North Atlantic Conference

This article is about the current NCAA Division III conference. For the NCAA Division I conference that used this name from 1988 to 1996, see America East Conference. For the shortlived HBCU conference, see North Atlantic Conference (1946).

North Atlantic Conference

Formerly	North Atlantic Women's Conference
Association	NCAA
Founded	1996
Commissioner	Marcella Zalot (since 2016)
Sports fielded	15 men's: 8 women's: 8
Division	Division III
No. of teams	14 (11 in 2024)
Headquarters	Waterville, Maine
Region	Northeastern United States
Official website	nacathletics.com
Locations

The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) is an athletic conference, affiliated with the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), consisting primarily of small liberal arts colleges in the New England states of Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont, as well as the Mid-Atlantic state of New York.

The conference was founded in 1996 when six colleges agreed to form the North Atlantic Women's Conference. It changed to its current name in the fall of 1999. It currently sponsors a total of 17 men's and women's sports played by teams of the 13 institutions therein.

The 17 different sports that are played in the NAC range from the fall season, throughout the winter, and to the spring season. These sports are played among both men's and women's teams.

In the fall season, there are six sports played. Among these are, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, women's tennis, and women's volleyball.

In the winter season there are two sports played, which are men's and women's basketball along with men's and women's swimming and diving.

In the spring time there are four sports both for men's and women's teams. The NAC has men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, softball, men's tennis, and men's and women's outdoor track & field. ^[1]

History

North Atlantic Conference

100km
62miles

Maine Maritime

Eastern Nazarene

Lesley

SUNY Morrisville

MCLA

SUNY Poly

SUNY Cobleskill

SUNY Delhi

Maine–Presque Isle

SUNY Canton

VSU–Lyndon

Thomas

Maine–Farmington

Husson

VSU–Johnson

  

Location of NAC members: full member departing member associate member

Chronological timeline

^[2]

