The association controls the track and field contests between the colleges known as the "IC4A." Currently, the East Coast Athletic Conference serves as the administrative unit controlling the IC4A brand.
As of 2008, the outdoor championships have been held for 132 years, making them one of the oldest track meets in the United States. The indoor championships have been held for 87 years. The cross country championships had their 99th running in the fall of 2007 and is always held at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, NY. The sobriquet "IC4A" only applies to NCAA Division I competition; men's cross country and track competitions hosted by the ECAC for Division II or III are referred to as ECAC meets.
Colleges and universities eligible to compete at the IC4A Championships are those in the New England and Mid-Atlantic States, north and inclusive of Maryland and Delaware. Additionally, teams whose schedules include predominantly teams from that region are also eligible, make the de facto limits of the region reach as far south as North Carolina and as far west as West Virginia.
The IC4A and its women's counterpart, the ECAC Division I Championships, are so-called "super-conference" meets, in that schools belong to other conferences as their primary championship conference, like the Atlantic 10, Big East, Ivy League or Northeast Conference.
In both indoor and outdoor track, the top eight finishers in each event or relay earn the honorary designation of "All-East," while in cross country the designation is extended to the top-25 finishers.