Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox sports league

File:Patriot League football officials and referee.jpg
Patriot League football officials and referee

The Patriot League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising primarily leading private institutions of higher education and two United States service academies based in the Northeastern United States. Except for the Ivy League, it is the most selective group of higher education institutions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and has a very high student-athlete graduation rate for both the NCAA graduation success rate and the federal graduation rate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Patriot League has 10 core members:<ref name=PLwho>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> American University, the United States Military Academy (Army), Boston University, Bucknell University, Colgate University, College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Loyola University Maryland, and the United States Naval Academy (Navy). All 10 core members participate in the NCAA Division I for all Patriot League sports that they offer. Since not all schools sponsor every available NCAA sport, most schools are affiliated with other collegiate conferences for sports such as ice hockey and wrestling.

Only half of the conference's core members compete in the Patriot League for football, as part of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS): Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, and Lehigh. Of the five other conference members, American, Boston University, and Loyola Maryland do not sponsor football, while Army and Navy play in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as football-only members of the American Athletic Conference (The American).

Five other institutions are Patriot League members only for specific sports, and are referred to as associate members. Fordham University and Georgetown University are associate members in football, while Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is an associate member in women's rowing and the University of Richmond is an associate member in women's golf. Starting in the 2025 season, Richmond will also be an associate member in football, and starting in the 2026 season, the College of William & Mary will join as an associate member for football.

AboutEdit

Patriot League members are schools with very strong academic reputations that adhere strongly to the ideal of the "scholar-athlete", with the emphasis on "scholar". An academic index ensures that athletes are truly representative of and integrated with the rest of the student body. Out-of-league play for Patriot League schools is often with members of the Ivy League, which follow similar philosophies regarding academics and athletics.

Patriot League members have some of the oldest collegiate athletic programs in the country. In particular, "The Rivalry" between Lehigh University and Lafayette College is both the nation's most-played and longest-uninterrupted college football series.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The winner of the Patriot League basketball tournament receives an automatic invitation to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament every March. In recent years, Bucknell (twice) and Lehigh have both won NCAA tournament games. The Patriot League champions in a number of other sports also receive an automatic invitation to their respective NCAA tournaments.

HistoryEdit

File:PatriotLeagueLocations.png
Locations of current Patriot League full member institutions.

The origins of the Patriot League began after the eight Ivy League schools expanded their football schedules to ten games starting in 1980. Needing opponents with a similar competitive level on a regular basis for each team's three nonconference games, the league contacted two university presidents, the Reverend John E. Brooks, S.J., of Holy Cross, and Peter Likins of Lehigh, about forming a new conference that also prohibited athletic scholarships.<ref name="lastamateurs">Template:Cite book</ref> The result was the Colonial League, a football-only circuit that began competition in 1986.<ref name=PLwho/><ref name=history>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its six charter members were Holy Cross, Lehigh, Bucknell, Colgate, Lafayette, and Davidson. Davidson dropped out after the 1988 season for reasons related to geography, lack of competitiveness, and a reluctance to relinquish its basketball scholarships in case the conference expanded into other sports.<ref name="lastamateurs"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1990, the league changed its name to the Patriot League at the suggestion of Carl F. Ullrich,<ref name="lastamateurs"/> who would go on to become the conference's first full-time administrator. At the start of the 1990-91 academic year, the league became an all-sport conference, with 22 sports (11 for men and 11 for women), and now had seven full members, including Fordham and the United States Military Academy (Army) as new members. In 1991, the league gained an eighth full member, the United States Naval Academy (Navy).<ref name=history/>

In 1993, the league hired Constance (Connie) H. Hurlbut as executive director. She was the first woman and youngest person to be the leader of an NCAA Division I conference.<ref name=history/>

