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Formerly | Eastern College Athletic Conference-North (1979–1988) North Atlantic Conference (1988–1996) |
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Association | NCAA |
Founded | 1979 |
Commissioner | Brad Walker (since 2021) |
Sports fielded |
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Division | Division I |
Subdivision | non-football |
No. of teams | 9 full (1 associate) |
Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Region | Northeastern United States Mid-Atlantic (United States) |
Official website | www |
Locations | |
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The America East Conference (AmEast) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I whose members are located in the Northeastern United States. The conference is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
Founded in 1979, the conference has nine core members including eight public research universities, three of which - the University of Maine, the University of New Hampshire, and the University of Vermont - are the flagship universities of their states. Two non-flagship university centers of the State University of New York - the University at Albany and Binghamton University - are in the conference along with UMass Lowell, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Bryant University. Bryant is the latest institution to join the conference in 2022, when Stony Brook University and the University of Hartford departed the conference. It is the only private university among the core members.
The America East Conference sponsors 18 sports (8 men's and 10 women's).
The America East Conference was founded as the Eastern College Athletic Conference-North, a men's basketball-only athletic conference, in 1979. The conference was known as the Eastern College Athletic Conference-North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from 1988 to 1996. The charter members were the University of Rhode Island, the College of the Holy Cross, Canisius College, Niagara University, Colgate University, Northeastern University, Boston University, the University of Maine, the University of New Hampshire and the University of Vermont. The America East Conference made history during the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 16, 2018, when No. 16 seed UMBC defeated No. 1 seed Virginia, marking the first time in men's tournament history that a No. 1 seed had lost to a No. 16 seed. [1]
Many other events have occurred since its formation:
On May 6, 2021, Hartford's governing board voted to begin the process of transitioning the school from Division I to NCAA Division III. Under the plan, Hartford would formally apply to the NCAA for reclassification in January 2022, stop awarding athletic scholarships to incoming students from 2022–23 forward, and join an as-yet-undetermined D-III conference in 2023 before becoming a full D-III member in 2025–26. [8] [9]
Several media reports indicated that Hartford's last year in the American East Conference would be the 2021–22 season. [10] This was confirmed on June 21, 2022, when the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC; now known as the Conference of New England) announced that it would be Hartford's partner in the school's reclassification process, with the Hawks joining that league effective in 2023–24. Hartford played most of its sports in the 2022–23 season as a D-I independent. [11]
At the time, Hartford was the only private university in the conference; this status transferred to Bryant when it joined in July 2022.
On July 20, 2022, the conference announced that Merrimack College would join as a men's lacrosse member for the 2022–23 season. [12]
Institution | Nickname | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Carnegie Classification | Endowment | Enrollment | Colors |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University at Albany | Great Danes | Albany, New York | 1844 | 2001 | Public | R1 | $77.7 million | 17,746 | |
Binghamton University | Bearcats | Vestal, New York | 1946 | 2001 | Public | R1 | $119.4 million | 17,768 | |
Bryant University | Bulldogs | Smithfield, Rhode Island | 1863 | 2022 | Private | M1 | $208.0 million | 3,751 | |
University of Maine | Black Bears | Orono, Maine | 1865 | 1979 | Public | R1 | $323.0 million | 11,404 | |
University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Retrievers | Catonsville, Maryland | 1966 | 2003 | Public | R1 | $105.2 million | 13,767 | |
University of Massachusetts Lowell | River Hawks | Lowell, Massachusetts | 1894 | 2013 | Public | R1 | $173 million | 18,369 | |
University of New Hampshire | Wildcats | Durham, New Hampshire | 1866 | 1979 | Public | R1 | $404.0 million | 15,400 | |
New Jersey Institute of Technology | Highlanders | Newark, New Jersey | 1881 | 2020 | Public | R1 | $185 million | 12,332 | |
University of Vermont | Catamounts | Burlington, Vermont | 1791 | 1979 | Public | R1 | $731 million | 12,164 |
One school currently holds associate membership: VMI in Men’s and Women’s Swim and Dive
Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | AmEast sport | Primary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Virginia Military Institute (VMI) | Lexington, Virginia | 1839 | 2017–18 [a] | 1,653 | Keydets | men's swimming & diving women's swimming & diving | SoCon |
Eight schools have had single-sport membership in the past. Three of these, Fairfield, [14] Monmouth, and Providence, [15] moved their America East sports into their all-sports conferences. Another such school, NJIT, left when it joined a conference that sponsored its America East sport, [16] but returned as a full member in July 2020 (by which time the AmEast had dropped that sport). Pacific dropped its America East sport following the 2018–19 academic year due to budget cuts. [17] Merrimack College dropped its America East sport following the 2023–24 academic year when the school joined the MAAC. [18] Both Stanford and Cal moved their America East sports into the ACC following the 2023–24 academic year when both of the schools joined the conference. [19]
