Conference of New England

The Conference of New England (CNE), formerly known as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in New England in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Conference of New England
AssociationNCAA
Founded1984
CommissionerPatrick Colbert (since 2023)
Sports fielded
  • 20
    • men's: 10
    • women's: 10
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams11
HeadquartersBiddeford, Maine, U.S.
RegionNew England
Official websitecnesports.org
Locations
Location of teams in

Overview

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Previous logo

The CCC and Commonwealth Coast Football unveiled a new family of logos during a June 2019 visual rebrand.[1]

History

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100km
62miles
 
Saint Joseph
 
New England College
 
Colby–Sawyer
 
Maine Maritime
 
Johnson & Wales
 
Hartford
 
Suffolk
 
Husson
 
Western New England
 
Wentworth
 
Univ. of New England
 
Roger Williams
 
Nichols
 
Gordon
 
Endicott
 
Curry
Location of current members:
  full member
  associate member
  future associate member

Recent events

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On June 21, 2022, the University of Hartford announced that it would join the CCC, starting the 2023–24 academic year;[2] while Salve Regina announced it would leave both the CCC and CCC Football to join the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), once concluding the 2022–23 school year.[3]

On December 8, 2022, Johnson & Wales (RI) announced it would join the CCC as soon as the 2024–25 academic year.[4]

In 2023, two schools announced they would be reinstating their varsity football programs and joining the CCC for football, starting the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year); first Maine Maritime Academy on January 9,[5] then New England College followed suit on November 14.[6]

On August 1st, 2024, 40 years after it was founded, the conference announced that it would be rebranding as the Conference of New England (CNE), effective with the 2024-25 season.[7]

Chronological timeline

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Member schools

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Current members

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The CNE currently has 11 full members, all private schools.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Football?
Curry College Milton, Massachusetts 1879 Nonsectarian 2,410 Colonels 1984     Yes
Endicott College Beverly, Massachusetts 1939 Nonsectarian 4,528 Gulls 1999     Yes
Gordon College Wenham, Massachusetts 1889 Evangelical 1,816 Fighting Scots 1987     No
University of Hartford West Hartford, Connecticut 1877 Nonsectarian 6,792 Hawks 2023     No
Johnson & Wales University Providence, Rhode Island 1914 Nonsectarian 4,652 Wildcats 2024[a]     No
Nichols College Dudley, Massachusetts 1815 Nonsectarian 1,518 Bison 1995     Yes
Roger Williams University Bristol, Rhode Island 1956 Nonsectarian 4,702 Hawks 1985       No
Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts 1906 Nonsectarian 6,832 Rams 2020[b]     No
University of New England Biddeford, Maine 1831 Nonsectarian 7,208 Nor'easters 1999     Yes
Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts 1904 Nonsectarian 4,397 Leopards 1984       No
Western New England University Springfield, Massachusetts 1919 Nonsectarian 3,702 Golden Bears 2007     Yes
Notes
  1. ^ Johnson & Wales competed in the CCC as an associate member for men's ice hockey from 2016–17 to 2017–18.
  2. ^ Suffolk competed in the CCC as an associate member for men's ice hockey from 2016–17 to 2017–18.


Associate members

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The CNE currently has three associate members, all private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Primary
conference
CCC
sport(s)
Colors
Colby–Sawyer College New London, New Hampshire 1946 Nonsectarian 2,262 Chargers 2024 Great Northeast (GNAC) men's tennis    
Husson University Bangor, Maine 1898 Nonsectarian 3,476 Eagles 2019 North Atlantic (NAC) football    
University of Saint Joseph West Hartford, Connecticut 1932 Catholic
(R.S.M.)
2,467 Blue Jays 2024 Great Northeast (GNAC) men's tennis    

Future associate members

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The CNE will have two future associate members, all but one are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joining Primary
conference
CCC
sport(s)
Colors
Maine Maritime Academy Castine, Maine 1941 Public 941 Mariners 2025 North Atlantic (NAC) football    
New England College Henniker, New Hampshire 1946 Nonsectarian 4,327 Pilgrims 2025 Great Northeast (GNAC) football      

Former members

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The CNE had nine former full members, with all but one being private schools.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Current
conference
Anna Maria College Paxton, Massachusetts 1946 Catholic 1,432 AMCats 1984 2011 Great Northeast (GNAC)
Colby–Sawyer College New London, New Hampshire 1837 Nonsectarian 1,200 Chargers 1995 2011 Great Northeast (GNAC)
Eastern Nazarene College Quincy, Massachusetts 1900 Nazarene 1,063 Lions 1992 2018 North Atlantic (NAC)
Emerson College Boston, Massachusetts 1880 Nonsectarian 4,290 Lions 1984 1989 New England (NEWMAC)
Hellenic College Brookline, Massachusetts 1937 GOArch 222 Owls 1984 1985 N/A[a]
New England College Henniker, New Hampshire 1946 Nonsectarian 1,460 Pilgrims 1989 2011 Great Northeast (GNAC)
Regis College[b] Weston, Massachusetts 1927 Catholic
(Sisters of St. Joseph)
1,737 Pride 1988 2011 Great Northeast (GNAC)
Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island 1934 Catholic
(Sisters of Mercy)
2,771 Seahawks 1984 2023 New England (NEWMAC)
United States Coast Guard Academy
(Coast Guard)
New London, Connecticut 1876 Federal 1,045 Bears 1984 1987 New England (NEWMAC)
Notes
  1. ^ Hellenic dropped its athletics program following the 1984–85 school year.
  2. ^ This institution is a former women's college, which later had become a co-educational college (Regis (Mass.) since 2007–08).

