On May 31, 2018, Jessica Huntley was named the inaugural commissioner of the Atlantic East.[3]
On September 16, 2019, the AEC announced its first affiliate member, St. Mary's College of Maryland, who would participate in field hockey starting in the 2020–21 season.[4] This will ultimately be St. Mary's only season in AEC field hockey, as that school will join the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC), which sponsors that sport, for 2021–22 and beyond.[5] The United East Conference (formerly NEAC), reversed their decision to add field hockey, thus St. Mary's remained as an affiliate in the sport.
On November 19, 2019, it was announced that William Paterson University will become an affiliate member in men's golf starting in the 2019–20 season.[6]
On January 12, 2020, it was announced that Cedar Crest College would join the AEC as an affiliate member in women's swimming & diving.[7]
On June 18, 2021, Centenary University announced its move to Atlantic East from the CSAC also in 2021–22.[11] Centenary is the conference's first non-Catholic member institution.
On June 29, 2021, New Jersey City University announced that it would be joining the Atlantic East as an affiliate member in men's and women's golf starting in the 2021–22 season.[12]
In 2023, the conference announced that it would add women's flag football as a fully sponsored sport, with the first season planned for spring 2025.[13] The first season took place on the announced schedule, with the initial membership consisting of full members Centenary, Immaculata, Marymount, and Neumann and associate members Eastern University; NCAA Division II member Holy Family University; and Penn State Schuylkill, a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association instead of the NCAA. In 2025–26, full conference member Marywood added the sport, and another Division II member, Chestnut Hill College, joined as an associate member. The AEC is the first NCAA conference to officially sponsor flag football.[14]
Wesley left the Atlantic East after the 2020–21 academic year; as the school announced that it would be acquired by Delaware State University, therefore ceasing operations.
New Jersey City University (NJCU) joined the Atlantic East as an associate member for men's and women's golf in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year).
2023:
New Jersey City (NJCU) left the Atlantic East as an associate member for men's and women's golf after the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year).
The Atlantic East announced that it would add women's flag football as a fully sponsored sport, with a planned start date of the 2025 spring season (2024–25 academic year).
2024:
Two institutions left the Atlantic East as associate members, both effective after the 2023–24 academic year:
St. Mary's (Maryland) for field hockey
and William Paterson for men's golf
Cabrini left the Atlantic East after the 2023–24 academic year; as the school announced that it had been sold to nearby Villanova University and had ceased operations.
Pratt Institute joined the Atlantic East in the 2024–25 academic year.
Also in the 2024–25 academic year, the Atlantic East became the first NCAA conference to sponsor women's flag football as a varsity sport.
↑Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
Associate members
The AEC currently has eight associate members, three being public schools, one being a privately governed but state-supported institution, and the rest being private schools.
↑St. Mary's (Md.) competed in the Atlantic East as an associate member for field hockey from the 2020 to 2023 fall seasons (2020–21 to 2023–24 school years).
Former members
The AEC had two former full members, both private schools:
↑Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
↑Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
↑St. Mary's (Md.) remains in the Atlantic East as an associate member for men's and women's swimming.
Membership timeline
Full member (all sports)Full member (non-football)Associate member (football)Associate member (sport)
Sports
The Atlantic East sponsored 20 sports at its launch—nine for men and 11 for women. The conference has since added flag football as a 12th women's sport.
↑The NCAA has recommended flag football for addition to its Emerging Sports for Women program. All three divisions are set to vote on this proposal no later than the January 2026 NCAA convention.
↑Although equestrianism in NCAA Divisions I and II is included in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, D-III equestrian is still outside that program.
↑Women's rugby in all NCAA divisions is part of the Emerging Sports for Women program.
