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The Colonial Athletic Association announced Tuesday that Hampton, Monmouth and Stony Brook have accepted invitations to the CAA and will officially join the league later this year. The three schools will begin their membership on July 1. "We are pleased to welcome Hampton University, Monmouth University and Stony Brook University as the newest members of the CAA," conference commissioner Joe D'Antonio said. "All three institutions fit perfectly into the framework of the conference's vision that calls for our membership to work together to advance nationally competitive athletic programs -- coupled with outstanding academic programs -- that empower student-athletes as whole persons to strive at the highest level in every aspect of their lives. The CAA is excited for what the future holds and will continue to be focused on making decisions that ensures its membership a competitive and sustainable model." In November, James Madison announced it was leaving the CAA for the Sun Belt Conference. The addition of the three new schools means the league is expanding to 12 full members and 13 members in football. Charleston, Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Hofstra, UNC Wilmington, Northeastern, Towson and William & Mary remain as full-time members, while Albany, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Richmond and Villanova are among the 13 CAA Football schools. "This is a tremendous day for the CAA," said Drexel president John Fry, who chairs the CAA board of directors. "I am profoundly grateful for the sustained engagement of our presidents over the last 15 months, as together with our athletics directors we have forged a principled vision for the future in these turbulent times. To have these three highly regarded universities embrace these same aspirational values for college athletics is deeply gratifying." Hampton has been a member of the Big South for four seasons after leaving the MEAC in 2018. The Pirates were a consistent contender in men's basketball while in the MEAC, going to the NCAA tournament in 2015 and 2016. Monmouth brings successful women's soccer and track and field programs, while its football program also has had recent success. The men's basketball program has won three MAAC regular-season titles under King Rice and finished in second place last season. Stony Brook leaves the America East, where its most recent successes have come in women's lacrosse. The Sea Wolves have been a CAA football member since 2013. They reached the NCAA tournament in men's basketball in 2016, capping a five-year run under Steve Pikiell in which they won at least 12 league games every season and reached the championship game of the conference tournament four times.
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