In 1995, Fordham resigned its full membership (leaving the league with seven full members) but continued as an associate member in football. In 1996, Fairfield and Ursinus joined as associate members in field hockey.<ref name=history/> (Fairfield left after the 2003 fall season and is now an associate member of the Northeast Conference. Ursinus left after the 2001 fall season and is now a full member of the Division III Centennial Conference.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) In 1997, Towson joined as an associate member in football. (Towson left after the 2003 fall season to join the Atlantic 10 Conference, whose football conference would be absorbed by the Colonial Athletic Association in 2007.) In 1999, Hobart joined as an associate member in men's lacrosse and Villanova joined as an associate member in women's lacrosse. (Hobart left after the 2004 spring season, to join the ECAC Lacrosse League, while Villanova left after the 2006 spring season.) In 2001, American University joined as the eighth full member and Georgetown University joined as an associate member in football.<ref name=history/> Two schools announced in summer 2012 that they would join the league for the 2013–14 academic year, with Boston University making its announcement on June 15,<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> and Loyola University Maryland doing so on August 29.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

In May 2024, the University of Richmond, who at the time was already an associate member of the league for women's golf, announced that they would also move their football program to the Patriot League for the 2025 season, becoming the Patriot League's first new football-playing member in over 20 years.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

On April 25th, 2025, the College of William & Mary announced that it would be joining the Patriot League as a football-only associate member, starting in the 2026 Season.<ref name=":0" /> The move similarly follows that of fellow in-state football rival University of Richmond, and brings the historic "Capital Cup" rivalry series between both schools into the Patriot league conference schedule.

Athletic scholarshipsEdit

While Patriot League colleges have always offered need-based financial aid, league members have only been allowed to give athletic scholarships in recent years. Basketball scholarships were first allowed beginning with freshmen entering the league in the fall of 1998.

In 2001, when the league admitted American, which gave scholarships in all its sports (AU does not play football), the league began allowing all schools to do so in sports other than football. Lafayette, the last holdout with no athletic scholarships, began granting full rides in basketball and other sports with freshmen entering the school in the fall of 2006. Most Patriot League schools do not give athletic scholarships in a number of sports, and Bucknell only granted them in basketball prior to the addition of football scholarships in 2013.

In the spring of 2009, Fordham University announced that it would start offering football scholarships in the fall of 2010. This action made Fordham ineligible for the league championship in that sport, but it also prompted a league-wide discussion on football scholarships. On February 13, 2012, the Patriot League announced its members could begin offering football scholarships starting with the 2013–14 academic year. Since then, each school has been allowed no more than the equivalent of 15 scholarships to incoming football players. Presidents from six of the seven football schools indicated they would award scholarships in the fall of 2012. Georgetown University did not commit to offering scholarships.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since the transition to scholarship football was completed for the 2016–17 academic year, each football member has been allowed up to 60 scholarship equivalents per season,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a total only slightly lower than the NCAA limit of 63 scholarship equivalents for FCS programs. Currently, Patriot League schools are permitted to offer up to the NCAA maximum of 63 scholarships for its football programs.

Executive directorsEdit

Name Years Current
Alan Childs Template:Nowrap citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Carl F. Ullrich Template:Nowrap League's first full-time Executive Director; retired
Connie Hurlbut Template:Nowrap Western Athletic Conference Deputy Commissioner and SWA<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Carolyn Schlie Femovich Template:Nowrap citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Jennifer Heppel Template:Nowrap Previously Big Ten Conference Associate Commissioner for Governance<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Member schoolsEdit

Full membersEdit

There are ten "full" member schools:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Institution Location Founded Type Undergraduate
enrollment
Endowment Nickname Joined Colors
American UniversityTemplate:Efn Washington, D.C. 1893 United Methodist 8,463 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Eagles 2001 Template:College color boxes
Template:Sort West Point, New York 1802 Federal
Template:Small
4,594 N/A Black Knights 1990 Template:College color boxes
Boston UniversityTemplate:Efn Boston, Massachusetts 1839 Nonsectarian 18,229 $3,350,000,000 Terriers 2013 Template:College color boxes
Bucknell University Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 1846 Nonsectarian 3,724 $801,000,000 Bison 1986 Template:College color boxes
Colgate University Hamilton, New York 1819 Nonsectarian 3,164 $1,202,000,000 Raiders 1986 Template:College color boxes
Template:Sort Worcester, Massachusetts 1843 Catholic
Template:Small
3,138 $1,230,000,000 Crusaders 1986 Template:College color boxes
Lafayette College Easton, Pennsylvania 1826 Nonsectarian 2,725 $693,700,000 Leopards 1986 Template:College color boxes
Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 1865 Nonsectarian 5,451 $1,400,000,000 Mountain Hawks 1986 Template:College color boxes
Loyola University MarylandTemplate:Efn Baltimore, Maryland 1852 Catholic
Template:Small
3,787 $308,000,000 Greyhounds 2013 Template:College color boxes
Template:Sort Annapolis, Maryland 1845 Federal
Template:Small
4,528 N/A Midshipmen 1991 Template:College color boxes
Notes

