Atlantic 10 Conference officials announced plans to relocate the conference’s headquarters to Washington, D.C. in a press conference at the Elliot School of International Affairs Thursday.
The A-10 aims to begin relocation in November 2023 and wrap up operations by June 2024, following the completion of the 2023-24 athletic season. After being headquartered in Newport News, Virginia since 2009, the A-10 will be the only NCAA Division I conference to call the District home.
The conference will occupy an approximately 5,000-square-foot office near Dupont Circle inside the National Center for Higher Education, which houses several tenants in academia and college athletics. Officials also partnered with District officials, Events DC and the Washington DC Economic Partnership to make the move official, per a release. Following the pandemic, the D.C. government and Mayor Muriel Bowser have been using benefits to support, attract and retain businesses like the A-10.
The A-10, which GW was a founding member of in 1975, comprises 15 universities and sponsors 22 sports, including 18 of GW’s athletic programs. Members of the men’s and women’s basketball teams and many of GW’s head coaches were also in attendance.
When asked about the possibility of making the basketball championship a permanent fixture in D.C., Bowser seemed open to the idea.
“I like it. So, we’ll talk more,” she said.
The announcement also comes while the District is moving to hold onto its professional sports franchises. The group that owns the Washington Capitals and the Wizards have privately expressed interest in potentially moving the teams outside of D.C., the Washington Post reported. Bowser is also attempting to attract the recently sold Commanders back to D.C. by revamping the RFK Stadium site, which has sat abandoned for years after the team moved to Maryland in the 1990s.
Bowser and A-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade emphasized the economic impact the A-10 and its events bring to cities. McGlade said four-day championship events have raked in up to $17 million in revenue.
And while the conference, a nonprofit organization, will not contribute any tax money to D.C., Bowser said new employees, visitors and events will bring economic benefits to D.C.
“One thing I’m happy about is supporting the A-10,” said interim Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Keith Anderson. “But Visit DC is supporting them with venues. So when they have these tournaments, we can maximize the economic impact here in the District of Columbia.”
Bowser said investing in higher education is an integral part of her strategy to “bring the vitality” of the city back as part of her Comeback Plan.
“It also contributes very much to our city’s bottom line. And it contributes to how we think of ourselves as a city. And it contributes to our civic pride,” she said. “And it allows our children to look to college and professional athletes, to see what hard work and discipline and sportsmanship can lead to.”
University President Ellen Granberg officially announced the District as the host for the 2025 Men’s Basketball A-10 Championship.
“As one of the founding members of the A-10 conference, we are delighted to host conference leadership here today,” Granberg said. “GW and the A-10 have enjoyed a long history of success in athletics.”
