Aug. 5, 2004

RICHMOND, Va. (July 29, 2004) - Northeastern University will join the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2005-06 season after it was announced today that America East Conference has accepted Northeastern's resignation from membership effective June 30, 2005. Northeastern was not expected to join the CAA until July 1, 2006, but an agreement between Northeastern, America East and the CAA allowed the process to be expedited earlier than the two-year period mandated by AEC bylaws. The Huskies sponsor 19 sports overall, including 12 in which the CAA conducts championships. Northeastern also gives the CAA a sixth member that fields a Division I-AA football team, satisfying NCAA conference requirements for potential sponsorship. "We are extremely excited about Northeastern's early transition to the CAA," CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager said. "As a conference that has been on both sides of the issue, once the decision to change conferences has been made, it is usually in everyone's best interests to facilitate the transition as soon as possible. We are appreciative of the efforts of the America East Conference and Northeastern in expediting the process. Now we can focus on incorporating an outstanding university and its student-athletes into the CAA. Northeastern will be a significant addition to the athletic and academic profile of the conference." Northeastern will increase the CAA's membership to 11 for the 2005-06 season, joining the University of Delaware, Drexel University, George Mason University, Hofstra University, James Madison University, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Old Dominion University, Towson University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the College of William & Mary. Georgia State University will expand the CAA's membership to 12 when it joins the conference on July 1, 2006. The addition of Northeastern and Georgia State will give the CAA a geographic footprint that stretches from Boston to Atlanta and a presence in five of the nation's nine largest media markets - New York (1), Philadelphia (4), Boston (6), Washington, D.C. (8) and Atlanta (9).