Andrew Pace
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference founded in 1975, with basketball as its only initial sport. The A-10 men's basketball tournament has been held annually since 1977 and the winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The conference has seen several membership changes over the years, with schools joining and leaving, and currently has 15 full-time members and three affiliate members participating in women's field hockey and men's lacrosse. The league is mostly made up of schools from the East Coast and Midwest of the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) |
| Founded | 1975 (as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League) |
| Members | 15 full-time members, 3 affiliate members |
| Location | East Coast and Midwest of the United States |
| Sports | Basketball, football (until 2006), women's field hockey, men's lacrosse |
| Tournament format | Single-elimination, seeding based on regular-season records |
| Winner's prize | Automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament |
| Notable members | Duquesne, George Washington, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, Temple |
| Media partners | ESPN, CBS, NBC |
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What You'll Learn
The Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball tournament
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference founded in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (ECBL). Basketball was its only sport when it began conference play in 1976. The A-10 men's basketball tournament is the conference championship tournament in men's basketball for the Atlantic 10 Conference. The tournament has been held annually since 1977 and is a single-elimination tournament, with seeding based on regular-season records. The winner of the tournament is declared the conference champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The conference's member schools are primarily located in the East Coast and Midwest regions of the United States, including states such as Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The Atlantic 10 Conference experienced several membership changes over the years, initially comprising eight members, including Villanova, Duquesne, and Penn State. The departures of Villanova and Pittsburgh in 1980 and 1982, respectively, and the addition of new members, led to the adoption of the Atlantic 10 name in 1982. The conference expanded further, reaching a maximum of 16 members. Notable departures include Temple, which left in 2013 for the American Athletic Conference, and Butler and Xavier, which joined the reconfigured Big East.
In December 2023, the A-10 announced a five-year media deal with ESPN, CBS, and NBC, aiming to increase basketball coverage and revenue for the schools. The 2024-2025 season will be the last for UMass sports as members of the Atlantic 10, as they will rejoin the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The A-10 Men's Basketball Championship for 2025 will be held in Washington, D.C., at the Capital One Arena, from March 12 to 16, with fans able to purchase championship books for all seven sessions of the five-day tournament.
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The winner's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose member schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. The A-10 men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament that has been held annually since 1977. The winner of the tournament is declared the conference champion and receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, often referred to as March Madness or The Big Dance, is a highly anticipated and popular sporting event in the United States. It is a single-elimination tournament featuring 68 teams competing for the national championship. The tournament has been played since 1939 and has undergone various format changes over the years, with the current 68-team format adopted in 2011.
There are two ways for teams to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. The first is through an automatic bid, where each of the 31 Division I conferences awards a bid to the team that wins their postseason conference tournament. These teams are known as automatic qualifiers. The second avenue is through an at-large bid, where the selection committee invites 37 additional teams based on their performance during the regular season and conference tournaments.
The NCAA men's basketball tournament begins with the First Four, where four teams are eliminated, leaving 64 teams for the first round. These teams are ranked and placed into four regions, with each region consisting of 16 teams seeded 1 through 16. The tournament progresses through several rounds, including the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and the Final Four, until the national champion is crowned.
The Atlantic 10 Conference has a rich history in basketball, dating back to its founding in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (ECBL). Over the years, the conference has undergone membership changes and expansions, and it currently includes 15 full-time members, primarily located on the East Coast and Midwest of the United States. The A-10 men's basketball tournament winner secures the prestigious opportunity to represent their conference in the NCAA tournament, vying for the chance to become the national champion.
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The history of the Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose member 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. The idea for the conference was conceived on March 2, 1975, and it was founded as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (ECBL) in the same year. The conference began play in 1976, with basketball as its only sport.
After its first season, the conference added sports other than basketball and changed its name to the Eastern Athletic Association. Despite the name change, it was popularly known as the Eastern 8, as it had eight members at the time: Villanova, Duquesne, Penn State, West Virginia, George Washington, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers. The conference adopted its current name, the Atlantic 10, in 1982, after changes in membership brought the number of members to 10. The league has since expanded to its maximum of 16 members.
From 1997 to 2006, the league also operated a football conference, with more than 20 schools participating in A-10 competition in at least one sport. This ended when the A-10 football programs departed to join a new football conference sponsored by the Colonial Athletic Association (now known as the Coastal Athletic Association). The A-10 men's basketball tournament has been held every year since 1977. The winner of the tournament is declared the conference champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The league headquarters were relocated from Newport News, Virginia, to Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2023. Notable member changes in recent years include the departure of Temple to the American Athletic Conference in 2013, and the addition of Loyola University Chicago in 2022. In February 2024, it was announced that the 2024-25 season would be the last for UMass as a member of the Atlantic 10, as they will be rejoining the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 2025.
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The conference's media deal with ESPN, CBS, and NBC
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference founded in 1975. Basketball was its only sport when it began conference play in 1976. The A-10 men's basketball tournament has been held annually since 1977. The winner of the tournament is declared the conference champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
On December 14, 2023, the A-10 announced a five-year media deal with ESPN, CBS, and NBC. The deal will expand basketball coverage and revenue for the schools. The first year of the contract is the 2024-2025 season, and it will run through the 2028-2029 season. The deal will bring more exposure opportunities for the conference's member institutions, athletic programs, and student-athletes.
The A-10 is not the only collegiate athletic conference to have media deals with these networks. In 2022, the Big Ten completed a seven-year, $7 billion media rights agreement with Fox, CBS, NBC, and ESPN. This deal is expected to bring in more revenue for the conference and its member institutions. The Big Ten network will continue to air football games and men's and women's basketball games.
The A-10's media deal with ESPN, CBS, and NBC will provide greater visibility for the conference and its member institutions. It will also bring more basketball coverage to viewers, showcasing the talent and competition within the conference.
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The conference's member schools and their locations
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose member schools are located mostly on the East Coast and in the Midwest of the United States. The A-10's member schools include:
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
The A-10's member schools are a mix of state-funded and private, Catholic institutions. The conference's full members include schools such as St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's, La Salle, Temple, and Richmond. The conference has also had several changes in membership over the years, with schools such as Villanova, Duquesne, Penn State, West Virginia, and George Washington previously being a part of the A-10. The conference's current media partners include ESPN, CBS, and NBC, and its headquarters are located in Washington, D.C.
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Frequently asked questions
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference founded in 1975. Schools that are a part of the A-10 compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I.
The Atlantic 10 Conference started playing basketball in 1976, when it was known as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (ECBL).
The A-10 currently has 15 full-time members, with three affiliate members participating in women's field hockey and men's lacrosse. The members are mostly located on the East Coast and Midwest of the United States, including states like Illinois, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
The Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament is the conference championship tournament for the A-10. The winner of this single-elimination tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament has been held every year since 1977. Notable past members of the A-10 include Villanova, Duquesne, Penn State, and Pittsburgh. However, I do not have information on the winners of the tournament for each year.