• Fall 1996 – Bay Path College, Lesley College, Lasell College, Wheelock College, the Maine Maritime Academy and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy explore the opportunity to join and form an athletic conference to give women student-athletes an opportunity to compete in a post-season tournament.
• Spring 1997 – The above named institutions work out the details to create an athletic conference to be known as the North Atlantic Women's Conference (NAWC). The steps for a constitution and set bylaws is drafted, championship hosting criteria are established and dates chosen for a spring softball championship.
• Fall 1997 – The first full academic year for the NAWC brings additional meetings to continue to make policy and procedures more formalized. Championships are to be held in women's soccer, cross-country, basketball and softball.
• Spring 1998 – Basketball holds first NAWC Championship at Lasell College.
• Fall 1998 – Becker College, Elms College and Mount Ida College are interviewed and accepted for membership starting Fall 1999.
• Spring 1999 – Basketball holds its first NAWC Championship at the Maine Maritime Academy.
• Fall 1999 – The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) begins first season of competition, new members include: Becker, Elms and Mount Ida Colleges. There are 8 members of the NAC. Championships include both women and men.
• Spring 2000 – The North Atlantic Conference conducts women's and men's championships for basketball and softball.
• Fall 2000 – The North Atlantic Conference continues to expand postseason championship opportunities for its student-athletes. Two new associate members are added for women's field hockey, Simmons College and Western New England College.
• Spring 2001 – The North Atlantic Conference begins preliminary discussions with potential new NAC members.
• Fall 2001 – The North Atlantic Conference continues to expand the post season championship opportunities for its student-athletes. Five institutions apply and present to NAC members for admittance to the NAC for Fall 2002 academic year. Two Vermont institutions, being Castleton State College and Johnson State College, apply for full members status. Three Maine institutions are seeking associate membership for women's field hockey, Thomas College, Husson College and the University of Maine at Farmington (UMaine–Farmington). The NAC approves its first major expansion in 2 years, bringing the NAC membership to 10 full members and 5 associate members.
• Spring 2002 – The 3 Maine institutions with associate membership status continue talks about joining the NAC as full members for the fall of 2003–2004.
• Fall 2002 – The NAC receives confirmation that it will be recognized as a non-voting member of the NCAA Division III. Dr. Carol Matteson of Mount Ida College begins a two-year term at President of the NAC. The automatic qualifier opportunities for women's sports begin a two-year waiting period before being instituted.
• Fall 2002 – Three institutions, Thomas, Husson and UMaine–Farmington apply and present for full member consideration in September 2002 for admittance to the NAC for the Fall 2003 academic year. The NAC accepts the three associate members for full NAC membership in Fall 2003. The NAC approves its second major expansion in 3 years, bringing the NAC membership to 13 full members and 2 associate members.
• Fall 2002 – The North Atlantic Conference continues to expand the post season championship opportunities for its student-athletes. Fall sports teams now compete with championships being expanded to include both full and associate members, increasing the championships sponsored to include: women's volleyball, soccer, field hockey and cross country and men's soccer and cross country.
• Spring 2003 – The NAC members meet at NCAA Convention to continue to chart the future course for the NAC. The members meet in Portsmouth, NH for membership meeting and to set the agenda for the President's Meeting in May. The NAC conducts women's and men's basketball championships. For the second year in a row, the NAC sends a men's team, Lasell College, to the NCAA tournament as an at-large bid. The NAC holds a spring championship for softball. Elms College wins and receives an at-large bid to play in the NCAA softball championship.
• Spring 2003 – Presidents and Directors of Athletics meet for the first time in NAC history to discuss various issues on the future of the NAC. Strategic planning, mission statement, travel and web development are discussed.
• Fall 2004 – Tournament Champions in Field Hockey, Men's and Women's Soccer, and Volleyball receive the conference's automatic qualifier to participate in the NCAA Tournament. Maine–Farmington, which claimed the 2004 NAC Field Hockey Championship, upends Keene State in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament, 3–2 in double overtime on November 10 being the first NAC school to advance past the first round of NCAA championship play.
• Winter 2005 – Elms ends a dominant three-year run by Lasell in the Men's Basketball Championship, upending the top-seeded Lasers 70–66. Maine Maritime earns its third NAC Women's Basketball Championship in seven years with a 65–56 win over intrastate rival Maine–Farmington. Both victors receive the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time.
• Spring 2005 – Baseball and Men's Lacrosse both feature for the first time seven teams competing for the NAC Championship and begin the two-year waiting period for automatic qualification to the NACC Tournament. For Baseball, Elms and Husson along with associate member Saint Joseph's College of Maine compete for the first time in league play, with St. Joseph's (Me.) taking the 2005 championship. Maine Maritime and Thomas fielded Men's Lacrosse for the first time ever, and were joined by associate members Daniel Webster College and Emerson College. Mount Ida continued its dominance in Men's Lacrosse, going undefeated for the second season in a row and taking the 2005 NAC Tournament. Maine–Farmington takes the 2005 NAC Softball Championship for the first time in dramatic fashion, winning four straight games, the final in extra innings over Elms.
• Spring 2005 – Julie Muller becomes the commissioner of the North Atlantic Conference on May 1, 2005. Inheriting the title from Mount Ida Athletic Director, Dr. Jacqueline Palmer, she becomes the first person to hold the sole title of commissioner for the 13-member NCAA Division III conference. The NAC begins an extensive evaluation of the conference and plans to initiate its first strategic planning process. Dr. Carol Matteson agrees to extend her term in office as President of the Presidents Council for an additional year.
