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ELON, N.C. – As Elon embarks upon its membership in the Colonial Athletic Association and CAA Football, we will be posting a series of profiles on all of the CAA's current members – both full and associate – in sports in which Elon competes. These profiles will be posted each Monday, Wednesday and Friday through August 8. 

Today's profile is of all-sports member University of Delaware.
 

University of Delaware Nickname Blue Hens Location Newark, Del. Founded 1743 Enrollment 17,000 President Dr. Patrick T. Harker Athletic Director Eric Ziady Colors Royal Blue & Gold CAA Member Since 2001 Athletic Web Page bluehens.com Distance From Elon 392 miles

The University of Delaware has a great tradition of excellence, from its roots extending back to a small private academy started in 1743, to the research-intensive, technologically advanced institution of today.

Delaware's alumni tell a story of achievement, from its first class, which included three signers of the Declaration of Independence and one signer of the U.S. Constitution, to the more than 154,000 living Blue Hens who are making vital contributions to the world. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his wife, Jill, are both UD alumni.

The university received its charter from the State of Delaware in 1833 and was designated one of the nation's historic Land Grant colleges in 1867. Today, UD is a Land Grant, Sea Grant and Space Grant institution. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies UD as a research university with very high research activity—a designation accorded less than 3 percent of U.S. colleges and universities. UD ranks among the nation's top 100 universities in federal R&D support for science and engineering.
 
Thomas Jefferson once described Delaware as a "jewel" among states due to its strategic location on the East Coast, halfway between Washington, D.C., and New York City. Today, however, the location of Delaware's flagship university increasingly is invoked as "halfway between Los Angeles and London."
 
UD sponsors 21 NCAA Division I sports.