Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium

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Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium
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Bowdoin
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Locations of Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin

The Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium (CBB) is an athletic conference and academic consortium between three private liberal arts colleges in the U.S. State of Maine. The group consists of Colby College in Waterville, Bates College in Lewiston, and Bowdoin College in Brunswick. In allusion to the Big Three of the Ivy League, Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin are collectively known the "Maine Big Three", [1] [2] a play on words with the words "Maine" and "main". The school names are ordered by their geographical organization in Maine (north to south).

Contents

The colleges contest the C-B-B Trophy in three-way football games in the Fall of their respective academic years. As of the 2023–24 season, Bowdoin leads the conference in wins, with 20; Colby has 17 and Bates has won 13. Colby holds the record for the longest streak of consecutive wins (1988–1992). Bates holds the record for biggest shutout with a 51–0 game over Colby in 1985. There have been eight three-way-ties: 1965, 1979, 1993, 1995, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2022. The three colleges also contest the Chase Regatta, an annual up-and-down river tourney. The inaugural winner was Bowdoin, but the series has since been dominated by Bates and Colby; Colby has won the regatta five times and the President's Cup nine times. Bates currently holds the most titles (14 out of 20 wins), the winning streak (2006–present), and the most President's Cups (9 cups). [3]

The CBB Consortium often draws comparisons to the football games of the Big Three of the Ivy League, with Bowdoin often drawing the connection to Harvard, Bates to Princeton, and Colby to Yale. [4] Just as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are initialized as HYP, so too are Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin as "CBB". [5] [6]

History

Colby playing Bates at their homecoming game, 2012 Bates playing Colby.jpg
Colby playing Bates at their homecoming game, 2012

From its inception, Bates College served as an alternative to a more traditional and historically conservative Bowdoin College. [7] [8] There is a long tradition of rivalry and competitiveness between the two colleges, revolving around socioeconomic class, academic quality, and collegiate athletics. [9] [10] [11] The two colleges 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. [12] [9]

The Bates-Bowdoin Game is the most attended football game every academic year at both colleges. As of 2015, both college's presidents are named Clayton (Spencer and Rose), leading students to include them in chants against each other. Bowdoin developed a "football fight song" entitled, "Forward the White" in 1913. [13] All football games between the two occurred on Bowdoin's Whittier Field, but with the development of Bates' Garcelon Field, both fields have been used to hold football games.

Colby remained isolated from neighboring Bates, and the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium because of its location in Waterville, and socio-economic and political differences. [12] However, in the 1940s, Colby began competing with the two colleges and in the first game, had a three-way tie. In 1988, Bates president Reynolds began the Chase Regatta, which features the President's Cup, which is contested by Bates, Colby, and Bowdoin annually. [3]

The CBB Games is a college football competition between the three colleges. Each team plays the others once, with the C-B-B Trophy awarded to the college that beats the other two. The CBB Games was created for the 1965 college football season. Previously, Bates and Bowdoin have competed since 1870s against the University of Maine in the Maine State Series or Maine State Championship. When the University of Maine moved to a higher division in 1965, Colby joined and the rivalry took its current name. [9] [14]

The Chase Regatta is an annual rowing race between the men's and women's heavyweight varsity and club rowing crews of the colleges. [3] The colleges have competed in the regatta since August 3, 1988 but have competed annually since August 3, 1997, when Bates President Thomas Hedley Reynolds instated the President's Cup to be contested by all three of the CBB schools. The President's Cup is given to the team that has won the most overall heats and races, while the overall winner is determined by who won the most varsity and heavyweight competitions in the regatta. [3]

