East Atlantic Gymnastics League Explained

East Atlantic Gymnastics League
Founded:1995
Association:NCAA
Division:Division I
Teams:5
Sports:Women's gymnastics
Region:East Coast

The East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) is a collegiate women's gymnastics conference competing at the NCAA Division I level. The league comprises five universities.

Members

Current members

InstitutionCityStateNicknameJoinedPrimary conferenceConference
championships
WashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaRevolutionaries2004Atlantic 10 Conference3
University of New HampshireDurhamNew HampshireWildcats1995America East Conference3
Towson UniversityTowsonMarylandTigers1995Coastal Athletic Association1
BrookvilleNew YorkSharks2020Northeast Conference0
PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaOwls2020American Athletic Conference1

Former members

InstitutionTenureCurrent conferenceConference
championships
West Virginia University1995–2012Big 12 Conference7
University of Maryland1995–2014Big Ten Conference0
Rutgers University–New Brunswick1995–2014Big Ten Conference0
North Carolina State University1995–2023Atlantic Coast Conference6
University of North Carolina1995–20235
University of Pittsburgh1995–2023Atlantic Coast Conference1

History

EAGL was formed on July 31, 1995, when eight universities on the East Coast of the United States: the University of Maryland, the University of New Hampshire, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Rutgers University, Towson University, and West Virginia University joined to form a conference solely for women’s gymnastics. In August 1996, the EAGL officially became an affiliated member of the NCAA.

George Washington University joined the league in 2004. Towson, one of the original league members, left EAGL in 2005 to rejoin the Eastern College Athletic Conference. On February 3, 2012, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced that with the addition of Pittsburgh to the conference it would begin sponsoring a gymnastics championship, withdrawing the membership of the Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Pittsburgh from the EAGL.[1] However, Rutgers and Maryland both joined the Big Ten in 2014, a conference with an established gymnastics championship. West Virginia left the EAGL in 2012 upon joining the Big 12, a conference that also sponsored gymnastics.[2] As such, not enough schools fielding gymnastics teams remained in the ACC for that conference to sponsor gymnastics so North Carolina, NC State, and Pitt remained in the EAGL. Towson rejoined the league in 2013. On March 5, 2020, Long Island University announced plans to add a women's gymnastics team for the 2020-21 school year and join the EAGL.[3] On November 14, 2020, Temple University announced it would be leaving the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference to join the EAGL.[4]

On June 17, 2021, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced that, with the addition of NCAA Gymnastics at Clemson University, the ACC would begin sponsoring the sport for the 2023-24 school year, which will move Pittsburgh, North Carolina State and North Carolina from the EAGL to the ACC starting with the 2024 season.

Team champions

YearUniversityScore
1996West Virginia194.6
1997West Virginia196.0
1998West Virginia195.5
1999North Carolina State196.05
2000North Carolina State196.00
2001West Virginia196.375
2002North Carolina196.425
2003New Hampshire196.75
2004West Virginia197.050
2005North Carolina195.975
2006North Carolina195.325
2007North Carolina State195.475
2008West Virginia196.050
2009North Carolina State195.700
2010North Carolina196.025
2011North Carolina195.300
2012West Virginia196.475[5]
2013North Carolina State195.175
2014New Hampshire196.375
2015George Washington195.850
2016Pittsburgh195.675
2017George Washington196.275
2018North Carolina State196.625
2019New Hampshire195.950
2020Not Held due to COVID-19N/A
2021Temple196.500
2022George Washington196.325
2023Towson196.500
2024Towson197.300

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: ACC unveils scheduling plans for 14-team league . SI.com . Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network . . 3 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714212117/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/02/03/acc-expansion-schedule.ap/ . 14 July 2014 . live .
  2. Web site: Gymnastics is Ready for the Climb. WVU Athletics. 13 January 2013.
  3. News: LIU to Launch Division I Women's Gymnastics . March 5, 2020 . . March 5, 2020 . en.
  4. News: Gymnastics to Compete in the EAGL Beginning in 2021 . November 14, 2020 . . November 14, 2020 . en.
  5. Web site: 2012 EAGL Final Results. EAGL. 13 January 2013.