Template:Notelist

Associate membersEdit

There are three associate-member schools:

Institution Location Founded Type Undergraduate
enrollment
Nickname Joined Colors Patriot
sport
Primary
conference
Fordham UniversityTemplate:Efn The Bronx, New York 1841 Catholic
Template:Small
9,904 Rams 1995 Template:College color boxes Football Atlantic 10 (A-10)
Georgetown University Washington, D.C. 1789 Catholic
Template:Small
7,598 Hoyas 2001 Template:College color boxes Football,
women's rowing
Big East
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT)
Cambridge, Massachusetts 1861 Nonsectarian 4,638 Engineers 2009 Template:College color boxes Women's rowing New England (NEWMAC)Template:Efn
Notes

Template:Notelist


Future associate membersEdit

Institution Location Founded Type Undergraduate
enrollment
Nickname Joining Colors Patriot
sport
Primary
conference
University of Richmond Richmond, Virginia 1830 Nonsectarian 3,164 Spiders 2025 Template:College color boxes Football Atlantic 10 (A-10)
College of William & Mary Williamsburg, Virginia 1693 Public 7,063 Tribe citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:College color boxes Football Coastal (CAA)

Former full membersEdit

Institution Location Founded Type Undergraduate
enrollment
Nickname Joined Left Current
conference
Fordham UniversityTemplate:Efn Bronx, New York 1841 Catholic
Template:Small
8,220 Rams 1990 1995 Atlantic 10 (A-10)
Notes

Template:Notelist

Former associate membersEdit

Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Joined Left Colors Patriot
sport
Primary
conference
Current
conference
in former
PL sport
Davidson College Davidson, North Carolina 1837 Presbyterian
Template:Small
Wildcats 1986 1989 Template:College color boxes football Atlantic 10 (A-10) Pioneer (PFL)
Fairfield University Fairfield, Connecticut 1942 Catholic
Template:Small
Stags 1996 2004 Template:College color boxes field hockey Metro Atlantic (MAAC)
Hobart College Geneva, New York 1822 Nonsectarian Statesmen 1999 2004 Template:College color boxes men's lacrosse LibertyTemplate:Efn Atlantic 10 (A-10)
University of Richmond Richmond, Virginia 1830 Nonsectarian Spiders 2014 2024 Template:College color boxes women's golf Atlantic 10 (A-10)
Towson University Towson, Maryland 1866 Public Tigers 1997 2004 Template:College color boxes football Coastal (CAA) CAA FootballTemplate:Efn
Ursinus College Collegeville, Pennsylvania 1869 Nonsectarian Bears 1996 2002 Template:Color box Template:Color box Template:Color box<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

field hockey CentennialTemplate:Efn
Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania 1842 Catholic
Template:Small
Wildcats 1998 2006 Template:College color boxes women's lacrosse Big East
Notes

Template:Notelist

Membership timelineEdit

<timeline>

PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20

DateFormat = yyyy

Period = from:1986 till:2035

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

         id:line     value:black
         id:bg       value:white
         id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
         id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
         id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
         id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote)
         id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference
         id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two

