CAA adopts divisional scheduling format for four sports

Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) athletic directors have approved a new divisional scheduling format and a change to the way teams are determined for the conference championship in four different sports for the 2025-26 season.

The sports of women’s soccer, men’s soccer, softball, and baseball will see changes to their conference schedules and the process of qualifying for the CAA championship.

Women’s Soccer

The conference will be separated into two divisions – North (Drexel, Hofstra, Monmouth, Northeastern, Stony Brook, and Towson) and South (Campbell, Charleston, Elon, Hampton, UNCW, and William & Mary). During the regular season, teams will play nine conference matches, which include one match against each team in their division and four matches against teams from the other division. All matches will count in the standings.

The top three teams in each division will qualify for the CAA Championship, which will be played over two weekends. On the first weekend, the #2 seed in each division will host the #3 seed. Two days later, the winners of those matches will visit the #1 seed in each division. The highest remaining seed will host the championship match on the second weekend. If both teams have the same divisional seed, the team with the most points in the regular season will host.

Men’s Soccer

The conference will be separated into two divisions – North (Drexel, Hofstra, Monmouth, Northeastern, and Stony Brook) and South (Campbell, Charleston, Elon, UNCW, and William & Mary). During the regular season, teams will play eight conference matches, which include two matches against each team in their division (home and away). All matches will count in the standings.

The top three teams in each division will qualify for the CAA Championship, which will be played over two weekends. On the first weekend, the #2 seed in each division will host the #3 seed. Two days later, the winners of those matches will visit the #1 seed in each division. The highest remaining seed will host the championship match on the second weekend. If both teams have the same divisional seed, the team with the most points in the regular season will host.

Softball

The conference will be separated into two divisions – North (Drexel, Hofstra, Monmouth, Stony Brook, and Towson) and South (Campbell, Charleston, Elon, Hampton, North Carolina A&T, and UNCW). During the regular season, teams will play eight conference series (24 games). In the North, teams will play two divisional opponents once and the other two divisional opponents twice (home and away). There will also be two series (one home, one away) against teams from the South Division. In the South, two teams will play three divisional opponents once and the other two divisional opponents twice (home and away), as well as one series against a team from the North Division. Three teams will play four divisional opponents once and the other divisional opponent twice (home and away), as well as two series (one home, one away) against teams from the North Division.

The top two teams from each division, based on conference winning percentage in all games, will qualify for the six-team CAA Championship. The other two tournament participants will be the teams that have the highest conference winning percentage in all conference games played, but did not finish first or second in their division.

Baseball

The conference will be separated into two divisions – North (Hofstra, Monmouth, Northeastern, Stony Brook, and Towson) and South (Campbell, Charleston, Elon, North Carolina A&T, UNCW, and William & Mary). During the regular season, teams will play 10 conference series (30 games). In the North, teams will play all four divisional opponents twice (home and away) as well as two series (one home, one away) against teams from the South Division. In the South, four teams will play two divisional opponents once and the other three divisional opponents twice (home and away), as well as two series (one home, one away) against teams from the North Division. Two teams will play one divisional opponent once and the other four divisional opponents twice (home and away), as well as one series against a team from the North Division.

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The top two teams from each division, based on conference winning percentage in all games, will qualify for the six-team CAA Championship. The other two tournament participants will be the teams with the highest NCAA RPI rating at the end of the regular season, but did not finish first or second in their division.

*This is an issued press release from the Coastal Athletic Association.