Former associate members

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The CNE had three former associate members, all were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Primary
conference
CCC
sport(s)
Becker College Worcester, Massachusetts 1784 Nonsectarian 1,892 Hawks 2016m.i.h.;
2017fb.
2021m.i.h.;
2021fb.
N/A[a] men's ice hockey
football
Johnson & Wales University Providence, Rhode Island 1914 Nonsectarian 16,000 Wildcats 2016 2018 Great Northeast (GNAC) men's ice hockey
Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts 1906 Nonsectarian 16,095 Rams 2016 2018 Commonwealth Coast (CCC) men's ice hockey
Notes
  1. ^ Becker discontinued its athletic program and closed in 2021.

Membership timeline

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University of Saint JosephUniversity of HartfordHusson UniversitySuffolk UniversityJohnson and Wales UniversityBecker CollegeWestern New England UniversityUniversity of New England (United States)Endicott CollegeNichols CollegeGreat Northeast Athletic ConferenceNorth Atlantic ConferenceColby–Sawyer CollegeNorth Atlantic ConferenceNew England Collegiate ConferenceEastern Nazarene CollegeGreat Northeast Athletic ConferenceNew England Collegiate ConferenceNorth Atlantic ConferenceNew England CollegeGreat Northeast Athletic ConferenceNew England Collegiate ConferenceRegis College, MassachusettsGordon College (Massachusetts)Roger Williams UniversityWentworth Institute of TechnologyNew England Women's and Men's Athletic ConferenceSalve Regina UniversityHellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of TheologyNew England Women's and Men's Athletic ConferenceGreat Northeast Athletic ConferenceEmerson CollegeCurry CollegeNew England Women's and Men's Athletic ConferenceUnited States Coast Guard AcademyMassachusetts State Collegiate Athletic ConferenceGreat Northeast Athletic ConferenceAnna Maria College

Sports

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The CNE sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in 20 sports. The conference started sponsoring football in the 2017-18 season, absorbing the former football-only New England Football Conference. From 2017 to 2021 football was operated as a single-sport conference branded Commonwealth Coast Football.[9] Due to changes in NCAA legislation regarding the number of members required for a for a conference to receive and automatic qualifier (AQ), football was fully incorporated into the multi-sport conference in 2022, eliminating the need for the football-only league. Women's ice hockey was added as a conference sport in 2020-21 when the CNE took over operations of the Colonial Hockey Conference.[10]

Championship sports
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball
 Y
Basketball
 Y
 Y
Cross country
 Y
 Y
Field hockey
 Y
Football
 Y
Golf
 Y
Ice hockey
 Y
 Y
Lacrosse
 Y
 Y
Soccer
 Y
 Y
Softball
 Y
Tennis
 Y
 Y
Track and field
 Y
 Y
Volleyball
 Y
Sports sponsorship
School MXC WXC FH FB MSOC WSOC WTEN WVB MBB MIH WIH WBB BASE GOLF MLAX WLAX SOFT MTEN M T&F W T&F
Curry
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
Endicott
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
Gordon
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
Hartford
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
Nichols
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
Roger Williams
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
Suffolk
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
U. of New England
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
Wentworth
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
Western New England
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y

References

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  1. ^ "CCC Unveils Visual Rebrand and Identity Initiative". Commonwealth Coast Conference. June 17, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  2. ^ University of Hartford Athletics Joins Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) - University of Hartford Athletics
  3. ^ "NEWMAC Welcomes Salve Regina University as Newest Member Effective July 1, 2023" (Press release). New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference. July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  4. ^ "CCC Accepts Johnson & Wales University As Newest Conference Member". JWU Providence Athletics. 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Maine Maritime Academy to Reinstate Football Program - About MMA - Maine Maritime Academy". Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  6. ^ "New England College Set to Join Commonwealth Coast Conference as an Associate Member for Football". Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  7. ^ "The Conference of New England is Here" (Press release). Conference of New England. August 1, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  8. ^ "Conference History". cnesports.org. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  9. ^ "Commonwealth Coast Conference To Administer Football Championship Beginning in 2017-18". Commonwealth Coast Conference. October 5, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  10. ^ "CCC To Administer Women's Ice Hockey Starting In 2020-21". Commonwealth Coast Conference. October 4, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
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