The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. The A-10's member schools are located mostly on the East Coast and Midwest of the United States: Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
The Patriot League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising private institutions of higher education and two United States service academies based in the Northeastern United States. Except for the Ivy League, it is the most selective group of higher education institutions in NCAA Division I, and has a very high student-athlete graduation rate for both the NCAA graduation success rate and the federal graduation rate.
The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), 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 after the turn of the 21st century, which added geographic balance to the conference.
The George Mason Patriots are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing George Mason University (GMU), located in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference for most sports.
The American Eagles are the athletics teams that represent the American University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. American is a member of the Patriot League in all sports except wrestling, where it is a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. Many of the teams have gone on to win championships over the years, particularly their field hockey, volleyball, and wrestling teams. The team colors are red and blue.
The 2008 CAA men's basketball tournament was an NCAA Division 1 College Basketball Conference tournament that was held at the Richmond Coliseum on March 7–10, 2008, to decide the Colonial Athletic Association conference champion. The winner advanced to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament, a 64-team tournament to decide a national champion of college basketball.
The Charleston Cougars men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. The Cougars compete in the Coastal Athletic Association. Home games are played at TD Arena, located on College of Charleston's campus. While a member of the NAIA, they were National Champions in 1983. The Cougars have appeared seven times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2024.
The William & Mary Tribe men's basketball team represents the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and play their home games in Kaplan Arena. Former Cornell Head Coach Brian Earl was hired as the 32nd coach in school history following the dismissal of Coach Dane Fischer. Tony Shaver served as the head coach from 2003–2019 and leads the school in all-time wins for a coach.
George Mason Patriots men's basketball program dates to 1966. Basketball and athletics as a whole have contributed significantly to George Mason's popularity and success. The Patriots are the mascot and logo of George Mason University. The Patriots home court for both the men and women is at the EagleBank Arena, which is in Fairfax Virginia. The Patriots compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Until 2012–13, they competed in the Colonial Athletic Association, better known as the CAA. Both conferences are part of NCAA Division I sports. The men's team is coached by Tony Skinn. The women's team is coached by Nyla Milleson.
The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2005, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship game on April 3, 2006, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Florida Gators won their first NCAA national championship with a 73–56 victory over the UCLA Bruins. This was the last Final Four site at the RCA Dome. The Final Four will return to the city of Indianapolis, but will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Coastal Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an award given to the Coastal Athletic Association's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season, when the conference was known as the ECAC South basketball league. In 1985, the conference expanded to offer more sports, and became the Colonial Athletic Association; the conference name was changed to Coastal Athletic Association in 2023.
The 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2001, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 1, 2002 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The Maryland Terrapins won their first NCAA national championship with a 64–52 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The award was first given following the conference's first basketball season of 1976–77. Four players have been selected twice, while no player has earned a three-time player of the year selection.
The UNC Wilmington (UNCW) Seahawks are the varsity athletic teams representing the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Wilmington, North Carolina in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsors eight teams for the men and eleven for the women. With the exception of beach volleyball, the Seahawks compete as a non-football member of NCAA Division I and are members of the Coastal Athletic Association.
The Big South Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual award given to the Big South Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1985–86 season, the first year the league conducted basketball competition.
The 2001 CAA men's basketball tournament was held March 3–5, 2001, at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. The winner of the tournament was George Mason, who received an automatic bid to the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Richmond, East Carolina, and American were not permitted by the Colonial Athletic Association to participate in the 2001 conference tournament as penalty for leaving the CAA to join the Atlantic 10 Conference, Conference USA, and the Patriot League, respectively, at the end of the 2000–2001 season.
The 2010–2013 Colonial Athletic Association realignment refers to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), renamed in 2023 to the Coastal Athletic Association, and Colonial Athletic Association Football Conference dealing with several proposed and actual conference expansion and reduction plans among various NCAA conferences and institutions from 2010 to 2013. Some moves affected only the all-sports CAA; others affected only CAA Football; and still others affected both sides of the CAA. Moves that involved the overall CAA were part of a much larger NCAA conference realignment.
The Revolutionary Rivalry is a rivalry between the George Mason Patriots and George Washington Revolutionaries, both of which play in the Atlantic 10 Conference and are located in the Washington metropolitan area. Both schools are named after founding fathers, George Mason and George Washington, who were both natives to Virginia and had their plantations, Gunston Hall and Mount Vernon, respectively, on the southside of modern Fairfax County.
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year is a basketball award given to the most outstanding men's basketball head coach in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, as chosen by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters. The award was first given following the 1981–82 season, the first year of the conference's existence, to Bob Dukiet of Saint Peter's. Joe Mihalich of Niagara, Ted Fiore of Saint Peter's, and King Rice of Monmouth have won the most awards with three, while five other coaches have won the award twice.
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year is a basketball award given to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's one or more best men's basketball players in their first year of competitive play, as voted on by the coaches in the conference. The award was first given following the 1981–82 season, the first year of the conference's existence, to Tim Cain of Manhattan.
