The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III comprising sports teams from eleven highly selective liberal arts institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The eleven institutions are Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Tufts University, Trinity College, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.
The conference originated with an agreement among Amherst, Bowdoin, Wesleyan and Williams in 1955. In 1971, Bates, Colby, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, and Union College joined and the NESCAC was officially formed. Union withdrew in 1977 and was replaced by Connecticut College in 1982. NESCAC members maintain some of the largest financial endowments among liberal arts colleges in the world.
History Williams began its inaugural football season in 1881 and its rivalry with Amherst College is one of the longest at any level of college football. Bates and Bowdoin have competed against each other athletically since the 1870s and subsequently share one of the ten oldest NCAA Division III football rivalries; there is a long history of athletic competition between the two colleges and Colby. Colby began its a notable hockey rivalry, with Bowdoin in 1922.
In 1899, Amherst, Wesleyan and Williams schools first began to compete together as the "Triangular League". Since then they have continued to play each other in most sports on a regular basis. The conference originated with an agreement among Amherst, Bowdoin, Wesleyan and Williams in 1955. Later, Bates, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts joined and the NESCAC was officially formed. The Conference was created out of a concern for the direction of intercollegiate athletic programs and remains committed to keeping a proper perspective on the role of sport in higher education.
Member institutions believe athletic teams should be representative of school's entire student bodies and hew to NCAA Division III admissions and financial policies prohibiting athletic scholarships while awarding financial aid solely on the basis of need. Presidents of each NESCAC institution control intercollegiate athletic policy. Conference tenets are usually more restrictive than those of the NCAA Division III regarding season length, number of contests and post-season competition.
Four NESCAC institutions are among the 39 that founded the NCAA in 1905: Amherst, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams. Prior to 1993 NESCAC generally did not allow member schools to send teams to NCAA championships. Since then all sports except football have had this freedom, many excelling in the NCAA Division III championships. The NACDA Directors' Cup, awarded since 1996 to the college or university in each NCAA Division that wins the most college championships, has been claimed at the Division III level by a NESCAC institution every year except 1998. In the 2012–13 season, four of the top ten NACDA Director's Cup institutions were from NESCAC: Williams (1), Middlebury (3), Amherst (6), and Tufts (8).
Chronological timeline 1971 – The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) was founded. Charter members included Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, Union College, Wesleyan University and Williams College, beginning the 1971–72 academic year. 1977 – Union left the NESCAC after the 1976–77 academic year. 1982 – Connecticut College joined the NESCAC in the 1982–83 academic year.
Member schools
Current members The NESCAC currently has 11 full members, all of which are private institutions of higher education. Admission to NESCAC institutions is highly competitive, with admit rates consistently below 15% for the majority of the conference. Some member schools are among the oldest institutions of higher education in the U.S., with Williams, Bowdoin and Middlebury being among the 40 oldest institutions in the country.
NESCAC members maintain some of the largest financial endowments among liberal arts colleges in the world. The largest endowments within the NESCAC belong to the three based in Massachusetts: Amherst, Tufts, and Williams. All members of the NESCAC coordinate fundraising cycles, financing for athletic programs as well as share sporting facilities.
Institution Location Endowment Nickname Joined Colors Amherst College Amherst, MA 1821 1,907 7% $3.549 Mammoths 1971 Bates College Lewiston, ME 1855 1,800 13% $0.447 Bobcats 1971 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME 1794 2,052 8.8% $2.423 Polar Bears 1971 Colby College Waterville, ME 1813 2,300 7.5% $1.160 Mules 1971 Connecticut College New London, CT 1911 1,990 36% $0.482 Camels 1982 Hamilton College Clinton, NY 1793 2,053 12% $1.361 Continentals 1971 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT 1800 2,774 12% $1.597 Panthers 1971 Trinity College Hartford, CT 1823 2,159 36% $0.834 Bantams 1971 Tufts University Medford, MA 1852 6,635 9% $2.533 Jumbos 1971 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT 1831 3,064 13.9% $1.583 Cardinals 1971 Williams College Williamstown, MA 1793 2,250 8% $3.655 Ephs 1971
Notes
Former member The NESCAC had one former full member, which was a private institution.
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Colors Currentconference Union College Schenectady, NY 1795 Nonsectarian 2,197 Dutchmen &Dutchwomen 1971 1977 Liberty (LL)
Notes
Membership timeline
Academics +Reaching the ivory tower: systemic grade deflation (2005)SchoolGrade deflation scoreSourceAmherst84.5/100Bates85.5/100Bowdoin83.5/100Colby81.5/100ConnecticutN/AHamilton83.0/100Middlebury86.0/100Trinity77.5/100TuftsN/AWesleyan87.0/100Williams89.0/100 The NESCAC is known for low grade inflation, grade deflation, and rigorous academic standards. The conference's schools have received media attention over both perceived grade inflation and deflation.
The colleges are also known for a range of high and relatively low tuition rates and comprehensive fees. Some of the colleges have been named the most expensive in the United States.
Association of American Universities Tufts University is a member of the Association of American Universities.
Geographic distribution Most applicants to schools in the NESCAC come from the Northeast, largely from the New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia areas. As all NESCAC schools are located on the East Coast, and all but one are in New England, most graduates end up working and residing in the Northeast after graduation.
Revenue Total revenue includes ticket sales, contributions and donations, rights/licensing, student fees, school funds, and all other sources including TV income, camp income, food, and novelties. Total expenses includes coaching/staff, buildings/grounds, maintenance, utilities and rental fees, and all other costs including recruiting, team travel, equipment and uniforms, conference dues, and insurance costs.
