Monmouth University Sports joins Colonial Athletic Association

(RICHMOND, VA) — On January 25, 2022, the Colonial Athletic Association announced that Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University have accepted invitations to join the conference on July 1, 2022.

“We are pleased to welcome Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University as new CAA members,” said CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio. “The three institutions fit perfectly within the framework of the Conference’s vision which calls on our members to work together to advance nationally competitive sports programs – coupled with exceptional academic programs – that enable student-athletes as individuals in their own right to strive to the highest standards in every aspect of their lives. CAA is excited about what the future holds and will continue to focus on making decisions that ensure its members have a competitive and sustainable model.

The addition of Hampton, Monmouth and Stony Brook increases the number of CAA members to 12. They join the College of Charleston (Charleston, SC), the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.), Drexel University ( Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Elon University (Elon, NC), Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY), University of North Carolina Wilmington (Wilmington, NC), Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.), Towson University (Towson, Md. ) and William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.) as CAA members in 2022-23.

CAA Football membership increases to 13 with the addition of Hampton and Monmouth. They join the University of Albany (Albany, NY), the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.), the University of Elon (Elon, NC), the University of Maine (Orono, Maine), the University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH), University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI), University of Richmond (Richmond, Virginia), Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY), Towson University (Towson, Md.) , Villanova University (Villanova, Pennsylvania) and William & Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia) as Fellows in 2022.

Decisions regarding schedule formats and championship field sizes are ongoing and will be determined over the coming months.

“It’s a great day for CAA,” said Drexel University President John Fry, Chairman of the CAA Board of Trustees. “I am deeply grateful for the continued commitment of our Presidents over the past 15 months, as together with our Directors of Athletics, we have forged a principled vision for the future during these turbulent times. For these three very valued people adopt these same aspirational values ​​for college athletics is deeply rewarding.”

Hampton University, located in Hampton, Virginia, is a private university with an enrollment of 3,500. It is recognized as one of the best historically black universities in the world and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school sponsors 17 Division I varsity teams and has enjoyed success as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and, more recently, the Big South Conference. The Pirates men’s basketball team made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2016 and the women’s basketball team earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2017. Hampton has won five MEAC football championships, including three in a row from 2004 to 2006. Hampton’s men’s and women’s track and field teams won the Deep South Championships in 2019.

“The move to the Colonial Athletic Association is the next step in the evolution of Hampton University athletics,” said Dr. William R. Harvey, president of Hampton University. “Several CAA facilities are located within our geographic footprint, which means our student-athletes will continue to spend less time traveling and more time in class on campus. This decision continues to focus on academics, which is our primary raison d’être. The conference’s geographic footprint, along with occasional competitions against northeast institutions, will reduce travel costs while enabling competition in several of the country’s major media markets. Another important consideration is the large number of alumni located throughout the CAA region. Hampton University has a very positive four-year relationship with the Big South Conference and hopes to continue to compete against some of its teams, as well as teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Monmouth University, located in West Long Branch, NJ, is a private university with an enrollment of 6,700. It recently received the all-time highest ranking of 18th among Northern Regional Universities on US News & World Report’s Best Colleges list. The school sponsors 24 Division I varsity teams and has won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cup six times since 2013. The Hawks men’s basketball team has won three Metro Atlantic regular season titles Athletic Conference and made two NIT appearances under head coach King Rice. Competing in the Big South Conference for football, Monmouth earned three FCS playoff berths and won two league titles since 2017 under head coach Kevin Callahan. Monmouth’s track and field program has also had a string of success that includes 55 team conference championships and 23 individual All-America awards. In women’s soccer, the Hawks topped the MAAC during their league career with eight regular season titles, six NCAA appearances and a conference record of 66-5-5 in nine seasons.

“Today is a great day for Monmouth University,” said Monmouth President Dr. Patrick F. Leahy. “The invitation to join the Colonial Athletic Association has provided our university with the opportunity to compete alongside some of the nation’s top institutions. Strong academic associations, coupled with national on-field recognition of CAA teams, will enhance the brand. Monmouth and will increase our exposure regionally and nationally. I am very pleased to give our student-athletes and coaches the opportunity to elevate our programs to a new level. The MAAC, Big South and America East conferences have been been very good for us over the past eight years, and I am grateful to the leaders of these leagues and member institutions for their collegiality and competitiveness. I anticipate that this move to CAA will energize the entire University of Monmouth and will be a tremendous source of pride for our students, alumni and friends.

Stony Brook University, located in Stony Brook, NY, has nearly 27,000 enrollment and has been ranked among the top 25 public universities in the nation, and as a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), is l one of the top 66 research institutions in North America. The school sponsors 18 Division I varsity teams and has won a pair of America East Commissioner’s Cups. The Seawolves men’s basketball team has reached the NCAA Tournament once and the NIT twice in the past decade, while the women’s basketball team has won back-to-back America East titles and made his first NCAA tournament trip last March. As a member of CAA Football since 2013, the Seawolves reached the FCS playoffs in 2017 and 2018. Stony Brook’s women’s lacrosse team has reached the NCAA Quarterfinals three times since 2017 and her team baseball qualified for the College World Series in 2012.

“I am very pleased to announce that Stony Brook University will join the Colonial Athletic Association. This invitation is a historic milestone for our institution and a testament to our tremendous growth – both in academia and in sport – over the past two decades,” said Stony Brook President Maurie McInnis. “Today would not be possible without the dedication of our student-athletes and coaches, who paved the way for this moment. Our future is bright and we look forward to competing for CAA Championships in the years to come! »

The Colonial Sports Association encompasses many of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas with a geographic footprint that stretches from Boston to Charleston, SC The conference has produced 18 national team champions in five different sports, 33 individual national champions, 15 national team players year, 15 National Coaches of the Year and 13 Honda Award winners. However, the non-competitive honors racked up are equally impressive, including five Rhodes Scholars and 25 NCAA postgraduate Scholars. In 2020-21, more than 2,800 of the league’s student-athletes received the Commissioner’s Academic Award after posting at least a 3.0 grade point average while lettering in a varsity sport. The conference saw 42 teams from 17 different sports receive NCAA Public Recognition Awards based on the latest Academic Progress Report released in 2020.

The CAA organizes championships in 22 sports. Male athletes compete in championships in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and track and field. Female athletes are vying for conference titles in basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

CAA Football has established itself as one of the nation’s premier FCS power conferences for more than a decade due to its success on the field, its national exposure, and the accomplishments of its student-athletes in the classroom, in the community and above. The league has had multiple teams in the playoffs over the past 31 years, three or more teams on the field for 14 of the past 16 seasons, and at least one team in the semifinals for nine consecutive years. A CAA team has appeared in the FCS National Championship game in nine of the past 17 seasons.