New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference

New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference

Formerly	New England Women's 8 New England Women's 6
Association	NCAA
Founded	1985;40 years ago (1985)
Commissioner	Patrick B. Summers (since 2011)
Sports fielded	19
Division	Division III
No. of teams	12 full, 4 affiliate
Headquarters	Westwood, Massachusetts
Region	New England
Official website	newmacsports.com
Locations

The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

History

New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference full members

30km
19miles

WPI

Salve Regina

Smith

Mount Holyoke

Coast Guard

Springfield

Wheaton

Emerson

MIT

Babson

Wellesley

Clark

   

Locations of NEWMAC full members, 2024-2025 Full Football Playing Member Full Non-Football Playing Member Full Women's College member (all a part of Seven Sisters)

The NEWMAC was established in 1998, when the former New England Women's 8 Conference (NEW 8) voted to begin sponsoring conference play and championships for men. At this time, the conference expanded its membership to include Springfield College and the United States Coast Guard Academy.

The NEW 8 began play in 1985-86 as the New England Women's 6 Conference (NEW 6). Charter members were Babson College, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Smith College, Wellesley College and Wheaton College. Mount Holyoke College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) joined in 1988 and the name was changed to the NEW 8 Conference. At the conclusion of the 1994–95 academic year, Brandeis University withdrew from the NEW 8 to join the University Athletic Association (where its men's sports competed at that time) and Clark University accepted membership, keeping the NEW 8's membership at eight institutions. ^[1]

In March 2012, NEWMAC announced the addition of Emerson College as the 11th full member of the league starting in the 2013–14 academic year. With the addition of Emerson the NEWMAC began re-sponsoring the sport of men's lacrosse, adding an affiliate member, Massachusetts Maritime Academy. In July 2012, the conference welcomed Simmons College as an affiliate member to compete in the sport of rowing.

In April 2015, the conference office announced it would begin sponsoring football in the 2017 season, with Maine Maritime Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy and Norwich University as affiliate members. ^[2] On September 29, 2015, NEWMAC announced the addition of the Catholic University of America as another associate member in football effective July 1, 2017, ^[3] and on June 23, 2021, the conference added the State University of New York Maritime College (SUNY Maritime) as its new football affiliate in 2023, leaving the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference after the 2022 season. ^[4]

In February 2022, the Landmark Conference announced that it would begin sponsoring football starting in the 2023–24 season, thus the Catholic University of America, a NEWMAC football affiliate, departed after the 2022–23 season. ^[5]

Chronological timeline

• 1985 – The NEWMAC was established as the New England Women's 6 Conference (NEW-6). Charter members included Babson College, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Smith College, Wellesley College and Wheaton College, beginning the 1985–86 academic year.
• 1988:
  • The NEW-6 was rebranded as the New England Women's 8 Conference (NEW-8), beginning the 1988–89 academic year.
    • – Mount Holyoke College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) joined the NEW-8 in the 1988–89 academic year.
• 1995:
  • Brandeis left the NEW-8 to fully align along with its men's sports in the University Athletic Association (UAA) after the 1994–95 academic year.
  • Clark University joined the NEW-8 in the 1995–96 academic year.
• 1998:
  • The NEW-8 offered men's sports and was rebranded as the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), beginning the 1998–99 academic year.
  • Springfield College and the United States Coast Guard Academy (Coast Guard) joined the NEWMAC in the 1998–99 academic year; thus being the 1st schools with men's and women's sports to join the newly branded conference.
• 2012 – Simmons University joined the NEWMAC as an associate member for rowing in the 2012–13 academic year.
• 2013:
  • Emerson College joined the NEWMAC in the 2013–14 academic year.
  • The NEWMAC had absorbed the Pilgrim Lacrosse League to re-add men's lacrosse as a sponsored sport, while having the addition of Massachusetts Maritime Academy as an associate member for that sport, beginning the 2014 spring season (2013–14 academic year).
• 2015 – The NEWMAC added football as a sponsored sport, while having the additions as associate members for that sport: Maine Maritime Academy, Norwich University, the United States Merchant Marine Academy and the Catholic University of America, beginning the 2017 fall season (2017–18 academic year).
• 2019 – Massachusetts Maritime left the NEWMAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse after the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
• 2023:
  • Catholic (D.C.) left the NEWMAC as an associate member for football to join the Landmark Conference for that sport after the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year); as that conference had announced that it would sponsor that sport, beginning the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year).
  • Salve Regina University joined the NEWMAC in the 2023–24 academic year.
  • The State University of New York Maritime College joined the NEWMAC as an associate member for football in the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year).