Conference rank(2020) Institution 2020 total revenue from athletics 2020 total expenses on athletics 1 Bowdoin College $14,192,310 $14,192,310 3 Trinity College $9,361,541 $7,767,209 2 Wesleyan University $9,463,205 $7,475,961 5 Colby College $8,768,711 $8,768,711 6 Williams College $8,272,501 $8,272,501 4 Tufts University $9,206,611 $7,635,731 7 Amherst College $7,990,643 $7,505,943 8 Bates College $6,524,589 $6,302,982 9 Middlebury College $5,924,584 $5,924,584 10 Hamilton College $5,848,366 $5,848,366 11 Connecticut College $4,619,333 $4,619,333
Facilities SchoolFootballSoccerBasketballIce hockeyStadiumCapacityStadiumCapacityArenaCapacityArenaCapacityAmherstPratt Field2,500Hitchcock Field6,000LeFrak Gymnasium2,450Orr RinkN/ABatesGarcelon Field3,000Russel Street Field4,000Alumni Gymnasium750Underhill Arena1,000BowdoinWhittier Field9,000Pickard Field4,500Morrell Gymnasium2,000Sidney J. Watson Arena1,900ColbyHarold Alfond Stadium5,000Colby Soccer Field3,700Wadsworth Gymnasium2,500Jack Kelley Rink 1,800ConnecticutNon-football schoolN/AFreeman Field1,000Luce Fieldhouse800Dayton ArenaN/AHamiltonSteuben Field2,500Love Field2,500Margaret Bundy Scott Field House2,500Russell Sage Rink600MiddleburyYoungman Field at Alumni Stadium3,500Middlebury Soccer Field1,200Pepin Gymnasium1,200Chip Kenyon Arena2,300TrinityJessee/Miller Field5,500Jessee/Miller Field6,500Oosting Gym2,000Koeppel Community Sports Center3,400TuftsEllis Oval4,000Ellis Oval4,000Cousens Gym1,000Malden Valley Forum500WesleyanAndrus Field3,000Jackson Field1,200Silloway Gymnasium1,200Spurrier-Snyder Rink1,500WilliamsWeston Field6,000Weston Field6,000Chandler Gymnasium2,900Lansing Chapman Rink2,500
Sports
The NESCAC sponsors championship competition in 13 men's and 14 women's NCAA sanctioned sports. + Conference Sports Sport Men's Women's Baseball Basketball Cross Country Field Hockey Football Golf Ice Hockey Lacrosse Rowing Soccer Softball Squash Swimming & Diving Tennis Track & Field (Outdoor) Volleyball
Men's Sports Yes | No | * Funded as club team but competes with NESCAC School Baseball Basketball CrossCountry Football Golf IceHockey Lacrosse Rowing Soccer Squash Swimming& Diving Tennis Track& Field (Outdoor) TotalNESCACSportsAmherst13* Bates 12 Bowdoin 13* Colby 13 Connecticut College 10 Hamilton 13Middlebury13*Trinity13Tufts13Wesleyan13Williams13 Totals 10 11 11 10 10 10 11 11* 11 11 11 11 11 139 Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the NESCAC that are played by NESCAC schools School Alpine SkiingFencingNordic SkiingRowing* SailingTrack & Field (Indoor) Water Polo WrestlingAmherstACRAIND Bates EISAEISAIND BowdoinEISAACRA NEISAIND Colby EISAEISAIND Connecticut College NEISAIND MPSFHamiltonIND Middlebury EISAEISAACRAIND Trinity2028-29IND NEWA Tufts NEISAIND WesleyanIND NEWA Williams EISAEISAIND NEWA
Notes *Rowing at Amherst, Bowdoin, and Middlebury is funded as club sport (versus varsity), so is sponsored by ACRA rather than NESCAC. However, all three teams compete against NESCAC schools and in NESCAC regattas.
Women's Sports Yes | No | * Funded as club team but competes with NESCAC School Basketball CrossCountry FieldHockey Golf IceHockey Lacrosse Rowing Soccer Softball Squash Swimming& Diving Tennis Track& Field (Outdoor) Volleyball TotalNESCACSports Amherst 14* Bates 13 Bowdoin 14* Colby 13 Connecticut College 12 Hamilton 14 Middlebury 14* Trinity 14 Tufts 12 Wesleyan 14 Williams 14 Totals 11 11 11 8 9 11 11* 11 10 11 11 11 11 11 148 Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the NESCAC that are played by NESCAC schools School Alpine Skiing FencingNordic SkiingRowing* Rugby SailingTrack & Field (Indoor) Water PoloAmherstACRAIND Bates EISAEISAIND BowdoinEISAACRA NIRA NEISAIND Colby EISAEISAIND Connecticut College NEISAIND CWPAHamiltonIND Middlebury EISAEISAACRAINDTrinity2027-28IND Tufts NFCNEISAINDWesleyanIND Williams EISAEISAIND
Notes*Rowing at Amherst, Bowdoin, and Middlebury is funded as club sport (versus varsity), so is sponsored by ACRA rather than NESCAC. However, all three teams compete against NESCAC schools and in NESCAC regattas.
Football Until the 2017 season, the 10 football-playing NESCAC schools only played 8 regular season games. On April 27, 2017, the NESCAC announced that it would adopt a full 9-game round robin schedule. In addition to the ban on postseason play, the NESCAC football league is notable for member teams playing conference games only. While some Division II and Division III teams play only conference schedules, NESCAC is unique in all of its members playing only within conference games. Every institution fields a football team except for Connecticut College.
Baseball