• Spring 2006 – President Dave Wolk of Castleton is elected to the position of Chair for the Presidents Council, taking over the post from President Carol Matteson of Mount Ida College. St. Joseph's (Me.) earns an At-Large Bid to the NCAA tournament in Baseball. NAC begins to explore adding football as an NAC championship sport.
• Fall 2006 – Mount Ida and Lasell begin final year of NAC competition as conference full members after withdrawing from the conference as full members. Both are accepted as Associate Members beginning Fall of 2007; Mount Ida for Men's Lacrosse and Lasell for Field Hockey. Western New England participates in its final year as associate members in field hockey.
• Spring 2007 – Mount Ida earns the first NAC automatic qualifier in Men's Lacrosse. During its last season of competition in NAC baseball, St. Joseph's (Me.) earns the first automatic qualifier awarded the conference in that sport. Husson represents the NAC as the automatic qualifier in Men's Golf. Green Mountain College and Lyndon State present for full membership consideration during the NAC Annual Meeting in York Harbor, Maine. Both institutions are accepted, to begin competition in Fall of 2008. St. Joseph's (Me.) is accepted as associate members for field hockey, beginning competition in fall of 2008. Presidents Council votes to begin NAC competition in football in the fall of 2009.
• Fall 2007 – Bay Path, Becker, Elms, Lesley and Wheelock begin their final year of competition as full conference members after withdrawing from the NAC. Applications for associate membership in football are accepted and under consideration for competition to begin fall of 2009.
• Fall 2008 – Green Mountain and Lyndon State join the conference as full members.
• Fall 2011 – Colby–Sawyer College and New England College join the conference as full members.
• Spring 2012 – Castleton earns NAC's first women's lacrosse automatic qualifier awarded to the conference in that sport with an 18–11 win over Morrisville State College.
• Spring 2013 – The NAC Presidents Council affirmed its commitment to respect and inclusion by placing their support behind a project aimed at combating homophobia on campuses and recognizing the benefit of diversity at each of its membership institutions.
• Fall 2014 – The 10 membership institutions of the NAC showed their commitment to promoting respect for all by developing a conference-wide You Can Play video project.
• Spring 2015 – The NAC continues to expand the post season championship opportunities for its student-athletes with the addition of women's outdoor track and field. The NAC received national recognition from the NCAA after being selected as the February recipient of the Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative for its work on the You Can Play video project.
• Fall 2015 – The NAC SAAC commits to embracing the It's On Us campaign as a conference wide initiative.
• Spring 2016 – The North Atlantic Conference continues to expand the post season championship opportunities for its student-athletes with the addition of men's outdoor track and field.
• Summer 2016 – Marcella Zalot becomes the second ever full-time commissioner of the North Atlantic Conference on June 13, 2016. Inheriting the title from Julie Muller, who served as the NAC's first full-time commissioner and retired on June 30, 2016.
• Summer 2016 – On June 9, 2016, Colby–Sawyer announced that it would leave the NAC following the 2017–18 school year to join the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). ^[3]
• Fall 2016 – Castleton University graduate Rachel Bombardier, the 2015–16 NAC Woman of the Year, was named one of 30 Top Honorees for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Bombardier becomes the first NAC woman to be selected in the final 30 student-athletes throughout the history of the award. The University of Maine at Preques Isle (UMaine–Presque Isle) competes as an associate member in the men's and women's NAC cross country championships and in the women's volleyball regular season and postseason.
• Spring 2017 – On May 4, 2017, Castleton announced that it would leave the NAC following the 2017–18 school year to join the Little East Conference (LEC). ^[4]
• Summer 2017 – On June 13, 2017, Green Mountain announced that it would leave the NAC (and the NCAA) following the 2017–18 school year to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), ^[5] which it would spend one season as an NAIA member before closing in 2019.
• Summer 2017 – On July 31, 2017, New England College announced that it would leave the NAC following the 2017–18 school year to join the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC). ^[6]
• Winter 2017 – The NAC announced the additions of the Maine–Presque Isle and the State University of New York at Canton (SUNY Canton) as full members beginning in the fall of 2018. Both schools had been members of the American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA). ^[7]
• Fall 2018 – On November 30, 2018, the NAC announced that the State University of New York at Delhi (SUNY Delhi), already an associate member in six sports (men's golf, men's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's track & field), would become a full member of the conference effective in the fall of 2019. At that time, five additional Delhi sports—men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, and women's volleyball—began NAC play. Three more sports—men's and women's basketball, plus softball—remained in the ACAA as its associate member until starting NAC play in 2020–21. ^[8]
• Fall 2019 – On August 20, 2019, the NAC announced that three schools—Cazenovia College, the State University of New York at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) and the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)—would become full members in July 2020. ^{[9] [10]}
• Spring 2022 – On March 1, 2022, the NAC announced that SUNY Morrisville (formerly Morrisville State)—alongside Lesley—would join as full members in the 2023–24 season.
• Winter 2023 – On January 9, 2023, the NAC announced that they would welcome Eastern Nazarene College as a full member, also starting in the 2023–24 season.
• Fall 2023 – Three New York institutions announced they would depart the conference to join their future respective primary home conferences: On October 5, 2023, SUNY Canton and SUNY Morrisville accepted to join to the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). ^[11] A month later, on November 21, 2023, SUNY Poly followed suit to join the Empire 8. ^[12]

