COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION The CAA sponsors 22 sports with the addition of football in 2007. Last year, 29 teams earned NCAA Tournament berths. Coming off another record-setting season, Delaware, Drexel, George Mason, the Colonial Athletic Association Georgia State, Hofstra, James Madison, continues to enhance its reputation as one UNC Wilmington, Northeastern, of the nation’s top collegiate conference. Old Dominion, Towson, Virginia With a geographic footprint stretching Commonwealth, William and Mary from Boston to Atlanta, the CAA encompasses five of the nation’s nine CommisionerYeager largest metropolitan areas. The conference has produced 16 national team champions Carolina, Wichita State and Connecticut goal of expanding their partnership to all in five different sports, 33 individual along the way. The Patriots were ranked aspects of university life outside of national champions, 12 national players No. 8 in the final ESPN/USA Today Top intercollegiate athletics. Among the of the year, 11 national coaches of the year 25 poll, which was the highest ever for a programs already established are an and 12 Honda Award winners. Even more CAA team. undergraduate research conference, impressive, however, are the honors In women’s basketball, the CAA had coordination of study abroad programs and accumulated away from competition, three teams earn NCAA Tournament berths granting visiting academic status to student- which include five Rhodes Scholars and for the first time and four squads advanced athletes traveling to an away contest so that 21 NCAA post-graduate scholars. In to post-season play for the second straight they have access to libraries, academic 2006-07, the CAA had six ESPN the year. Perennial power Old Dominion, resource centers and computer labs. Magazine Academic All-Americans and which has captured three national In 2002, two faculty members from CAA more than 1,600 of our 4,000 student- championships (1979, 1980, 1985) and institutions were awarded academia’s most athletes received the Commissioner’s was national runner-up in 1997, captured coveted distinction – the Nobel Prize. John th Academic Award after posting at least a its 16 consecutive conference title. James B. Fenn, a research professor in the 3.2 grade point average while lettering in Madison returned to the NCAA Department of Chemistry at Virginia a varsity sport. Tournament for the first time since 1996 Commonwealth University, received the The landscape of the conference and Delaware made its second-ever trip to Nobel Prize for chemistry, and Vernon stretches along the majority of the East the NCAA’s. Hofstra completed its most Smith, a professor of economics and law at Coast, and includes six of the nation’s top successful season in school history by George Mason University, shared the Nobel 25 media markets – New York (1), advancing to the quarterfinals of the Prize in economic sciences. Philadelphia (4), Boston (5), Washington, WNIT. Commissioner Thomas E. Yeager has D.C. (8), Atlanta (9) and Baltimore (23). The conference also excels in many other guided the CAA since its inception. The The number of television homes in the sports. Delaware became the first CAA conference traces its roots back to 1983 CAA market exceeds 19 million. team to reach the Final Four of the NCAA when three of its current members- George The CAA now sponsors 22 sports with Men’s Lacrosse Championship in 2007. A Mason University, James Madison the addition of a 12-team football league league-record four men’s soccer teams University, and the College of William and in 2007. Male athletes compete for earned NCAA berths in 2006, with Towson Mary - were aligned with East Carolina championships in baseball, basketball, and Old Dominion advancing to the round University, the United States Naval cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, of 16. A league-high four teams also Academy and the University of Richmond soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track represented the conference in the NCAA as a basketball league (ECAC South). & field and wrestling. Female athletes Men’s Tennis Championship. William & During the next two years, the league added battle for conference titles in basketball, Mary reached the round of 16 in women’s 11 sports, acquired two new members (the cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, tennis and the Tribe tandem of Megan University of North Carolina at Wilmington soccer, softball, swimming & diving, Moulton-Levy and Katarina Zoricic was and American University) and decided to tennis, track & field and volleyball. ranked No. 1 in the nation and reached the form a new association. The transformation The conference has made its presence