New England Small College Athletic Conference
American collegiate athletic conference
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III comprising sports teams from eleven highly selective liberal arts institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The eleven institutions are Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Tufts University, Trinity College, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.
- 27
- men's: 13
- women's: 14
| |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1971 |
| Commissioner | Andrea Savage (since 1999) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division III |
| No. of teams | 11 |
| Headquarters | Hadley, Massachusetts |
| Region | |
| Official website | nescac.com |
| Locations | |
 | |
The conference originated with an agreement among Amherst, Bowdoin, Wesleyan and Williams in 1955. In 1971, Bates, Colby, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, and Union College joined and the NESCAC was officially formed. Union withdrew in 1977 and was replaced by Connecticut College in 1982. NESCAC members maintain some of the largest financial endowments among liberal arts colleges in the world.[1][2]
History
Williams began its inaugural football season in 1881 and its rivalry with Amherst College is one of the longest at any level of college football.[3] Bates and Bowdoin have competed against each other athletically since the 1870s and subsequently share one of the ten oldest NCAA Division III football rivalries, in the U.S., there is a long history of athletic competition between the two colleges and Colby.[4][5] Colby began its now most notable hockey rivalry, with Bowdoin in 1922.[6]
In 1899, Amherst, Wesleyan and Williams schools first began to compete together as the "Triangular League". Since then they have continued to play each other in most sports on a regular basis.[7][8][9][10] The conference originated with an agreement among Amherst, Bowdoin, Wesleyan and Williams in 1955.[11] Later, Bates, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts joined and the NESCAC was officially formed. The Conference was created out of a concern for the direction of intercollegiate athletic programs and remains committed to keeping a proper perspective on the role of sport in higher education.[11]
Member institutions believe athletic teams should be representative of school's entire student bodies and hew to NCAA Division III admissions and financial policies prohibiting athletic scholarships while awarding financial aid solely on the basis of need. Presidents of each NESCAC institution control intercollegiate athletic policy. Conference tenets are usually more restrictive than those of the NCAA Division III regarding season length, number of contests and post-season competition.[11]
Four NESCAC institutions are among the 39 that founded the NCAA in 1905: Amherst, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams.[12] Prior to 1993 NESCAC generally did not allow member schools to send teams to NCAA championships. Since then all sports except football have had this freedom, many excelling in the NCAA Division III championships. The NACDA Directors' Cup, awarded since 1996 to the college or university in each NCAA Division that wins the most college championships, has been claimed at the Division III level by a NESCAC institution every year except 1998. In the 2012–13 season, four of the top ten NACDA Director's Cup institutions were from NESCAC: Williams (1), Middlebury (3), Amherst (6), and Tufts (8).[13]
Chronological timeline
- 1971 – The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) was founded. Charter members included Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, Union College, Wesleyan University and Williams College, beginning the 1971–72 academic year.
- 1977 – Union left the NESCAC after the 1976–77 academic year.
- 1982 – Connecticut College joined the NESCAC in the 1982–83 academic year.
Member schools
Current members
The NESCAC currently has 11 full members, all of which are private institutions of higher education. Admission to NESCAC institutions is highly competitive, with admit rates consistently below 15% for the majority of the conference. Some member schools are among the oldest institutions of higher education in the U.S., with Williams, Bowdoin and Middlebury being among the 40 oldest institutions in the country.[14]
NESCAC members maintain some of the largest financial endowments among liberal arts colleges in the world.[15][1] The largest endowments within the NESCAC belong to the three based in Massachusetts: Williams, Amherst, and Tufts. All members of the NESCAC coordinate fundraising cycles, financing for athletic programs as well as share sporting facilities.
