Patriot League

Last updated
Patriot League
Patriot league conference logo.svg
FormerlyColonial League
Association NCAA
Founded1986;38 years ago (1986)
CommissionerJennifer Heppel (since 2015)
Sports fielded
  • 24
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 13
Division Division I
Subdivision FCS
No. of teams10 full, 4 associate
Headquarters Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Region Northeast
Official website patriotleague.org
Locations
Patriot League Map.svg
Patriot League football officials and referee Patriot League football officials and referee.jpg
Patriot League football officials and referee

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 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and has a very high student-athlete graduation rate for both the NCAA graduation success rate and the federal graduation rate. [1]

Contents

The Patriot League has 10 core members: [2] American University, the United States Military Academy (Army), Boston University, Bucknell University, Colgate University, College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Loyola University Maryland, and the United States Naval Academy (Navy). All 10 core members participate in the NCAA Division I for all Patriot League sports that they offer. Since not all schools sponsor every available NCAA sport, most schools are affiliated with other collegiate conferences for sports such as ice hockey and wrestling.

Only half of the conference's core members compete in the Patriot League for football, as part of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS): Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, and Lehigh. Of the five other conference members, American, Boston University, and Loyola Maryland do not sponsor football, while Army and Navy play in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as football-only members of the American Athletic Conference (The American).

Four other private institutions are Patriot League members only for specific sports, and are referred to as associate members. Fordham University and Georgetown University are associate members in football, while MIT is an associate member in women's rowing and the University of Richmond is an associate member in women's golf. Starting in the 2025 season, Richmond will also be an associate member in football.

About

Patriot League members are schools with very strong academic reputations that adhere strongly to the ideal of the "scholar-athlete", with the emphasis on "scholar". An academic index ensures that athletes are truly representative of and integrated with the rest of the student body. Out-of-league play for Patriot League schools is often with members of the Ivy League, which follow similar philosophies regarding academics and athletics.

Patriot League members have some of the oldest collegiate athletic programs in the country. In particular, "The Rivalry" between Lehigh University and Lafayette College is both the nation's most-played and longest-uninterrupted college football series. [3]

The winner of the Patriot League basketball tournament receives an automatic invitation to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament every March. In recent years, Bucknell (twice) and Lehigh have both won NCAA tournament games. The Patriot League champions in a number of other sports also receive an automatic invitation to their respective NCAA tournaments.

History

Locations of current Patriot League full member institutions. PatriotLeagueLocations.png
Locations of current Patriot League full member institutions.

The origins of the Patriot League began after the eight Ivy League schools expanded their football schedules to ten games starting in 1980. Needing opponents with a similar competitive level on a regular basis for each team's three nonconference games, the league contacted two university presidents, the Reverend John E. Brooks, S.J., of Holy Cross, and Peter Likins of Lehigh, about forming a new conference that also prohibited athletic scholarships. [4] The result was the Colonial League, a football-only circuit that began competition in 1986. [2] [5] Its six charter members were Holy Cross, Lehigh, Bucknell, Colgate, Lafayette, and Davidson. Davidson dropped out after the 1988 season for reasons related to geography, lack of competitiveness, and a reluctance to relinquish its basketball scholarships in case the conference expanded into other sports. [4] [6]

Carl F. Ullrich CFU USNA 1971.jpg
Carl F. Ullrich

In 1990, the league changed its name to the Patriot League at the suggestion of Carl F. Ullrich, [4] who would go on to become the conference's first full-time administrator. At the start of the 1990–91 academic year, the league became an all-sport conference, with 22 sports (11 for men and 11 for women), and now had seven full members, including Fordham and the United States Military Academy (Army) as new members. In 1991, the league gained an eighth full member, the United States Naval Academy (Navy). [5]

In 1993, the league hired Constance (Connie) H. Hurlbut as executive director. She was the first woman and youngest person to be the leader of an NCAA Division I conference. [5]

