The Eastern Intercollegiate Conference (EIC) was an athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States. The conference sponsored men's college basketball and existed from 1932 to 1939, with teams in the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The 1937–1938 conference champion, Temple, went on to win the 1938 National Invitation Tournament.

Although the Associated Press described the conference as "one of the best in the nation," its members agreed to disband it at the end of the 1938–1939 season because geographical problems had made scheduling difficult.

Member schools

Over its seven seasons of existence, the conference's membership varied between five and six schools each season.

Final members

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftCurrent conference
Carnegie Institute of TechnologyPittsburgh, Pennsylvania1900Nonsectarian10,875Tartans19321939University (UAA)
Georgetown UniversityWashington, D.C.1789Catholic (Jesuit)19,371Hoyas19321939Big East
Pennsylvania State UniversityState College, Pennsylvania1855Public45,901Nittany Lions19351939Big Ten (B1G)
University of PittsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania1787Public28,664Panthers19321939Atlantic Coast (ACC)
Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania1884State related39,755Owls19321939The American
West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, West Virginia1867Public26,839Mountaineers19321939Big 12

Notes

Other members

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftCurrent conference
Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, Pennsylvania1846Nonsectarian3,650Bison19331934Patriot

Notes

Membership timeline

Member Non-member

Champions

The conference championships were determined by the best regular season conference records except in the event of teams having identical conference records. In the case of such ties, the conference championship was decided by a one-game playoff championship game at the conclusion of the regular conference season. Conference championships were decided by this playoff game in 1935, 1936, and 1937. However, following the 1938–1939 season, no playoff game was held despite identical records held by Carnegie Tech and Georgetown, and the two schools were declared co-champions for the season.

Pittsburgh dominated the conference results with four championships in the conference's seven seasons, winning the first two seasons by having the best regular-season record and winning championship playoff games in 1935 and 1937, but losing the 1936 championship playoff game.

  • 1932–1933 Pittsburgh
  • 1933–1934 Pittsburgh
  • 1934–1935 Pittsburgh*
  • 1935–1936 Carnegie Tech*
  • 1936–1937 Pittsburgh*
  • 1937–1938 Temple
  • 1938–1939 Carnegie Tech/Georgetown**

* Conference title decided by a playoff game ** No playoff game held. The two teams were declared co-champions based on identical regular-season conference records.

Scoring record

During the 1937–1938 season, Carnegie Tech′s Melvin Cratsley set the league′s single-game scoring record in men's basketball with 34 points against West Virginia. He scored 12 field goals during the game, ten of them on tip-ins or by shooting from directly beneath the hoop and the other two on set shots from inside the free throw line.

Season standings

Each team played each other team in the conference twice each season in a home-and-home schedule except for the 1933–1934 season, when Bucknell, Carnegie Tech, and Pittsburgh did not play a complete 10-game home-and-home schedule for the season.

1932–1933

1932-33ConferenceOverall
W-LPct.GBW-LPct.
Pittsburgh7–1.875–17–5.773
Temple5–3.625215–6.714
Carnegie Tech4–4.50034–5.444
Georgetown3–5.37546–11.353
West Virginia1–7.125610–14.417

1933–1934

1933-34ConferenceOverall
W-LPct.GBW-LPct.
Pittsburgh8–01.000–18–4.818
West Virginia7–3.700214–5.737
Georgetown5–5.500412–11.522
Temple5–5.50049–12.429
Carnegie Tech2–7.2226½1–8.111
Bucknell0–7.0007½2–16.111

1934–1935

1934-35ConferenceOverall
W-LPct.GBW-LPct.
Pittsburgh*6–2.750–18–6.750
West Virginia*6–2.750–16–6.727
Temple5–3.625117–7.708
Carnegie Tech2–6.25043–6.333
Georgetown1–7.12556–13.316

*Conference playoff championship game, March 18, 1935, in Morgantown, West Virginia. Pittsburgh 35, West Virginia 22

1935–1936

1935-36ConferenceOverall
W-LPct.GBW-LPct.
Carnegie Tech*7–3.700–8–3.727
Pittsburgh*7–3.700–18–9.667
Temple6–4.600118–6.750
West Virginia6–4.600116–8.667
Georgetown4–6.40037–11.389
Penn State0–10.00076–11.353

