The NCAA released its final RPI information for the 2010 field hockey season, and America East field hockey ranked fourth out of 11 Division I conferences. The only conferences ranking above America East were BCS leagues ACC, Big Ten and Big East.
The league also ranked third in winning percentage with a .5642 mark, and third in road success with a .4819 winning percentage.
The RPI results will give the 2011 America East champion an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship without having to play in an NCAA play-in game. The top five leagues each season receive a bid for the next season's 16-team field.
"All six programs have a lot to be proud of, as do the coaches who have seen tremendous success in this league, historically, as well as in 2010," said America East Conference Commissioner Patrick Nero. "The coaches and the student-athletes will be now be rewarded with the automatic berth next year, which is important to the continued success of the league."
University at Albany defeated regular-season champion University of New Hampshire in the 2010 America East title game, 3-2 in overtime. The Great Danes then upended the NEC's Rider in the play-in game to gain entry to the NCAA tournament, where Albany fell just short of advancing past Ohio State, 2-1 in overtime.
Albany and New Hampshire finished 13th and 19th, respectively, out of 79 Division I field hockey teams. Boston University and University of Maine also finished in the top third of the pack at 21st and 24th. The league recorded seven wins against the three BCS conferences ranked 1-2-3 in the RPI rankings, including five against the Big East. America East teams also earned seven wins against the CAA, the perennially tough league which ended the season ranked fifth behind America East.