The Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference, formerly 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, Virginia. The conference is run by the same administration as the multisport conference Coastal Athletic Association (CAA; formerly the Colonial Athletic Association) but is legally a different entity.
History 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 CAA Football. However, neither the multi-sports CAA nor CAA Football includes the New England Conference in CAA Football history. 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 A-10 in 1997.
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, North Carolina A&T, and Bryant from 2022 to 2024.
Timeline 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. May 31, 2006 – Old Dominion, at the time a member of the all-sports CAA, announced plans to add football for the 2009 season and join CAA Football in 2011. June 11, 2009 – Georgia State, at the time a member of the all-sports CAA, announced the addition of Football in 2011, and joining the CAA football conference in 2012. November 9, 2009 – Northeastern announced plans to drop football after the 2009 season. December 3, 2009 – Hofstra also announced that the university would no longer be sponsoring football. June 1, 2010 – Due to the reduction of the conference, CAA Football did not use the division format for the 2010 season. April 20, 2011 – UMass announced that it would transition to FBS beginning fall 2011, and would become a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). April 7, 2012 – Georgia State began an FBS transition in advance of its 2013 move to the Sun Belt Conference. May 17, 2012 – Old Dominion announced its plans to join Conference USA and transition to FBS status for the 2013 season. August 7, 2012 – Albany and Stony Brook both accepted offers of membership in CAA Football for the 2013 season. May 23, 2013 – Elon announced that the school would become a member of CAA Football and the all-sports CAA for the 2014 season. 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. 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 becomes a member of the all-sports conference. 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. August 3, 2022 – Campbell also accepts an invitation to join both sides of the CAA for the 2023 season. July 20, 2023 – CAA Football changed its full name to the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference. August 10, 2023 – Bryant accepts an invitation to join CAA Football for the 2024 season. November 28, 2023 – Delaware announced its plans to join Conference USA and transition to FBS status for the 2025 season. May 14, 2024 – Richmond announced its departure from the CAA to join the Patriot League as an associate member for football for the 2025 season. April 25, 2025 – William & Mary announced its departure from CAA Football to join the Patriot League as an associate member for football for the 2026 season. It will remain a member of the multi-sports CAA. June 5, 2025 – Villanova announced its departure from the CAA to join the Patriot League as an associate member for football for the 2026 season. July 22, 2025 – Sacred Heart is announced by CAA Football as a future member, starting with the 2026 season.
Member institutions Current members Institution Location Founded Joined Type Enrollment Nickname Colors| PrimaryConference Albany, New York 1844 2013Public 17,944 Great Danes AmEast Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island 1863 2024Private 3,751 Bulldogs Campbell University Buies Creek, North Carolina 1887 2023 Private 5,622 Fighting Camels CAA Elon University Elon, North Carolina 1889 2014 Private 6,991 Phoenix Hampton University Hampton, Virginia 1868 2022 Private 3,516 Pirates Orono, Maine 1865 2007 Public 11,404 Black Bears AmEast Monmouth University West Long Branch, New Jersey 1933 2022 Private 5,675 Hawks CAA Durham, New Hampshire 1866 2007 Public 15,305 Wildcats AmEast North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, North Carolina 1891 2023 Public 13,332 Aggies CAA Kingston, Rhode Island 1892 2007 Public 16,883 Rams A-10 Fairfield, Connecticut 1963 2026 Private 10,730 Pioneers Metro Stony Brook University Stony Brook, New York 1957 2013 Public 26,782 Seawolves CAA Towson University Towson, Maryland 1866 2007 Public 22,923 Tigers
Notes
Former members Institution Location Founded Joined Left Type Enrollment Nickname Colors|SubsequentFootballConferenceCurrentFootballConference Newark, Delaware 1743 2007 2025 Public 23,281 Fightin' Blue Hens CUSA Hofstra University Hempstead, New York 1935 2007 2009Private 10,871 Pride none(dropped football) Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia 1913 2012 2013Public 32,082 Panthers Sun Belt(FBS) James Madison University Harrisonburg, Virginia 19082007 2022 21,227 Dukes Amherst, Massachusetts 1863 2012 28,635 Minutemen MAC Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts 1898 2009Private 21,627 Huskies none(dropped football) Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia 1930 2011 2013 Public 24,932 Monarchs CUSA(FBS) Sun Belt(FBS) Richmond, Virginia 1830 2007 2025 Private 4,002 Spiders Patriot League Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania 18422026 Private 11,023 Wildcats Williamsburg, Virginia 1693 Public 8,817 Tribe
Membership timeline
Conference champions *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* UMassRichmond 7–110–311–3 Don BrownDave Clawson 2008 James Madison8–012–2 Mickey Matthews 2009* RichmondVillanova 7–111–214–1 Mike LondonAndy Talley 2010* Delaware William & Mary 6–2 12–38–4 K. C. KeelerJimmye Laycock 2011 Towson7–19–3 Rob Ambrose 2012* New HampshireRichmond†VillanovaTowson† 6–2Old 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 of the time, a school that announced its future departure immediately became ineligible for CAA tournaments or championships in team sports. 8–38–38–37–4 Sean McDonnellDanny RoccoAndy TalleyRob Ambrose 2013 Maine7–110–3 Jack Cosgrove 2014 New Hampshire8–010–1 Sean McDonnell 2015* James MadisonRichmondWilliam & Mary 6–2 9–28–38–3 Everett WithersDanny RoccoJimmye Laycock 2016 James Madison8–014–1 2017 James Madison8–014–1 2018 Maine7–110–4 2019 James Madison8–014–2 2020 Delaware4–05−0 2021* James MadisonVillanova7–110–19–2 Curt CignettiMark Ferrante 2022* New HampshireWilliam & Mary7–19–411–2 Ricky SantosMike London 2023* UAlbanyRichmondVillanova7–19–28–39–2 Greg GattusoRuss HuesmanMark Ferrante 2024* RichmondRhode Island8–07–110–311–3 Russ HuesmanJim Fleming 2025 Rhode Island8–011−2 Jim Fleming
All-time conference championships School Championships Outright championships YearsJames Madison ‡642008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021Richmond ‡60 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2023, 2024Villanova ‡40 2009, 2012, 2021, 2023New Hampshire31 2012, 2014, 2022William & Mary ‡30 2010, 2015, 2022Maine22 2013, 2018Delaware ‡21 2010, 2020Towson21 2011, 2012Rhode Island21 2024, 2025UAlbany10 2023Massachusetts‡10 2007Bryant000Stony Brook000North Carolina A&T000Monmouth000Campbell000Elon000Hampton000 Co-championships are designated by italics.
BOLD denotes the team won the National Championship
‡Former member of CAA Football
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.
NCAA FCS national championships +SchoolChampionshipsFinals appearancesWonLostJames Madison242004, 20162017, 2019Delaware1420031982, 2007, 2010Villanova112009UMass1319981978, 2006Richmond112008Towson012013
All-time NFL Draft selections