PlotData =

       width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1  color:AssocF from:1986 till:1989 text:Davidson (1986–1989)
bar:2  color:AssocF from:1986 till:1990 text:Bucknell (1986–present)
bar:2  color:Full from:1990 till:end
bar:3  color:AssocF from:1986 till:1990 text:Colgate (1986–present)
bar:3  color:Full from:1990 till:end
bar:4  color:AssocF from:1986 till:1990 text:Holy Cross (1986–present)
bar:4  color:Full from:1990 till:end
bar:5  color:AssocF from:1986 till:1990 text:Lafayette (1986–present)
bar:5  color:Full from:1990 till:end
bar:6  color:AssocF from:1986 till:1990 text:Lehigh (1986–present)
bar:6  color:Full from:1990 till:end
bar:7  color:OtherC1 from:1986 till:1989 text:MAAC
bar:7  color:AssocF from:1989 till:1990
bar:7  color:Full from:1990 till:1995 text:Fordham (1990–1995, all sports; A-10 1995–present, PL football-only)
bar:7  color:AssocF from:1995 till:end
bar:8  color:OtherC1 from:1986 till:1990 text:MAAC
bar:8  color:FullXF from:1990 till:end text:Army (1990–present)
bar:9  color:OtherC1 from:1986 till:1991 text:CAA
bar:9  color:FullXF from:1991 till:end text:Navy (1991–present)
bar:11  color:AssocF from:1997 till:2004 text:Towson (1997–2004)
bar:12  color:OtherC1 from:1986 till:2001 text:CAA
bar:12  color:FullXF from:2001 till:end text:American (2001–present)
bar:13  color:AssocF from:2001 till:end text:Georgetown (2001–present)
bar:14  color:OtherC1 from:1986 till:1988 text:ECAC-N
bar:14  shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1996 text:NAC
bar:14  shift:(20) color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2013 text:America East
bar:14  color:FullXF from:2013 till:end text:Boston University (2013–present)
bar:15  color:OtherC1 from:1986 till:1988 text:ECAC-M
bar:15  shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1989 text:NEC
bar:15  shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:2013 text:MAAC
bar:15  color:FullXF from:2013 till:end text:Loyola (Md.) (2013–present)
bar:16  color:AssocOS from:2014 till:2024 text:Richmond (women's golf, 2014–2024; football, 2025–present)
bar:16  color:AssocF from:2025 till:end
bar:17 color:AssocF from:2026 till:end text:William & Mary (2026–future)
bar:N color:red from:1986 till:1990 text:Colonial League
bar:N color:blue from:1990 till:end text:Patriot League

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1986 TextData =

   fontsize:M
   textcolor:black
   pos:(0,20) tabs:(400-center)
   text:^"Patriot League membership history"
  1. > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color <# </timeline>

Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color

SportsEdit

The Patriot League sponsors championship competition in 12 men's and 13 women's NCAA-sanctioned sports.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Georgetown and Fordham are Associate members for football, and Georgetown and MIT are Associate members for rowing.

Men's sponsored sports by schoolEdit

School Baseball Basketball Cross
Country
FCS
Football
Golf Lacrosse Soccer Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Track
& Field
(Indoor)
Track
& Field
(Outdoor)
Total
American Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes 6
Army Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:NoTemplate:Efn Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 10
Boston Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 8
Bucknell Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 11
Colgate Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 10
Holy Cross Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 11
Lafayette Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 11
Lehigh Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 11
Loyola Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:No 7
Navy Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:NoTemplate:Efn Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 10
Totals 6 10 10 5+2 8 9 10 10 9 9 9 95+2
Associate Members
Fordham Template:Yes 1
Georgetown Template:Yes 1
Future Associate Members
Richmond Template:Yes 1
William & Mary Template:Yes 1

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Patriot League which are played by Patriot League schoolsEdit

School FencingTemplate:Efn FBS Football Sprint
FootballTemplate:Efn
Gymnastics Ice
Hockey
RifleTemplate:Efn RowingTemplate:Efn RugbyTemplate:Efn SailingTemplate:EfnTemplate:Efn SquashTemplate:Efn Water
Polo
Wrestling
American EIWA
Army American CSFL EIGL AHA GARC Rugby East EIWA
Boston Hockey East EARC
Bucknell CWPA EIWA
Colgate ECAC Hockey Independent
Holy Cross AHA EARC
Lafayette MACFA
Lehigh MARC EIWA
Loyola Independent
Navy American EIGL GARC EARC ISA MASC CWPA EIWA

