This was probably more relevant a year ago when the realignment dust had not yet settled but just in case anyone's curious about the history of the A10's membership, here it is!
Founding Members: Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (1976-77)/Eastern Athletic Association (1977-79) a/k/a Eastern 8, 1976-79 (8 teams)
Duquesne Dukes
George Washington Colonials
Massachusetts Minutemen
Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions
Pittsburgh Panthers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Villanova Wildcats
West Virginia Mountaineers
Note: prior to joining the new conference, all schools were independent with the exception of Massachusetts which was a member of the Yankee Conference.
Eastern Athletic Association a/k/a Eastern 8, 1979-80 (8 teams)
Membership change: Exit Penn State (for independent), enter St. Bonaventure (from independent)
Duquesne Dukes
George Washington Colonials
Massachusetts Minutemen
Pittsburgh Panthers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
St. Bonaventure Brown Indians/Bonnies
Villanova Wildcats
West Virginia Mountaineers
Eastern Athletic Association a/k/a Eastern 8, 1980-82 (8 teams)
Membership change: Exit Villanova (for Big East), enter Rhode Island (from ECAC North)
Duquesne Dukes
George Washington Colonials
Massachusetts Minutemen
Pittsburgh Panthers
Rhode Island Rams
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
St. Bonaventure Brown Indians/Bonnies
West Virginia Mountaineers
Atlantic 10, 1982-91 (10 teams)
Membership changes: Exit Pittsburgh (for Big East), re-enter Penn State (from independent), enter St. Joseph's and Temple (both from East Coast Conference), confrence name changed to Atlantic 10
Duquesne Dukes
George Washington Colonials
Massachusetts Minutemen
Penn State Nittany Lions
Rhode Island Rams
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
St. Bonaventure Brown Indians/Bonnies
St. Joseph's Hawks
Temple Owls
West Virginia Mountaineers
Note: this would be the only period when the conference actually had 10 teams and the longest run of continuous membership without any changes.
1991-92 (9 teams)
Membership change: Exit Penn State (for independent, pending Big 10 admission)
Duquesne Dukes
George Washington Colonials
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
St. Bonaventure Brown Indians/Bonnies
St. Joseph's Hawks
Temple Owls
West Virginia Mountaineers
1992-93 (8 teams)
Membership change: exit Duquesne (for Midwest Collegiate Conference). Also, per wikipedia, St. Bonaventure officially dropped Brown Indians in favor of Bonnies, although its teams had informally been called the Bonnies for some time.
George Washington Colonials
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
St. Joseph's Hawks
Temple Owls
West Virginia Mountaineers
1993-95 (9 teams)
Membership change: Re-enter Duquesne (from Midwest Collegiate Conference)
Duquesne Dukes
George Washington Colonials
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
St. Joseph's Hawks
Temple Owls
West Virginia Mountaineers
1995-2000 (12 teams)
Membership changes: exit Rutgers and West Virginia (both for Big East), enter Xavier (from Midwest Collegiate Conference), Fordham (from Patriot League), Virginia Tech (from Metro Conference), Dayton (from Great Midwest Conference) and LaSalle (from Midwest Collegiate Conference); divisional play instituted
East Division:
Fordham Rams
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
St. Joseph's Hawks
Temple Owls
West Division:
Dayton Flyers
Duquesne Dukes
George Washington Colonials
LaSalle Explorers
Virginia Tech Hokies
Xavier Musketeers
2000-01 (11 teams)
Membership change: exit Virginia Tech (for Big East), divisional play eliminated.
Dayton Flyers
Duquesne Dukes
Fordham Rams
George Washington Colonials
LaSalle Explorers
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
St. Joseph's Hawks
Temple Owls
Xavier Musketeers
2001-06 (12 teams)
Membership change: enter Richmond (from Colonial Athletic Association), divisional play re-established, St. Joseph's begins to spell out the "saint"
East Division:
Fordham Rams
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
Saint Joseph's Hawks
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Temple Owls
West Division:
Dayton Flyers
Duquesne Dukes
George Washington Colonials
LaSalle Explorers
Richmond Spiders
Xavier Musketeers
2006-12 (14 teams)
Membership change: enter Charlotte and Saint Louis (both from Conference USA), divisional play eliminated.
