Coastal Athletic Association Explained

Coastal Athletic Association
Color:	002263;
Font Color:	white
Coastal Athletic Association
Founded:	1979
Association:	NCAA
Division:	Division I
Subdivision:	FCS
Teams:	14 (13 in 2025)
Sports:	23
Mens:	10
Womens:	13
Region:	East Coast
Formerly:	ECAC South, Colonial Athletic Association
Headquarters:	Richmond, Virginia
Commissioner:	Joe D'Antonio
Since:	2016
Map:	Colonial Athletic Association Map.svg
Map Size:	250

The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA),^[1] formerly the Colonial Athletic Association, is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states, from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universities, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond. The CAA was historically a Southern conference until the addition of four schools in the Northeastern United States (of five that joined from rival conference America East) after the turn of the 21st century, which added geographic balance to the conference.

The CAA was founded in 1979 as the ECAC basketball league. It was renamed the Colonial Athletic Association in 1985 when it added championships in other sports (although a number of members maintain ECAC affiliation in some sports). As of 2006, it organizes championships in 21 men's and women's sports. The addition of Northeastern University in 2005 gave the conference the NCAA minimum of six football programs needed to sponsor football. For the 2007 football season, all of the Atlantic 10 Conference's football programs joined the CAA football conference, as agreed in May 2005. The football league operates under CAA administration as the legally separate entity of CAA Football.

The most recent changes to the conference membership took place in 2022 and 2023. First, Hampton University, Monmouth University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Stony Brook University joined in 2022. Stony Brook, already a member of CAA Football, joined in other sports at that time; Hampton and Monmouth joined both the all-sports CAA and CAA Football; and NC A&T joined the all-sports CAA in 2022 and joined CAA Football in 2023.^[2] ^[3] This was followed by Campbell University joining both sides of the league in 2023.^[4]

History

See also: 2010–2013 Colonial Athletic Association realignment and 2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment. The CAA has expanded in recent years, following the exits of longtime members such as the United States Naval Academy, the University of Richmond, East Carolina University, and American University. In 2001, the six-member conference added four additional universities: Towson University, Drexel University, Hofstra University, and the University of Delaware. Four years later the league expanded again when Georgia State University and Northeastern University joined, further enlarging the conference footprint. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) left for the Atlantic 10 Conference in July 2012.^[5] More changes came in 2013: Old Dominion University left for Conference USA,^[6] Georgia State joined the Sun Belt Conference,^[7] and the College of Charleston joined the CAA from the Southern Conference.^[8]

On the playing field, the CAA has produced 16 national team champions in six different sports (the most recent being the James Madison University Dukes who won the 2018 Division I Women's Lacrosse championship), 33 individual national champions, 11 national coaches of the year, 11 national players of the year and 12 Honda Award winners. In 2006, George Mason became the first CAA team to reach the Final Four. In 2011, the VCU Rams became the second CAA team to reach the Final Four, as well as the first team to win five games en route, due to their participation in the First Four round.

On March 25, 2013, George Mason University left the CAA to join the Atlantic 10 Conference.^[9] Shortly after, the CAA ceased sponsorship of wrestling due to the lack of teams.

The 2015–16 basketball season saw the conference RPI reach its highest rating when it finished the season ranked 9th in the nation.

During another phase of realignment that started in 2021, the CAA was affected when longtime member James Madison University announced it would leave the CAA, transition its football program to the Football Bowl Subdivision, and join the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). Initially, JMU was to join the SBC in July 2023.^[10] However, the timeline changed when the CAA chose to ban JMU from subsequent championship events, citing a conference bylaw that allows it to impose such a ban on a departing member. Thus, JMU officially joined the Sun Belt in July 2022 instead (at which time it was counted as an FBS member for scheduling purposes after meeting an NCAA minimum requirement of five FBS opponents at home), housing all of its sports in that league, including men's soccer, which would be sponsored by the SBC again, but one season earlier.^[11] ^[12]

Shortly before JMU announced its departure, it was reported that the CAA sought to expand by several schools, allowing it to split into a divisional format for most of its sports in order to reduce travel costs for its members. Among the schools named as possible candidates were Fairfield University, Howard University, Monmouth University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.^[13] ^[14] In January 2022, reports emerged that Hampton University, a historically black institution that had been working toward a CAA move since at least 1995, would likely join the CAA that July. Monmouth was again named as a potential CAA expansion candidate. Also, Stony Brook University, already a member of CAA Football, was named as a candidate for membership in the all-sports CAA.^[15] On January 18, local media in Monmouth's home of New Jersey reported that a CAA invitation to that school was imminent.^[16]

The CAA later announced on January 25 that Hampton, Monmouth, and Stony Brook would become members of the all-sports CAA that July, with Hampton and Monmouth joining Stony Brook in CAA Football.^[17] On February 22, the CAA announced that North Carolina A&T State University would join the all-sports CAA that July and CAA Football in 2023.^[3] Still later, Campbell University was announced as a new member of both sides of the league effective in 2023.^[4]

On July 20, 2023, the Colonial Athletic Association rebranded as the Coastal Athletic Association, citing the expansion of the conference footprint throughout the east coast for the change in name; however, the current logo was unchanged.^[18]

On November 28, 2023, Delaware announced its departure from the CAA and transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) joining Conference USA on July 1, 2025.^[19]