Template:Notelist

Women's sponsored sports by schoolEdit

School Basketball Cross
Country
Field
Hockey
Golf Lacrosse Rowing Soccer Softball Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Track
& Field
(Indoor)
Track
& Field
(Outdoor)
VolleyTemplate:Shyball Total
American Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 9
Army Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 10
Boston Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No 12
Bucknell Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 13
Colgate Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 12
Holy Cross Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 13
Lafayette Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 11
Lehigh Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 13
Loyola Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 10
Navy Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 11
Totals 10 10 7 5 10 7+2 10 7 10 9 10 10 9 113+2
Associate Members
Georgetown Template:Yes 1
MIT Template:Yes 1

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Patriot League which are played by Patriot League schoolsEdit

School FencingTemplate:Efn Ice
Hockey
RifleTemplate:Efn Lightweight
RowingTemplate:Efn
RugbyTemplate:Efn SailingTemplate:EfnTemplate:Efn Water
Polo
Army GARC NIRA
Boston Hockey East EARC
Bucknell CWPA
Colgate ECAC Hockey
Holy Cross Hockey East
Lafayette MACFA
Navy GARC ISA

Template:Notelist

President's CupEdit

The Patriot League Presidents' Cup is awarded to the member institution with the highest cumulative sports point total for their Patriot League standings in sponsored men's and women's sports. Points are awarded based upon a combination of an institution's regular-season and tournament finishes in each sport.

President's Cup Winners (combined men and women): Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

BaseballEdit

Tournament champion and MVP
See: Patriot League baseball tournament

BasketballEdit

Men's tournament champion, runner-up, and MVP
See: Patriot League men's basketball tournament
Women's tournament champion
See: Patriot League women's basketball tournament
NCAA

In NCAA basketball, Boston, Bucknell, Navy, Lehigh, and Holy Cross are the only teams in the conference ever to have recorded NCAA Tournament victories. Bucknell won tournament games in 2005 over Kansas and in 2006 over Arkansas. Lehigh won over Duke in the first round in the 2012 tournament.

The Bison, Mountain Hawks, and Crusaders are the only teams to win in the NCAA tournament while actually representing the Patriot League. A Navy team—then representing the Colonial Athletic Association—led by future Hall of Famer David Robinson won three tournament games while advancing to the regional finals in 1986, while BU won two games in the 1959 tournament before falling in the regional finals. Holy Cross was among the best teams in the country in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and won the 1947 national championship with a team that included future Hall of Famer Bob Cousy. Its combined record in the NCAA tournament is 8–12. After a 63-year drought, Holy Cross defeated Southern University in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Bryan Cohen of Bucknell was named Patriot League Defensive Player of Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012; he was the only player in league history to win the award three times.<ref name="auto2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Field hockeyEdit

Tournament champion<ref>{{#invoke
citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 2024 – Lafayette<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col end

FootballEdit

League champions

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

The Patriot League prohibited athletic scholarships for football from its founding (as the Colonial League) until the league presidents voted to approve football scholarships starting with the 2013 recruiting class. Since then, each school has been allowed no more than the equivalent of 15 scholarships to incoming football players in any given season. With the transition to scholarship football having been completed in 2016, each school is now allowed a maximum of 60 scholarship equivalents per season, three short of the NCAA FCS maximum. However, Georgetown does not offer scholarships.

Until 1997, Patriot League teams did not participate in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. This practice was in step with the Ivy League's policy of not participating in the playoffs, since the Patriot League was founded with the Ivy League's athletics philosophy. Since 1997, the league champion receives an automatic playoff berth. If there are co-champions, a tie-breaker determines the playoff participant, though the other co-champion is eligible to be selected with an at-large invitation.

Colgate was the first team to receive the league's automatic berth, in 1997. The following year, Lehigh won the league's first playoff game. This was also the first year in which a Patriot League team, Colgate, received a playoff invitation without being a league co-champion. Fordham has since repeated that feat in 2013, 2015 and 2022.