Member schools

Current members

The NEWMAC currently has 12 full members; all but one are private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Undergraduate Enrollment	Acceptance Rate [6]	Nickname	Joined [a]
Babson College	Wellesley, Massachusetts	1919	Nonsectarian	2,350	26%	Beavers	1985
Clark University	Worcester, Massachusetts	1887	Nonsectarian	2,242	54%	Cougars	1995
Emerson College	Boston, Massachusetts	1880	Nonsectarian	4,113	33%	Lions	2013
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Cambridge, Massachusetts	1861	Nonsectarian	4,638	8%	Engineers	1985
Mount Holyoke College [b]	South Hadley, Massachusetts	1837	Nonsectarian	2,200	55%	Lyons	1987
Salve Regina University	Newport, Rhode Island	1934	Roman Catholic (R.S.M.)	2,872	73%	Seahawks	2023
Smith College [b]	Northampton, Massachusetts	1871	Nonsectarian	2,100	42%	Bears	1985
Springfield College	Springfield, Massachusetts	1885	Nonsectarian	2,228	68%	Pride	1998
United States Coast Guard Academy (Coast Guard)	New London, Connecticut	1876	Federal/Military	1,049	18%	Bears	1998
Wellesley College [b]	Wellesley, Massachusetts	1870	Nonsectarian	2,383	30%	Blue	1985
Wheaton College	Norton, Massachusetts	1834	Nonsectarian	1,701	70%	Lyons	1985
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)	Worcester, Massachusetts	1865	Nonsectarian	4,892	44%	Engineers	1987

Notes

1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
2. This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.

Former member

The NEWMAC had one former full member, a private school:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Undergraduate Enrollment	Nickname	Joined [a]	Left [b]	Current conference
Brandeis University [c]	Waltham, Massachusetts	1948	Private	3,591	Judges	1985	1995	University (UAA)

Notes

1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
2. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
3. Brandeis's women's athletics programs were in the NEWMAC while their men's athletics programs were in the University Athletic Association (UAA). Ever since, the women's athletics programs moved over to the UAA in the 1995–96 school year. ^[1]

Affiliate members

The NEWMAC currently has four affiliate members, half of them are private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined [a]	NEWMAC sport(s)	Primary conference
State University of New York Maritime College	The Bronx, New York	1874	Public [b]	1,671	Privateers	2023	Football	Skyline
Norwich University	Northfield, Vermont	1819	Military	3,400	Cadets	2017	Football	Great Northeast (GNAC)
Simmons University	Boston, Massachusetts	1899	Nonsectarian	4,933	Sharks	2013	Women's rowing	Great Northeast (GNAC)
United States Merchant Marine Academy (Merchant Marine)	Kings Point, New York	1943	Federal	1,011	Mariners	2017	Football	Skyline

Notes

1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
2. Part of the State University of New York System.

