Colonial Athletic Association Football Conference

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Colonial Athletic Association Football Conference

Conference| NCAA
Founded| 2007
Sports fielded|

* 1
* men's: 1 (football)

Division| Division I
Subdivision| FCS
No. of teams| 13 (15 in 2023)
Headquarters| Richmond, Virginia
Region| East Coast
Official website| caasports.com
Locations

The Colonial Athletic Association Football Conference, branded as CAA Football, is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states, from Maine to North Carolina. Most of its members are public universities, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond. The conference is run by the same administration as the multisport conference Colonial Athletic Association but is legally a different entity.

## History[edit]

CAA Football was formed in 2005, although it did not begin play until 2007, as a separate conference independent of the CAA, but administered by the CAA front office. In the 2004–05 academic year, the CAA had five member schools that sponsored football, all of them as football-only members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. In 2005, Northeastern accepted the CAA's offer of membership, giving the CAA the six football-playing members it needed under NCAA rules to organize a football conference. At that time, the CAA announced it would launch its new football conference in 2007. Next, the CAA invited the University of Richmond to become a football-only member effective in 2007. Once UR accepted the offer, this left the A10 football conference with only five members, less than the six required under NCAA rules. As a result, the remaining A10 football programs all decided to join the CAA for football only, ending A10 football. Since the CAA football conference had the same members as the A10 the previous year, it can be said that the CAA football conference is the A10 football conference under new management.

The CAA football conference's earliest roots are in the New England Conference, founded in 1938 by four state-supported universities in that region plus Northeastern; three of the public schools are currently in the CAA football conference. After the departure of Northeastern in 1945, the remaining members joined New England's other land-grant colleges, Massachusetts State College (now the University of Massachusetts Amherst) and the University of Vermont, to form the Yankee Conference under a new charter in 1946, with competition starting in 1947. That conference eventually dropped all sports other than football in 1975. Starting in the 1980s, it expanded to include many schools outside its original New England base. After the NCAA voted to limit the influence of single-sport conferences, the Yankee merged with the A10 in 1997.

See also: 2010–2013 Colonial Athletic Association realignment

CAA Football went through many changes during the early 2010s with the loss of Georgia State, Massachusetts, and Old Dominion and the addition of Albany, Elon, and Stony Brook. Stability was maintained for a decade before the departure of James Madison in 2021 leading to the addition of Campbell, Hampton, Monmouth, and North Carolina A&T over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Colonial Athletic Association

[Interactive fullscreen map]

This is a stopgap mapping solution, while attempts are made to resolve technical difficulties with {{OSM Location map}}

Location of CAA members:
CAA Football member
future member

### Timeline[edit]

* May 4, 2005 – CAA Football was formed with inaugural members Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Maine, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Rhode Island, Richmond, Towson, Massachusetts (UMass), Villanova, and William & Mary.[1]

* May 31, 2006 – Old Dominion, at the time a CAA all-sports member, announced plans to add football for the 2009 season and join CAA Football in 2011.[2] [3]

* June 11, 2009 – Georgia State, at the time a CAA all-sports member, announced the addition of Football in 2011, and joining the CAA football conference in 2012.[4]

* November 9, 2009 – Northeastern announced plans to drop football after the 2009 season.[5]

* December 3, 2009 – Hofstra also announced that the university would no longer be sponsoring football.[6]

* June 1, 2010 – Due to the reduction of the conference, the CAA did not use the division format for the 2010 season.

* April 20, 2011 – UMass announced that it would transition to FBS beginning fall 2021, and would become a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).[7][8]

* April 7, 2012 – Georgia State began an FBS transition in advance of its 2013 move to the Sun Belt Conference.[9]

* May 17, 2012 – Old Dominion announced its plans to join Conference USA and transition to FBS status for the 2013 season.[10]

* August 7, 2012 – Albany and Stony Brook both accepted offers of membership in CAA Football for the 2013 season.[11]

* May 23, 2013 – Elon announced that the school would become a member of CAA Football for the 2014 season.[12]

* November 6, 2021 – James Madison announced its departure for the Sun Belt Conference and upgrade to FBS. Originally, JMU was slated to play the 2022 season as an FCS Independent before joining the Sun Belt in 2023, but JMU ended up joining a year earlier.[13][14][15]

* January 25, 2022 – Hampton and Monmouth accept invitations to join CAA Football and the all-sports CAA for the 2022 season. Stony Brook, which joined CAA Football in 2013, also become a member of the all-sports conference.[16]

* February 22, 2022 – North Carolina A&T accepts an invitation to join CAA Football for the 2023 season, a year after joining the all-sports CAA.[17]

* August 3, 2022 – Campbell also accepts an invitation to join both sides of the CAA for the 2023 season.[18]