Full members (non-football)Assoc. member (basketball only)Assoc. member (list sports)Other ConferenceOther Conference
School | Soccer stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity | Baseball field | Capacity | Lacrosse facility | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albany | Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium | 8,500 | SEFCU Arena | 4,538 | Varsity Field | — | John Fallon Field Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium | 2,500 8,500 |
Binghamton | Bearcats Sports Complex | 2,534 | Binghamton University Events Center | 5,142 | Baseball Complex | 1,000 | Bearcats Sports Complex | 2,534 |
Bryant | Beirne Stadium | 5,500 | Chace Athletic Center | 2,700 | Conaty Park | 500 | Beirne Stadium | 5,500 |
Maine | Mahaney Diamond | 4,400 | Cross Insurance Center | 8,000 | Mahaney Diamond | 4,400 | Non-lacrosse school | |
New Hampshire | Wildcat Stadium | 11,015 | Lundholm Gym | 3,500 | Non-baseball school | |||
NJIT | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium | 1,000 | Wellness and Events Center | 3,500 | Yogi Berra Stadium | 5,000 | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium | 1,000 |
UMass Lowell | Cushing Field Complex | N/A | Tsongas Center Costello Athletic Center | 6,495 2,100 | Edward A. LeLacheur Park | 4,767 | Cushing Field Complex | N/A |
UMBC | Retriever Soccer Park | 1,500 | Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena | 5,000 | The Baseball Factory Field at UMBC | 1,000 | UMBC Stadium | 4,500 |
Vermont | Virtue Field | 2,600 | Patrick Gym | 3,228 | Non-baseball school | Virtue Field | 2,600 |
The America East Conference sponsors championship competition in eight men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. [20] The most recent changes to the roster of America East sports were announced in 2016, with the dropping of women's tennis after the 2015–16 season due to a lack of sponsoring teams and the revival of men's swimming and diving effective in the 2017–18 school year. [13]
Sport | Men's | Women's |
---|---|---|
Baseball | 7 | – |
Basketball | 9 | 9 |
Cross Country | 9 | 9 |
Field Hockey | – | 8 |
Lacrosse | 7 | 7 |
Soccer | 8 | 9 |
Softball | – | 6 |
Swimming & Diving | 6 | 7 |
Track and Field (Indoor) | 9 | 9 |
Track and Field (outdoor) | 9 | 9 |
Volleyball | – | 6 |
School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Lacrosse | Soccer | Swimming & Diving | Track & Field (indoor) | Track & Field (outdoor) | Total Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albany | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 7 |
Binghamton | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
Bryant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
Maine | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
New Hampshire | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 5 |
NJIT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
UMass Lowell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 7 |
UMBC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
Vermont | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 6 |
Totals | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 5+1 | 9 | 9 | 63+1 |
Associate Members | |||||||||
VMI | Yes | 1 |
School | Fencing | Football | Golf | Ice Hockey | Skiing | Tennis | Volleyball | Wrestling |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albany | No | CAA Football | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Binghamton | No | No | NEC | No | No | NEC | No | EIWA |
Bryant | No | CAA Football | OVC | No | No | Big South | No | No |
Maine | No | CAA Football | No | Hockey East | No | No | No | No |
New Hampshire | No | CAA Football | No | Hockey East | EISA | No | No | No |
NJIT | MACFA | No | No | No | No | Big South | EIVA | No |
UMass Lowell | No | No | No | Hockey East | No | No | No | No |
Vermont | No | No | No | Hockey East | EISA | No | No | No |
School | Basketball | Cross Country | Field Hockey | Lacrosse | Soccer | Softball | Swimming & Diving | Track & Field (indoor) | Track & Field (outdoor) | Volleyball | Total Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albany | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
Binghamton | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
Bryant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
Maine | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 8 |
New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
NJIT | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
UMass Lowell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | 8 |
UMBC | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
Vermont | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 8 |
Totals | 9 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6+1 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 76+1 |
Associate members | |||||||||||
VMI | Yes | 1 |
School | Bowling | Fencing | Golf | Gymnastics | Ice Hockey | Rowing | Skiing | Tennis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albany | No | No | MAAC | No | No | CAA | No | No |
Binghamton | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | NEC |
Bryant | ECC | No | OVC | No | No | CAA | No | OVC |
Maine | No | No | No | No | Hockey East | No | No | No |
New Hampshire | No | No | No | EAGL | Hockey East | No | EISA | No |
NJIT | No | MACFA | No | No | No | No | No | Big South |
Vermont | No | No | No | No | Hockey East | No | EISA | No |
School | Total | Men | Women | Co-ed | Nickname | Most successful sport (Titles) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vermont | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Catamounts | Men’s Soccer |
On December 16, 2024, the Vermont men’s soccer team won the Men’s D1 National Soccer Championship, becoming the first America East school to win a national title in a sport sponsored by the conference.
This list goes through the 2018–19 season.
