MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY

It's official! Monmouth athletics joins Colonial Athletic Association, as Hawks begin new era

Stephen Edelson
Asbury Park Press

A new era for Monmouth University athletics is officially upon us.

In a move first reported by the Asbury Park Press last week, Monmouth has joined the Colonial Athletic Association, with the conference making the announcement Tuesday.

After nine seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the move allows Monmouth to bring its football program, which had been competing in the Big South, and most of its 21 other sports teams under the same league umbrella.

Monmouth’s teams will begin competing in the CAA in the fall.

Hampton at Monmouth football.  
West Long Branch, NJ
Saturday, November 23, 2019

“We are pleased to welcome Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University as the newest members of the CAA,” said CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio, who indicated in a video conference Tuesday that the league began looking for a more sustainable model, from a competitive and financial standpoint, some 15 months ago.

Related: In CAA, Monmouth fans have new schools to root against. Here they are

It’s a move that’s four decades in the making for Monmouth, since it began competing in NCAA Division I athletics in 1982, with the school adding football to its roster of teams in 1993. In addition, the opening of the $57 million OceanFirst Bank Center in 2009, a $16 million Kessler Stadium upgrade in 2017 and other facility improvements have helped make the move possible.

The expansion gives the CAA 12 members, with the three newcomers joining the College of Charleston, Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Hofstra University, UNC-Wilmington, Northeastern, Towson and William & Mary.

The conference will have 13 football teams in the fall, with Monmouth and Hampton now part of a group that includes Albany, Delaware, Elon University, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Richmond, Stony Brook, Towson, Villanova and William & Mary.

The move is particularly beneficial for Monmouth’s football team, which won a pair of Big South championships and reached the FCS Playoffs three times in recent years. The CAA is one of the top FCS conferences in the country, and is a better regional fit.

It will also mean a higher level of competition for the school’s other sports teams, including men’s and women’s basketball.

The shift to the CAA was approved by Monmouth's Board of Trustees last week.

“The invitation to join the Colonial Athletic Association has presented our university with an opportunity to compete alongside some of the finest institutions in the nation," Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy said in a statement. "Those strong academic associations, coupled with the on-field national recognition of the CAA teams, will enhance the Monmouth brand and increase our exposure at the regional and national levels."

Monmouth University's Multipurpose Activity Center  is now known as the OceanFirst Bank Center.

D'Antonio noted that the league would consider moving its men's basketball tournament to the New York area in the future, with the CAA committed to holding the next two in Washington, D.C.

While it's been widely reported that the CAA is looking to use divisions based on geography to help reduce travel costs, D'Antonio did not provide any clarity on the issue. CAA football teams will play eight league games in the fall.

Reaction from Monmouth will come during a press conference set for noon on Wednesday, so keep checking back at APP.com for complete analysis of what is a watershed moment for the school’s athletic department.