In 1995, Fordham resigned its full membership (leaving the league with seven full members) but continued as an associate member in football. In 1996, Fairfield and Ursinus joined as associate members in field hockey. [5] (Fairfield left after the 2003 fall season and is now an associate member of the Northeast Conference. Ursinus left after the 2001 fall season and is now a full member of the Division III Centennial Conference. [7] ) In 1997, Towson joined as an associate member in football. (Towson left after the 2003 fall season to join the Atlantic 10 Conference, whose football conference would be absorbed by the Colonial Athletic Association in 2007.) In 1999, Hobart joined as an associate member in men's lacrosse and Villanova joined as an associate member in women's lacrosse. (Hobart left after the 2004 spring season, to join the ECAC Lacrosse League, while Villanova left after the 2006 spring season.) In 2001, American University joined as the eighth full member and Georgetown University joined as an associate member in football. [5] Two schools announced in summer 2012 that they would join the league for the 2013–14 academic year, with Boston University making its announcement on June 15, [8] and Loyola University Maryland doing so on August 29. [9]

In May 2024, the University of Richmond, who was already an associate member of the league for women's golf, announced that they would also move their football program to the Patriot League for the 2025 season, becoming the Patriot League's first new football-playing member in over 20 years. [10]

Athletic scholarships

While Patriot League colleges have always offered need-based financial aid, league members have only been allowed to give athletic scholarships in recent years. Basketball scholarships were first allowed beginning with freshmen entering the league in the fall of 1998.

In 2001, when the league admitted American, which gave scholarships in all its sports (AU does not play football), the league began allowing all schools to do so in sports other than football. Lafayette, the last holdout with no athletic scholarships, began granting full rides in basketball and other sports with freshmen entering the school in the fall of 2006. Most Patriot League schools do not give athletic scholarships in a number of sports, and Bucknell only granted them in basketball prior to the addition of football scholarships in 2013.

In the spring of 2009, Fordham University announced that it would start offering football scholarships in the fall of 2010. This action made Fordham ineligible for the league championship in that sport, but it also prompted a league-wide discussion on football scholarships. On February 13, 2012, the Patriot League announced its members could begin offering football scholarships starting with the 2013–14 academic year. Since then, each school has been allowed no more than the equivalent of 15 scholarships to incoming football players. Presidents from six of the seven football schools indicated they would award scholarships in the fall of 2012. Georgetown University did not commit to offering scholarships. [11] Since the transition to scholarship football was completed for the 2016–17 academic year, each football member has been allowed up to 60 scholarship equivalents per season, [12] a total only slightly lower than the NCAA limit of 63 scholarship equivalents for FCS programs.

Executive directors

NameYearsCurrent
Alan Childs19861989Lafayette College Professor of Psychology [13]
Carl F. Ullrich 19891993League's first full-time Executive Director; retired
Connie Hurlbut19931999 Western Athletic Conference Deputy Commissioner and SWA [14]
Carolyn Schlie Femovich19992015The PICTOR Group Senior Partner [15]
Jennifer Heppel2015Previously Big Ten Conference Associate Commissioner for Governance [16]

Member schools

Full members

There are ten "full" member schools: [17]

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeUndergraduate
enrollment
EndowmentNicknameJoinedColors
American University [a] Washington, D.C. 1893 United Methodist 8,463$947,800,000 [18] Eagles 2001     
United States Military Academy [a]
(Army)
West Point, New York 1802Federal
(Military)
4,594N/A Black Knights 1990     
Boston University [a] Boston, Massachusetts 1839Nonsectarian18,229$3,350,000,000 Terriers 2013   
Bucknell University Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 1846Nonsectarian3,724$801,000,000 Bison 1986   
Colgate University Hamilton, New York 1819Nonsectarian3,164$1,202,000,000 Raiders 1986   
College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts 1843 Catholic
(Jesuit)
3,138$1,230,000,000 Crusaders 1986 
Lafayette College Easton, Pennsylvania 1826Nonsectarian2,725$693,700,000 Leopards 1986   
Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 1865Nonsectarian5,451$1,400,000,000 Mountain Hawks 1986   
Loyola University Maryland [a] Baltimore, Maryland 1852Catholic
(Jesuit)
3,787$308,000,000 Greyhounds 2013   
United States Naval Academy [a]
(Navy)
Annapolis, Maryland 1845Federal
(Military)
4,528N/A Midshipmen 1991   
Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 American, Boston University, and Loyola do not play football. As of the 2024 season, Army and Navy participate in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) as football-only members of the American Athletic Conference. Fordham and Georgetown replace them in the Patriot League for football only.