No. | Team | Records | Win Pct. | America East Tournament Championships | America East Regular Season Championships | Final Fours | National Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Albany | 1,296-968 | .572 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
2 | Stony Brook | 864–724 | .544 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
3 | Vermont | 1,268-1126 | .530 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
4 | UMass Lowell | 646–608 | .515 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
5 | Hartford | 857–987 | .465 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Maine | 973–1215 | .445 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
7 | New Hampshire | 926–1355 | .406 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
8 | UMBC | 581–860 | .403 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
9 | Binghamton | 679–1022 | .399 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* | Denotes a tie for regular season conference title |
† | Denotes game went into overtime |
Year | Regular Season Champion | Record |
---|---|---|
1979–80 | Boston | 19–7 |
1980–81 | Northeastern | 21–5 |
1981–82 | Northeastern | 8–1 |
1982–83 | Boston | 8–2 |
1983–84 | Northeastern | 14–0 |
1984–85* | Canisius Northeastern | 13–3 |
1985–86 | Northeastern | 16–2 |
1986–87 | Northeastern | 17–1 |
1987–88 | Siena | 16–2 |
1988–89 | Siena | 16–1 |
1989–90* | Northeastern Boston | 9–3 |
1990–91 | Northeastern | 8–2 |
1991–92 | Delaware | 14–0 |
1992–93 | Drexel | 12–2 |
1993–94 | Drexel | 12–2 |
1994–95 | Drexel | 12–4 |
1995–96 | Drexel | 17–1 |
1996–97 | Boston | 17–1 |
1997–98* | Delaware Boston | 12–6 |
1998–99* | Delaware Drexel | 15–3 |
1999–00 | Hofstra | 16–2 |
2000–01 | Hofstra | 16–2 |
2001–02 | Vermont | 13–3 |
2002–03 | Boston | 13–3 |
2003–04 | Boston | 17–1 |
2004–05 | Vermont | 16–2 |
2005–06 | Albany | 13–3 |
2006–07 | Vermont | 15–1 |
2007–08 | UMBC | 13–3 |
2008–09* | Binghamton Vermont | 13–3 |
2009–10 | Stony Brook | 13–3 |
2010–11 | Vermont | 13–3 |
2011–12 | Stony Brook | 14–2 |
2012–13 | Stony Brook | 14–2 |
2013–14 | Vermont | 15–1 |
2014–15 | Albany | 15–1 |
2015–16 | Stony Brook | 14–2 |
2016–17 | Vermont | 16–0 |
2017–18 | Vermont | 15–1 |
2018–19 | Vermont | 14–2 |
2019–20 | Vermont | 14–2 |
2020–21* | UMBC Vermont | 10–4 |
2021–22 | Vermont | 17–1 |
2022–23 | Vermont | 14–2 |
2023–24 | Vermont | 15–1 |
2024–25 | Bryant | 14–2 |
During the 2018 NCAA tournament, UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's tournament, beating the Virginia Cavaliers 74–54. [21] [22]
No. | Team | Records | Win Pct. | America East Tournament Championships | America East Regular Season Championships | Final Fours | National Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Maine | 705–522 | .575 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
2 | Albany | 624–578 | .519 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
3 | New Hampshire | 583–545 | .517 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
4 | Vermont | 521–493 | .514 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
5 | Stony Brook | 594–602 | .497 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Binghamton | 504–512 | .496 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
7 | Hartford | 550–596 | .480 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
8 | UMass Lowell | 537–600 | .472 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
9 | UMBC | 520–711 | .422 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* | Denotes a tie for regular season conference title |
† | Denotes game went into overtime |
Year | Regular Season Champion | Record |
---|---|---|
1984–85* | New Hampshire Northeastern | |
1985–86 | Northeastern | 10–2 |
1986–87 | Northeastern | 12–2 |
1987–88* | Boston Maine | 12–2 |
1988–89 | Maine | 13–1 |
1989–90 | Maine | 11–1 |
1990–91 | Maine | 9–1 |
1991–92 | Vermont | 14–0 |
1992–93 | Vermont | 14–0 |
1993–94 | Maine | 12–2 |
1994–95 | Maine | 14–2 |
1995–96 | Maine | 18–0 |
1996–97 | Maine | 17–1 |
1997–98 | Vermont | 15–3 |
1998–99 | Maine | 17–1 |
1999–00 | Vermont | 15–3 |
2000–01 | Delaware | 17–1 |
2001–02 | Vermont | 14–2 |
2002–03 | Maine | 16–0 |
2003–04 | Maine | 17–1 |
2004–05 | Maine | 16–2 |
2005–06 | Hartford | 15–1 |
2006–07 | Hartford | 15–1 |
2007–08 | Hartford | 14–2 |
2008–09 | Boston | 16–0 |
2009–10 | Hartford | 16–0 |
2010–11 | UMBC | 13–3 |
2011–12 | Boston | 15–1 |
2012–13 | Albany | 16–0 |
2013–14 | Albany | 15–1 |
2014–15* | Albany Maine | 14–2 |
2015–16* | Albany Maine | 15–1 |
2016–17 | New Hampshire | 15–1 |
2017–18 | Maine | 13–3 |
2018–19 | Maine | 15–1 |
On December 16th 2024, the University of Vermont Catamounts Men's Soccer team defeated the Marshall University Thundering Herd in the 2024 NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament championship game to claim the 2024 College Cup. This marks the first national championship by any America East Conference team in league history. [23]
The America East Conference announced today the return of men's swimming & diving as a championship sport and that Virginia Military Institute (VMI) will join America East an associate member in men's and women's swimming & diving. Both changes are effective for the 2017–18 academic year.