Atlantic East Conference
The Atlantic East Conference is a newly founded NCAA Division III collegiate athletic conference in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. History. Beginning play in July 2018, the league consists of seven private universities, each former members of either the Capital Athletic Conference, since renamed the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference (C2C), or the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC). The charter members consisted of Cabrini University, Gwynedd Mercy University, Immaculata University, Marymount University, Marywood University, Neumann University and Wesley College. On May 31, 2018, Jessica Huntley was named the inaugural commissioner of the Atlantic East . 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. 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. 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. On January 12, 2020, it was announce that Cedar Crest College would join the AEC as an affiliate member in women's swimming & diving. On August 17, 2020 and August 19, 2020, it was announced that Gallaudet University and St. Mary's College of Maryland, respectively, would also become an affiliate member in men's and women's swimming and diving. On July 9, 2020, Delaware State University announced that it would acquire Wesley College starting in the 2021–22 school year, due to the financial struggles Wesley faced due to the  COVID-19 pandemic. On June 18, 2021, Centenary University announced its move to Atlantic East from the CSAC also in 2021–22. 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. Member schools. Full members. The AEC currently has seven full members, all are private schools: Associate members. The AEC currently has five associate members, all but two are public schools: Former members. The ARC had one former  full member, which was also a private school: Sports. The Atlantic East sponsored 20 sports at its launch—nine for men and 11 for women.