By Keon Edington / The Jambar
The Patriot League, an NCAA Division I conference, continues to expand as it strengthens media deals with its growing number of schools.
Established in 1986 out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the Patriot League coalition of colleges and universities consist mainly of private schools.
The conference is composed of 10 institutions:
- American University
- United States Military Academy at West Point
- Boston University
- Bucknell University
- Colgate University
- College of the Holy Cross
- Lafayette College
- Lehigh University
- Loyola University Maryland
- United States Naval Academy
The conference also has four associate members, including Fordham University, Georgetown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Richmond.
The 10 schools compete in every sport the conference offers, such as baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swim and dive and volleyball, among others, while associate members partake in football for the Football Championship Subdivision. The conference holds a total of 24 sports and conducts 23 championships between its stable members.
According to a press release from Patriot League in November 2024, the conference ranked among the top graduate rates with a 96% graduation success rate and an 87% federal graduation rate.
In 2023, the Patriot League reupped with CBS Sports and ESPN+. According to a press release from September 2023, Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel stated it’s great to have chances to showcase talent to the public.
“The opportunity to present our live events and stories on the leading sports streaming service is important to our member institutions and fans,” Heppel stated. “That’s why we are thrilled to continue our relationship with ESPN to showcase the Patriot League and our student-athletes on a platform dedicated to excellence.”
The Patriot League showcases over 1,000 live sporting events through ESPN+, giving the conference valuable exposure. Rich Wanniger, senior associate commissioner for external relations with the Patriot League, said he feels the package gives a range of exposure to several sports within the conference.
“We believe we have one of the most robust linear packages among mid-major conferences in the country with CBS Sports Network,” Wanniger said. “Five of our league champions are crowned on CBS Sports Network, [including] women’s soccer and men’s and women’s basketball and lacrosse, in addition to regular-season basketball and lacrosse contests.”
Many of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy football games can be found on CBS Sports. Both academies play football at the FCS level and often play Patriot League schools, which helps strengthen comradery between league and non-league schools.
Both the Black Knights and the Midshipmen play each other annually in a rivalry that dates back to 1930. The annual Army–Navy Game also has its own week in college football. This year, the matchup will take place at 3 p.m. Dec. 13 inside Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.
As social media apps dominate how media spreads, Wanngier said the conference uses the platforms to showcase talent to the world that would normally get overshadowed by Power Five schools.
“The Patriot League uses social media in conjunction with our member schools to provide visibility to our student-athletes and athletic programs,” Wanniger said. “We produce human-interest video feature stories which are posted on the league website, league YouTube page. We also produce nearly two dozen features for halftime of our CBS Sports Network broadcasts focused on the student-athletes’ accomplishments in the classroom, competition field and community.”
Back in 2021, the conference and INFLCR, an online student-athlete management company, created a partnership for student-athletes to share content across social media and manage their name, image and likeness.
“Being able to partner with an industry leader like INFLCR is an exciting step for the Patriot League, our member institutions and most of all our student-athletes,” Heppel stated in a press release from June 2021.
In 2026, the conference will grow to 12 institution members with the addition of Villanova University and the College of William and Mary.