Associate members

There are three associate-member schools:

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeUndergraduate
enrollment
NicknameJoinedColorsPatriot
sport
Primary
conference
Fordham University [a] The Bronx, New York 1841 Catholic
(Jesuit)
9,904 Rams 1995   football Atlantic 10 (A-10)
Georgetown University Washington, D.C. 1789Catholic
(Jesuit)
7,598 Hoyas 2001   football,
women's rowing
Big East
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT)
Cambridge, Massachusetts 1861Nonsectarian4,638 Engineers 2009   women's rowing New England (NEWMAC) [b]
Notes
  1. Fordham was also a full member of the Patriot League from 1990–91 until 1994–95, when it moved all sports except football to the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).
  2. Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.

Future associate members

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeUndergraduate
enrollment
NicknameJoiningColorsPatriot
sport
Primary
conference
University of Richmond Richmond, Virginia 1830Nonsectarian3,164 Spiders 2025   football Atlantic 10 (A-10)

Former full members

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeUndergraduate
enrollment
NicknameJoinedLeftCurrent
conference
Fordham University [a] Bronx, New York 1841 Catholic
(Jesuit)
8,220 Rams 19901995 Atlantic 10 (A-10)
Notes
  1. Fordham remains as an associate member of the Patriot League for football.

Former associate members

InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeNicknameJoinedLeftColorsPatriot
sport
Primary
conference
Current
conference
in former
PL sport
Davidson College Davidson, North Carolina 1837Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
Wildcats 19861989   football Atlantic 10 (A-10) Pioneer (PFL)
Fairfield University Fairfield, Connecticut 1942 Catholic
(Jesuit)
Stags 19962004 field hockey Metro Atlantic (MAAC)
Hobart College Geneva, New York 1822Nonsectarian Statesmen 19992004   men's lacrosse Liberty [a] Atlantic 10 (A-10)
University of Richmond Richmond, Virginia 1830Nonsectarian Spiders 20142024   women's golf Atlantic 10 (A-10)
Towson University Towson, Maryland 1866Public Tigers 19972004   football Coastal (CAA) CAA Football [b]
Ursinus College Collegeville, Pennsylvania 1869Nonsectarian Bears 19962002    [19] field hockey Centennial [a]
Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania 1842 Catholic
(Augustinian)
Wildcats 19982006   women's lacrosse Big East
Notes
  1. 1 2 Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  2. CAA Football is technically a separate entity from the multi-sports CAA.

Membership timeline

University of RichmondLoyola University MarylandMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceNortheast ConferenceNortheast ConferenceBoston UniversityAmerica East ConferenceAmerica East ConferenceAmerica East ConferenceGeorgetown UniversityAmerican UniversityCoastal Athletic AssociationTowson UniversityUnited States Naval AcademyCoastal Athletic AssociationUnited States Military AcademyMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceFordham UniversityMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceLehigh UniversityLafayette CollegeCollege of the Holy CrossColgate UniversityBucknell UniversityDavidson CollegePatriot League

Full members Full members (non-football) Assoc. members (football only) Associate member(some sports) Other Conference Other Conference 

Sports

The Patriot League sponsors championship competition in 12 men's and 13 women's NCAA-sanctioned sports. [20] Georgetown and Fordham are Associate members for football, and Georgetown and MIT are Associate members for rowing.

Men's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBase­ballBasket­ballCross
Country
FCS
Football
GolfLacrosseSoccerSwimming
& Diving
TennisTrack
& Field
(Indoor)
Track
& Field
(Outdoor)
Total
AmericanNoYesYesNoNoNoYesYesNoYesYes6
ArmyYesYesYesNo [a] YesYesYesYesYesYesYes10
BostonNoYesYesNoNoYesYesYesYesYesYes8
BucknellYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes11
ColgateNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes10
Holy CrossYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes11
LafayetteYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes11
LehighYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes11
LoyolaNoYesYesNoYesYesYesYesYesNoNo7
NavyYesYesYesNo [a] YesYesYesYesYesYesYes10
Totals610105+289101099995+2
Associate Members
FordhamYes1
GeorgetownYes1
Future Associate Members
RichmondYes1

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

SchoolFencing [b] FBS FootballSprint
Football [c]
GymnasticsIce
Hockey
Rifle [b] Rowing [c] Rugby [c] Sailing [b] [c] Squash [c] Water
Polo
Wrestling
American EIWA
Army American CSFL EIGL AHA GARC Rugby East EIWA
Boston Hockey East EARC
Bucknell CWPA EIWA
Colgate ECAC Hockey Independent
Holy Cross AHA EARC
LafayetteMACFA
Lehigh MARC EIWA
LoyolaIndependent
Navy American EIGL GARC EARC ISA MASC CWPA EIWA
  1. 1 2 As of the upcoming 2024 season, Army & Navy play FBS football in the American Athletic Conference.
  2. 1 2 3 This sport is coed.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 This sport is not sponsored by the NCAA.