Member schools

Current members

The NAC currently has fourteen full members, all but four are public schools.

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Colors
Eastern Nazarene College	Quincy, Massachusetts	1900	Nazarene	772	Lions	2023
Husson University	Bangor, Maine	1898	Nonsectarian	3,476	Eagles	2003
Lesley University [lower-alpha 1]	Cambridge, Massachusetts	1909		6,593	Lynx	1996, 2023 [lower-alpha 2]
University of Maine at Farmington	Farmington, Maine	1863	Public [lower-alpha 3]	1,861	Beavers	2003
University of Maine at Presque Isle	Presque Isle, Maine	1903		1,469	Owls	2018
Maine Maritime Academy	Castine, Maine	1941	Public	941	Mariners	1996
State University of New York at Canton (SUNY Canton)	Canton, New York	1906	Public [lower-alpha 4]	3,122	Roos	2018
State University of New York at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill)	Cobleskill, New York	1911	Public [lower-alpha 4]	2,087	Fighting Tigers	2020
State University of New York at Delhi (SUNY Delhi)	Delhi, New York	1913	Public [lower-alpha 4]	3,088	Broncos	2019 [lower-alpha 5]
State University of New York at Morrisville (SUNY Morrisville)	Morrisville, New York	1908	Public [lower-alpha 4]	2,486	Mustangs	2023
State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)	Marcy, New York	1913	Public [lower-alpha 4]	3,061	Wildcats	2020
Thomas College	Waterville, Maine	1894	Nonsectarian	1,949	Terriers	2003
Vermont State University–Johnson [lower-alpha 6]	Johnson, Vermont	1881	Public [lower-alpha 7]	1,803	Badgers	2001
Vermont State University–Lyndon [lower-alpha 6]	Lyndon, Vermont	1911		1,519	Hornets	2008

Notes

1. This institution is a former women's college, which has eventually turned into a co-educational college (Lesley since 2005–06).
2. Lesley initially left the NAC after the 2007–08 school year, but later rejoined before the 2023–24 school year.
3. Part of the University of Maine System.
4. Part of the State University of New York System.
5. Before becoming a full member in the 2019–20 school year, SUNY Delhi had been an associate member in six sports. Men's and women's track joined in 2017–18, while men's golf, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's tennis joined in 2018–19. Men's and women's basketball and softball would later join in 2020–21, a year after becoming a full member of the NAC. ^[13]
6. The former Johnson State and Lyndon State Colleges were merged into Northern Vermont University effective July 1, 2018. Both former institutions remain separate campuses, with their own athletic programs. The schools were subsequently merged with Castleton University and Vermont Technical College to become Vermont State University on July 1, 2023.
7. Part of the Vermont State Colleges System.

Associate member

The NAC currently has one associate member, which is also a public school:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Colors	Primary conference	NAC sport(s)
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)	North Adams, Massachusetts	1894	Public	1,202	Trailblazers	2012m.ten.; 2012w.ten.; 2012m.lax.		Massachusetts (MASCAC)	men's tennis; women's tennis; men's lacrosse

Notes

Former members

The NAC has twelve former full members, all but one were private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Current conference
Bay Path College [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2]	Longmeadow, Massachusetts	1897	Nonsectarian	1,400	Wildcats	1996	2008	N/A (USCAA)
Becker College	Worcester, Massachusetts	1784		N/A	Hawks	1999		Closed in 2021
Vermont State University–Castleton [lower-alpha 3]	Castleton, Vermont	1787	Public [lower-alpha 4]	2,130	Spartans	2001	2018	Little East (LEC)
Cazenovia College	Cazenovia, New York	1913	Nonsectarian	800	Wildcats	2020	2023	Closed in 2023
Colby–Sawyer College	New London, New Hampshire	1837		1,415	Chargers	2011	2018	Great Northeast (GNAC)
Elms College [lower-alpha 5]	Chicopee, Massachusetts	1928	Catholic (S.S.J.)	1,118	Blazers	1999	2008
Green Mountain College	Poultney, Vermont	1834	United Methodist	N/A	Eagles	2008	2018	Closed in 2019
Lasell College [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 6]	Newton, Massachusetts	1851	Nonsectarian	1,800	Lasers	1996	2007	Great Northeast (GNAC)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences	Boston, Massachusetts	1823		6,010	Cardinals		1999	N/A [lower-alpha 7]
Mount Ida College	Newton, Massachusetts	1899		N/A	Mustangs	1999	2007	Closed in 2018
New England College	Henniker, New Hampshire	1946		2,000	Pilgrims	2011	2018	Great Northeast (GNAC)
Wheelock College	Boston, Massachusetts	1888		1,237	Wildcats	1996	2008	N/A [lower-alpha 8]

Notes

1. This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
2. Currently known as Bay Path University since 2014.
3. Castleton University merged with Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College to become Vermont State University on July 1, 2023.
4. Part of the Vermont State Colleges System.
5. This institution is a former women's college, it has since become a co-educational college (Elms since 1998–99, Lasell since 1997–98, Lesley since 2005–06).
6. Currently known as Lasell University since 2019.
7. Mass Pharmacy discontinued its athletics program after the 1998–99 school year.
8. Wheelock was merged into Boston University after the school closed in 2018.

Former associate members

The NAC had ten former associate members, all but two were private schools. This list includes only associate members that have completely departed the NAC. Current full members that had previously housed select sports in the NAC, such as SUNY Delhi, are not included.

