Courtesy Rob Washburn/CAA
RICHMOND, Va. — The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) announced Tuesday that Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University have accepted membership invitations to join the conference on July 1, 2022.
“We are pleased to welcome Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University as the newest members of the CAA,” CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio said. “All three institutions fit perfectly into the framework of the Conference’s vison that calls for our membership to work together to advance nationally competitive athletic programs — coupled with outstanding academic programs — that empower student-athletes as whole persons to strive at the highest level in every aspect of their lives. The CAA is excited for what the future holds and will continue to be focused on making decisions that ensures its membership a competitive and sustainable model.”
The addition of Hampton, Monmouth and Stony Brook increases the CAA’s membership to 12. They join College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.), University of Delaware (Newark, Del.), Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pa.), Elon University (Elon, N.C.), Hofstra University (Hempstead, N.Y.), University of North Carolina Wilmington (Wilmington, N.C.), Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.), Towson University (Towson, Md.) and William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.) as members of the CAA in 2022-23.
CAA Football’s membership expands to 13 with the addition of Hampton and Monmouth. They join University at Albany (Albany, N.Y.), University of Delaware (Newark, Del.), Elon University (Elon, N.C.), University of Maine (Orono, Maine), University of New Hampshire (Durham, N.H.), University of Rhode Island (Kingston, R.I.), University of Richmond (Richmond, Va.), Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, N.Y.), Towson University (Towson, Md.), Villanova University (Villanova, Pa.) and William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.) as members in 2022.
Decisions regarding scheduling formats and championship field sizes are ongoing and will be determined over the coming months.
“This is a tremendous day for the CAA,” said Drexel University President John Fry, Chair of the CAA Board of Directors. “I am profoundly grateful for the sustained engagement of our Presidents over the last 15 months, as together with our Athletics Directors we have forged a principled vision for the future in these turbulent times. To have these three highly-regarded universities embrace these same aspirational values for college athletics is deeply gratifying.”
Hampton University, located in Hampton, Va., is a private university with an enrollment of 3,500. It is recognized as one of the top historically black universities in the world and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school sponsors 17 Division I varsity teams and has had success as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and most recently the Big South Conference. The Pirates’ men’s basketball team made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2016 and the women’s basketball team earned a NCAA Tournament berth in 2017. Hampton won five MEAC football championships, including three straight from 2004-06. Hampton’s men’s and women’s track and field squads brought home Big South championships in 2019.