CHICAGO (July 1, 2022) – A new era in Loyola University Chicago Athletics begins today as the Ramblers officially become a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Loyola becomes the 15^th member of the league and joins a conference that features three other Jesuit institutions and 10 other private schools..
 
Loyola's application to the league was officially accepted and announced on November 16, 2021. The Ramblers will participate in the Atlantic 10 Conference in all sports with the exception of men's volleyball and women's golf. Loyola sponsors 13 of the A-10's 21 championship sports
 
Fellow Jesuit institutions Fordham University, Saint Joseph's University and Saint Louis University are current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference and in joining the A-10, Loyola will renew rivalries with the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, La Salle University and Saint Louis University, which were all conference mates of the Ramblers at one time in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.
 
"Accepting Loyola University Chicago was not a difficult decision for the Presidents Council due to its similarity with our member institutions, including the value Loyola places on conducting successful athletics in harmony with a nationally recognized, broad-based educational profile," said Saint Joseph's University President Dr. Mark C. Reed, who serves as the chair of the A-10 Presidents Council and will become Loyola's next President later this fall. "On behalf of the leadership of the Atlantic 10, I welcome Dr. Rooney, Steve Watson and the entire Loyola family into our outstanding conference." 
 
Over the last several years, Loyola's athletics profile has skyrocketed thanks in large part to a NCAA Final Four appearance in 2018 and a trip to the 2021 NCAA Sweet 16 in men's basketball, as well as back-to-back NCAA national championships in men's volleyball in 2014 and 2015. Since the start of the 2014-15 academic year, Loyola teams have made 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament, won over a dozen conference championships and added a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season crown, while several student-athletes have gone on to compete as individuals at the NCAA Championships in their respective sports.
 
In addition to that competitive success, Loyola has continued to score high marks in the classroom, and over the last seven seasons, has produced nine CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, while also ranking No. 1 in NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) three times in the last five years.
 
"Making this transition will enhance the experience for our world-class student-athletes, and they, along with our coaches and staff, are thrilled to be joining the Atlantic 10 Conference, which is one of the most prestigious leagues in college athletics," Loyola Director of Athletics Steve Watson said at the time of the announcement last fall. "We are extremely grateful for our time in the Missouri Valley Conference, which has provided a wonderful home for Rambler Athletics for nearly a decade. We also look forward to renewing some rivalries as well helping build the Loyola brand as a member of the A-10."  
 
Founded in 1975, the Atlantic 10 Conference started as an eight-school, men's basketball-only affiliation but has grown into a 14-university, 21-sport league that is universally hailed as one of the best conferences in the country. With a total population of over 76.5 million people within its geographic footprint of eight states and the District of Columbia, the Atlantic 10 Conference annually crowns champions in 21 sports. Loyola's addition to the league provides the A-10 with a presence in three of the four largest media markets in the country (New York, Chicago, Philadelphia).
 
"I am honored to welcome Loyola University Chicago to the Atlantic 10 Conference, and we look forward to working closely with an exceptional group of administrators, coaches and student-athletes," Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said at the time of the announcement in November. "Loyola's commitment to the high-level scholastic achievement of all of its students, coupled with its excellent athletic profile, from success in basketball, soccer and volleyball to outstanding facilities and resources is a perfect fit for the A-10. The addition expands the A-10 footprint into the Chicago market, giving the conference a presence in three of the top five media markets in the United States."
 
The Atlantic 10 is basketball-centric and serves as one of the premiere men's basketball conferences in the country. The conference has received 33 men's basketball NCAA Tournament bids over the last 10 years, which ranks seventh nationally. Those 33 bids (3.3 per year) have been earned by 12 different current A-10 programs while the league has averaged 6.3 bids across all postseason tournaments with two NIT titles in the past 14 years.
 
Additionally, the A-10 has seen 18 appearances in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament over the past 10 years, nine of which have come via at-large bids. The Atlantic 10 has had at least four teams qualify for women's basketball postseason play every year of the past decade with 12 of the 14 current members having made the postseason during that span.
 
The Atlantic 10 has also had success in Olympic sports as well, with nationally ranked teams in men's and women's soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and baseball, and earning multiple postseason invitations in men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field, men's and women's cross country and men's golf.
 
Members of the Atlantic 10 Conference include: Davidson College, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Mason University, George Washington University, La Salle University, University of Massachusetts, University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University.