Charlotte 49ers
Dayton Flyers
Duquesne Dukes
Fordham Rams
George Washington Colonials
LaSalle Explorers
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
Richmond Spiders
Saint Joseph's Hawks
Saint Louis Billikens
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Temple Owls
Xavier Musketeers
2012-13 (16 teams)
Membership changes: enter Butler (from Horizon Conference f/k/a Midwest Collegiate Conference) and Virginia Commonwealth (from Colonial Athletic Association)
Butler Bulldogs
Charlotte 49ers
Dayton Flyers
Duquesne Dukes
Fordham Rams
George Washington Colonials
LaSalle Explorers
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
Richmond Spiders
Saint Joseph's Hawks
Saint Louis Billikens
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Temple Owls
Virginia Commonwealth Rams
Xavier Musketeers
2013-14 (13 teams):
Membership changes: exit Temple (for American Athletic Conference), Charlotte (for Conference USA), Butler (for Big East) and Xavier (for Big East), enter George Mason (from Colonial Athletic Association)
Dayton Flyers
Duquesne Dukes
Fordham Rams
George Mason Patriots
George Washington Colonials
LaSalle Explorers
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
Richmond Spiders
Saint Joseph's Hawks
Saint Louis Billikens
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Virginia Commonwealth Rams
2014- (14 teams):
Membership change: enter Davidson (from Southern Conference)
Davidson Wildcats
Dayton Flyers
Duquesne Dukes
Fordham Rams
George Mason Patriots
George Washington Colonials
LaSalle Explorers
Massachusetts Minutemen
Rhode Island Rams
Richmond Spiders
Saint Joseph's Hawks
Saint Louis Billikens
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Virginia Commonwealth Rams
Total teams to be full members in the conference (sans football only schools and other associate members): 24
Where member schools came from (26 entrances considering that Penn State and Duquesne joined twice):
Independent: 9
Midwest Collegiate/Horizon Conference: 4
Colonial Athletic Association: 3
East Coast Conference: 2
Conference USA: 2
Yankee Conference: 1
ECAC North (l/k/a North Atlantic Conference, n/k/a America East Conference): 1
Great Midwest Conference: 1
Metro Conference: 1
Patriot League: 1
Southern Conference: 1
Where the permanently departed schools went:
Big East:7
Big Ten: 1
American Athletic Conference: 1
Conference USA: 1
Where the permanently departed are now:
Big East: 3
Big Ten: 2
Atlantic Coast Conference: 2
Big XII: 1
American Athletic Conference: 1
Conference USA: 1
Worst Adds - Va Tech (I barely remember them being in the league), Charlotte (useless), LaSalle (totally unnecessary addition to the league at the time).
Worst Adds - Va Tech (I barely remember them being in the league), Charlotte (useless), LaSalle (totally unnecessary addition to the league at the time).
Its the absolute truth. Really no reason to debate it. Why did the league need a 3rd Philly team in the A10. It made no sense whatsoever. And it played out exactly as you would expect as the 3rd team added nothing to the league for 17 years after it was added. (17 years?) They would have been better off in a lower league. I am sure they would have been invited over the last couple of years with Temple leaving the conference.
Worst Adds - Va Tech (I barely remember them being in the league), Charlotte (useless), LaSalle (totally unnecessary addition to the league at the time).
I would bet that SLU would be on that list if the Billikens left last year. Of course, the fact that the MVC stuff has mostly died down means the A-10 wins.
Worst Adds - Va Tech (I barely remember them being in the league), Charlotte (useless), LaSalle (totally unnecessary addition to the league at the time).
How the hell did she decide to admit Fordham and allow them to keep their football team in the Patriot League.
The A10 could still have football to the total dis-dain of Xavier fans, who were vocal in letting football fade away, with Richmond voting to side with the CAA. With Fordham, Richmond could never have been turn coats to the A10.
It is almost time for the season! The A10 will get lots of national and local media coverage. I thought this might be a good place to put articles and videos.
I will start with a great article about Duquesne's Derrick Colter and his fight with cancer.
Duquesne's Colter quiet cancer fight...
https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/ncaa/candidates-gws-mens-basketball-coaching-vacancy-include-former-georgetown-john-thompson-iii
Former Georgetown coach John Thompson III is among the pool of potential candidates for the George Washington men's basketball head coaching job, multiple...
Thoughts while staying home. There is no doubt the pandemic and resultant cancellation of many conference tourneys along with the NCAA Tourney will have a negative economic impact on colleges/universities and I suspect the pinch will be felt a bit more by the loss of 'credits' to the schools...
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