Women's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBasket­ballCross
Country
Field
Hockey
GolfLacr­osseRowingSoccerSoft­ballSwimming
& Diving
TennisTrack
& Field
(Indoor)
Track
& Field
(Outdoor)
Volley­ballTotal
AmericanYesYesYesNoYesNoYesNoYesNoYesYesYes9
ArmyYesYesNoNoYesNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYes10
BostonYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNo12
BucknellYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes13
ColgateYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes12
Holy CrossYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes13
LafayetteYesYesYesNoYesNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYes11
LehighYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes13
LoyolaYesYesNoNoYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYesYes10
NavyYesYesNoYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYesYes11
Totals101075107+210710910109113+2
Associate Members
GeorgetownYes1
MITYes1

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

SchoolFencing [a] Ice
Hockey
Rifle [a] Lightweight
Rowing [b]
Rugby [b] Sailing [a] [b] Water
Polo
Army GARC NIRA
Boston Hockey East EARC
Bucknell CWPA
Colgate ECAC Hockey
Holy Cross Hockey East
LafayetteMACFA
Navy GARC ISA
  1. 1 2 3 This sport is coed.
  2. 1 2 3 This sport is not sponsored by the NCAA.

President's Cup

The Patriot League Presidents' Cup is awarded to the member institution with the highest cumulative sports point total for their Patriot League standings in sponsored men's and women's sports. Points are awarded based upon a combination of an institution's regular-season and tournament finishes in each sport.

President's Cup Winners (combined men and women):

  • 1991 – Bucknell
  • 1992 – Bucknell
  • 1993 – Bucknell
  • 1994 – Army
  • 1995 – Army
  • 1996 – Bucknell
  • 1997 – Army
  • 1998 – Bucknell
  • 1999 – Bucknell
  • 2000 – Bucknell
  • 2001 – Bucknell
  • 2002 – Bucknell
  • 2003 – Bucknell
  • 2004 – Bucknell
  • 2005 – Army
  • 2006 – Bucknell
  • 2007 – Bucknell
  • 2008 – Bucknell
  • 2009 – Bucknell
  • 2010 – Bucknell
  • 2011 – Bucknell
  • 2012 – Navy
  • 2013 – Bucknell
  • 2014 – Navy
  • 2015 – Navy
  • 2016 – Navy
  • 2017 – Navy
  • 2018 – Navy
  • 2019 – Navy
  • 2020 - (COVID-19 pandemic)
  • 2021 - Navy [21]
  • 2022 - Navy
  • 2023 - Navy [22]
Bryan Cohen Bryan Cohen (cropped and rotated).jpg
Bryan Cohen

Baseball

Tournament champion and MVP
See: Patriot League baseball tournament

Basketball

Men's tournament champion, runner-up, and MVP
See: Patriot League men's basketball tournament
Women's tournament champion
See: Patriot League women's basketball tournament
NCAA

In NCAA basketball, Boston, Bucknell, Navy, Lehigh, and Holy Cross are the only teams in the conference ever to have recorded NCAA Tournament victories. Bucknell won tournament games in 2005 over Kansas and in 2006 over Arkansas. Lehigh won over Duke in the first round in the 2012 tournament.

The Bison, Mountain Hawks, and Crusaders are the only teams to win in the NCAA tournament while actually representing the Patriot League. A Navy team—then representing the Colonial Athletic Association—led by future Hall of Famer David Robinson won three tournament games while advancing to the regional finals in 1986, while BU won two games in the 1959 tournament before falling in the regional finals. Holy Cross was among the best teams in the country in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and won the 1947 national championship with a team that included future Hall of Famer Bob Cousy. Its combined record in the NCAA tournament is 8–12. After a 63-year drought, Holy Cross defeated Southern University in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Bryan Cohen of Bucknell was named Patriot League Defensive Player of Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012; he was the only player in league history to win the award three times. [23] [24] [25]