## Member institutions[edit]

### Current members[edit]

Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Primary
Conference

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

University at Albany | Albany, New York | 1844  | 2013  | Public  | 17,944  | Great Danes |  | AmEast
University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | 1743  | 2007  | 23,281  | Fightin' Blue Hens |  | CAA
Elon University | Elon, North Carolina | 1889  | 2014  | Private  | 6,991  | Phoenix |
Hampton University | Hampton, Virginia | 1868  | 2022  | Private
(HBCU) | 3,516  | Pirates |
University of Maine | Orono, Maine | 1865  | 2007  | Public  | 11,404  | Black Bears |  | AmEast
Monmouth University | West Long Branch, New Jersey | 1933  | 2022  | Private  | 5,675  | Hawks |  | CAA
University of New Hampshire | Durham, New Hampshire | 1866  | 2007  | Public  | 15,305  | Wildcats |  | AmEast
Towson University | Towson, Maryland | 1866  | 22,923  | Tigers |  | CAA
University of Rhode Island | Kingston, Rhode Island | 1892  | 16,883  | Rams |  | A-10
University of Richmond | Richmond, Virginia | 1830  | Private  | 4,002  | Spiders |
Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York | 1957  | 2013  | Public  | 26,782  | Seawolves |  | CAA
Villanova University | Villanova, Pennsylvania | 1842  | 2007  | Private  | 11,023  | Wildcats |  | Big East
College of William & Mary | Williamsburg, Virginia | 1693  | Public  | 8,817  | Tribe |  | CAA

Notes

### Future members[edit]

Institution | Location | Founded | Joining | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Primary
Conference

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Campbell University | Buies Creek, North Carolina | 1887  | 2023  | Private  | 5,622  | Fighting Camels |  | Big South
(CAA in 2023)
North Carolina A&T State University | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1891  | Public
(HBCU) | 13,332  | Aggies |  | CAA

### Former members[edit]

Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Current
Primary
Conference | Current
Football
Conference

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Hofstra University | Hempstead, New York | 1935  | 2007  | 2009  | Private  | 10,871  | Pride |  | CAA | none
(dropped football)
Georgia State University | Atlanta, Georgia | 1913  | 2012  | 2013  | Public  | 32,082  | Panthers |  | Sun Belt
(FBS)
James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia | 1908  | 2007  | 2022  | 21,227  | Dukes |
University of Massachusetts | Amherst, Massachusetts | 1863  | 2012  | 28,635  | Minutemen |  | A-10 | FBS Independent
Northeastern University | Boston, Massachusetts | 1898  | 2009  | Private  | 21,627  | Huskies |  | CAA | none
(dropped football)
Old Dominion University | Norfolk, Virginia | 1930  | 2011  | 2013  | Public  | 24,932  | Monarchs |  | Sun Belt
(FBS)

### Membership timeline[edit]

Full members

## Conference champions[edit]

*  | Denotes a tie for regular season conference title

|

†  | Denotes team failed to qualify for FCS Playoffs
Bold type  | Denotes national champion in the same season
Year  | Team(s)  | Conference record  | Overall record(s)  | Head coach(es)

|
|
|
|

2007*  | UMass
Richmond | 7–1  | 10–3
11–3  | Don Brown
Dave Clawson
2008 | James Madison | 8–0  | 12–2  | Mickey Matthews
2009*  | Richmond
Villanova | 7–1  | 11–2
14–1 | Mike London
Andy Talley
2010*  | Delaware
William & Mary | 6–2  | 12–3
8–4  | K. C. Keeler
Jimmye Laycock
2011 | Towson | 7–1  | 9–3  | Rob Ambrose
2012*  | New Hampshire
Richmond†
Villanova
Towson†[19] | 6–2  | 8–3
8–3
8–3
7–4  | Sean McDonnell
Danny Rocco
Andy Talley
Rob Ambrose
2013 | Maine | 7–1  | 10–3  | Jack Cosgrove
2014 | New Hampshire | 8–0  | 10–1  | Sean McDonnell
2015*  | James Madison
Richmond
William & Mary | 6–2  | 9–2
8–3
8–3  | Everett Withers
Danny Rocco
Jimmye Laycock
2016 | James Madison | 8–0  | 14–1 | Mike Houston
2017 | James Madison | 8–0  | 14–1  | Mike Houston
2018 | Maine | 7–1  | 10–4  | Joe Harasymiak
2019 | James Madison | 8–0  | 14–2  | Curt Cignetti
2020 | Delaware | 4–0  | 5−0  | Danny Rocco
2021*  | James Madison
Villanova | 7–1  | 10–1
9–2  | Curt Cignetti
Mark Ferrante

### All-time conference championships[edit]

School  | Championships  | Outright championships  | Years

|
|
|

James Madison | 5  | 4  | 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
Richmond | 4  | 0  | 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015
Delaware | 2  | 1  | 2010, 2020a[20]
Maine | 2  | 2  | 2013, 2018
New Hampshire | 2  | 1  | 2012, 2014
Towson | 2  | 1  | 2011, 2012
Villanova | 2  | 0  | 2009, 2012
William & Mary | 3  | 0  | 2010, 2015, 2022
Massachusetts ‡  | 1  | 0  | 2007

Co-championships are designated by italics.

BOLD denotes the team won the National Championship

‡Former member of CAA Football

* ^a The CAA's 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season was played in Spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several teams opted out, and some games were canceled. The Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens completed the season with a 5-0 overall record, 4–0 in conference, and won the North Division title; the James Madison Dukes completed the season with a 5-0 overall record, 3–0 in conference, and won the South Division title. A vote of the CAA athletic directors, not including Delaware or James Madison, was held to determine a champion. The Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens were declared the 2020 CAA football champions as a result of this vote and were awarded the automatic qualifier for the FCS playoffs.[20]

## NCAA FCS National Championships[edit]

School  | Championships  | Finals appearances  | Won  | Lost

|
|
|
|

James Madison | 2  | 4  | 2004*, 2016 | 2017, 2019
Delaware | 1  | 4  | 2003*  | 1982†, 2007, 2010
Villanova | 1  | 1  | 2009 |
UMass | 1  | 3  | 1998*  | 1978, 2006^
Richmond | 1  | 1  | 2008 |
Towson | 0  | 1  |  |

†Delaware was an NCAA I-AA independent in the 1982 season.

*Won as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

^UMass became a football-only member in the MAC in 2013, and an independent football member of FBS beginning with the 2016 season.

## All-time NFL Draft selections[edit]

Year | Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | NFL team

|
|
|
|
|
|

2008 | 1 | 18 | Joe Flacco | Quarterback | Delaware | Baltimore Ravens
4 | 125 | Arman Shields | Wide receiver | Richmond | Oakland Raiders
5 | 149 | Tim Hightower | Running back | Richmond | Arizona Cardinals
6 | 207 | Matt Sherry | Tight end | Villanova | Cincinnati Bengals
2009 | 3 | 73 | Derek Cox | Cornerback | William & Mary | Jacksonville Jaguars
4 | 125 | Lawrence Sidbury | Defensive end | Richmond | Atlanta Falcons
2010 | 2 | 61 | Vladimir Ducasse | Offensive tackle | UMass | New York Jets
6 | 178 | Arthur Moats | Defensive end | James Madison | Buffalo Bills
184 | Adrian Tracy | Linebacker | William & Mary | New York Giants
203 | Scotty McGee | Kick returner | James Madison | Jacksonville Jaguars
7 | 234 | Sean Lissemore | Defensive tackle | William & Mary | Dallas Cowboys
2011 | 2 | 49 | Ben Ijalana | Offensive tackle | Villanova | Indianapolis Colts
7 | 206 | Justin Rogers | Cornerback | Richmond | Buffalo Bills
2012 | 4 | 98 | Gino Gradkowski | Guard | Delaware | Baltimore Ravens
133 | Jerron McMillian | Safety | Maine | Green Bay Packers
2013 | 4 | 114 | B. W. Webb | Cornerback | William & Mary | Dallas Cowboys
116 | Earl Watford | Guard | James Madison | Arizona Cardinals
5 | 152 | Cooper Taylor | Safety | Richmond | New York Giants
7 | 241 | Jared Smith | Defensive tackle | New Hampshire | Seattle Seahawks
2014 | 3 | 94 | Terrance West | Running back | Towson | Cleveland Browns
6 | 184 | Kendall James | Cornerback | Maine | Minnesota Vikings
2015 | 5  | 171  | Nick Boyle | Tight End  | Delaware | Baltimore Ravens
7 | 245 | Tre McBride | Wide receiver | William & Mary | Tennessee Titans
2016 | 6 | 185 | DeAndre Houston-Carson | Cornerback | William & Mary | Chicago Bears
7 | 239 | Trevor Bates | Linebacker | Maine | Indianapolis Colts
2017 | 2 | 59 | Tanoh Kpassagnon | Defensive end | Villanova | Kansas City Chiefs
7 | 236 | Brad Seaton | Offensive tackle | Villanova | Tennessee Titans
2018 | 4 | 108 | Kyle Lauletta | Quarterback | Richmond | New York Giants
5 | 145 | Bilal Nichols | Defensive tackle | Delaware | Chicago Bears
6 | 192 | Jamil Demby | Offensive tackle | Maine | Los Angeles Rams
2019 | 2 | 60 | Nasir Adderley | Safety | Delaware | Los Angeles Chargers
6 | 193 | Oli Udoh | Offensive tackle | Elon | Minnesota Vikings
7 | 227 | Jimmy Moreland | Cornerback | James Madison | Washington Redskins
2020 | 5 | 171 | Isaiah Coulter | Wide receiver | Rhode Island | Houston Texans
7 | 231 | Ben DiNucci | Quarterback | James Madison | Dallas Cowboys
2022 | 6 | 185 | Christian Benford | Cornerback | Villanova | Buffalo Bills
2023 | 5 | 152 | Colby Sorsdal | Offensive tackle | William & Mary | Detroit Lions