| Institution | Location | Est. | Enr. | A.R. | Endowment[a] | Nickname | Joined[b] | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst College | Amherst, MA | 1821 | 1,907 | 7%[17] | $3.549 | Mammoths | 1971 | |
| Bates College | Lewiston, ME | 1855 | 1,800 | 13%[17] | $0.447 | Bobcats | 1971 | |
| Bowdoin College | Brunswick, ME | 1794 | 2,052 | 8.8%[18] | $2.423 | Polar Bears | 1971 | |
| Colby College | Waterville, ME | 1813 | 2,300 | 7.5%[19] | $1.160 | Mules | 1971 | |
| Connecticut College | New London, CT | 1911 | 1,990 | 36%[20] | $0.482 | Camels | 1982 | |
| Hamilton College[c] | Clinton, NY | 1793 | 2,053 | 12%[17] | $1.361 | Continentals | 1971 | |
| Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT | 1800 | 2,774 | 12%[21] | $1.597 | Panthers | 1971 | |
| Trinity College | Hartford, CT | 1823 | 2,159 | 36%[22] | $0.834 | Bantams | 1971 | |
| Tufts University | Medford, MA | 1852 | 6,635 | 9%[23] | $2.533 | Jumbos | 1971 | |
| Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT | 1831 | 3,064 | 13.9%[24] | $1.583 | Cardinals | 1971 | |
| Williams College | Williamstown, MA | 1793 | 2,250 | 8%[25] | $3.655 | Ephs | 1971 |
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Hamilton also competed in the Liberty League from 1995–96 to 2010–11 before leaving the Liberty in order to fully align with the NESCAC. The school previously held dual membership with both the Liberty and NESCAC conferences.
Former member
The NESCAC had one former full member, which was a private institution.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined[a] | Left[b] | Colors | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union College | Schenectady, NY | 1795 | Nonsectarian | 2,197 | Dutchmen & Dutchwomen[c] |
1971 | 1977 | Liberty (LL) |
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
- Current nickname is the Garnet Chargers since the 2023–24 school year.
Membership timeline
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football) Associate member (sport)
Academics
| School | Grade deflation score | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 84.5/100 | [26] |
| Bates | 85.5/100 | [26] |
| Bowdoin | 83.5/100 | [26] |
| Colby | 81.5/100 | [26] |
| Connecticut | N/A | [26] |
| Hamilton | 83.0/100 | [26] |
| Middlebury | 86.0/100 | [26] |
| Trinity | 77.5/100 | [26] |
| Tufts | N/A | [26] |
| Wesleyan | 87.0/100 | [26] |
| Williams | 89.0/100 | [26] |
The NESCAC is known for low grade inflation, grade deflation, and rigorous academic standards.[27][26] Some members have received limited media coverage over perceived grade inflation and deflation.[28][29][26]
The colleges are also known for a range of high and relatively low tuition rates and comprehensive fees. Some of the colleges have been named the most expensive in the United States.[30]
Association of American Universities
Tufts University is a member of the Association of American Universities.[31]
Geographic distribution
Most applicants to schools in the NESCAC come from the Northeast, largely from the New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia areas. As all NESCAC schools are located on the East Coast, and all but one are in New England, most graduates end up working and residing in the Northeast after graduation.[32]
Revenue
Total revenue includes ticket sales, contributions and donations, rights/licensing, student fees, school funds, and all other sources including TV income, camp income, food, and novelties. Total expenses includes coaching/staff, buildings/grounds, maintenance, utilities and rental fees, and all other costs including recruiting, team travel, equipment and uniforms, conference dues, and insurance costs.