Field hockey

Tournament champion [26]
  • 1994 – Lehigh [27]
  • 1995 – Lafayette
  • 1996 – Colgate
  • 1997 – Holy Cross
  • 1998 – Holy Cross
  • 1999 – Lafayette
  • 2000 – Holy Cross
  • 2001 – Fairfield
  • 2002 – Lafayette
  • 2003 – American
  • 2004 – American
  • 2005 – American
  • 2006 – American
  • 2007 – American
  • 2008 – American
  • 2009 – American
  • 2010 – American
  • 2011 – Lafayette
  • 2012 – Lafayette
  • 2013 – American
  • 2014 – Boston
  • 2015 – Boston
  • 2016 – American
  • 2017 – Boston
  • 2018 – Boston
  • 2019 – American
  • 202021 - Bucknell [28]
  • 2021 - American [29]
  • 2022 - Lehigh [27]

Football

League champions
Fordham vs. Navy at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 2016 FU-USNA2016.jpg
Fordham vs. Navy at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 2016

The Patriot League prohibited athletic scholarships for football from its founding (as the Colonial League) until the league presidents voted to approve football scholarships starting with the 2013 recruiting class. Since then, each school has been allowed no more than the equivalent of 15 scholarships to incoming football players in any given season. With the transition to scholarship football having been completed in 2016, each school is now allowed a maximum of 60 scholarship equivalents per season, three short of the NCAA FCS maximum. However, Georgetown does not offer scholarships.

Until 1997, Patriot League teams did not participate in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. This practice was in step with the Ivy League's policy of not participating in the playoffs, since the Patriot League was founded with the Ivy League's athletics philosophy. Since 1997, the league champion receives an automatic playoff berth. If there are co-champions, a tie-breaker determines the playoff participant, though the other co-champion is eligible to be selected with an at-large invitation.

Colgate was the first team to receive the league's automatic berth, in 1997. The following year, Lehigh won the league's first playoff game. This was also the first year in which a Patriot League team, Colgate, received a playoff invitation without being a league co-champion. Fordham has since repeated that feat in 2013, 2015 and 2022.

Because the Georgetown Hoyas opted out of the 2020-21 NCAA Division I FCS football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Patriot League split into a north and south division for the first time. This led to the first ever Patriot League Football Championship Game

Lacrosse

Men's league champions
  • 1991 – Army
  • 1992 – Army
  • 1993 – Army
  • 1994 – Army
  • 1995 – Army
  • 1996 – Bucknell
  • 1997 – Army
  • 1998 – Army
  • 1999 – Army and Lehigh
  • 2000 – Hobart and Lehigh
  • 2001 – Bucknell
  • 2002 – Army, Bucknell and Hobart
  • 2003 – Army and Bucknell
  • 2004 – Navy
  • 2005 – Navy
  • 2006 – Navy
  • 2007 – Navy
  • 2008 – Colgate
  • 2009 – Navy
  • 2010 – Army
  • 2011 – Bucknell
  • 2012 – Lehigh
  • 2013 – Lehigh
  • 2014 – Loyola
  • 2015 – Colgate
  • 2016 – Loyola
  • 2017 – Loyola
  • 2018 – Loyola
  • 2019 – Army [30]
  • 2020 - (COVID-19 pandemic) [31]
  • 2021 - Lehigh [32]
  • 2022 - Boston
  • 2023 - Army [33]
  • 2024 - Lehigh [34]

As of 2023, the Army Black Knights men's lacrosse team has thirteen conference championships, the most of any school in the conference. Prior to the 2004 season, no conference tournament was held to determine a single winner. [35]

Women's league champions
  • 1991 – Lafayette
  • 1992 – Lafayette
  • 1993 – Lafayette
  • 1994 – Lehigh
  • 1995 – Lafayette
  • 1996 – Lafayette
  • 1997 – Lafayette
  • 1998 – Lafayette
  • 1999 – Colgate
  • 2000 – Lafayette
  • 2001 – Lafayette
  • 2002 – Lafayette
  • 2003 – American
  • 2004 – Colgate
  • 2005 – Colgate
  • 2006 – Holy Cross
  • 2007 – Holy Cross
  • 2008 – Colgate
  • 2009 – Colgate
  • 2010 – Navy
  • 2011 – Navy
  • 2012 – Navy
  • 2013 – Navy
  • 2014 – Loyola
  • 2015 – Loyola
  • 2016 – Loyola
  • 2017 – Navy
  • 2018 – Navy
  • 2019 – Loyola [36]
  • 2020 - (COVID-19 pandemic)
  • 2021 - Loyola [37]
  • 2022 - Loyola [38]

