Atlantic 10 Conference Relocating HQ to DC
By Keith Loria September 7, 2023 3:05 pm
reprints
The Atlantic 10 Conference, one of college sports’ major Division 1 conferences, is setting up its new headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The new office is approximately 5,000 square feet and located in the National Center for Higher Education building at 1 Dupont Circle NW. The 201,382-square-foot building was built in 1969 and is owned by the American Council on Education and managed by Lincoln Property Company.
“The District is a vibrant major location with significant advantages in travel, economics and nationally recognized media,” Bernadette V. McGlade, Atlantic 10 commissioner, said Thursday in a press conference announcing the move. “Washington provides access to a highly educated, diverse community that embraces Fortune 500 companies, innovative technology and is the political center of the world, all factors in the current college athletics landscape.”
The 15-university, 22-sport conference includes schools such as George Mason University, George Washington, Fordham, the University of Massachusetts and Loyola Chicago.
The conference has been headquartered in Newport News, Va., since fall of 2009, and will start to move into its new home in November, with move-in expected to be completed in June, following the conclusion of the 2023-24 academic and athletic year.
The new offices will include a media studio, content production and editing office, and broadcast studio. It will also feature single and shared offices with workstations, a staff conference room and larger conference meeting spaces for virtual and in-person meetings.
“D.C. is a city where people and organizations come to collaborate, attract new talent, and grow,” Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the press conference. “We also know that sports bring people together, so having the A-10 in D.C. is a win-win for our city and for sports. We look forward to working with Commissioner McGlade and her team on the new partnerships and opportunities ahead and welcoming their 15 member schools to the best city in the world.”
The building also houses the headquarters for The American Council on Education and other tenants in higher education, including an NCAA satellite bureau.
The District has played host for the league’s signature event, the A-10 men’s basketball championship, at Capital One Arena in 2018 and 2022, and is scheduled to host again in 2015.
Additionally, the Atlantic 10’s volleyball, women’s lacrosse and softball championships, and the cross country, baseball and rowing championships have all been held in the D.C. region.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