Because the Georgetown Hoyas opted out of the 2020-21 NCAA Division I FCS football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Patriot League split into a north and south division for the first time. This led to the first ever Patriot League Football Championship Game

LacrosseEdit

Men's league champions

Template:Div col

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 2024 - Lehigh<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 2025 – Colgate<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col end Template:As of, the Army Black Knights men's lacrosse team has thirteen conference championships, the most of any school in the conference. Prior to the 2004 season, no conference tournament was held to determine a single winner.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Women's league champions

Template:Div col

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 2024 – Loyola<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 2025 – Navy<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col end

SoccerEdit

Men's tournament champion, runner-up, and MVP
See: Patriot League Men's Soccer Tournament
Women's league champions

Template:Div col

  • 1990 - Colgate
  • 1991 – Colgate
  • 1992 – Colgate
  • 1993 – Army
  • 1994 – Colgate
  • 1995 – Colgate
  • 1996 – Colgate
  • 1997 – Colgate
  • 1998 – Colgate
  • 1999 – Colgate
  • 2000 – Holy Cross
  • 2001 – Bucknell
  • 2002 – American
  • 2003 – Navy
  • 2004 – Colgate
  • 2005 – Bucknell
  • 2006 – Navy
  • 2007 – Navy
  • 2008 – Army
  • 2009 – Colgate
  • 2010 – Lehigh
  • 2011 – Army
  • 2012 – Colgate
  • 2013 – Boston
  • 2014 – Boston
  • 2015 – Boston
  • 2016 – Bucknell
  • 2017 – Bucknell
  • 2018 – Boston
  • 2019 – Navy
  • 2020–21 – Navy
  • 2021 – Bucknell<ref>2021 Women's Soccer Championship – Patriot League. Retrieved February 1, 2022.</ref>
  • 2022 – Bucknell
  • 2023 – Bucknell<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 2024 – Boston<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col end

FacilitiesEdit

Future members in gray.

Template:CollegePrimaryHeader
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[American Eagles|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">American]] Non-football school Bender Arena 3,044 Non-baseball school Reeves Field 700
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Army Black Knights|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Army]] Plays football in the American Athletic Conference.
Army's home football games are at Michie Stadium
38,000 Christl Arena 5,043 Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field 880 Clinton Field 2,000
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Boston University Terriers|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Boston University]] Non-football school Agganis Arena
Case Gym
7,200
1,800
Non-baseball school Nickerson Field 10,412
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Bucknell Bison|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Bucknell]] Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium 13,100 Sojka Pavilion 4,000 Eugene B. Depew Field 500 Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium 1,250
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Colgate Raiders|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Colgate]] Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium 10,221 Cotterell Court 3,000 Non-baseball school Beyer-Small '76 Field 2,000
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Fordham Rams|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Fordham]] Coffey Field 7,000 Football-only member
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Georgetown Hoyas|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Georgetown]] Cooper Field 3,750 Football (and women's rowing)-only member
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Holy Cross Crusaders|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Holy Cross]] Fitton Field 23,500 Hart Center 3,600 Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field 3,000 Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium 1,320
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Lafayette Leopards|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Lafayette]] Fisher Stadium 13,132 Kirby Sports Center 2,644 Kamine Stadium 500 Oaks Stadium 1,000
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Lehigh Mountain Hawks|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Lehigh]] Goodman Stadium 16,000 Stabler Arena 5,600 J. David Walker Field at Legacy Park 370 Ulrich Sports Complex 2,400
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Loyola Greyhounds|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Loyola]] Non-football school Reitz Arena 2,100 Non-baseball school Ridley Athletic Complex 6,000
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Navy Midshipmen|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Navy]] Plays football in the American Athletic Conference.
Navy's home football games are at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
34,000 Alumni Hall 5,710 Max Bishop Stadium 1,500 Glenn Warner Soccer Facility 2,500
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[Richmond Spiders|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">Richmond]] E. Claiborne Robins Stadium 8,700 Football-only member
style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| [[William & Mary Tribe|Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">William & Mary]] Walter J. Zable Stadium 12,259 Football-only member

LiteratureEdit

The Patriot League was profiled in the John Feinstein book The Last Amateurs (2000). The title is derived from the belief that the Patriot League was the last Division I basketball league that plays a conference tournament (the Ivy League, which operates under the same model, albeit with no scholarships, did not hold a conference tournament until the 2016–17 season) and functions as a place for student-athletes rather than a de facto minor professional circuit with players not representative of their student bodies. The book is Feinstein's chronicle of all seven of the league's men's basketball teams at the time during the 1999–2000 season.<ref name="lastamateurs"/>

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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