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Primary conference	NAC sport
Daniel Webster College	Nashua, New Hampshire	1965	For-profit	1,200	Eagles	2004	2008	Closed in 2017	men's lacrosse
Emerson College	Boston, Massachusetts	1880	Nonsectarian	4,113	Lions	2004	2010	New England (NEWMAC)	men's lacrosse
Lasell College [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2]	Newton, Massachusetts	1851	Private	1,800	Lasers	2007	2014	Great Northeast (GNAC)	field hockey
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)	North Adams, Massachusetts	1894	Public	1,202	Trailblazers	2012	2020	Massachusetts (MASCAC)	men's golf
Mount Ida College [lower-alpha 3]	Newton, Massachusetts	1899	Nonsectarian	1,300	Mustangs	2007	2010	Closed in 2018	men's lacrosse
Rivier University	Nashua, New Hampshire	1933	Catholic (S.P.M.)	2,300	Raiders	2009	2014	Great Northeast (GNAC)	field hockey
Salem State University	Salem, Massachusetts	1854	Public	7,242	Vikings	2011	2020	Massachusetts (MASCAC)	men's golf
Simmons College [lower-alpha 4]	Boston, Massachusetts	1899	Nonsectarian	4,933	Sharks	2000	2014	Great Northeast (GNAC)	field hockey
Saint Joseph's College of Maine	Standish, Maine	1912	Catholic (R.S.M.)	1,000	Monks	2004bs., 2008f.h., 2008m.lax.	2007bs., 2014f.h., 2010m.lax.	Great Northeast (GNAC)	baseball, field hockey, men's lacrosse
Western New England University	Springfield, Massachusetts	1919	Nonsectarian	3,657	Golden Bears	2001	2007	Commonwealth Coast (CCC)	field hockey

Notes

1. Lasell was a full member of the NAC from 1996–97 to 2006–07.
2. Currently known as Lasell University since 2019.
3. Mount Ida was a full member of the NAC from 1999–2000 to 2006–07.
4. Currently known as Simmons University since 2018.

Membership timeline

Sports

A divisional format is used for baseball, basketball (M / W), softball, and volleyball (W).
East Eastern Nazarene Husson Lesley Maine–Farmington Maine–Presque Isle Maine Maritime Thomas	West SUNY Canton SUNY Cobleskill SUNY Delhi SUNY Poly SUNY Morrisville Vermont State–Johnson Vermont State–Lyndon

Conference sports

Sport	Men's	Women's
Baseball	Y
Basketball	Y	Y
Cross country	Y	Y
Field hockey		Y
Golf	Y
Lacrosse	Y	Y
Soccer	Y	Y
Softball		Y
Swimming & diving	Y	Y
Tennis	Y	Y
Track & field	Y	Y
Volleyball		Y

Championships

See also: North Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Championship

The NAC holds championships in the following sports:

• Fall season: men's and women's cross country, field hockey, golf, men's and women's soccer, women's tennis, women's volleyball
• Winter season: men's and women's basketball
• Spring season: baseball, men's lacrosse, softball, men's tennis

References

1. "North Atlantic Conference - NAC". www.nacathletics.com. Retrieved 2017-10-05.
2. NAC Timeline
3. "Colby-Sawyer and Regis to Join GNAC as Full Members" (Press release). Great Northeast Athletic Conference. June 9, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
4. "Castleton to Join Little East Conference in 2018-19" (Press release). Castleton Spartans. May 4, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
5. "Green Mountain to leave NCAA". Rutland Herald . Rutland, VT. June 13, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
6. "New England College to Join the NECC in 2018-2019" (Press release). New England Collegiate Conference. July 31, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
7. "UMPI among two additions to North Atlantic Conference". November 27, 2017.
8. "SUNY Delhi to Join the NAC in 2019" (Press release). North Atlantic Conference. November 30, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
9. "North Atlantic Conference Expands with Three New Members in 2020–21" (Press release). North Atlantic Conference. August 20, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
10. "NAC expands to 12 members - D3sports". 25 August 2019.
11. "SUNYAC Adds 2 Full-Time Members, 5 Associates & Men's Wrestling". 5 October 2023.
12. "SUNY Polytechnic Institute to Join Empire 8 as 12th Full Member in Fall of 2024 - Empire 8 Athletic Conference". November 21, 1023.
13. "SUNY Delhi to Join the North Atlantic Conference as Associate Member in Six Sports" (Press release). North Atlantic Conference. April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

External links

• Official website