finals of the NCAA Doubles from ECAC South to CAA took place on known nationally in men’s basketball with Championship. CAA squads have won 10 June 6, 1985. four teams advancing to post-season play field hockey national titles since the Charter members George Mason, James for the past three years. Conference championship began in 1981, which is the Madison, UNC Wilmington and William champion VCU pulled the most noted most of any Division I conference. Hofstra and Mary were joined by Old Dominion upset of the NCAA first round last season finished seventh overall at the NCAA University in 1991 and by Virginia with its 79-77 victory over Duke and Old Wrestling Championship and William & Commonwealth University in 1995. The Dominion became the second CAA team Mary finished eighth nationally in men’s conference added the University of in as many years to receive an NCAA at- cross country. In baseball, the league had Delaware, Drexel University, Hofstra large bid. Hofstra returned to the NIT for 17 players chosen in the 2007 Major University and Towson University in 2001. the third straight season and Drexel made League Baseball draft. There were 37 CAA Georgia State University and Northeastern its fourth NIT appearance in the last five student-athletes who received All-America University became members of the years. In 2006, George Mason became the honors. conference on July 1, 2005. first mid-major program since 1979 to CAA member institutions are committed From all-star athletes to Nobel Prize reach the Final Four, knocking off to excellence in the classroom. The winning faculty, the CAA takes great pride powerhouses Michigan State, North Colonial Academic Alliance was created in producing performers who stand out both in 2002 by the league’s presidents with a on the playing field and in the classroom. 2007-08 Season 141 h t l a n Mary e r e w State t & e ilmington s n Mason r a a o Madison n a a i l W e r o n e ge t m w h Dominion s i s t x a g f r m l e w r illiam o o r e o i o V C W Georgia H James UNC N Old T Geor D D Delaware (Newark, Del.) - 44 117 742 158 228 481 349 297 57 210 257 Drexel 44 - 157 782 127 269 522 313 274 98 252 297 (Philadelphia, Pa.) George Mason (Fairfax, Va./Washington, D.C.) 117 157 - 633 271 116 372 461 188 73 102 148 Georgia State (Atlanta, Ga.) 742 782 633 - 897 534 421 1,088 568 700 533 576 Hofstra 127 271 897 - 383 636 222 385 212 366 412 (Hempsted, N.Y./New York, N.Y.) 158 James Madison (Harrisonburg, Va.) 228 269 116 534 383 - 394 575 221 171 129 181 UNC Wilmington (Wilmington, N.C.) 481 522 372 421 636 394 - 825 282 438 266 305 Northeastern (Boston, Mass.) 349 313 461 1,088 222 575 825 - 577 400 555 600 Old Dominion (Norfolk, Va.) 297 274 188 568 385 221 282 577 - 254 93 45 Towson (Towson, Md./Baltimore, Md.) 57 98 73 700 212 171 438 400 254 - 168 213 Va. Commonwealth 210 252 102 533 366 129 266 555 93 168 - 52 (Richmond, Va.) William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.) 257 297 148 576 412 181 305 600 45 213 52 - Institution Nickname Location Enrollment University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens Newark, Del. 16,000 Drexel University Dragons Philadelphia, Pa. 12,357 George Mason University Patriots Fairfax, Va. 28,874 Georgia State University Panthers Atlanta, Ga. 26,000 Hofstra University Pride Hempstead, N.Y. 13,400 James Madison University Dukes Harrisonburg, Va. 16,200 University of North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks Wilmington, N.C. 12,000 * Northeastern University Huskies Boston, Mass. 14,500 Old Dominion University Monarchs Norfolk, Va. 20,802 Towson University Tigers Baltimore, Md. 17,481 Virginia Commonwealth Rams Richmond, Va. 29,225 College of William & Mary Tribe Williamsburg, Va. 5,700 142 Georgia State Panthers Tournament Tie-Breaking Procedures: Coaches/Media 1. Two Teams Preseason Poll a. Head-to-head competition b. If teams split, compare each team’s record against the team occupying the highest position in the Place/Team standings and continue down until one team gains the 1. Old Dominion advantage. When comparing against a single team or group of teams, the higher winning percentage shall pre- 2. James Madison vail, even if the number of games is unequal (i.e., 2-0 is 3. William and Mary better than 3-1; 1-0 is the same as 2-0, etc.). c. Should a tie still exist after all those above 4. VCU steps are taken, the Ratings Percentage Index, as com- 5. Delaware puted from the RPI Report will be used and the highest- ranked team would win. 6. Towson 7. Hofstra 2. Three Teams a. Head-to-head competition as determined by 8. Drexel the combined record. Ties will be broken on the basis of 9. Georgia State winning percentage (i.e., 2-1 is the same as 4-2, 2-0 is the same as 3-0).