Commissioners

Name	Dates
Tom Yeager	1979–July 1, 2016
Joe D'Antonio	July 1, 2016–present

Member schools

Full members

Current full members

Institution	Location	Founded	Joined	Type	Enrollment	Endowment	Nickname	Colors
Campbell University	Buies Creek, North Carolina	1887	2023	Private	5,622	$165,000,000	Fighting Camels
College of Charleston	Charleston, South Carolina	1770	2013	Public	10,783	$102,800,000	Cougars
University of Delaware	Newark, Delaware	1743	2001	Public	23,281	$1,450,000,000	Fightin' Blue Hens
Drexel University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	1891	2001	Private	22,412	$798,300,000	Dragons
Elon University	Elon, North Carolina	1889	2014	Private	6,991	$365,600,000	Phoenix
Hampton University	Hampton, Virginia	1868	2022	Private	3,516	$280,600,000	Pirates & Lady Pirates
Hofstra University	Hempstead, New York	1935	2001	Private	10,871	$637,100,000	Pride
Monmouth University	West Long Branch, New Jersey	1933	2022	Private	5,675	$108,463,000	Hawks
North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, North Carolina	1891	2022	Public	13,332	$178,000,000	Aggies
Northeastern University	Boston, Massachusetts	1898	2005	Private	21,627	$1,070,000,000	Huskies
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, New York	1957	2022	Public	26,782	$360,200,000	Seawolves
Towson University	Towson, Maryland	1866	data-sort-value=2001		1979, 2001	22,923	$87,800,000	Tigers
	Wilmington, North Carolina	1947	1984		17,499	$103,800,000	Seahawks
	Williamsburg, Virginia	1693	1979		8,817	$1,278,400,000	Tribe

Notes:

Former full members

Institution	Location	Founded	Joined	Left	Type	Nickname	Current conference
American University	Washington, D.C.	1893	1984	2001	Private	Eagles	Patriot
	Baltimore, Maryland	1925	1979	1981	Public	Super Bees	none
	Washington, D.C.	1887	1979	1981	Private	Cardinals	Landmark
East Carolina University	Greenville, North Carolina	1907	1981	2001	Public	Pirates	American
George Mason University	Fairfax, Virginia	1957	1979	2013		Patriots	Atlantic 10
Georgia State University	Atlanta, Georgia	1913	2005	2013		Panthers	Sun Belt
James Madison University	Harrisonburg, Virginia	1908	1979	2022		Dukes	Sun Belt
	Annapolis, Maryland	1845	1979	1991	Federal	Midshipmen	Patriot
Old Dominion University	Norfolk, Virginia	1930	1979	1982	Public	Monarchs	Sun Belt
Old Dominion University	Norfolk, Virginia	1930	1991	2013	Public	Monarchs	Sun Belt
	Richmond, Virginia	1830	1979	2001	Private	Spiders	Atlantic 10
Saint Francis University	Loretto, Pennsylvania	1847	1979	1981	Private	Red Flash	Northeast
Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond, Virginia	1838	1995	2012	Public	Rams	Atlantic 10

Notes

Associate members

In all tables below, dates of joining and departure reflect the calendar years these moves took effect. For spring sports, the year of arrival is the calendar year before the first season of competition. For fall sports, the year of departure is the calendar year after the final season of competition.

Current associate members

Institution	Location	Founded	Joined	Type	Enrollment	Nickname	CAA sport	Primary conference
	La Jolla, California	1960	2020	Public	40,473	Tritons	rowing (w)	Big West
	Storrs, Connecticut	1881	2019	Public	32,257	Huskies	rowing (w)^[20]	Big East
Eastern Michigan University	Ypsilanti, Michigan	1849	2012	Public	20,313	Eagles	rowing (w)	Mid-American
Fairfield University	Fairfield, Connecticut	1942	2014	Private	5,273	Stags	lacrosse (m)	MAAC
Villanova University	Villanova, Pennsylvania	1842	2015	Private	11,023	Wildcats	rowing (w)	Big East

Notes:

Former associate members

Institution	Location	Founded	Joined	Left	Type	Nickname	CAA sport	Primary conference	Conference in former CAA sport
Binghamton University	Vestal, New York	1946	2001	2013	Public	Bearcats	wrestling	America East	EIWA
Boston College	Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts	1842	2001	2002	Private	Eagles	wrestling	ACC
Boston University	Boston, Massachusetts	1839	2001 (wrestling)	2013		Terriers	wrestling	Patriot	none
Boston University	Boston, Massachusetts	1839	2011 (rowing)	2013		Terriers	rowing (w)	Patriot	Patriot
	Buffalo, New York	1846	2008	2017	Public	Bulls	rowing (w)	MAC	none
Campbell University	Buies Creek, North Carolina	1887	1996	2008	Private	Fighting Camels	wrestling	Big South	Southern
Davidson College	Davidson, North Carolina	1837	2001	2007		Wildcats	swimming & diving	Atlantic 10
	Dayton, Ohio	1850	2002	2014		Flyers	golf (w)	Atlantic 10	Metro Atlantic
Liberty University	Lynchburg, Virginia	1971	1991	1994		Flames	wrestling	CUSA	none
Loyola University Maryland	Baltimore, Maryland	1852	2001	2002		Greyhounds	lacrosse (m)	Patriot
	Amherst, Massachusetts	1863	2007	2012	Public	Minutemen	lacrosse	Atlantic 10
	Greensboro, North Carolina	1891	1994	1996		Spartans	wrestling	SoCon	none
Penn State University	University Park, Pennsylvania	1855	2009	2014		Nittany Lions	lacrosse (m)	Big Ten
	Richmond, Virginia	1830	2002	2014	Private	Spiders	golf (w)	Atlantic 10	Patriot
Rider University	Lawrenceville, New Jersey	1865	2001	2013		Broncs	wrestling	MAAC	MAC
Robert Morris University	Moon Township, Pennsylvania	1921	2001	2009		Colonials	lacrosse (m)	Horizon	NEC
Sacred Heart University	Fairfield, Connecticut	1963	2005 (lacrosse)	2009		Pioneers	lacrosse (m)	MAAC	MAAC
Sacred Heart University	Fairfield, Connecticut	1963	2001 (wrestling)	2010		Pioneers	wrestling	MAAC	EIWA
Saint Joseph's University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	1851	2010	2013		Hawks	lacrosse (m)	Atlantic 10	Atlantic 10
Villanova University	Villanova, Pennsylvania	1842	2001	2009		Wildcats	lacrosse (m)	Big East
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Blacksburg, Virginia	1872	1992	1998	Public	Hokies	wrestling	ACC
Wagner College	Staten Island, New York	1883	2001	2007	Private	Seahawks	wrestling	NEC	none
Xavier University	Cincinnati, Ohio	1831	2002	2013	Private	Musketeers	golf (w)	Big East

