June 30, 2005

St. Louis - Saint Louis University begins its first year as an official member of the Atlantic 10 Conference tomorrow. The original announcement came in November 2003 that Saint Louis and the University of North Carolina Charlotte were leaving Conference USA after 10 years to join the A-10.

"Saint Louis University, its alumni and fans are extremely enthusiastic regarding the Billikens' inaugural year in the Atlantic 10 Conference," said Cheryl L. Levick, director of athletics at Saint Louis. "The profile of the A-10 membership is the best fit that Saint Louis University has enjoyed in the history of Billiken athletics. Plus, the A-10 provides new major market media exposure for our program and also opens the East Coast for undergraduate student recruitment for the institution. We look forward to a long, exciting and successful tenure in the A-10."

The Atlantic 10 Conference enters its 30th year of NCAA Division I competition. Along with its two newest institutions, the league's membership includes Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, La Salle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's, Temple and Xavier.

"The A-10 has never been as strong as it is now," said A-10 commissioner Linda Bruno, who begins her 12th season at the helm of the league. "More importantly, the additions of Charlotte and Saint Louis ensure that the future is brighter than it has ever been. We are adding two members who will greatly enhance the national profile of all our sports and expose our programs to two new markets in which our universities actively recruit."

In all, 374 teams have represented the Atlantic 10 Conference in postseason play since the 1976-77 season. Atlantic 10 student-athletes excel in the classroom as well. Each A-10 institution ranked at or above the national average for graduation rates, according to the NCAA Official 2004 Division I Graduation Rates Report.

The Atlantic 10 Conference crowns champions in 21 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's golf, women's lacrosse, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball.

Saint Louis was a charter member of Conference USA and left its mark upon the league. The Billiken men's soccer team won eight C-USA titles. The women's soccer team won two regular-season championships. The Billiken men's basketball team captured the 2000 C-USA Tournament. The Billikens also received the league's Institutional Excellence Award in each year of the league's existence. The award is presented annually to the school with the highest cumulative grade point average during the academic year for all student-athletes in conference-sponsored sports.

The Billikens' first regular season competition under the A-10 banner will be on Fri., Aug. 26, when women's soccer hosts Oklahoma at Robert R. Hermann Stadium at 7 p.m. Women's soccer also participates in SLU's first A-10 league game when the Billikens entertain Duquesne on Fri., Sept. 16.

Saint Louis University Conference History
1937-38 through 1973-74 Missouri Valley Conference
1975-76 through 1981-82 Metro Conference
1982-83 through 1990-91 Midwestern City Conference (changed name to Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1985-86)
1991-92 through 1994-95 Great Midwest Conference
1995-96 through 2004-05 Conference USA
2005-06 through present Atlantic 10