Soccer

Men's tournament champion, runner-up, and MVP
See: Patriot League Men's Soccer Tournament
Women's league champions
  • 1990 - Colgate
  • 1991 – Colgate
  • 1992 – Colgate
  • 1993 – Army
  • 1994 – Colgate
  • 1995 – Colgate
  • 1996 – Colgate
  • 1997 – Colgate
  • 1998 – Colgate
  • 1999 – Colgate
  • 2000 – Holy Cross
  • 2001 – Bucknell
  • 2002 – American
  • 2003 – Navy
  • 2004 – Colgate
  • 2005 – Bucknell
  • 2006 – Navy
  • 2007 – Navy
  • 2008 – Army
  • 2009 – Colgate
  • 2010 – Lehigh
  • 2011 – Army
  • 2012 – Colgate
  • 2013 – Boston
  • 2014 – Boston
  • 2015 – Boston
  • 2016 – Bucknell
  • 2017 – Bucknell
  • 2018 – Boston
  • 2019 – Navy
  • 202021 - Navy
  • 2021 - Bucknell [39]
  • 2022 - Bucknell

Facilities

Future members in gray.

SchoolFootball stadiumCapacityBasketball arenaCapacityBaseball stadiumCapacitySoccer venueCapacity
American Non-football school Bender Arena 3,044Non-baseball school Reeves Field 700
Army Plays football in the American Athletic Conference.
Army's home football games are at Michie Stadium
38,000 Christl Arena 5,043 Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field 880 Clinton Field 2,000
Boston University Non-football school Agganis Arena
Case Gym
7,200
1,800
Non-baseball school Nickerson Field 10,412
Bucknell Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium 13,100 Sojka Pavilion 4,000 Eugene B. Depew Field 500 Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium 1,250
Colgate Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium 10,221 Cotterell Court 3,000Non-baseball school Van Doren Field 2,000
Fordham Coffey Field 7,000Football-only member
Georgetown Cooper Field 3,750Football (and women's rowing)-only member
Holy Cross Fitton Field 23,500 Hart Center 3,600 Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field 3,000 Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium 1,320
Lafayette Fisher Stadium 13,132 Kirby Sports Center 2,644 Kamine Stadium 500 Oaks Stadium 1,000
Lehigh Goodman Stadium 16,000 Stabler Arena 5,600 J. David Walker Field at Legacy Park 370 Ulrich Sports Complex 2,400
Loyola Non-football school Reitz Arena 2,100Non-baseball school Ridley Athletic Complex 6,000
Navy Plays football in the American Athletic Conference.
Navy's home football games are at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
34,000 Alumni Hall 5,710 Max Bishop Stadium 1,500 Glenn Warner Soccer Facility 2,500
Richmond E. Claiborne Robins Stadium 8,700Football-only member

Literature

The Patriot League was profiled in the John Feinstein book The Last Amateurs (2000). The title is derived from the belief that the Patriot League was the last Division I basketball league that plays a conference tournament (the Ivy League, which operates under the same model, albeit with no scholarships, did not hold a conference tournament until the 201617 season) and functions as a place for student-athletes rather than a de facto minor professional circuit with players not representative of their student bodies. The book is Feinstein's chronicle of all seven of the league's men's basketball teams at the time during the 19992000 season. [4]

Notes

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    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Lafayette Leopards football team</span> American college football season

    The 2017 Lafayette Leopards football team represented Lafayette College in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Leopards were led by first-year head coach John Garrett and played their home games at Fisher Stadium. They were a member of the Patriot League. They finished the season 3–8, 3–3 in Patriot League play to finish in a three-way tie for third place.