| Conference rank (2020) |
Institution | 2020 total revenue from athletics[33] | 2020 total expenses on athletics[33] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowdoin College | $14,192,310 | $14,192,310 |
| 3 | Trinity College | $9,361,541 | $7,767,209 |
| 2 | Wesleyan University | $9,463,205 | $7,475,961 |
| 5 | Colby College | $8,768,711 | $8,768,711 |
| 6 | Williams College | $8,272,501 | $8,272,501 |
| 4 | Tufts University | $9,206,611 | $7,635,731 |
| 7 | Amherst College | $7,990,643 | $7,505,943 |
| 8 | Bates College | $6,524,589 | $6,302,982 |
| 9 | Middlebury College | $5,924,584 | $5,924,584 |
| 10 | Hamilton College | $5,848,366 | $5,848,366 |
| 11 | Connecticut College | $4,619,333 | $4,619,333 |
Facilities
| School | Football | Soccer | Basketball | Ice hockey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Capacity | Stadium | Capacity | Arena | Capacity | Arena | Capacity | |
| Amherst | Pratt Field | 2,500 | Hitchcock Field | 6,000 | LeFrak Gymnasium | 2,450 | Orr Rink | N/A |
| Bates | Garcelon Field | 3,000 | Russel Street Field | 4,000 | Alumni Gymnasium | 750 | Non-hockey school | N/A |
| Bowdoin | Whittier Field | 9,000 | Pickard Field | 4,500 | Morrell Gymnasium | 2,000 | Sidney J. Watson Arena | 1,900 |
| Colby | Harold Alfond Stadium | 5,000 | Colby Soccer Field | 3,700 | Wadsworth Gymnasium | 2,500 | Jack Kelley Rink | 1,800 |
| Connecticut | Non-football school | N/A | Freeman Field | 1,000 | Luce Fieldhouse | 800 | Dayton Arena | N/A |
| Hamilton | Steuben Field | 2,500 | Love Field | 2,500 | Margaret Bundy Scott Field House | 2,500 | Russell Sage Rink | 600 |
| Middlebury | Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium | 3,500 | Middlebury Soccer Field | 1,200 | Pepin Gymnasium | 1,200 | Chip Kenyon Arena | 2,300 |
| Trinity | Jessee/Miller Field | 5,500 | Jessee/Miller Field | 6,500 | Oosting Gym | 2,000 | Koeppel Community Sports Center | 3,400 |
| Tufts | Ellis Oval | 4,000 | Ellis Oval | 4,000 | Cousens Gym | 1,000 | Malden Valley Forum | 500 |
| Wesleyan | Andrus Field | 3,000 | Jackson Field | 1,200 | Silloway Gymnasium | 1,200 | Spurrier-Snyder Rink | 1,500 |
| Williams | Weston Field | 6,000 | Weston Field | 6,000 | Chandler Gymnasium | 2,900 | Lansing Chapman Rink | 2,500 |
Culture
Many colleges banned fraternities and sororities on the grounds of unwarranted exclusivity, and provided on-campus social houses for all students to engage with. Williams College displaced their fraternity system in the 1960s due to high levels of racial and religious discrimination. Williams College President Chandler stated, "there remained the system of blackballing and secret agreements between some fraternities and their national bodies to exclude blacks and Jews... it was essentially a caste system based on socioeconomic status as perceived by students."[34] Bates rejected the fraternity system in 1855, when it was founded. Colby disbanded its fraternities and sororities in 1984.[35] At Bowdoin, fraternities were phased out in 2000.[36] Despite the lack of Greek life, NESCAC schools are widely known for a prominent drinking culture.[37][38][39][40] Schools within the NESCAC conference have made institutional efforts to diversify student body, and attract and wide range of students to their institutions. Many schools in the NESCAC provide significant financial aid to help increase the enrollment of lower income and middle class students.[41][42]
U.S. presidents in the NESCAC
The NESCAC have graduated three U.S. presidents. The first president to graduate from the athletic conference was Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States, a Bowdoin graduate of 1824.[43] The 20th president, James A. Garfield, graduated from Williams College in 1856.[44] The third U.S. president to graduate from a NESCAC institution was Calvin Coolidge, who graduated from Amherst College in 1895.[45] President Chester Arthur was an 1848 graduate of Union College,[46] a former NESCAC member, and President Woodrow Wilson was a professor at Wesleyan from 1888 to 1890.[47]
Sports
The NESCAC sponsors championship competition in 13 men's and 14 women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[48]
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  |
|
| Basketball | |
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| Cross Country | |
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| Field Hockey | | |
| Football | |
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| Golf | |
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| Ice Hockey | |
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| Lacrosse | |
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| Rowing | |
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| Soccer | |
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| Softball | | |
| Squash | |
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| Swimming & Diving | |
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| Tennis | |
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| Track & Field | |
|
| Volleyball | |
Men's Sports
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country |
Football | Golf | Ice Hockey |
Lacrosse | Rowing | Soccer | Squash[a] | Swimming & Diving |
Tennis | Track & Field |
Total NESCAC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | |
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12 |
| Bates | |
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12 |
| Bowdoin | |
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12 |
| Colby | |
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13 |
| Connecticut College | |
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10 |
| Hamilton | |
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13 |
| Middlebury | |
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12 |
| Trinity | |
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13 |
| Tufts | |
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13 |
| Wesleyan | |
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13 |
| Williams | |
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13 |
| Totals | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 136 |
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the NESCAC that are played by NESCAC schools
- Notes
- Non NCAA sport
Women's Sports
| School | Basketball | Cross Country |
Field Hockey |
Golf | Ice Hockey |
Lacrosse | Rowing | Soccer | Softball | Squash[a] | Swimming & Diving |
Tennis | Track & Field |
Volleyball | Total NESCAC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | |
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13 |
| Bates | |
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13 |
| Bowdoin | |
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13 |
| Colby | |
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13 |
| Connecticut College | |
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12 |
| Hamilton | |
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14 |
| Middlebury | |
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13 |
| Trinity | |
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14 |
| Tufts | |
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12 |
| Wesleyan | |
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14 |
| Williams | |
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14 |
| Totals | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 145 |
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the NESCAC that are played by NESCAC schools
- Notes
- Non NCAA sport
Football
Until the 2017 season, the 10 football-playing NESCAC schools only played 8 regular season games. On April 27, 2017, the NESCAC announced that it would adopt a full 9-game round robin schedule.[49] In addition to the ban on postseason play, the NESCAC football league is notable for member teams playing conference games only. While some Division II and Division III teams play only conference schedules, NESCAC is unique in all of its members playing only within conference games.[50] Every institution fields a football team except for Connecticut College.