Former affiliate members

The NEWMAC had three former affiliate members, all but one are public schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined [a]	Left [b]	NEWMAC sport(s)	Current primary conference
The Catholic University of America	Washington, D.C.	1887	Catholic (Pontifical)	6,725	Cardinals	2017	2023	Football	Landmark
Maine Maritime Academy [7]	Castine, Maine	1941	Public	900	Mariners	2017	2020	Football	North Atlantic (NAC)
Massachusetts Maritime Academy	Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts	1891	Public	1,637	Buccaneers	2005	2019	Men's lacrosse	Massachusetts (MASCAC)

Membership timeline

New England Women's and Men's
Athletic Conference affiliate members

210km
130miles

Norwich

Mass Maritime

Simmons

SUNY Maritime

Merchant Marine

Maine Maritime

Catholic

   

Locations of NEWMAC members, 2024-2025 Football Affiliate Women's Rowing Affiliate Former Affiliate

 Full member (all sports)  Full member (non-football)  Associate member (football)  Associate member (sport) 

Sports

The NEWMAC sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in the following sports:

Conference sports

Sport	Men's	Women's
Baseball	Y
Basketball	Y	Y
Cross Country	Y	Y
Field Hockey		Y
Football	Y
Lacrosse	Y	Y
Rowing		Y
Soccer	Y	Y
Softball		Y
Swimming & Diving	Y	Y
Tennis	Y	Y
Track & Field	Y	Y
Volleyball		Y

Men's Sports

School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross Country	Football	Lacrosse	Soccer	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field	Total NEWMAC Sports
Babson	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	8
Clark	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	7
Coast Guard	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Emerson	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	N	6
MIT	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Salve Regina	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	7
Springfield	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Wheaton	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	8
WPI	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	7
Totals	9	9	9	5+3	8	9	7	8	6	70+3
Affiliate Members
Maritime				Y						1
Merchant Marine				Y						1
Norwich				Y						1

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the NEWMAC

School	Alpine Skiing	Equestrian	Fencing	Golf	Gymnastics	Ice Hockey	Rifle	Rowing	Sailing	Squash	Volleyball	Water Polo	Wrestling
Babson	USCSA			IND		LEC
Coast Guard								IND	NEISA [c]				NEWA
Emerson											GNAC
MIT			NFC				IND	IND	NEISA	CSA	UVC	NWPC
Salve Regina		IHSA [c]				IND			NEISA [c]
Springfield				MASCAC	EIGL						IND		NEWA
Wheaton			NFC								IND	MPSF
WPI								IND					NEWA

Women's Sports

School	Basketball	Cross Country	Field Hockey	Lacrosse	Rowing	Soccer	Softball	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field	Volleyball	Total NEWMAC Sports
Babson	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Clark	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	10
Coast Guard	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	9
Emerson	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	7
MIT	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Mount Holyoke	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	Y	9
Salve Regina	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	9
Smith	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Springfield	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Wellesley	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Wheaton	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
WPI	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	9
Totals	12	12	10	11	7+1	12	11	10	9	10	12	116+1
Affiliate Members
Simmons					Y							1

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the NEWMAC

School	Alpine Skiing	Artistic Swimming	Equestrian	Fencing	Golf	Gymnastics	Ice Hockey	Rifle	Sailing	Water Polo
Babson	USCSA				CWGC
Coast Guard									NEISA [c]
MIT				NFC				IND	NEISA
Mount Holyoke			IHSA
Salve Regina			IHSA [c]				IND		NEISA [c]
Springfield						NCGA
Wellesley				NFC	LL
Wheaton		MPSF		NFC						CWPA

Notes

1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
2. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
3. Co-Ed

References

1. "About the NEWMAC". NEWMACSports.com. NEWMAC.
2. Brian Magoffin (April 8, 2015). "NEWMAC to Sponsor Football Beginning in 2017". NEWMAC.
3. "NEWMAC Adds Eighth Football Member Catholic University" (Press release). NEWMAC. September 29, 2015.
4. Riley Demarell (June 23, 2021). "Maritime Football Set to Join the NEWMAC for 2023 Season". SUNY Maritime College Privateers Athletics. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
5. "Landmark Membership to Expand; Lycoming & Wilkes to Join in '23" (Press release). Landmark Conference. February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
6. "NEWMAC Colleges". Go4Ivy. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
7. "Maine Maritime to return, join CCC in 2025". 9 January 2023.

External links

• Official website