## References[edit]

1. ^ "CAA TO BEGIN SPONSORING DIVISION I-AA FOOTBALL IN 2007". Colonial Athletic Association. May 4, 2005. Archived from the original on June 30, 2006. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
2. ^ "Football to be added to ODU sports programs in 2009". Old Dominion Athletics. May 31, 2006. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
3. ^ Ducibella, Jim (January 24, 2007). "ODU football closing in on necessary endowment". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
4. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About Georgia State Football". GeorgiaStateSports.com. April 16, 2008. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
5. ^ Ryan, Andrew (November 23, 2009). "Northeastern calls an end to football". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
6. ^ "Hofstra makes 'painful but clear' choice to drop football". CBSSports.com. December 3, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
7. ^ Carey, Jack (April 20, 2011). "UMass football to join FBS, Mid-American Conference". USA Today. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
8. ^ "UMass Announces Elevation to FBS Football and Invitation to MAC" (Press release). UMass Athletics. April 20, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
9. ^ McMurphy, Brett (April 7, 2012). "Sun Belt adding Georgia State". College Football Insider (CBSSports.com). Retrieved April 9, 2012.
10. ^ "Old Dominion to join Conference USA in 2013". Fox News. Sports Network. May 17, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
11. ^ "Albany and Stony Brook Accept CAA Football Membership Offers" (Press release). Colonial Athletic Association. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
12. ^ "Elon University Accepts Invitation To Join The CAA In 2014-15" (Press release). Colonial Athletic Association. May 23, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
13. ^ "James Madison's move to Sun Belt would trigger messy divorce from CAA". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
14. ^ Eck, T. J. (November 5, 2021). "Update: JMU accepts invite to join the Sun Belt Conference". WHSV-TV. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
15. ^ Vannini, Charlie. "James Madison will join Sun Belt in all sports starting in fall 2022: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
16. ^ "CAA Welcomes Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University as New Members" (Press release). Colonial Athletic Association. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
17. ^ "CAA Welcomes North Carolina A&T as Newest Member of the Conference" (Press release). Colonial Athletic Association. February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
18. ^ "Campbell University Accepts Invitation To Join The CAA In 2023" (Press release). Colonial Athletic Association. August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
19. ^ Old Dominion had the league's best regular-season record at 7–1 in the CAA and 10–1 overall, but was ineligible for the conference title. Under CAA bylaws, a school that announces its future departure immediately becomes ineligible for CAA tournaments or championships in team sports.
20. ^ a b Washburn, Rob (April 17, 2021). "Delaware Selected As CAA Football Champion And Automatic Bid Recipient To NCAA FCS Playoffs". Colonial Athletic Association.

## External links[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

CAA Football

Members|

* Albany Great Danes
* Campbell Fighting Camels (joining in 2023)
* Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
* Elon Phoenix
* Hampton Pirates
* Maine Black Bears
* Monmouth Hawks
* New Hampshire Wildcats
* North Carolina A&T Aggies (joining in 2023)
* Rhode Island Rams
* Richmond Spiders
* Stony Brook Seawolves
* Towson Tigers
* Villanova Wildcats
* William & Mary Tribe

History|

* 2010–2013 Colonial Athletic Association realignment
* 2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment

Predecessor leagues|

* New England Conference (not officially recognized)
* Yankee Conference
* Atlantic 10 Conference

See also|

* Colonial Athletic Association

* v
* t
* e

NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision conferences

Current conferences|

* ASUN (merging football with WAC in 2023)
* Big Sky
* Big South (merging football with OVC in 2023)
* CAA
* Ivy
* MEAC
* MVFC
* NEC
* OVC (merging football with Big South in 2023)
* Patriot
* Pioneer
* SoCon
* Southland
* SWAC
* WAC (merging football with ASUN in 2023)

Previous conferences|

* American West (defunct 1996)
* Atlantic 10 (non-football 2007)
* Great West (non-football 2012; defunct 2013)
* Gulf Star (defunct 1987)
* MAAC (non-football 2008)
* Mid-Continental (non-football 1987)
* Yankee (defunct 1997)

Future conferences|

* UAC (beginning 2023)
* Big South–OVC (beginning 2023)

Independents
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