Notes:

Membership timeline

DateFormat = yyyy

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Period = from:1979 till:2030

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

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id:line value:black

id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote) id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1981 text:Baltimore (1979–81) bar:1 shift:(75) color:OtherC1 from:1981 till:1983 text:ECAC-Metro (1981–83), then dropped athletics

bar:2 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1981 text:Catholic (D.C.) (1979–81) bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1981 till:1982 bar:2 shift:(80) color:OtherC2 from:1982 till:1984 text:ODAC bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1984 till:1989 bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:2007 text:CAC bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:end text:Landmark

bar:3 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1981 text:St. Francis (Pa.) (1979–81) bar:3 shift:(110) color:OtherC1 from:1981 till:1988 text:ECAC-Metro bar:3 shift:(40) color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:end text:NEC bar:4 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1981 text:Towson State (1979–81) bar:4 shift:(80) color:OtherC1 from:1981 till:1982 text:ECAC-Metro (1981–82) bar:4 shift:(170) color:OtherC2 from:1982 till:1992 text:ECC bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:1995 text:Big South bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2001 text:America East bar:4 color:FullxF from:2001 till:end text:Towson (2001–present)

bar:5 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1982 text:Old Dominion (1979–82) bar:5 shift:(75) color:OtherC1 from:1982 till:1991 text:Sun Belt bar:5 color:FullxF from:1991 till:2013 text:(1991–2013) bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2022 text:C-USA bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:Sun Belt

bar:6 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1991 text:Navy (1979–91) bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:end text:Patriot

bar:7 color:FullxF from:1979 till:2001 text:Richmond (1979–2001) bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:A-10

bar:8 color:FullxF from:1979 till:2013 text:George Mason (1979–2013) bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:A-10

bar:9 color:FullxF from:1979 till:2022 text:James Madison (1979–2022) bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:Sun Belt

bar:10 color:FullxF from:1979 till:end text:William & Mary (1979–present)

bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1981 text:Indep. bar:11 color:FullxF from:1981 till:2001 text:East Carolina (1981–2001) bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2014 text: C-USA bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:2014 till:end text: AAC

bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1984 text:ECC bar:12 color:FullxF from:1984 till:2001 text:American (1984–2001) bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:Patriot

bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1984 text:Independent bar:13 color:FullxF from:1984 till:end text:UNC Wilmington (1984–present)

bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1991 text:Sun Belt bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1995 text:Metro bar:14 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2012 text:VCU (1995–2012) bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:end text:A-10

bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1991 text:ECC bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1996 text:NAC bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:1996 till:2001 text:AmEast bar:16 color:FullxF from:2001 till:2025 text:Delaware (2001–25) bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2025 till:end text:C-USA

bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1991 text:ECC bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1996 text:NAC bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:1996 till:2001 text:AmEast bar:17 color:FullxF from:2001 till:end text:Drexel (2001–present)

bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1994 text:ECC bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:1994 till:1996 text:NAC bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:1996 till:2001 text:AmEast bar:18 color:FullxF from:2001 till:end text:Hofstra (2001–present)

bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1981 text:Sun Belt bar:19 shift:(10) color:OtherC2 from:1981 till:2013 text:Indep. bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:2001 text:TAAC bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2005 text:A-Sun bar:19 color:FullxF from:2005 till:2013 text:Georgia State (2005–13) bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Sun Belt

bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1981 text:Indep. bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:1981 till:1988 text:ECAC-North bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:1996 text:NAC bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:1996 till:2005 text:AmEast bar:20 color:FullxF from:2005 till:end text:Northeastern (2005–present)

bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1991 text:NAIA Independent bar:38 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1998 text:TAAC bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2013 text:SoCon bar:38 color:FullxF from:2013 till:end text:Charleston (2013–present)

bar:41 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1989 text:CIAC bar:41 color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:1997 text:SAC bar:41 color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:1999 text:Indep. bar:41 color:OtherC2 from:1999 till:2003 text:Big South bar:41 color:OtherC1 from:2003 till:2014 text:SoCon bar:41 color:FullxF from:2014 till:end text:Elon (2014–present)