C-B-B Games results

SeasonResultColby–Bates ScoreBates–Bowdoin ScoreBowdoin–Colby Score
19653-way tieColby, 39–20Bates, 10–0Bowdoin, 28–21
1966BatesBates, 28–7Bates, 35–13Bowdoin, 15–6
1967BatesBates, 38–14Bates, 38–24Bowdoin, 7–0
1968BowdoinBates, 28–12Bowdoin, 41–14Bowdoin, 17–0
1969BowdoinColby, 14–13Bowdoin, 13–10Bowdoin, 38–14
1970BowdoinBates, 14–7Bowdoin, 21–3Bowdoin, 31–17
1971BowdoinColby, 17–8Bowdoin, 42–15Bowdoin, 30–27
1972ColbyColby, 35–21Bowdoin, 37–10Colby, 28–22
1973BowdoinColby, 14–0Bowdoin, 20–12Bowdoin, 28–20
1974BatesBates, 16–14Bates, 18–7Bowdoin, 27–6
1975BowdoinColby, 21–12Bowdoin, 19–6Bowdoin, 41–13
1976BowdoinBates, 38–16Bowdoin, 20–14Bowdoin, 37–19
1977BowdoinBates, 25–14Bowdoin, 21–17Bowdoin, 15–14
1978BatesBates, 27–20Bates, 24–14Bowdoin, 27–10
19793-way tieBates, 20–7Bowdoin, 14–0Colby, 21–20
1980BowdoinBates, 14–13Bowdoin, 13–0Bowdoin, 8–0
1981BatesBates, 10–6Bates, 23–13Colby, 17–13
1982BowdoinColby, 28–21Bowdoin, 33–14Bowdoin, 18–0
1983ColbyColby, 20–13Bates, 33–15Colby, 15–14
1984BowdoinBates, 31–21Bowdoin, 28–23Bowdoin, 20–14
1985BowdoinBates, 51–0Bowdoin, 24–21Bowdoin, 24–0
1986BatesBates, 21–6Bates, 36–0Bowdoin, 21–14
1987BowdoinBates, 46–28Bowdoin, 20–19Bowdoin, 14–10
1988ColbyColby, 19–3Bowdoin, 10–6Colby, 24–0
1989ColbyColby, 30–0Bates, 10–0Colby, 38–20
1990ColbyColby, 9–3Bates, 19–14Colby, 23–20
1991ColbyColby, 41–7Bowdoin, 34–13Colby, 28–13
1992ColbyColby, 50–0Bowdoin, 35–14Colby, 26–18
19932-way tie: Colby and BowdoinColby, 53–14Bowdoin, 34–6Tie, 21–21
1994ColbyColby, 28–6Bates, 33–14Colby, 34–13
19953-way tieColby, 26–6Bates, 33–29Bowdoin, 24–3
1996ColbyColby, 28–21Bowdoin, 35–16Colby, 39–15
1997BowdoinBates, 22–21Bowdoin, 28–19Bowdoin, 27–19
1998BowdoinBates, 13–7Bowdoin, 49–14Bowdoin, 10–7
1999BatesBates, 20–17 (OT)Bates, 38–7Colby, 20–0
2000ColbyColby, 14–0Bates, 44–13Colby, 34–7
2001ColbyColby, 42–0Bates, 38–35 (OT)Colby, 41–13
2002BatesBates, 19–14Bates, 48–28Colby, 32–27
2003ColbyColby, 27–14Bates, 20–17Colby, 7–6
2004ColbyColby, 17–16Bowdoin, 21–0Colby, 23–0
2005ColbyColby, 24–17Bowdoin, 21–14Colby, 28–3
2006BowdoinColby, 10–7 (4OT)Bowdoin, 23–14Bowdoin, 13–10
2007BowdoinColby, 20–13Bowdoin, 31–7Bowdoin, 20–17
2008BowdoinBates, 31–21Bowdoin, 55–14Bowdoin, 20–6
20093-way tieColby, 34–27Bates, 28–24Bowdoin, 32–27
2010BowdoinColby, 10–6Bowdoin, 21–20Bowdoin, 26–21
20113-way tieColby, 37–13Bates, 24–2Bowdoin, 20–10
2012BatesBates, 31–6Bates, 14–6Colby, 17–0
20133-way tieColby, 21–3Bates, 17–10Bowdoin, 32–22
2014BatesBates, 34–28 (OT)Bates, 10–7Colby, 14–7
2015BatesBates, 10–9Bates, 31–0Bowdoin, 35–13
2016BatesBates, 21–19Bates, 24–7Colby, 32–16
2017BatesBates, 27–24Bates, 24–17Colby, 31–20
2018ColbyColby, 21–6Bowdoin, 31–14Colby, 30–14
2019ColbyColby, 23–20Bates, 30–5Colby, 47–34
2021ColbyColby, 10–2Bates, 25–24Colby, 21–10
20223-way tieColby, 38–17Bates, 21–14Bowdoin, 21–14
2023BowdoinColby, 30–24Bowdoin, 35–20Bowdoin, 35–14
2024ColbyColby, 28–26Bowdoin, 35–24Colby, 34–10
SeasonWinnerColby – Bates scoreBates – Bowdoin scoreBowdoin – Colby score

Note: Source of wins and losses: games between 1966 and 1978, [15] games between 1979 and 1998, [16] and for all other games not specified in aforementioned years: [17] [18] [19] [20] The highest scoring game was the 1987 Colby-Bates with a total of 74 points. The lowest scoring game was the 1967 Bowdoin-Colby game with a total of 7 points. The biggest shutout was Bates' 51–0 game against Colby in 1985. The longest consecutive streak of games won is Colby with 5 championships in a row (1988–1992). There have been 7 three-way-ties, 1 two-way tie, and 4 uses of overtime, (the 2006 Colby-Bates game required overtime to be issued four times for a winner to be determined).

