The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
History
Recent changes On August 24, 2021, the University of New England joined the GNAC as an associate member for women's swimming & diving, beginning the 2021–22 academic year.
On June 16, 2022, New England (Me.) left the GNAC as an associate member for women's swimming & diving after the 2021–22 academic year, to join the Little East Conference (LEC) as an affiliate member for that sport.
On September 28, 2022, Mitchell College and New England College joined the GNAC, beginning the 2023–24 academic year.
Chronological timeline 1995 – In 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) was founded. Charter members included the following: On men's sports and women's sports, Albertus Magnus College, Daniel Webster College, Emerson College, Endicott College, Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island Campus and Rivier College (now Rivier University); on women's sports only, Emmanuel College, Pine Manor College, the University of Saint Joseph, Simmons College (now Simmons University) and Suffolk University, all beginning the 1995–96 academic year. 1998: Norwich University, Southern Vermont College and Western New England College (now Western New England University) joined the GNAC in the 1998–99 academic year. Suffolk added men's sports in its athletic program to join the GNAC in the 1998–99 academic year. 1999 – Endicott left the GNAC to join the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) after the 1998–99 academic year. 2001 – Emmanuel (Mass.) added men's sports in its athletic program to join the GNAC in the 2001–02 academic year. 2004 – Elms College, Husson College (now Husson University) and Wheelock College joined the GNAC as associate members for women's swimming & diving in the 2004–05 academic year. 2006 – Rhode Island College, the University of Southern Maine and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (a.k.a. Massachusetts–Dartmouth or UMass Dartmouth) joined the GNAC as associate members for men's golf in the 2007 spring season (2006–07 academic year). 2007: Western New England left the GNAC to join the CCC after the 2006–07 academic year. Lasell College (now Lasell University) and Mount Ida College and Saint Joseph's College of Maine joined the GNAC in the 2007–08 academic year. 2008 – Daniel Webster and Southern Vermont left the GNAC to join the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) after the 2007–08 academic year. 2009 – Wheelock left the GNAC as an associate member for women's swimming & diving after the 2008–09 academic year. 2011: Anna Maria College joined the GNAC in the 2011–12 academic year. Three institutions joined the GNAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2011–12 academic year: Elms for men's swimming & diving Regis College of Massachusetts for men's and women's swimming & diving and Wentworth Institute of Technology (a.k.a. Wentworth Tech) for men's volleyball 2012: Pine Manor left the GNAC to join the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) after the 2011–12 academic year. Worcester State University joined the GNAC as an associate member for men's golf in the 2013 spring season (2012–13 academic year). 2013: Emerson left the GNAC to join the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) after the 2012–13 academic year; while it remained in the conference as an associate member for men's volleyball since the 2014 spring season (2013–14 academic year). Husson added men's swimming & diving into its GNAC associate membership in the 2013–14 academic year. 2017: Colby–Sawyer College joined the GNAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2017–18 academic year. Regis (Mass.) had upgraded as a full member of the GNAC for all sports in the 2017–18 academic year. 2018: Mount Ida left the GNAC after the 2017–18 academic year; as the school ceased operations. Colby–Sawyer had upgraded as a full member of the GNAC for all sports in the 2018–19 academic year. Saint Joseph (Conn.) added men's sports in its athletic program to join the GNAC in the 2018–19 academic year. Eastern Nazarene College joined the GNAC as an associate member for men's and women's tennis in the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year). 2019: Worcester State left the GNAC as an associate member for men's golf after the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year). Lesley University joined the GNAC as an associate member for men's tennis in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year). 2020: Five institutions left the GNAC as associate members, all effective after the 2019–20 academic year: Lesley for men's tennis Husson for men's and women's swimming & diving and Rhode Island College, Southern Maine and UMass Dartmouth for men's golf Suffolk left the GNAC to join the CCC after the 2019–20 academic year; although it remained in the conference as an associate member for men's and women's indoor track & field, beginning the 2020–21 school year. Dean College joined the GNAC in the 2020–21 academic year. Lesley rejoined the GNAC as an associate member for women's tennis in the 2021 spring season (2020–21 academic year). 2021 – Elms had upgraded as a full member of the GNAC for all sports in the 2021–22 academic year. 2021 – The University of New England joined the GNAC as an associate member for women's swimming & diving in the 2021–22 academic year. 2022 – Two institutions left the GNAC as associate members, both effective after the 2021–22 academic year: New England (Me.) for women's swimming & diving to join the Little East Conference (LEC) for that sport and Suffolk for men's and women's indoor track & field 2023: Eastern Nazarene left the GNAC as an associate member for women's tennis after the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year). Mitchell College and New England College joined the GNAC in the 2023–24 academic year. 2024 – Eastern Nazarene left the GNAC as an associate member for men's tennis after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year). 2025 – Two institutions left the GNAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 2024–25 academic year: Anna Maria to join the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) and Johnson & Wales (R.I.) to join the Conference of New England (CNE; formerly the Commonwealth Coast Conference or CCC) 2026 – Men's volleyball associates Emerson and Wentworth will leave the GNAC for their respective all-sports conferences, the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference and CNE, both of which will start sponsoring men's volleyball in 2026–27.
Member schools
Current members The GNAC currently has fourteen full members, all of which are private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment NicknameColors Joined Albertus Magnus College New Haven, Connecticut 1925 Catholic 1,961 Falcons 1995 Colby–Sawyer College New London, New Hampshire 1837 Nonsectarian 2,262 Chargers 2018 Dean College Franklin, Massachusetts 1865 Nonsectarian 1,055 Bulldogs 2020 Elms College Chicopee, Massachusetts 1928 Catholic 1,713 Blazers 2021 Emmanuel College Boston, Massachusetts 1919 Catholic 1,850 Saints 1995 Lasell University Newton, Massachusetts 1851 Nonsectarian 2,200 Lasers 2007 Mitchell College New London, Connecticut 1938 Nonsectarian 572 Mariners 2023 New England College Henniker, New Hampshire 1946 Nonsectarian 4,327 Pilgrims 2023 Norwich University Northfield, Vermont 1819 Private 2,300 Cadets 1998 Regis College Weston, Massachusetts 1927 Catholic 2,748 Pride 2017 Rivier University Nashua, New Hampshire 1933 Catholic 2,520 Raiders 1995 West Hartford, Connecticut 1932 Catholic 2,467 Blue Jays 1995 Standish, Maine 1912 Catholic 1,987 Monks 2007 Simmons University Boston, Massachusetts 1899 Nonsectarian 1,900 Sharks 1995
Notes
Former members The GNAC had ten former full members, all were private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Currentconference Anna Maria College Paxton, Massachusetts 1946 Catholic 1,500 Amcats 2011 2025 Closed in 2026 Daniel Webster College Nashua, New Hampshire 1965 For-profit N/A Eagles 1995 2008 Closed in 2017 Endicott College Beverly, Massachusetts 1939 Nonsectarian 4,528 Gulls 1995 1999 C. New England (CNE) Emerson College Boston, Massachusetts 1880 Nonsectarian 4,290 Lions 1995 2013 New England (NEWMAC) Johnson & Wales University Providence, Rhode Island 1914 Nonsectarian 8,564 Wildcats 1995 2025 C. New England (CNE) Mount Ida College Newton, Massachusetts 1899 Nonsectarian N/A Mustangs 2007 2018 Closed in 2018 Pine Manor College Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 1911 Nonsectarian N/A Gators 1995 2012 N/A Southern Vermont College Bennington, Vermont 1929 Nonsectarian N/A Mountaineers 1998 2008 Closed in 2019 Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts 1906 Nonsectarian 6,832 Rams 1995 2020 C. New England (CNE) Western New England University Springfield, Massachusetts 1919 Nonsectarian 3,702 Golden Bears 1998 2007 C. New England (CNE)
Notes
Former associate members The GNAC had 14 former associate members, 9 were private schools while 5 were public schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left GNACsport(s) Primaryconference Eastern Nazarene College Quincy, Massachusetts 1900 Nazarene 1,063 Lions 2018 2024 Men's tennis Closed in 2025 2018 2023 Women's tennis Emerson College Boston, Massachusetts 1880 Nonsectarian 4,290 Lions 2013 2026 Men's volleyball New England (NEWMAC) Husson University Bangor, Maine 1898 Nonsectarian 3,500 Eagles 2008 2020 Men's swimming & diving North Atlantic (NAC) 2008 2020 Women's swimming & diving Lesley University Cambridge, Massachusetts 1909 Nonsectarian 6,593 Lynx 2019 2020 Men's tennis North Atlantic (NAC) 2020 2023 Women's tennis Biddeford, Maine 1831 Nonsectarian 7,208 Nor'easters 2021 2022 Women's swimming & diving C. New England (CNE) Ramapo College Mahwah, New Jersey 1969 Public 5,145 Roadrunners 2013 2019 Men's tennis New Jersey (NJAC) Rhode Island College Providence, Rhode Island 1854 Nonsectarian 7,523 Anchormen 2008 2020 Men's golf Little East (LEC) Rutgers University–Camden Camden, New Jersey 1950 Public 6,158 ScarletRaptors 2014 2019 Men's tennis New Jersey (NJAC) Rutgers University–Newark Newark, New Jersey 1945 Public 12,321 ScarletRaiders 2013 2019 Men's tennis New Jersey (NJAC) University of Southern Maine Portland, Maine 1878 Public 8,022 Huskies 2008 2020 Men's golf Little East (LEC) Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts 1906 Nonsectarian 6,832 Rams 2020 2022 Men's indoor track & field C. New England (CNE) 2020 2022 Women's indoor track & field University of Massachusetts Dartmouth North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 1895 Public 8,513 Corsairs 2012 2020 Men's golf Little East (LEC) Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts 1904 Nonsectarian 4,576 Leopards 2011 2026 Men's volleyball C. New England (CNE) Worcester State University Worcester, Massachusetts 1874 Public 5,611 Lancers 2012 2019 Men's golf Mass. State (MASCAC)
Notes
Membership timeline
Sports A divisional format is used for basketball (M / W). Anna Maria Colby–Sawyer Emmanuel Norwich Rivier Saint Joseph (Maine) Albertus Magnus Dean Elms Lasell Regis Saint Joseph (Conn.)
+ Conference sportsSportMen'sWomen'sBaseballBasketballCross CountryField Hockey GolfLacrosseSoccerSoftball Swimming & DivingTrack & Field (Indoor)Track & Field (Outdoor)Volleyball
Men's sponsored sports by school