East Coast Conference (Division I)

The East Coast Conference was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference. It was founded as the university division of the Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) in 1958. The MAC consisted of over 30 teams at that time, making it impossible to organize full league schedules in sports like football, basketball, and baseball. In 1958, the larger schools created their own mini-conference, consisting of 11 members (7 for football).

For the Division II conference, see East Coast Conference.

East Coast Conference
Established	1958
Dissolved	1994
Association	NCAA
Division	Division I
Locations

In 1974, the larger schools in the MAC officially formed the East Coast Conference. During the 1974-75 through 1981-82 seasons, the ECC enjoyed a consistent membership of 12 teams. That stability was rocked when St. Joseph's, Temple, and West Chester departed in the summer of 1982, while Towson was added, trimming the league to 10 programs. Over the next two years, La Salle and American also said goodbye, cutting the roster to 8.

The winds of realignment would sweep across intercollegiate athletics in full force as the next decade dawned. Bucknell, Lafayette, and Lehigh left to help form the Patriot League in 1990, while Delaware and Drexel headed to the North Atlantic Conference in 1991. Attempting to stem the tide, the ECC added UMBC and Central Connecticut in 1990, followed by Division I newcomers Buffalo and Brooklyn in 1991.

More erosion ensued as Rider, Towson, and UMBC moved to other leagues after the 1991-92 campaign, while Brooklyn suspended its entire athletic department. This reduced the ECC to just 3 members -- Hofstra, Central Connecticut, and Buffalo—not enough to maintain official conference status under NCAA bylaws during the 1992-93 season. Unable to move elsewhere themselves, that trio made one last salvage effort.

Spreading far and wide, Chicago State, Northeastern Illinois, and Troy State were enlisted, doubling participation to 6 teams for the 1993-94 academic year. Finally, the ECC was absorbed by the Mid-Continent Conference (now The Summit League) in the summer of 1994, although Hofstra instead decided to join the North Atlantic Conference. None of the 5 ECC institutions which entered the Mid-Con at that time remain in the league today.

According to the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation's web site,[1] the East Coast Conference was not a successor to the MAC. Instead, 11 of the 12 University Division members left to form the original ECC in 1974, but the primary organization continued as an NCAA Division III conference when the NCAA adopted a division structure.

"June 4–6, 1974 - The first major schism to be focused on this study occurs when the MAC University Division, with 12 members, loses 11 members, who leave to form their own conference (East Coast Conference). American, Bucknell, Delaware, Drexel, Lafayette, La Salle, Lehigh, Rider, St. Joseph's, Temple and West Chester all leave. Gettysburg, which opts to join the College Division, is the only University Division institution to remain."

Member schools

In all tables in this section, school names and nicknames reflect those in use in the last school year each institution was an ECC member. Conference names in the "Next Conference" columns reflect those in use during the first school year of membership in the new league.

Founding members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined	Left	Next Conference	Current Conference
Bucknell University	Lewisburg, Pennsylvania	Bison	1846	Private	3,655	1958–59	1989–90	Patriot
University of Delaware	Newark, Delaware	Fightin' Blue Hens	1743	Public	21,856	1958–59	1990–91	North Atlantic[lower-alpha 1]	CAA
Drexel University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Dragons	1891	Private	25,500	1958–59	1990–91	North Atlantic[lower-alpha 1]	CAA
Gettysburg College	Gettysburg, Pennsylvania	Bullets	1832	Private	2,600	1958–59	1973–74	MAC (NCAA Division III)[lower-alpha 2]	Centennial (NCAA Division III)
La Salle University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Explorers	1863	Private	7,554	1958–59	1982–83	MAAC	Atlantic 10
Lafayette College	Easton, Pennsylvania	Leopards	1826	Private	2,488	1958–59	1989–90	Patriot
Lehigh University	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Engineers[lower-alpha 3]	1865	Private	7,070	1958–59	1989–90	Patriot
Muhlenberg College	Allentown, Pennsylvania	Mules	1848	Private	2,225	1958–59	1963–64	MAC (NCAA Division III)[lower-alpha 2]	Centennial (NCAA Division III)
Rutgers University–New Brunswick	New Brunswick, New Jersey	Scarlet Knights	1766	Public	65,000	1958–59	1961–62	Independent	Big Ten
Saint Joseph's University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Hawks	1851	Private	9,025	1958–59	1981–82	Atlantic 10
Temple University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Owls	1884	Public	37,788	1958–59	1981–82	Atlantic 10	The American

1. Known since 1996 as the America East Conference.
2. The MAC remains in operation, but since 1999 has been an umbrella organization of three conferences. All full MAC members have membership in either the MAC Commonwealth or MAC Freedom, both of which organize competition in the same set of 14 sports. The third league, the Middle Atlantic Conference (singular), sponsors MAC-wide competition in 13 additional sports.
3. Lehigh adopted its current nickname of Mountain Hawks in 1995.