bar:45 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1995 text:CIAA bar:45 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2018 text:MEAC bar:45 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:2022 text:Big South bar:45 color:FullxF from:2022 till:end text:Hampton (2022–present)

bar:46 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1985 text:Independent bar:46 color:OtherC2 from:1985 till:2013 text:NEC bar:46 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2022 text:MAAC bar:46 color:FullxF from:2022 till:end text:Monmouth (2022–present)

bar:47 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:2021 text:MEAC bar:47 shift:(-25) color:OtherC2 from:2021 till:2022 text:Big South bar:47 color:FullxF from:2022 till:end text:North Carolina A&T (2022–present)

bar:39 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1989 text:D-III Independent bar:39 color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:1994 text:Skyline bar:39 shift:-20 color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:1995 text:D-III Ind. bar:39 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:1999 text:NECC bar:39 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:2001 text:Indep. bar:39 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2022 text:AmEast bar:39 color:FullxF from:2022 till:end text:Stony Brook (2022–present)

bar:48 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1983 text:Independent bar:48 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:1994 text:Big South bar:48 color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:2001 text:TAAC bar:48 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2011 text:ASUN bar:48 color:OtherC2 from:2011 till:2023 text:Big South bar:48 color:FullxF from:2023 till:end text:Campbell (2023–present)

bar:N color:powderblue from:1979 till:1985 text:ECAC South bar:N color:blue from:1985 till:2023 text:Colonial Athletic Association bar:N color:powderblue from:2023 till:end text:Coastal Athletic Association

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> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <#

Sports

The CAA sponsors championship competitions in ten men's and thirteen women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Eleven schools are associate members in three sports.^[21] This does not include football, administered by the CAA through the separate entity of CAA Football.


width=60	Men's	Women's
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Field Hockey
Golf
Lacrosse
Rowing
Soccer
Softball
Swimming & Diving
Tennis
Track and Field (Indoor)
Track and Field (Outdoor)
Volleyball

Men's sponsored sports by school

Associate members
School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross country	width=50	Golf !	Lacrosse	Soccer	Swimming & diving	Tennis	Track &<br /> field (indoor)	Track &<br /> field (outdoor)	Total CAA sports
Campbell											8
Charleston											6
Delaware											7
Drexel											6
Elon											6
Hampton											6
Hofstra											8
Monmouth											10
North Carolina A&T											7
Northeastern											6
Stony Brook											7
Towson											5
UNC Wilmington											8
William & Mary											9
Totals	12	14	11	11	7+1	11	6	11	8	9	98+1
Fairfield											1

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the CAA which are played by CAA schools

School	Football	Gymnastics	Ice hockey	Sailing	Squash	Wrestling
Campbell		—	—	–	—
Charleston	–	—	—		—	—
Delaware		–	–	–	–	–
Drexel	–	—	—	—	Independent	EIWA
Elon		–	–	–	–	–
Hampton		—	—		–	–
Hofstra	–	–	–	–	–	EIWA
Monmouth		–	–	–	–	–
North Carolina A&T		–	–	–	–	–
Northeastern	–	—		—	—	—
Stony Brook		–	–	–	–	–
Towson		–	–	–	–	–
William & Mary			—	—	—	—

Notes

Women's sponsored sports by school

Associate members
School	Basketball	Cross country	Field hockey	width=50	Golf !	Lacrosse	Rowing	Soccer	Softball	Swimming & diving	Tennis	Track &<br /> field (indoor)	Track &<br /> field (outdoor)	Volleyball	Total CAA sports
Campbell														11
Charleston														9
Delaware														13
Drexel														8
Elon														10
Hampton														8
Hofstra														11
Monmouth														12
North Carolina A&T														8
Northeastern														9
Stony Brook														10
Towson														12
UNC Wilmington														10
William & Mary														11
Totals	14	13	7	10	9	4+4	13	12	9	13	13	13	12	139+4
UC San Diego														1
Eastern Michigan														1
UConn														1
Villanova														1

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the CAA which are played by CAA schools

School	Beach volleyball	Bowling	Equestrian	Gymnastics	Ice hockey	Sailing	Squash	Triathlon
Charleston		–	Independent	—	—		—	–
Delaware	—	—	—	—		—	—	–
Drexel	—	—	—	—	—	—	Independent	—
Hampton	—	—	—	—	—		—	Independent
Monmouth	—		—	—	—	—	—	–
North Carolina A&T	—		—	—	—	—	—	–
Northeastern	—	—	—	—		—	Independent	—
Towson	—	—	—		—	—	—	–
UNC Wilmington		—	—	—	—	—	—	–
William & Mary	—	—	—		—	—	—	–

Notes

In addition to the above, Charleston counts its female cheerleaders (though not its male cheerleaders) and all-female dance team as varsity teams. Neither cheerleading nor dance team competitions are sponsored by the NCAA.

