginia Commonwealth University (now in the Atlantic 10 Conference) making memorable runs in the NCAA Tournament. Other successful programs include William & Mary in cross country and Northeastern University in baseball and hockey.

Commissioners

The conference has been led by four commissioners since its inception. The founding commissioner was John Randolph, who served from 1979 to 1985. He was succeeded by Thomas E. Yeager, whose lengthy tenure from 1985 to 2016 oversaw significant expansion and the rise of CAA Football. Joe D'Antonio assumed the role in 2016, guiding the conference through another major realignment and its rebranding to the Coastal Athletic Association. The leadership has been instrumental in negotiating media rights deals with partners like FloSports and CBS Sports Network.

Category:NCAA Division I conferences Category:College athletic conferences in the United States Category:Sports organizations established in 1979