America East Conference
| America East Conference | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1979 |
| Association | NCAA |
| Division | Division I |
| Subdivision | non-football |
| Members | 14 (full: 9; associate: 5) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Region |
Northeastern United States (plus California in field hockey and Virginia in swimming & diving) |
| Former names |
Eastern College Athletic Conference-North (1979–1988) North Atlantic Conference (1988–1996) |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Commissioner | Amy Huchthausen |
| Website |
www |
| Locations | |
 | |
The America East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA Division I, whose members are located mainly in the Northeastern United States, specifically New England. Its nine members include the public flagship universities of three states, and one private university.
History
The America East Conference was founded as the Eastern College Athletic Conference-North, a men's basketball-only athletic conference in 1979. The conference was known as the Eastern College Athletic Conference-North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from 1988 to 1996. The charter members were 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. Many other events have occurred since its formation:
- Rhode Island left in 1980.
- Holy Cross left in 1983.
- Siena College joined in 1984.
- The University of Hartford joined in 1985.
- 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).
- Colgate left in 1990 to join the Patriot League.
- The University of Delaware and Drexel University joined in 1991.
- Hofstra University joined in 1994.
- 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 to join the CAA.
- Most recently, Boston University left to join the Patriot League on July 1, 2013,[1] while the University of Massachusetts Lowell joined from Division II.[2][3]
Members
Current members
The AEC has 8 member institutions located within the borders of 6 contiguous states. The 9th, UMBC, is the only institution not bordering other conference institutions. Hartford is the only private institution.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University at Albany, SUNY | Albany, New York | 1844 | 2001 | 17,312 | Great Danes | |
| Binghamton University | Vestal, New York | 1946 | 2001 | 16,077 | Bearcats | |
| University of Hartford | West Hartford, Connecticut | 1877 | 1985 | 6,935 | Hawks | |
| University of Maine | Orono, Maine | 1865 | 1979 | 11,247 | Black Bears | |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Catonsville, Maryland | 1966 | 2003 | 13,908 | Retrievers | |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | Lowell, Massachusetts | 1894 | 2013 | 18,316 | River Hawks | |
| University of New Hampshire | Durham, New Hampshire | 1866 | 1979 | 14,761 | Wildcats | |
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York | 1957 | 2001 | 24,594 | Seawolves | |
| University of Vermont | Burlington, Vermont | 1791 | 1979 | 11,287 | Catamounts | |
Associate members
Five schools currently hold associate membership. Four schools from California moved their field hockey teams into the America East in July 2015.[4] The newest associate member is the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), which joined in men's and women's swimming & diving starting with the 2017–18 school year.[5]
The aforementioned California schools will all leave America East field hockey after the 2018 season (2018–19 school year).[6] None has yet announced a future affiliation in that sport.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Joined | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Sport | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | Stanford, California | 1891 | Private | 2015 | 15,877 | Cardinal | Field hockey | Pac-12 | |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, California | 1851 | Private | 2015 | 6,196 | Tigers | Field hockey | WCC | |
| University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, California | 1868 | Public | 2015 | 36,204 | Golden Bears | Field hockey | Pac-12 | |
| University of California, Davis | Davis, California | 1905 | Public | 2015 | 34,175 | Aggies | Field hockey | Big West | |
| Virginia Military Institute (VMI) | Lexington, Virginia | 1839 | Public | 2017 | 1,653 | Keydets | Men's and women's swimming & diving | SoCon |
Future associate member
With the impending departure of four of the league's nine field hockey members, the America East announced in July 2018 that Monmouth would become a field hockey member for the 2019 season and beyond.[6][7]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Joining | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Sport | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monmouth University | West Long Branch, New Jersey | 1933 | Private | 2019 | 6,500 | Hawks | Field hockey | MAAC |
Former members
Former associate members
Three schools have had single-sport membership in the past. Two of these, Fairfield[8] and Providence,[9] moved their America East sports into their all-sports conferences. The third, NJIT, left when it joined a conference that sponsored its America East sport.[10]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Sport | Primary Conference |
Conference in former AE sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield University | Fairfield, Connecticut | 1942 | 2007 | 2015 | 3,800 | Stags | field hockey | MAAC | MAAC | |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, New Jersey | 1881 | 2013 | 2015 | 10,646 | Highlanders | Women's tennis | Atlantic Sun | Atlantic Sun | |
| Providence College | Providence, Rhode Island | 1917 | 2010 | 2014 | 3,850 | Friars | Women's volleyball | Big East | Big East |
Membership timeline
Full members (non-football) Other Conference Other Conference
Facilities
- ↑ UMBC began the 2017–18 basketball season at Retriever Activities Center (capacity 4,024). The school opened its new arena on February 3, 2018.[11]
Sports sponsored
The America East Conference sponsors championship competition in eight men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[13] The most recent changes to the roster of America East sports were announced in 2016, with the dropping of women's tennis after the 2015–16 season due to a lack of sponsoring teams and the revival of men's swimming and diving effective in the 2017–18 school year.[5]
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Cross Country | ||
| Field Hockey | ||
| Lacrosse | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Softball | ||
| Swimming & Diving | ||
| Track and Field (Indoor) | ||
| Track and Field (outdoor) | ||
| Volleyball |
Men's sports
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Lacrosse | Soccer | Swimming & Diving | Track & Field (indoor) | Track & Field (outdoor) | Total Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany |  | | | | |  | | | 7 |
