The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10 / A10) is a college athletic conference which operates mostly on the United States' Eastern seaboard. The league was created in 1975 and began play in the 1976-77 season.1)
The conference was first named the ECBL (Eastern Collegiate Basketball League), then next season went to the simpler “Eastern 8”. The name changed to the Atlantic 10 for the 1982-83 academic year.
Though the name implies ten member institutions, the league has always had a fluctuation in number of members.
Massachusetts had been a member of the A-10 since the league's inception, having moved over from the Yankee Conference in 1976. UMass will move to the MAC for almost all sports, basketball included, effective July 1, 2025,2) in a move driven entirely by football.
Since the 2022-23 season, the A-10 manages 15 schools in one division. Each school plays all other schools once, with four schools matched in a home-and-home series, for an 18-game schedule.3)
School | Location | Home Venue | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
Davidson | Davidson, NC | John M. Belk Arena | 5,223 |
Dayton | Dayton, OH | University of Dayton Arena | 13,435 |
Duquesne | Pittsburgh, PA | UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse | 3,500 |
Fordham | Bronx, NY | Rose Hill Gymnasium | 3,2004) |
George Washington | Washington, DC | Smith Center | 4,338 |
George Mason | Fairfax, VA | Patriot Center | 10,000 |
La Salle | Philadelphia, PA | John Glaser Arena | 3,0005) |
Loyola Chicago | Chicago, IL | Joseph J. Gentile Arena | 4,963 |
Massachusetts | Amherst, MA | William D. Mullins Memorial Center | 9,493 |
Rhode Island | Kingston, RI | Ryan Center | 7,657 |
Richmond | Richmond, VA | Robins Center | 9,071 |
Saint Bonaventure | Saint Bonaventure, NY | Reilly Center | 5,480 |
Saint Joseph's | Philadelphia, PA | Hagan Arena | 4,200 |
Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO | Chaifetz Arena | 10,600 |
VCU | Richmond, VA | Siegel Center | 7,500 |
Season | Members | Notes |
---|---|---|
1976-77 | 8 | League formed with Duquesne, George Washington, Massachusetts, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Villanova, West Virginia. East Division: GW, UM, Rut, Vill. West Division: Duq, Pitt, PSU, WV. |
1978-79 | 8 | Two division format scrapped in favor of single division. |
1979-80 | 8 | Saint Bonaventure joins the conference, while Penn State leaves to play as an independent for three seasons. |
1980-81 | 8 | Rhode Island joins the conference as Villanova leaves for the Big East. |
1982-83 | 10 | Major changes as Pittsburgh leaves for the Big East. New members: Temple and Saint Joseph's. Penn State re-joins league. Atlantic 10 name begins. Two division alignment resumes. East: UM, URI, Rut, SJU, Tem. West: Duq, GW, PSU, SBU, WV. |
1983-84 | 10 | Two division format scrapped in favor of single division. League schedule expands to 18 games. |
1991-92 | 9 | Penn State leaves for the Big 10. Atlantic 10 name doesn't match reality for first time in many years to come. League schedule reduced to 16 games. |
1992-93 | 8 | Duquesne takes a one-year hiatus from the league (playing in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference), leaving A-10 with 8 teams. League schedule reduced to 14 games with the membership drop. |
1993-94 | 9 | Duquesne re-joins league, A-10 back to 9 teams, and schedule back to 16 games. |
1995-96 | 12 | Shakeup again. Rutgers and West Virginia leave for the Big East. (Temple and Virginia Tech had also applied to join the Big East, but were passed over.) Newcomers: Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, VA Tech, Xavier. Back to two divisions. East: For, UM, URI, SBU, SJU, Tem. West: Day, Duq, GW, La Salle, VA Tech, Xav. Each division opponent played twice, other division opponents played once, total of 16 games. |
2000-01 | 11 | Virginia Tech leaves for the Big East. League aligns in an 11-team single division, maintains 16-game schedule. |
2001-02 | 12 | Richmond joins. League resumes two division format with Richmond taking Virginia Tech's place in the West. |
2005-06 | 14 | Charlotte and Saint Louis join. Single division format used again. Each opponent is played once, with three “rivals” played twice, for total of 16 games. |
2012-13 | 16 | VCU joins the league in an immediate transition from the Colonial Athletic Association.6) Butler, from the Horizon League, does the same.7) Each opponent is played once, with one “rival” played twice. |
2013-14 | 13 | Temple8) and Charlotte9) complete their plans to depart. Temple to the American Athletic Conference, Charlotte to Conference USA. The new Big East takes Butler and Xavier.10) George Mason moves from the Colonial to A-10.11) 16-game schedule remains.12) |
2014-15 | 14 | Davidson joins, moving from the Southern Conference.13) Conference schedule expands to 18 games.14) |
Late 2010s | 14 | Rumors about Dayton and St. Louis eyeing the reformed Big East, but those did not pan out, as the A-10 did not revive football sponsorship.15)16) |
2022-23 | 15 | Loyola Chicago joins, moving from the Missouri Valley.17) The conference maintains an 18-game schedule, but home-and-home matchups get reduced from five to four. |
2025-26 | 14 | UMass will depart for the MAC.18) |