New England Collegiate Conference (Division II)

Former NCAA Division II athletic conference (1981–2000)

For the Division III conference, see New England Collegiate Conference.

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New England Collegiate ConferenceConference| NCAA

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Founded| 1981
Ceased| 2000
Sports fielded|

* 12
* men's: 6
* women's: 6

Division| Division II
No. of teams| 8
Region| New England

The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) was an NCAA Division II college athletic conference based in the Northeastern United States that dissolved during the late 1990s after most of its members either moved to Division I or joined Division II leagues such as the Northeast-10 Conference or the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference, now known as the East Coast Conference.

The conference was founded in 1981 as the New England College Basketball League, and eventually expanded to sponsor eleven sports: men's and women's soccer, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball.

## History

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### Chronological timeline

[edit]

* 1981 – The New England Collegiate Conference was founded as the New England College Basketball League (NECBL). Charter members included the University of Bridgeport, the University of Lowell (now the University of Massachusetts Lowell), New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University), the University of New Haven, Quinnipiac College (now Quinnipiac University), Sacred Heart University and Southern Connecticut State College (now Southern Connecticut State University), beginning the 1980–81 academic year.
* 1982 – The NECBL became a multi-sport conference and was renamed and rebranded as the New England Collegiate Conference, beginning the 1982–83 academic year.
* 1983 – Central Connecticut State College (now Central Connecticut State University) joined the NECC in the 1983–84 academic year.
* 1985 – Central Connecticut State left the NECC to become an NCAA D-II Independent after the 1984–85 academic year.
* 1986 – Keene State College joined the NECC in the 1986–87 academic year.
* 1987 – Quinnipiac left the NECC to join the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) after the 1986–87 academic year.
* 1988 – Franklin Pierce College (now Franklin Pierce University) joined the NECC in the 1988–89 academic year.
* 1992 – Le Moyne College joined the NECC in the 1992–93 academic year.
* 1995 – The State University of New York at Albany and the State University of New York at Stony Brook joined the NECC in the 1995–96 academic year.
* 1996 – Le Moyne left the NECC to join the NE10 after the 1995–96 academic year.
* 1997 – Keene State left the NECC to join the NCAA Division III ranks and the Little East Conference after the 1996–97 academic year.
* 1998 – The State University of New York at Binghamton joined the NECC in the 1998–99 academic year.
* 1999 – Three institutions left the NECC to join their respective new home primary conferences, all effective after the 1998–99 academic year:
* Sacred Heart to join the NCAA Division I ranks and the Northeast Conference (NEC)
* and SUNY Albany and SUNY Stony Brook to become NCAA D-I Independents (which would later join the America East Conference [AmEast], beginning the 2001–02 school year)
* 1999 – Felician College (now Felician University) and Teikyo Post University joined the NECC in the 1999–2000 academic year.
* 2000 – The NECC ceased operations as an athletic conference after the 1999–2000 academic year; as many schools left to join their respective new home primary conferences, beginning the 2000–01 academic year:
* Bridgeport to the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC; now known as the East Coast Conference)
* New Haven to become an NCAA D-II Independent (which would later join the NYCAC, beginning the 2002–03 school year)
* Franklin Pierce, Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell), Southern Connecticut State and Southern New Hampshire to the NE10
* SUNY Binghamton to become an NCAA D-I Independents (which would later join the AmEast, beginning the 2001–02 school year)
* and Felician and Teikyo Post to join the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC)

## Member schools

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### Final members

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Institution  | Location  | Founded  | Affiliation  | Enrollment  | Nickname  | Joined[a] | Left[b] | Subsequent
conference(s)  | Current
conference

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Binghamton University | Vestal, New York | 1946  | Public[c] | 17,768  | Bearcats | 1998  | 2000  | D-I Independent
(2000–01)  | America East (AmEast)[d]
(2001–present)
University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport, Connecticut | 1927  | Nonsectarian  | 5,543  | Purple Knights | 1981  | 2000  | East Coast (ECC)[e]
(2000–22)  | Central Atlantic (CACC)
(2022–present)
Felician College[f] | Lodi, New Jersey | 1923  | Catholic
(Felician Sisters) | 2,109  | Golden Falcons | 1999  | 2000  | Central Atlantic (CACC)
(2000–present)
Franklin Pierce College[g] | Rindge, New Hampshire | 1962  | Nonsectarian  | 2,871  | Ravens | 1988  | 2000  | Northeast-10 (NE-10)
(2000–present)
University of Lowell[h] | Lowell, Massachusetts | 1894  | Public  | 18,369  | River Hawks | 1981  | 2000  | Northeast-10 (NE-10)
(2000–13)  | America East (AmEast)[d]
(2013–present)
New Hampshire College[i] | Manchester, New Hampshire | 1932  | Nonsectarian  | 3,913[j] | Penmen | 1981  | 2000  | Northeast-10 (NE-10)
(2000–present)
University of New Haven | West Haven, Connecticut | 1920  | Nonsectarian  | 6,400  | Chargers | 1981  | 2000  | D-II Independent
(2000–02)
East Coast (ECC)[e]
(2002–08)  | Northeast-10 (NE-10)
(2008–present)
Southern Connecticut State College[k] | New Haven, Connecticut | 1893  | Public[l] | 12,326  | Owls | 1981  | 2000  | Northeast-10 (NE-10)
(2000–present)
Teikyo Post University[m] | Waterbury, Connecticut | 1890  | For-profit | 7,317  | Eagles | 1999  | 2000  | Central Atlantic (CACC)
(2000–present)