Current champions

RS = regular-season champion; T = tournament champion

Season	Sport	Men's champion	Women's champion
Fall 2023	Cross country		Elon
	Field hockey	–	Monmouth (RS) William & Mary (T)
	Soccer	Hofstra & Monmouth (RS) Hofstra (T)	Towson (RS & T)
	Volleyball	–	Towson (RS) Delaware (T)
Winter 2023–24	Basketball	Charleston (RS & T)	Stony Brook (RS) Drexel (T)
Winter 2023–24	Swimming & diving		UNCW
Spring 2024	Baseball	Charleston (RS) UNCW (T)	–
	Golf	Charleston	Delaware
	Lacrosse	Towson (RS & T)	Stony Brook (RS & T)
	Rowing	–	Northeastern
	Softball	–	Campbell (RS) UNCW (T)
	Tennis	UNCW	William & Mary
	Track & field (outdoor)	Northeastern	Northeastern

Men's basketball

	Denotes a tie for regular season conference title
†	Denotes game went into overtime

Regular season champions

Note: The conference was known as the ECAC South from 1979 to 1985.

Season	Regular Season Champion	Conference Record
1980	Old Dominion
1981	James Madison
1982	James Madison
1983	William & Mary
1984	Richmond
1985	Navy	11–3
1986	Navy	13–1
1987	Navy	13–1
1988	Richmond	11–3
1989	Richmond	13–1
1990	James Madison	11–3
1991	James Madison	12–2
1992	Richmond	12–2
1993	James Madison	11–3
1994	Old Dominion	10–4
1995	Old Dominion	12–2
1996	VCU	14–2
1997	Old Dominion	10–6
1998*	William & Mary UNC Wilmington	13–3
1999	George Mason	13–3
2000*	George Mason James Madison	12–4
2001	Richmond	12–4
2002	UNC Wilmington	14–4
2003	UNC Wilmington	15–3
2004	VCU	14–4
2005	Old Dominion	15–3
2006*	George Mason UNC Wilmington	15–3
2007	VCU	16–2
2008	VCU	15–3
2009	VCU	14–4
2010	Old Dominion	15–3
2011	George Mason	16–2
2012	Drexel	16–2
2013	Northeastern	14–4
2014	Delaware	14–2
2015	William & Mary UNC Wilmington Northeastern James Madison	12–6
2016	Hofstra UNC Wilmington	14–4
2017	UNC Wilmington	15–3
2018	CollegeofCharleston Northeastern	14–4
2019	Hofstra	15–3
2020	Hofstra	14-4
2021	James Madison Northeastern	8–2
2022	Towson UNC Wilmington	15–3
2023	Hofstra Charleston	16–2
2024	Charleston	15–3

History of the tournament final

Year	CAA Champions	Score	Runner-up	Tournament MVP	Venue
1980	Old Dominion	62–51^†	Navy	, Old Dominion	Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, Virginia)
1981	James Madison	69–60	Richmond	, James Madison	Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, Virginia)
1982	Old Dominion	58–57	James Madison	(2), Old Dominion	Norfolk Scope (Norfolk, Virginia)
1983	James Madison	41–38	William & Mary	, James Madison	Robins Center (Richmond, Virginia)
1984	Richmond	74–55	Navy	, Richmond	Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
1985	Navy	85–76	Richmond	, Navy	William & Mary Hall (Williamsburg, Virginia)
1986	Navy	72–61	George Mason	, Navy	Patriot Center (Fairfax, Virginia)
1987	Navy	53–50	James Madison	(2), Navy	Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, Virginia)
1988	Richmond	73–70	George Mason	, Richmond	Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, Virginia)
1989	George Mason	78–72^†	UNC Wilmington	, George Mason	Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, Virginia)
1990	Richmond	77–72	James Madison	, Richmond	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1991	Richmond	81–78	George Mason	, Richmond	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1992	Old Dominion	78–73	James Madison	, Old Dominion	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1993	East Carolina	54–49	James Madison	, East Carolina	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1994	James Madison	77–76	Old Dominion	, Old Dominion	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1995	Old Dominion	80–75	James Madison	, Old Dominion	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1996	VCU	46–43	UNC Wilmington	, VCU	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1997	Old Dominion	62–58	James Madison	(2), Old Dominion	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1998	Richmond	79–64	UNC Wilmington	, Richmond	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1999	George Mason	63–58	Old Dominion	, George Mason	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2000	UNC Wilmington	57–47	Richmond	, UNC Wilmington	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2001	George Mason	35–33	UNC Wilmington	, George Mason	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2002	UNC Wilmington	66–51	VCU	(2), UNC Wilmington	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2003	UNC Wilmington	70–62	Drexel	(3), UNC Wilmington	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2004	VCU	55–54	George Mason	, VCU	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2005	Old Dominion	73–66^†	VCU	, Old Dominion	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2006	UNC Wilmington	78–67	Hofstra	, UNC Wilmington	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2007	VCU	65–59	George Mason	, VCU	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2008	George Mason	68–59	William & Mary	, George Mason	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2009	VCU	71–50	George Mason	(2), VCU	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2010	Old Dominion	60–53	William & Mary	, Old Dominion	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2011	Old Dominion	70–65	VCU	, Old Dominion	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2012	VCU	59–56	Drexel	, VCU	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2013	James Madison	70–57	Northeastern	, James Madison	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
2014	Delaware	75–74	William & Mary	, Delaware	Baltimore Arena (Baltimore, Maryland)
2015	Northeastern	72–61	William & Mary	, Northeastern	Royal Farms Arena (Baltimore, Maryland)
2016	UNC Wilmington	80–73^†	Hofstra	, UNC Wilmington	Royal Farms Arena (Baltimore, Maryland)
2017	UNC Wilmington	78–69	Charleston	, UNC Wilmington	North Charleston Coliseum (North Charleston, South Carolina)
2018	Charleston	83–76^†	Northeastern	, Charleston	North Charleston Coliseum (North Charleston, South Carolina)
2019	Northeastern	82–74	Hofstra	, Northeastern	North Charleston Coliseum (North Charleston, South Carolina)
2020	Hofstra	70–61	Northeastern	, Hofstra	Entertainment and Sports Arena (Washington, D.C.)
2021	Drexel	63–56	Elon	, Drexel	Atlantic Union Bank Center (Harrisonburg, VA)
2022	Delaware	59–55	UNC Wilmington	Jyare Davis, Delaware	Entertainment and Sports Arena (Washington, D.C.)
2023	Charleston	63–58	UNC Wilmington	Ryan Larson, Charleston	Entertainment and Sports Arena (Washington, D.C.)
2024	Charleston	82–79^†	Stony Brook	Reyne Smith, Charleston	Entertainment and Sports Arena (Washington, D.C.)

