A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
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| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1971 |
| Commissioner | Andrea Savage (since 1999) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division III |
| No. of teams | 11 |
| Headquarters | Hadley, Massachusetts |
| Region | |
| Official website | nescac.com |
| Locations | |
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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 on and the NESCAC was officially formed. Union withdrew in 1977 and was replaced by Connecticut College in 1982. The members are grouped within the NCAA Division III athletic conference. Members of the conference have some of the largest financial endowments of any liberal arts colleges in the world, with Williams College's $3.89 billion being the largest. Undergraduate enrollment at the schools ranges from about 1,800 to 6,000 (Tufts).
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.[1] 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, in the United States, there is a long history of athletic competition between the two colleges and Colby.[2][3] Colby began its now most notable hockey rivalry, with Bowdoin in 1922.[4]
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.[5][6][7][8] The conference originated with an agreement among Amherst, Bowdoin, Wesleyan and Williams in 1955.[9] 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.[9]
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. Due to the prestigious reputations of its member schools, the NESCAC is able to attract many of the most athletically and intellectually gifted student-athletes in the country. Members stress that intercollegiate athletic programs should operate in harmony with the educational mission of each institution. Schools are committed to maintaining common boundaries to keep athletics strong yet in proportion to their overall academic mission. 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.[9]
Four NESCAC institutions are among the 39 that founded the NCAA in 1905: Amherst, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams.[10] 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).[11]
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, effective beginning the 1971-72 academic year.
- 1977 - Union (N.Y.) left the NESCAC, effective after 1976-77 academic year.
- 1982 - Connecticut College joined the NESCAC, effective in the 1982-83 academic year.
Member schools
Member colleges of the athletic conference possesses some of the largest financial endowments in the world. As of the 2021-2022 academic year, Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, has the largest endowment of any college in the conference, followed closely by Amherst, and then Bowdoin and Tufts respectively.[12][13] Admission to NESCAC institutions is often highly competitive, with most member schools touting acceptance rates lower than 15 percent as of the 2020-2021 admissions cycle. Many NESCAC schools are also some of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States, with Williams, Bowdoin and Middlebury being among the 40 oldest institutions in the country.[14]
Current members
The NESCAC currently has 11 full members; all are private schools. Every institution fields a football team except for Connecticut College.
- Notes
- ^ Hamilton also competed in the Liberty League from 1995–96 to 2010–11 before leaving the Liberty in order to fully align with the NESCAC. The school previously held dual membership with both the Liberty and NESCAC conferences.
Former member
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Nickname | Joined | Left | Colors | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union College | Schenectady, New York | 1795 | Private | Dutchmen & Dutchwomen |
1971 | 1977 | Liberty League |
Membership timeline
Academics
| School | Grade deflation score | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 84.5/100 | [36] |
| Bates | 85.5/100 | [36] |
| Bowdoin | 83.5/100 | [36] |
| Colby | 81.5/100 | [36] |
| Connecticut | N/A | [36] |
| Hamilton | 83.0/100 | [36] |
| Middlebury | 86.0/100 | [36] |
| Trinity | 77.5/100 | [36] |
| Tufts | N/A | [36] |
| Wesleyan | 87.0/100 | [36] |
| Williams | 89.0/100 | [36] |
Many schools in the New England Small College Athletic Conference are known for low grade inflation, grade deflation, and rigorous academic standards.[37][36] Some members have received limited media coverage over perceived grade inflation and deflation.[38][39][36]
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.[40]
Association of American Universities
Tufts University is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.[41]
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.[42]
Spending and 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[43] | 2020 total expenses on athletics[43] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| School | Football | Soccer | Basketball | Ice hockey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Capacity | Stadium | Capacity | Arena | Capacity | Arena | Capacity | |
| Amherst | Pratt Field | 2,500 | Hitchcock Field | 6,000 | LeFrak Gymnasium | 2,450 | Orr Rink | N/A |
| Bates | Garcelon Field | 3,000 | Russel Street Field | 4,000 | Alumni Gymnasium | 750 | Non-hockey school | N/A |
| Bowdoin | Whittier Field | 9,000 | Pickard Field | 4,500 | Morrell Gymnasium | 2,000 | Sidney J. Watson Arena | 1,900 |
| Colby | Harold Alfond Stadium | 5,000 | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=NESCAC||||||