Notes

1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
3. ^ Part of the State University of New York System.
4. ^ a b Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
5. ^ a b Formerly known as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) until spring 2006.
6. ^ Currently known as Felician University since 2015.
7. ^ Currently known as Franklin Pierce University since 2007.
8. ^ Currently known as the University of Massachusetts Lowell since 1991.
9. ^ Currently known as Southern New Hampshire University since 2001.
10. ^ Residential enrollment only. SNHU also has approximately 87,000 online students.
11. ^ Currently known as Southern Connecticut State University since 1983.
12. ^ Part of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities System.
13. ^ Currently known as Post University since 2004.

### Other members

[edit]

Institution  | Location  | Founded  | Affiliation  | Enrollment  | Nickname  | Joined[a] | Left[b] | Subsequent
conference(s)  | Current
conference

|
|
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University at Albany | Albany, New York | 1844  | Public[c] | 17,746  | Great Danes | 1995  | 1999  | D-I Independent
(1999–2001)  | America East (AmEast)[d]
(2001–present)
Central Connecticut State College[e] | New Britain, Connecticut | 1849  | Public[f] | 9,546  | Blue Devils | 1983  | 1985  | various[h] | Northeast (NEC)[d]
(1997–present)
Keene State College | Keene, New Hampshire | 1909  | Public  | 3,213  | Owls | 1986  | 1997  | Little East (LEC)[i]
(1997–present)
Le Moyne College | Syracuse, New York | 1946  | Catholic
(Jesuit) | 3,533  | Dolphins | 1992  | 1996  | Northeast-10 (NE-10)
(1996–2023)  | Northeast (NEC)[d]
(2023–present)
Quinnipiac College[j] | Hamden, Connecticut | 1929  | Nonsectarian  | 10,207  | Bobcats | 1981  | 1987  | Northeast-10 (NE-10)
(1987–1998)
Northeast (NEC)[d]
(1998–2013)  | Metro Atlantic (MAAC)[d]
(2013–present)
Sacred Heart University | Fairfield, Connecticut | 1963  | Catholic
(Diocese of
Bridgeport) | 5,974  | Pioneers | 1981  | 1999  | Northeast (NEC)[d]
(1999–2024)  | Metro Atlantic (MAAC)[d]
(2024–present)
Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York | 1957  | Public[c] | 26,814  | Seawolves | 1995  | 1999  | D-I Independent
(1999–2001)
America East (AmEast)[d]
(2001–22)  | Coastal (CAA)[d]
(2022–present)

Notes

1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
3. ^ a b Part of the State University of New York System.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
5. ^ Currently known as Central Connecticut State University since 2007.
6. ^ Part of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities System.
7. ^ Currently a defunct NCAA Division I athletic conference.
8. ^ Central Connecticut State had joined the following subsequent conferences: as an NCAA D-II Independent during the 1985–86 school year; as an NCAA D-I Independent from 1986–87 to 1989–90, and during the 1992–93 school year; the East Coast Conference[g] (ECC) from 1990–91 to 1991–92, and during the 1993–94 school year; and the Mid-Continent Conference[d] (Mid-Con) from 1994–95 to 1996–97.
9. ^ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
10. ^ Currently known as Quinnipiac University since 2000.

### Membership timeline

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Full member (non-football)   Other conference 1   Other conference 2

## Notable alumni

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* Bill Bayno, Sacred Heart, Former UNLV head men's basketball coach
* Manute Bol, Bridgeport, NBA center with Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, and Philadelphia 76ers
* Joe Nathan, Stony Brook, Major League Baseball pitcher with San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers
* Mike Petke, Southern Connecticut, MLS soccer player with Colorado Rapids, New York/New Jersey Metrostars and D.C. United

## References

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## External links

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* Official website