Men's CAA tournament championships and finalists

School	Championships	Finals Appearances	class=unsortable	Years
Old Dominion^‡	8	10	align=left	1980, 1982, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2010, 2011
UNC Wilmington	6	12	align=left	2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2016, 2017
Richmond^‡	5	8	align=left	1984, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1998
VCU^‡	5	8	align=left	1996, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012
James Madison^‡	4	11	align=left	1981, 1983, 1994, 2013
George Mason^‡	4	10	align=left	1989, 1999, 2001, 2008
Charleston	3	4	2018, 2023, 2024
Navy^‡	3	5	align=left	1985, 1986, 1987
Northeastern	2	5	align=left	2015, 2019
Delaware	2	2	align=left	2014, 2022
Hofstra	1	4	align=left	2020
Drexel	1	2	2021
East Carolina^‡	1	1	align=left	1993
William & Mary	0	5	—
Elon	0	1	—
Stony Brook	0	1	—
Campbell	0	0	—
Hampton	0	0	—
Monmouth	0	0	—
North Carolina A&T	0	0	—
Towson	0	0	—

^‡Former member of the CAA

Broadcasters

Women's basketball

	Denotes a tie for regular season conference title
†	Denotes game went into overtime

Regular season champions

Season	Regular Season Champion	Conference Record
1984	Richmond
1985	East Carolina	11–1
1986	James Madison	11–1
1987	James Madison	12–0
1988	James Madison	12–0
1989	James Madison	12–0
1990	Richmond	11–1
1991	James Madison	11–1
1992	Old Dominion	12–2
1993	Old Dominion	14–0
1994	Old Dominion	14–0
1995	Old Dominion	13–1
1996	Old Dominion	16–0
1997	Old Dominion	16–0
1998	Old Dominion	16–0
1999	Old Dominion	16–0
2000	Old Dominion	16–0
2001	Old Dominion	15–1
2002	Old Dominion	18–0
2003	Old Dominion	15–3
2004	Old Dominion	14–4
2005	Delaware	16–2
2006	Old Dominion	17–1
2007	Old Dominion	17–1
2008	Old Dominion	17–1
2009	Drexel	16–2
2010	Old Dominion	14–4
2011	James Madison	16–2
2012	Delaware	18–0
2013	Delaware	18–0
2014	James Madison	15–1
2015	James Madison	17–1
2016	James Madison	17–1
2017	Elon	16–2
2018*	Drexel James Madison	16–2
2019	James Madison	17–1
2020*	Drexel James Madison	16–2
2021	Delaware	16–2
2022	Drexel	16–2
2023*	Towson Drexel Northeastern	13–5
2024	Stony Brook	16–2

History of the tournament finals

Year	CAA Champions	Score	Runner-up	Tournament MVP	Venue
1984	East Carolina	54–39	Richmond	N/A	Minges Coliseum (Greenville, North Carolina)
1985	East Carolina	65–59	James Madison	N/A	William & Mary Hall (Williamsburg, Virginia)
1986	James Madison	66–62	East Carolina	Lisa Squirewell, ECU	Trask Coliseum (Wilmington, North Carolina)
1987	James Madison	74–62	American	Sydney Beasley, JMU	JMU Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
1988	James Madison	87–72	George Mason	Sydney Beasley, JMU	Bender Arena (Washington, D.C.)
1989	James Madison	55–45	Richmond	Carolin Dehn-Duhr, JMU	William & Mary Hall (Williamsburg, Virginia)
1990	Richmond	47–46	James Madison	Pam Bryant, UR	Robins Center (Richmond, Virginia)
1991	Richmond	88–70	East Carolina	Ginny Norton, UR	JMU Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
1992	Old Dominion	80–75	East Carolina	Pam Huntley, ODU	ODU Field House (Norfolk, Virginia)
1993	Old Dominion	65–51	William & Mary	Pam Huntley, ODU	ODU Field House (Norfolk, Virginia)
1994	Old Dominion	78–61	George Mason	Celeste Hill, ODU	JMU Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
1995	Old Dominion	63–44	James Madison	Ticha Penicheiro, ODU	ODU Field House (Norfolk, Virginia)
1996	Old Dominion	84–58	James Madison	Clarisse Machanguana, ODU	ODU Field House (Norfolk, Virginia)
1997	Old Dominion	83–46	East Carolina	Clarisse Machanguana, ODU	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1998	Old Dominion	82–49	American	Ticha Penicheiro, ODU	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)
1999	Old Dominion	73–67	East Carolina	Natalie Diaz, ODU	Robins Center (Richmond, Virginia)
2000	Old Dominion	92–49	UNC Wilmington	Natalie Diaz, ODU	ALLTEL Pavilion (Richmond, Virginia)
2001	Old Dominion	66–62	James Madison	Monique Coker, ODU	ODU Field House (Norfolk, Virginia)
2002	Old Dominion	76–48	UNC Wilmington	Okeisha Howard, ODU	ODU Field House (Norfolk, Virginia)
2003	Old Dominion	66–58	Delaware	Shareese Grant, ODU	Ted Constant Convocation Center (Norfolk, Virginia)
2004	Old Dominion	85–81	George Mason	Shareese Grant, ODU	Ted Constant Convocation Center (Norfolk, Virginia)
2005	Old Dominion	78–74^†	Delaware	Shareese Grant, ODU	Patriot Center (Fairfax, Virginia)
2006	Old Dominion	58–54	James Madison	T. J. Jordan, ODU	Patriot Center (Fairfax, Virginia)
2007	Old Dominion	78–70	James Madison	T. J. Jordan, ODU	Bob Carpenter Center (Newark, Delaware)
2008	Old Dominion	74–51	VCU	Shahida Williams, ODU	Bob Carpenter Center (Newark, Delaware)
2009	Drexel	64–58	James Madison	Gabriela Marginean, Drexel	JMU Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
2010	James Madison	67–53	Old Dominion	Dawn Evans, JMU	JMU Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
2011	James Madison	67–61	Delaware	Dawn Evans, JMU	The Show Place Arena (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
2012	Delaware	59–43	Drexel	Elena Delle Donne, UD	The Show Place Arena (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
2013	Delaware	59–56	Drexel	Elena Delle Donne, UD	The Show Place Arena (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
2014	James Madison	70–45	Delaware	Jazmon Gwathmey, JMU	The Show Place Arena (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
2015	James Madison	62–56	Hofstra	Jazmon Gwathmey, JMU	The Show Place Arena (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
2016	James Madison	60–46	Drexel	Jazmon Gwathmey, JMU	The Show Place Arena (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
2017	Elon	78–60	James Madison	Lauren Brown, Elon	JMU Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
2018	Elon	57–45	Drexel	Shay Burnett, Elon	Daskalakis Athletic Center (Philadelphia)
2019	Towson	53–49	Drexel	Nukiya Mayo, Towson	Bob Carpenter Center (Newark, Delaware)
2020	Tournament canceled after the opening round due to the COVID-19 pandemic				Schar Center (Elon, North Carolina)
2021	Drexel	63–52	Delaware	Keishana Washington, Drexel	Schar Center (Elon, North Carolina)
2022	Delaware	63–59	Drexel	Jasmine Dickey, UD	Daskalakis Athletic Center (Philadelphia)
2023	Monmouth	80–55	Towson	Bri Tinsley, Monmouth	SECU Arena (Towson, Maryland)
2024	Drexel	68–60	Stony Brook	Amaris Baker, Drexel	Entertainment and Sports Arena (Washington, D.C.)

Women's CAA tournament championships and finalists

School	Championships	Finals Appearances	class=unsortable	Years
Old Dominion^‡	17	18	align=left	1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
James Madison^‡	9	17	align=left	1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016
Drexel	3	9	align=left	2009, 2021, 2024
Delaware	3	8	align=left	2012, 2013, 2022
East Carolina^‡	2	6	align=left	1984, 1985
Richmond^‡	2	4	align=left	1990, 1991
Elon	2	2	align=left	2017, 2018
Towson	1	2	align=left	2019
Monmouth	1	1	align=left	2023
American^‡	0	2	—
George Mason^‡	0	3	—
UNC Wilmington	0	2	—
Stony Brook	0	1	—
William & Mary	0	1	—
VCU^‡	0	1	—
Campbell	0	0	—
Hampton	0	0	—
North Carolina A&T	0	0	—
Northeastern	0	0	—

^‡Former member of the CAA

Football

See main article: Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference.

Men's soccer

Regular season champions

Note: The conference was known as the ECAC South from 1983 to 1985.

List of CAA regular season champions.^[22]

Season	Regular Season Champion	Conference Record
1983	George Mason	4–1–0
1984	American	5–0–2
1985	American	6–1–0
1986	George Mason	5–0–2
1987	William & Mary	6–1–0
1988	Navy	5–1–1
1989	George Mason	6–0–1
1990	George Mason	6–1–0
1991	James Madison	6–1–0
1992	William & Mary	5–0–2
1993	James Madison	7–0–0
1994	James Madison	6–0–1
1995	William & Mary	6–2–0
1996	William & Mary	8–0–0
1997	American	6–0–2
1998	VCU	7–0–1
1999	Old Dominion	7–1–0
2000	James Madison	7–1–0
2001	Old Dominion	3–0–2
2002	VCU	7–1–1
2003	VCU	8–1–0
2004	VCU	7–1–1
2005	Old Dominion	9–1–1
2006	Towson	10–0–1
2007	Drexel	8–2–1
2008	UNC Wilmington	7–4–0
2009	UNC Wilmington	8–0–3
2010	William & Mary	8–1–2
2011	James Madison	8–3–0
2012	Drexel	8–1–1
2013	Drexel	4–1–2
2014	Delaware, Hofstra & UNCW	5–2–1
2015	Elon & Hofstra	6–2–0
2016	Hofstra	7–1–0
2017	James Madison	5–1–2
2018	James Madison	6–2
2019	UNC Wilmington	7–0–1
2020–21	North Division: Hofstra	2–0–2
2020–21	South Division: James Madison	align=center	4–0–0
2021	Hofstra	5–1–2
2022	Elon	6–1–2
2023	Hofstra & Monmouth	5–1–2