Series statistics

StatisticColbyBatesBowdoin
Games played114
Series Wins171320
Highest series streak544
Current series streakL1L1W1
Total points scored in the series229421052285
Most points scored in a winning game535155
Most points scored in a losing game282735
Fewest points scored in a winning game10107
Most points scored in a shutout win505124
Overtime wins130
Largest margin of victory505141
Smallest margin of victory111

Chase Regatta results

In fiction and literature

In 1999, all three colleges were prominently featured in The Sopranos. In the episode entitled, "College", Tony Soprano takes his daughter, Meadow on a trip to Maine to tour the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium. [21] [22] They first visit Bates in Lewiston; while walking past the college's chapel she states, "[Bates has] a 48-to-52 male-female ratio, which is great, strong liberal arts program and this cool Olin Arts Center for music." [23] They then drive up to Colby and Bowdoin using Drew University in New Jersey as the two college's exteriors. [24] On the drive from Bates to Colby, Tony Soprano reveals to his daughter that he is in the mafia, a major turning point in the series. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bates College</span> Private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine, U.S.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oren Burbank Cheney</span> American politician and activist (1816–1903)

Oren Burbank Cheney was an American politician, minister, and statesman who was a key figure in the abolitionist movement in the United States during the later 19th century. Along with textile tycoon Benjamin Bates, he founded Bates College as the first coeducational college in New England which is widely considered his magnum opus. Cheney is one of the most extensively covered subjects of Neoabolitionism, for his public denouncement of slavery, involuntary servitude, and advocation for fair and equal representation, egalitarianism, and personal sovereignty.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Colby Chase</span>

George Colby Chase was an American intellectual and professor of English who served as the second President of Bates College succeeding its founder, Oren Burbank Cheney, from March 1894 to November 1919.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colby Mules</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Colby College

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bates Bobcats</span> Athletic teams of Bates College

The Bates Bobcats are the athletic teams of Bates College largely based in Lewiston, Maine and the surrounding areas. The college's official mascot has been the bobcat since 1924, and maintains garnet as its official color. The school sponsors 32 varsity sports, most of which compete in the Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). The school's men's and women's ski teams and men's and women's squash teams compete in Division I. Bates has rivalries with Princeton in Squash and Dartmouth in Skiing and selected hockey bouts. The college also competes with its Maine rivals Bowdoin and Colby in the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium (CBB). This is one of the oldest football rivalries in the United States. This consortium is a series of historically highly competitive football games ending in the championship game between the three schools. Bates has won this championship at total of twelve times including 2014, 2015, and in 2016 beat Bowdoin 24–7 after their 21–19 abroad victory over Colby. Bates is currently the holder of the winning streak, and has the record for biggest victory in the athletic conference with a 51–0 shutout of Colby College. The three colleges also contest the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Chase Regatta. The college is the all-time leader of the Chase Regatta with a total of 14 composite wins, followed by Colby's 5 wins, concluded with Bowdoin's 2 wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1914 Colby Mules football team</span> American college football season

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bates College</span>

The history of Bates College began shortly before Bates College's founding on March 16, 1855, in Lewiston, Maine. The college was founded by Oren Burbank Cheney and Benjamin Bates. Originating as a Free Will Baptist institution, it has since secularized and established a liberal arts curriculum. After the mysterious 1853 burning of Parsonsfield Seminary, Cheney wanted to create another seminary in a more central part of Maine: Lewiston, a then-booming industrial economy. He met with religious and political leaders in Topsham, to discuss the formation of such a school, recruiting much of the college's first trustees, most notably Ebenezer Knowlton. After a well-received speech by Cheney, the group successfully petitioned the Maine State Legislature to establish the Maine State Seminary. At its founding it was the first coeducational college in New England. Soon after it was established, donors stepped forward to finance the seminary, developing the school in an affluent residential district of Lewiston. The college struggled to finance its operations after the financial crisis of 1857, requiring extra capital to remain afloat. Cheney's political activities attracted Benjamin Bates, who was interested in fostering his business interests in Maine. Bates donated installments of tens of thousands of dollars to the college to bring it out of the crisis.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bates College traditions</span> Aspect of Bates College culture

The traditions of Bates College include the activities, songs, and academic regalia of Bates College, a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. They are well known on campus and nationally as an embedded component of the student life at the college and its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooks Quimby Debate Council</span>

The Brooks Quimby Debate Council (BQDC) is a debate society in Lewiston, Maine, primarily comprising students from Bates College. The society, known for participating in British and American Parliamentary debate styles, competes in the American Parliamentary Debate Association and the World Universities Debating Championship. Notably, it engaged in a debate with Oxford University in 1923, marking Oxford's first debate in the United States.

The 1946 Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football season was the season of college football played by the four member schools of the Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) as part of the 1946 college football season. The 1946 season was the first since 1942 in which the four conference teams competed for the MIAC championship.

References

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  4. Calhoun, Charles (1993). A Small College in Maine. Hubbard Hall, Bowdoin College: Bowdoin College. p. 163.: Bowdoin College. pp. 12, 19. ...Of the three top schools in Maine, the CBB drew the most notation to what was informally characterized as a smaller Ivy League, one that provided an Ivy League education with a smaller student body{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. Larson, Timothy (2005). Faith by Their Works: The Progressive Tradition at Bates College from 1855 to 1877. Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine: Edmund S. Muskie Archives. pp. 3, 51. ... the group [CBB] seemed to draw power from their comparisons to the Ivy League operating in such a group entitled, 'the Little Ivies."... Bowdoin often drawing the connection to Harvard, Bates to Princeton, and Colby to Yale..
  6. "Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin: Plenty of History Behind These Football Rivals". News. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
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For further information on history of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium:

For further reading:

For further information on the NESCAC, and individual collegiate scores: