BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Colonial Athletic Association commissioner Joe D'Antonio welcomed Campbell University as the league's newest member Friday in a gathering on campus at the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center.
 
Campbell University President Dr. Brad Creed and Acting Director of Athletics Hannah Bazemore were also featured in Friday's gathering of media members, fans, students, faculty members and staff.
 
After announcing the school's intentions of joining the CAA on July 1, 2023, Friday's event allowed Camels fans to celebrate the occasion in the Hall of Fame lobby of the Pope Center.
 
Bazemore, who directs a program that has captured its conference overall sports trophy twice in the last three years, emphasized Campbell's commitment to excellence as a well-rounded athletics program.
 
"Today is freshman move in day," said Bazemore.  "This is a great time of year to meet and greet our incoming student athletes, watching their optimism and pure joy in their eyes as they unite with their teammates and and coaches.  That is the feel that motivates us build upon our past success and ask the question, 'what's next?'  For Campbell Athletics, the biggest 'what's next' item will take place July 1, 2023, when the Fighting Camels officially become members of the CAA."
 
Dr. Creed invoked the University's history and growth academically and athletically as the reason for next summer's move to the CAA.
 
"It's an exciting day and we are movin' on up," said Dr. Creed.  "We've successfully competed every time we have moved up; and will do that as we move on up to the Colonial Athletic Association, one of the premier conferences in our nation.  "We are moving on up. That's our story. Today, together, we start writing the next chapter."
 
Commissioner D'Antonio voiced his excitement about how Campbell will strengthen the CAA membership with its wide-based commitment to 21 varsity programs.
 
"It has been an incredible day and a half here on campus.  I have been incredibly energized over the last 36 hours to be in Camel Nation. This is a great place," said D'Antonio.  "You can tell just by being here and meeting the people I have this is truly a special place to be and there are a lot of special things happening.  Welcome to the CAA. We're ecstatic to have you on board!"
 
The addition of Campbell will increase the CAA's membership to 14 schools, joining new members North Carolina A&T, Hampton, Monmouth and Stony Brook as schools that have all joined in the last year. CAA Football will consist of 15 teams beginning in 2023.
 
"Our coaches and staff are excited for this new challenge of competing in the CAA," said Bazemore.  "We will build on old rivalries with opponents such as Elon, UNCW and College of Charleston and also build new match ups with schools like Delaware and William & Mary. Everyone in our department is all in when it comes to continuing and improving upon our institutional commitment to excellence."
 
The conference encompasses many of the nation's largest metropolitan areas with a geographic footprint that stretches from Boston to Charleston. It has produced 18 national team champions in five different sports and 33 individual national champions.
 
Over the last five years, Campbell has won four Big South Conference men's all sports trophies and the Sasser Cup twice as the overall Big South all sports champion.
 
In that same five-year span, Campbell has won 42 league regular season and tournament titles in Big South and Southern (wrestling) conference competition. Fighting Camel teams won a school record 13 conference regular season and tournament titles in 2021-22.
 
Fighting Camel teams and individuals have made 49 postseason appearances in the last five seasons, including 13 berths in 2021-22. The women's golf team has earned 10-consecutive NCAA regional berths, while the baseball team has competed in the last four NCAA regionals.
 
Campbell University Athletics is home to more than 600 student-athletes competing in 21 Division I sports — baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's swimming (CCSA), men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field and women's volleyball. Wrestling will remain a member of the Southern Conference.
 
CAA MEMBER SCHOOLS: College of Charleston, University of Delaware, Drexel University, Elon University, Hampton University, Hofstra University, Monmouth University, North Carolina A&T State University, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University,
Towson University, William & Mary.
 
FOOTBALL-ONLY PROGRAMS IN THE CAA: University at Albany, University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, University of Richmond, University of Rhode Island, Villanova University.