All-time conference championships

School	Championships	Outright Championships	class=unsortable	Years
James Madison ‡	7	7	1991, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2011, 2017, 2018
Hofstra	5	3	align=left	2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2023
UNC Wilmington	4	3	align=left	2008, 2009, 2014, 2019
Elon	2	0	align=left	2015, 2022
Towson	2	1	align=left	2011, 2012
Villanova ‡	2	0	align=left	*2009, 2012*
William & Mary	2	0	align=left	2010, 2015
Delaware	1	0	align=left	2010
Monmouth	1	0	align=left	2023
Massachusetts ‡	1	0	align=left	2007

Note: In the 2020–21 season, impacted by COVID-10, the CAA split into North and South Divisions, with conference play solely within each division, for that season only. No champion is included for this season.

Facilities

Departing member indicated in pink.

Gore Arena	3,095	Jim Perry Stadium	1,250
TD Arena	5,100	CofC Baseball Stadium at Patriot's Point	2,000
Bob Carpenter Center (The "Bob")	5,000	Bob Hannah Stadium	1,300
Daskalakis Athletic Center (The "DAC")	2,509	Non-baseball school
Schar Center	5,100	Walter C. Latham Park	500
Hampton Convocation Center	6,000	Non-baseball school
Mack Sports Complex (The "Mack")	5,124	University Field	400
OceanFirst Bank Center	4,100	Monmouth Baseball Field
Corbett Sports Center	5,000	War Memorial Stadium	7,500
Matthews Arena (men's) Cabot Center (women's)	6,000 2,500	Parsons Field	3,000
Island Federal Credit Union Arena	4,160	Joe Nathan Field	1,000
SECU Arena	5,200	John B. Schuerholz Baseball Complex	500
Trask Coliseum	5,200	Brooks Field	3,500
Kaplan Arena	8,600	Plumeri Park	1,000

Notes and References

Web site: Washburn . Rob . CAA Changes Official Conference Name To Coastal Athletic Association . 20 July 2023 . 20 July 2023.
Web site: January 25, 2022. CAA adding three new schools to conference. January 27, 2022. ESPN.com. en.
CAA Welcomes North Carolina A&T as Newest Member of the Conference . Colonial Athletic Association . February 22, 2022 . February 22, 2022.
Campbell University Accepts Invitation To Join The CAA In 2023 . Colonial Athletic Association . August 3, 2022 . August 3, 2022.
Atlantic 10 Conference Adds VCU as Full Member . Atlantic 10 Conference . May 15, 2012 . May 15, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120519023021/http://www.atlantic10.com/genrel/051512aaa.html . May 19, 2012 . mdy .
News: ODU will join C-USA in 2013 . Brett . McMurphy . CBS Sports . May 17, 2012 . July 1, 2012.
News: Sun Belt adding Georgia State . Brett . McMurphy . College Football Insider . CBS Sports. April 7, 2012 . April 9, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130521063405/http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18373785/georgia-state-to-sun-belt-announcement-monday . May 21, 2013 .
College of Charleston Accepts Invitation to Join the CAA in 2013 . Colonial Athletic Association . November 30, 2012 . December 4, 2012.
News: Goff. Steven. George Mason to join Atlantic 10 in July, leaving CAA . The Washington Post. March 25, 2013.
James Madison Joins Sun Belt Conference . Sun Belt Conference . November 6, 2021 . November 6, 2021.
James Madison to Compete in Sun Belt Conference in 2022-2023 . James Madison University Athletics . February 2, 2022 . February 6, 2022.
Sun Belt Conference Announces Return of Men's Soccer This Fall . Sun Belt Conference . April 6, 2022 . April 12, 2022.
News: CAA exploring expansion, two-division setup that would reduce travel costs . John . O'Connor . Richmond Times-Dispatch . October 26, 2021 . January 18, 2022.
News: Could HBCUs be in play for new-look CAA? . Steven J. . Gaither . HBCU Gameday . October 26, 2021 . January 18, 2022.
News: Hampton University, CAA look to finally make it happen . HBCU Gameday . January 14, 2022 . January 18, 2022.
News: Monmouth is leaving MAAC, Big South for Colonial Athletic Association . Adam . Zagoria . nj.com . January 18, 2022 . January 18, 2022.
CAA Welcomes Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University as New Members . Colonial Athletic Association . January 25, 2022 . January 25, 2022.
CAA Changes Official Conference Name To Coastal Athletic Association . Coastal Athletic Association . July 20, 2023 . July 20, 2023.
CUSA Adds Delaware, Blue Hens to join in 2025 . Conference USA . November 28, 2023 . Dec 2, 2023.
UConn to Join the CAA as an Associate Member in Women's Rowing . Colonial Athletic Association . December 4, 2019 . January 29, 2020.
Web site: CAASports.com—Official Web Site of the Colonial Athletic Association . Colonial Athletic Association . September 1, 2013.
Web site: 2023 CAA Men's Soccer Record Book . Colonial Athletic Association . January 4, 2023 . December 27, 2023.