*Conference playoff championship game, March 14, 1936, at Pitt Stadium Pavilion, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Carnegie Tech 32, Pittsburgh 27

1936–1937

1936-37ConferenceOverall
W-LPct.GBW-LPct.
Temple*7–3.700–17–6.739
Pittsburgh*7–3.700–14–7.667
Penn State6–4.600110–7.588
Carnegie Tech4–6.40039–11.450
Georgetown3–7.30049–8.529
West Virginia3–7.30049–14.391

*Conference playoff championship game, March 22, 1937, at Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh 35, Temple 29

1937–1938

1937-38ConferenceOverall
W-LPct.GBW-LPct.
Temple9–1.900–23–2.920
Penn State6–4.600313–5.722
Pittsburgh5–5.50049–12.429
Georgetown5–5.50047–11.389
Carnegie Tech3–7.30063–7.300
West Virginia2–8.20076–13.316

1938–1939

1938-39ConferenceOverall
W-LPct.GBW-LPct.
Carnegie Tech*6–4.600–12–7.632
Georgetown*6–4.600–13–9.591
Penn State5–5.500113–10.565
Pittsburgh5–5.500110–8.556
West Virginia4–6.400210–9.526
Temple4–6.400210–12.455

*No conference championship playoff game was held, so Carnegie Tech and Georgetown finished as co-champions.

Overall team results

TeamSea- sonsYearsEIC Record*EIC Winning Pct.EIC Champion- shipsOverall RecordOverall Winning Pct.Postseason**
Eastern Intercollegiate Conference Team Results during conference membership
Bucknell11933–19340–7.00002–16.111N/A
Carnegie Tech71932–193929–37.4392***40–47.4601–0 in EIC playoff games
Georgetown71932–193927–39.4091***60–74.448none
Penn State41935–193917–23.425042–33.560none
Pittsburgh71932–193947–20.7014104–51.6712–1 in EIC playoff games
Temple71932–193941–26.6121109–51.6810–1 in EIC playoff games; Won 1938 NIT
West Virginia71932–193929–38.433081–69.5400–1 in EIC playoff games
Totals71932–1939———438–341.562One NIT championship

*Includes conference playoff games. **The National Invitation Tournament did not begin play until 1938. The NCAA tournament did not begin play until 1939. "N/A" (not applicable) indicates neither tournament existed during the school's membership in the conference. ***Includes a conference co-championship Carnegie Tech and Georgetown shared in the 1938–1939 season.

Head coaches

Eleven men served as head coaches of EIC teams during the conference's seven seasons of play. Only three of them — Pittsburgh's Doc Carlson, Carnegie Tech's Max E. Hannum, and Temple's James Usilton — coached their teams throughout the EIC's existence.

CoachTeamSea- sonsYearsConfer- ence Record*EIC Winning Pct.EIC Champion- shipsOverall RecordOverall Winning Pct.Postseason**
Eastern Intercollegiate Conference Head Coaches during Eastern Intercollegiate Conference membership
Doc CarlsonPittsburgh71932–193947–20.7014104–51.6712–1 in EIC playoff games
Marshall GlennWest Virginia51933–193824–25.490061–46.5700–1 in EIC playoff games
Max E. HannumCarnegie Tech71932–193929–37.4392***40–47.4601–0 in EIC playoff games
John LawtherPenn State31936–193917–13.567036–22.621none
Earl LesliePenn State11935–19360–10.00006–11.353N/A
Fred MesmerGeorgetown61932–193821–35.375047–65.420none
Malcolm MusserBucknell11933–19340–7.00002–16.111N/A
Dyke RaeseWest Virginia11938–19394–6.400010–9.526none
Elmer RipleyGeorgetown11938–19396–4.6001***13–9.591none
Francis StadsvoldWest Virginia11932–19331–7.125010–14.417N/A
James UsiltonTemple71932–193941–26.6121109–51.6810–1 in EIC playoff games; Won 1938 NIT

*Includes conference playoff games. **The National Invitation Tournament did not begin play until 1938. The NCAA tournament did not begin play until 1939. "N/A" (not applicable) indicates coaching tenures in the conference during which neither tournament existed. ***Includes a conference co-championship Carnegie Tech and Georgetown shared in the 1938–1939 season.