In their 11th year under head coach Gordy Combs, the Tigers compiled a 6–5 record.
[2] In August 2002, as the Tigers prepared for their Patriot League football season, the university announced that it would play just two more Patriot seasons before joining the Atlantic 10 Conference for football in 2004.
The new conference would give Towson a higher level of competition, more similarly sized rivals, and the opportunity to award athletic scholarships.
By joining the A-10, Towson would also gain football matchups with Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison and William & Mary, all A-10 football members that competed with Towson in other sports in their primary conference, the Colonial Athletic Association.
Towson remained a Patriot League football member for 2002 and 2003.