Baseball
NESCAC Baseball is the only men's sport to utilize divisions. Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Tufts, and Trinity compete in the East Division, while Amherst, Hamilton, Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Williams compete in the West Division. Connecticut College does not sponsor baseball. The NESCAC has won the College World Series once: by the Trinity Bantams in 2008. Current member schools have appeared in the College World Series a combined total of 5 times.
| School | College World Series Championships |
College World Series Appearances |
Last CWS Appearance |
NCAA Tournament Appearances |
Last NCAA Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity | 2008 | 4 | 2009 | 10 | 2019 |
| Wesleyan | 1 | 1994 | 3 | 2015 | |
| Tufts | 0[a] | n/a | 10 | 2023 | |
| Amherst | 0 | n/a | 7 | 2018 | |
| Williams | 0 | n/a | 3 | 2007 | |
| Bowdoin | 0 | n/a | 2 | 2012 | |
| Middlebury | 0 | n/a | 4 | 2024 | |
| Bates | 0 | n/a | 0 | n/a | |
| Colby | 0 | n/a | 1 | 2024 | |
| Hamilton | 0 | n/a | 0 | n/a |
- Notes
- Tufts made the 1950 College World Series; however, for the purpose of this list only NCAA Division III statistics are included.
NCAA championships
The Middlebury Panthers lead the NESCAC in NCAA men's titles with 15 and in overall NCAA titles with 44, while the Williams Ephs lead in women's titles with 30.[51] Excluded from this list are all national championships earned outside the scope of NCAA competition, including women's AIAW championships.
| School | Total | Men | Women | Co-ed | Nickname | Most successful sport (titles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlebury | 44 | 15 | 29 | 0 | Panthers | Women's lacrosse (11) |
| Williams | 38 | 8 | 30 | 0 | Ephs | Women's tennis (10) |
| Tufts | 17 | 10 | 7 | 0 | Jumbos | Men's lacrosse (5), Men's soccer (5) |
| Amherst | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | Mammoths | Women's basketball (3) |
| Bates | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Bobcats | Women's rowing (5) |
| Bowdoin | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | Polar Bears | Field hockey (4) |
| Trinity | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | Bantams | Baseball (1), Men's Basketball (1), Women's lacrosse (1), Women's rowing (1), Men's ice hockey (1) |
| Wesleyan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Cardinals | Men's lacrosse (1), Women's tennis (1) |
| Colby | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Mules | Women's rowing (1) |
| Connecticut College | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Camels | Men's soccer (1) |
| Hamilton | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Continentals | Women's lacrosse (1) |
| Total | 133 | 45 | 88 | 0 |
The following is a list of NCAA-recognized national team championships by NESCAC schools.[51]
Baseball (1):
- 2008 – Trinity
Men's basketball (4):
- 2003 – Williams
- 2007 – Amherst
- 2013 – Amherst
- 2025 – Amherst
Women's basketball (3):
- 2011 – Amherst
- 2017 – Amherst