| Binghamton | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| Hartford | | | | | | | | | 7 |
| Maine | | | | | | | | | 6 |
| New Hampshire | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| Stony Brook | | | | | | | | | 7 |
| UMass Lowell | | | | | | | | | 7 |
| UMBC | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| Vermont | | | | | | | | | 6 |
| Totals | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 3+1[lower-alpha 1] | 9 | 9 | 61+1 |
- Notes
| School | Football | Golf | Ice Hockey | Skiing | Tennis | Wrestling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | CAA | No | No | No | No | No |
| Binghamton | No | Big Sky | No | No | Mid-American | EIWA |
| Hartford | No | Big Sky | No | No | No | No |
| Maine | CAA | No | Hockey East | No | No | No |
| New Hampshire | CAA | No | Hockey East | EISA | No | No |
| Stony Brook | CAA | No | No | No | No | No |
| UMass Lowell | No | Independent | Hockey East | No | No | No |
| Vermont | No | No | Hockey East | EISA | No | No |
Women's sports
| School | Basketball | Cross Country | Field Hockey | Lacrosse | Soccer | Softball | Swimming & Diving | Track & Field (indoor) | Track & Field (outdoor) | Volleyball | Total Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | | | | | | | | | | | 9 |
| Binghamton | | | | | | | | | | | 9 |
| Hartford | | | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| Maine | | | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| New Hampshire | | | | | | | | | | | 9 |
| Stony Brook | | | | | | | | | | | 9 |
| UMass Lowell | | | | | | | | | | | 9 |
| UMBC | | | | | | | | | | | 9 |
| Vermont | | | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| Totals | 9 | 9 | 5+4[lower-alpha 1] | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6+1[lower-alpha 2] | 9 | 9 | 7 | 78+5 |
- Notes
| School | Golf | Gymnastics | Ice Hockey | Skiing | Tennis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | MAAC | No | No | No | No |
| Binghamton | MAAC | No | No | No | Independent |
| Hartford | MAAC | No | No | No | No |
| Maine | No | No | Hockey East | No | No |
| New Hampshire | No | EAGL | Hockey East | EISA | No |
| Stony Brook | No | No | No | No | Missouri Valley |
| Vermont | No | No | Hockey East | EISA | No |
NCAA team championships
| School | Total | Men | Women | Co-ed | Nickname | Most successful sport (Titles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | None | None |
No America East school has won a national title in a sport sponsored by the conference; however, member institutions have been national champions in non-America East sports.
Men's Basketball
All-time school record by winning percentage
This list goes through the 2017–18 season.
| No. | Team | Records | Win Pct. | America East Tournament Championships | America East Regular Season Championships | Final Fours | National Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany | 1,284–948 | .575 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Stony Brook | 840–715 | .540 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Vermont | 1,241–1119 | .526 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | UMass Lowell | 637–591 | .519 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Hartford | 839–972 | .463 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Maine | 968–1188 | .449 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 921–1331 | .409 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Binghamton | 669–999 | .401 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | UMBC | 560–847 | .398 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Women's Basketball
All-time school record by winning percentage
| No. | Team | Records | Win Pct. | America East Tournament Championships | America East Regular Season Championships | Final Fours | National Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 705–522 | .575 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Albany | 624–578 | .519 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 583–545 | .517 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Vermont | 521–493 | .514 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Stony Brook | 594–602 | .497 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Binghamton | 504–512 | .496 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Hartford | 550–596 | .480 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | UMass Lowell | 537–600 | .472 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | UMBC | 520–711 | .422 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
See also
References
- ↑ "What's next for America East?". ESPN. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ↑ "UMass Lowell Keeps Rising as Sports Move to Division 1". Uml.edu. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
- ↑ The Lowell Sun (2013-02-15). "UMass Lowell move makes a lot of sense - Lowell Sun Online". Lowellsun.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
- ↑ "Cal, UC Davis, Pacific, Stanford Added As #AEFH Associate Members" (Press release). America East Conference. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
- 1 2 "Men's Swimming & Diving to Return as Championship Sport; VMI Joins as Associate Member" (Press release). America East Conference. December 15, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
The America East Conference announced today the return of men’s swimming & diving as a championship sport and that Virginia Military Institute (VMI) will join America East an associate member in men’s and women’s swimming & diving. Both changes are effective for the 2017-18 academic year.
- 1 2 "Monmouth University Added as Associate Member in Field Hockey" (Press release). America East Conference. July 12, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ↑ "America East field hockey adds member to end East-West format". BANGOR DAILY NEWS. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ↑ "MAAC to Add Field Hockey" (Press release). Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. April 19, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Women's Volleyball To Join BIG EAST Conference" (Press release). Providence College Athletics. April 7, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ↑ "NJIT to join Atlantic Sun". Fox Sports. Associated Press. June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Shaffer, Jonas (January 24, 2018). "New UMBC Event Center to open for Feb. 3 men's basketball game vs. Vermont". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
- ↑ "'All grown up': UMBC invests in athletics with $85 million Event Center". THE BALTIMORE SUN. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ↑ "The Official Website of the America East Conference". AmericaEast.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
External links
| Full members | | |
|---|---|---|
| Associate members (field hockey) |
| |
| Associate members (swimming & diving) |
| |
| Championships & awards | ||