    The 2017 Lehigh Mountain Hawks football team represented Lehigh University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Mountain Hawks were led by 12th-year head coach Andy Coen and played their home games at Goodman Stadium. They were a member of the Patriot League. They finished the season 5–7, 5–1 in Patriot League play to finish in a tie for the Patriot League championship with Colgate. Due to their head-to-head win over Colgate, Lehigh received the Patriot League's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost to Stony Brook in the first round.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Holy Cross Crusaders football team</span> American college football season

    The 2017 Holy Cross Crusaders football team represented the College of the Holy Cross as a member of the Patriot League during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Holy Cross was led by 14th-year head coach Tom Gilmore for the first seven games of the season before he was fired following a 2–5 start. Offensive coordinator Brian Rock was named interim head coach for the final four games. The team finished the season with an overall record of 4–7 and a mark of 3–3 in Patriot League play to place three-way tie for third. The Crusaders played their home games at Fitton Field in Worcester, Massachusetts.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Bucknell Bison men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

    The 2017–18 Bucknell Bison men's basketball team represented Bucknell University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bison, led by third-year head coach Nathan Davis, played their home games at Sojka Pavilion in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania as members of the Patriot League. They finished the season 25–10, 16–2 in Patriot League to win the Patriot League regular season championship. They defeated Loyola (MD), Boston University, and Colgate to win the Patriot League tournament championship. As a result, they received the Patriot League's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the first round to Michigan State.

    The 2018 Patriot League men's soccer tournament, will be the 29th edition of the tournament. It determined the Patriot League's automatic berth into the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship.

    The 2019 Patriot League women's soccer tournament was the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Patriot League held from November 5 through November 10, 2019. The quarterfinals of the tournament will be held at campus sites, while the semifinals and final took place at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in Annapolis, Maryland. The six-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the Boston University Terriers, however they were unable to defend their crown, after failing to qualify for the tournament by finishing ninth in regular season play. The tournament was won by Navy, who were the #1 seed and defeated Army 2–1 in the final. The conference championship was the fourth for the Navy women's soccer program, all of which have come under coach Carom Babarra.

    The 2020–21 Loyola Greyhounds men's basketball team represented Loyola University Maryland in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Greyhounds, led by third-year head coach Tavaras Hardy, played their home games at Reitz Arena in Baltimore, Maryland as members of the Patriot League. With the creation of mini-divisions to cut down on travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they played in the South Division. They finished the season 6–11, 4–10 in Patriot League play to finish in last place in the South Division. In the Patriot League tournament, they advanced to the quarterfinals when Holy Cross was forced to forfeit due to COVID-19 issues. In the quarterfinals, they defeated Navy to advance to the semifinals where they defeated Army. In the championship game, they lost to Colgate.

    The 2021 Patriot League women's soccer tournament was the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Patriot League held from October 31 through November 7, 2021. The tournament was held at campus sites, with the higher seeded team hosting. The six-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the Navy Midshipmen, however they were unable to defend their crown, after losing to Bucknell in the Semifinals. Bucknell went on to win the tournament, defeating Boston University, who were the #1 seed, 1–0 in the final. The conference championship was the fifth for the Bucknell women's soccer program, three of which have come under head coach Kelly Cook. As tournament champions, Bucknell earned the Patriot League's automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 Colgate Raiders men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

    The 2022–23 Colgate Raiders men's basketball team represented Colgate University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Raiders, led by 12th-year head coach Matt Langel, played their home games at Cotterell Court in Hamilton, New York as members of the Patriot League. They finished the season 23–8, 17–1 in Patriot League play to finish as regular season champions for the third consecutive year. As the No. 1 seed, they defeated Loyola (MD), Army, and Lafayette to win the Patriot League tournament. They received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year. As the No. 15 seed in the Midwest Region, they lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Texas, finishing their season with an overall record of 26–9.

    The 2022 Patriot League women's soccer tournament was the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Patriot League held from October 30 through November 6, 2022. The tournament was held at campus sites, with the higher seeded team hosting. The six-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the Bucknell Bison. Bucknell successfully defended their title, defeating regular season champions Army, who were the #1 seed, in a penalty shootout in the final. The conference championship was the sixth for the Bucknell women's soccer program, four of which have come under head coach Kelly Cook. As tournament champions, Bucknell earned the Patriot League's automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament.

    The 2023 Patriot League women's soccer tournament was the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Patriot League held from October 29 through November 5, 2023. The tournament was held at campus sites, with the higher seeded team hosting. The six-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the Bucknell Bison. Bucknell successfully defended their title, defeating regular season champions Army, who were the #1 seed, in a penalty shootout in the final. This was the second straight final that featured Bucknell and Army, with both going to penalties. The conference championship was the seventh for the Bucknell women's soccer program, five of which have come under head coach Kelly Cook. This was also the third straight championship for Bucknell. As tournament champions, Bucknell earned the Patriot League's automatic berth into the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament.

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