East Coast Conference (Division I)

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

For the Division II conference, see East Coast Conference.

The East Coast Conference was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference. It was founded as the university division of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) in 1958. The MAC consisted of over 30 teams at this time, making it impossible to organize a full conference schedule in sports like football, basketball, and baseball. In 1958, the larger schools organized their own mini-conference, made up of 11 schools (7 for football). In 1974, the larger schools in the MAC officially formed the East Coast Conference. Following many departures, the conference ceased to exist following the 1991-92 academic year, due to a lack of membership. In 1993-94, 6 schools reorganized as the East Coat Conference, but the only remained so for one year. In 1994, the East Coast Conference was absorbed by the Mid-Continent Conference, though Hofstra instead decided to join the North Atlantic Conference. None of the ECC schools which joined the Mid-Continent Conference (now The Summit League) are still in the conference today.

According to the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation's web site, the East Coast Conference was not a successor to the MAC. 11 of the 12 University Division members left to form the original ECC in 1974, but the 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."

Founding members

Institution	First Year	Last Year	Next Conference	Current Conference
Bucknell University	1958–1959	1989–1990	Patriot League	Patriot League
University of Delaware	1958–1959	1990–1991	North Atlantic	CAA
Drexel University	1958–1959	1990–1991	North Atlantic	CAA
Gettysburg College	1958–1959	1973–1974		Centennial Conference (Division III)
La Salle University	1958–1959	1991–1992	Midwestern Collegiate Conference	Atlantic 10
Lafayette College	1958–1959	1989–1990	Patriot League	Patriot League
Lehigh University	1958–1959	1989–1990	Patriot League	Patriot League
Muhlenberg College	1958–1959	1963–1964		Centennial Conference (Division III)
Rutgers University	1958–1959	1961–1962		Big East
Saint Joseph's University	1958–1959	1981–1982	Atlantic 10	Atlantic 10
Temple University	1958–1959	1981–1982	Atlantic 10	Atlantic 10

Former members

Institution	First Year	Last Year	Next Conference	Current Conference
American University	1965–1966	1983–1984	CAA	Patriot League
Brooklyn College	1991–1992	1991–1992		Division III
University at Buffalo	1991–1992	1993–1994	Mid-Continent	MAC
Central Connecticut State University	1990–1991	1993–1994	Mid-Continent	Northeast
Chicago State University	1993–1994	1993–1994	Mid-Continent	Great West
Hofstra University	1965–1966	1993–1994	America East	CAA
University of Maryland, Baltimore County	1990–1991	1991–1992	Big South	America East
Northeastern Illinois University	1993–1994	1993–1994	Mid-Continent	Dropped Athletics
Rider University	1966–1967	1991–1992	Northeast	MAAC
Towson State University	1982–1983	1991–1992	Big South	CAA
Troy State University	1993–1994	1993–1994	Mid-Continent	Sun Belt
West Chester University	1969–1970	1981–1982	Division II	Division II

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 DNP
• 1994 Troy

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

References

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