What Teams Are in the Atlantic 10 Conference?

The Atlantic 10 conference formed on March 2, 1975, for men's basketball only. Eight schools comprised the original conference. Officially, its name was the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League, but it was known as the Eastern 8 Conference. Over the years, conference members have changed considerably. As of 2011, it has 14 members participating in 21 sports. The teams in the Atlantic 10 conference are the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, University of Massachusetts, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University, Temple University and Xavier University.

  1. Original Eight Teams

    • The Eastern 8 played in their first NCAA Championship Tournament in 1976.

      The Eastern 8 Conference champion was awarded an NCAA berth in the Conference's first year of play,1976. The original eight teams included Duquesne, George Washington, Massachusetts, The University of Pittsburgh, The Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, Villanova University and West Virginia University. In 1978, Villanova was the first Eastern 8 team to make the Elite Eight in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

    Growth and Changes in the Conference

    • In 1979-1980, the conference added two teams, St. Bonaventure University and the University of Rhode Island, while Villanova left the conference. Pittsburgh quit in 1982, while Saint Joseph's and Temple joined the conference, bringing the number of schools to 10. The conference changed its name to the Atlantic 10 Conference.

    Atlantic 10 and Women's Athletics

    • The Atlantic 10 Conference added five women's sports in 1982: basketball, tennis, volleyball, softball, and gymnastics. That first season, the University of Pennsylvania's women's basketball team went to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. The Xavier Musketeers made it to the Elite Eight in 2010, and their two star players were drafted in the first round of the 2011 WNBA draft. Amber Harris went fourth to the Minnesota Lynx, and the Atlanta Dream selected Ta'Shia Phillips with the eighth pick. Within a couple of hours, Atlanta traded Phillips to the Washington Mystics.

    Conference Teams Change Again

    • During 1995-1996, the conference experienced more change. Penn State, Rutgers, and West Virginia left the conference, while Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, and Xavier joined the conference. In 2001, Richmond joined the conference, and Charlotte and Saint Louis universities joined in 2005, bringing the conference up to its current 14 teams. The members of the conference represent private schools, Catholic universities, and land grant schools, creating a diverse environment for athletes. Of the original eight teams, only Duquesne, George Washington and Massachusetts remain.