Subsequent members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined	Left	Next Conference	Current Conference
American University	Washington, D.C.	Eagles	1846	Private	6,776	1965–66	1983–84	CAA	Patriot
Brooklyn College	Brooklyn, New York	Bulldogs	1930	Public	16,463	1991–92	1991–92	Independent	CUNYAC (Division III)
University at Buffalo	Buffalo, New York	Bulls	1846	Public	29,850	1991–92	1993–94	Mid-Continent[lower-alpha 1]	MAC
Central Connecticut State University	New Britain, Connecticut	Blue Devils	1848	Public	11,865	1990–91	1993–94	Mid-Continent[lower-alpha 1]	Northeast
Chicago State University	Chicago, Illinois	Cougars	1867	Public	7,131	1993–94	1993–94	Mid-Continent[lower-alpha 1]	WAC
Hofstra University	Hempstead, New York	Flying Dutchmen[lower-alpha 2]	1935	Private	12,400	1965–66	1993–94	North Atlantic[lower-alpha 3]	CAA
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)	Catonsville, Maryland	Retrievers	1966	Public	13,979	1990–91	1991–92	Big South	America East
Northeastern Illinois University	Chicago, Illinois	Golden Eagles	1867	Public	11,149	1993–94	1993–94	Mid-Continent[lower-alpha 1]	dropped athletics
Rider University	Lawrenceville, New Jersey	Broncs	1865	Private	5,400	1966–67	1991–92	Northeast	MAAC
Towson State University[lower-alpha 4]	Towson, Maryland	Tigers	1866	Public	22,285	1982–83	1991–92	Big South	CAA
Troy State University[lower-alpha 5]	Troy, Alabama	Trojans	1887	Public	19,579	1993–94	1993–94	Mid-Continent[lower-alpha 1]	Sun Belt
West Chester University	West Chester, Pennsylvania	Golden Rams	1880	Public	14,211	1969–70	1981–82	PSAC (NCAA Division II)

1. Known since 2007 as the Summit League.
2. Hofstra adopted its current nickname of Pride in 2004.
3. Known since 1996 as the America East Conference.
4. Towson dropped "State" from its name in 1997.
5. Troy dropped "State" from its name in 2005.

Champions

Men's basketball

Regular season

• 1959 St. Joseph’s
• 1960 St. Joseph’s
• 1961 St. Joseph’s
• 1962 St. Joseph’s
• 1963 St. Joseph’s
• 1964 Temple
• 1965 St. Joseph’s
• 1966 St. Joseph’s
• 1967 Temple
• 1968 La Salle
• 1969 Temple
• 1970 St. Joseph’s (East) / Rider (West) / Lehigh (West) / Lafayette (West)
• 1971 St. Joseph’s (East) / Lafayette (West)
• 1972 Temple (East) / Rider (West)
• 1973 St. Joseph’s (East) / Lafayette (West)
• 1974 St. Joseph’s (East) / La Salle (East) / Rider (West)
• 1975 American (East) / La Salle (East) / Lafayette (West)
• 1976 St. Joseph’s (East) / Lafayette (West)
• 1977 Temple (East) / Hofstra (East) / Lafayette (West)
• 1978 La Salle (East) / Lafayette (West)
• 1979 Temple (East) / Bucknell (West)
• 1980 St. Joseph’s (East) / Lafayette (West)
• 1981 American (East) / Lafayette (West) / Rider (West)
• 1982 Temple (East) / West Chester (West)
• 1983 American (East) / La Salle (East) / Hofstra (East) / Rider (West)
• 1984 Bucknell
• 1985 Bucknell
• 1986 Drexel
• 1987 Bucknell
• 1988 Lafayette
• 1989 Bucknell
• 1990 Towson/Hofstra/Lehigh
• 1991 Towson
• 1992 Hofstra
• 1993 No Championship
• 1994 Troy State

Conference tournament

• 1975 La Salle
• 1976 Hofstra
• 1977 Hofstra
• 1978 La Salle
• 1979 Temple
• 1980 La Salle
• 1981 St. Joseph’s
• 1982 St. Joseph’s
• 1983 La Salle
• 1984 Rider
• 1985 Lehigh
• 1986 Drexel
• 1987 Bucknell
• 1988 Lehigh
• 1989 Bucknell
• 1990 Towson
• 1991 Towson
• 1992 Towson
• 1993 DNP
• 1994 Hofstra

Membership timeline

References

1. "History" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-31.

• http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/BK07.pdf
• http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/AMSO/