- 2018 – Amherst
Men's cross country (2):
- 1994 – Williams
- 1995 – Williams
Women's cross country (10):
- 2000 – Middlebury
- 2001 – Middlebury
- 2002 – Williams
- 2003 – Middlebury
- 2004 – Williams
- 2006 – Middlebury
- 2007 – Amherst
- 2008 – Middlebury
- 2010 – Middlebury
- 2015 – Williams
Field hockey (15):
- 1998 – Middlebury
- 2007 – Bowdoin
- 2008 – Bowdoin
- 2010 – Bowdoin
- 2012 – Tufts
- 2013 – Bowdoin
- 2015 – Middlebury
- 2017 – Middlebury
- 2018 – Middlebury
- 2019 – Middlebury
- 2021 – Middlebury
- 2022 – Middlebury
- 2023 – Middlebury
- 2024 – Middlebury
- 2025 – Tufts
Women's golf (1):
- 2015 – Williams
Men's ice hockey (9):
- 1995 – Middlebury
- 1996 – Middlebury
- 1997 – Middlebury
- 1998 – Middlebury
- 1999 – Middlebury
- 2004 – Middlebury
- 2005 – Middlebury
- 2006 – Middlebury
- 2015 – Trinity
Women's ice hockey (5):
- 2004 – Middlebury
- 2005 – Middlebury
- 2006 – Middlebury
- 2009 – Amherst
- 2010 – Amherst
- 2022 - Middlebury
Men's lacrosse (9):
- 2000 – Middlebury
- 2001 – Middlebury
- 2002 – Middlebury
- 2010 – Tufts
- 2014 – Tufts
- 2015 – Tufts
- 2018 – Wesleyan
- 2024 – Tufts
- 2025 – Tufts
Women's lacrosse (14):
- 1997 – Middlebury
- 1999 – Middlebury
- 2001 – Middlebury
- 2002 – Middlebury
- 2003 – Amherst
- 2004 – Middlebury
- 2008 – Hamilton
- 2012 – Trinity
- 2016 – Middlebury
- 2019 – Middlebury
- 2022 – Middlebury
- 2023 – Middlebury
- 2024 – Middlebury
- 2025 – Middlebury
Women's rowing (18)
- 2002 – Williams
- 2003 – Colby
- 2006 – Williams
- 2007 – Williams
- 2008 – Williams
- 2009 – Williams
- 2010 – Williams
- 2011 – Williams
- 2012 – Williams
- 2013 – Williams
- 2014 - Trinity
- 2015 – Bates
- 2017 – Bates
- 2018 – Bates
- 2019 – Bates
- 2021 – Bates
- 2024 – Tufts
- 2025 – Tufts
Men's soccer (10):
- 1995 – Williams
- 2007 – Middlebury
- 2014 – Tufts
- 2015 – Amherst
- 2016 – Tufts
- 2018 – Tufts
- 2019 – Tufts
- 2021 – Connecticut College
- 2024 – Amherst
- 2025 – Tufts
Women's soccer (3):
- 2015 – Williams
- 2017 – Williams
- 2018 – Williams
Softball (3):
- 2013 – Tufts
- 2014 – Tufts
- 2015 – Tufts
Women's swimming & diving (2):
- 1982 – Williams
- 1983 – Williams
Men's tennis (10):
- 1999 – Williams
- 2001 – Williams
- 2002 – Williams
- 2004 – Middlebury
- 2010 – Middlebury
- 2011 – Amherst
- 2013 – Williams
- 2014 – Amherst
- 2016 – Bowdoin
- 2018 – Middlebury
Women's tennis (12):
- 1999 – Amherst
- 2001 – Williams
- 2002 – Williams
- 2008 – Williams
- 2009 – Williams
- 2010 – Williams
- 2011 – Williams
- 2012 – Williams
- 2013 – Williams
- 2015 – Williams
- 2017 – Williams
- 2019 – Wesleyan
Women's indoor track (2):
- 2007 – Williams
- 2019 – Williams
See also
- The Little Ivies: a grouping of small liberal arts colleges, also in the Northeastern United States, comparable to Ivy League universities
- The Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium: three small liberal arts colleges known as the "Maine Big Three"
- The Little Three: three small liberal arts colleges in Massachusetts and Connecticut comparable to the "Big Three"
