This article is about the current NCAA Division III conference. For the NCAA Division I conference that used this name from 1988 to 1996, seeAmerica East Conference. For the shortlived HBCU conference, seeNorth Atlantic Conference (1946).
The conference was founded in 1996 when six colleges agreed to form theNorth 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.
On June 9, 2016, Colby–Sawyer announced that it would leave the NAC following the 2017–18 school year to join theGreat Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).[3]
On May 4, 2017, Castleton announced that it would leave the NAC following the 2017–18 school year to join theLittle East Conference (LEC).[4]
On June 13, 2017, Green Mountain announced that it would leave the NAC (and the NCAA) following the 2017–18 school year to join theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA),[5] which it would spend one season as an NAIA member before closing in 2019.
On July 31, 2017, New England College announced that it would leave the NAC following the 2017–18 school year to join theNew England Collegiate Conference (NECC).[6]
On November 30, 2018, the NAC announced that theState 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]
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.
On January 9, 2023, the NAC announced that they would welcomeEastern Nazarene College as a full member, also starting in the 2023–24 season.
Eastern Nazarene announced that it would be permanently closing following the 2023–24 academic year.
On June 24, 2024,Anna Maria College had accepted to join the NAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse, beginning in the 2026 spring season of the 2025–26 academic year.[13]
On June 5, 2025, SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Delhi had accepted to join the SUNYAC, thus leaving the NAC at 8 full members (all within New England).[14]
2000 –Simmons College (now Simmons University) andWestern New England College (now Western New England University) joined the NAC as associate members for field hockey in the 2000 fall season (2000–01 academic year).
2001:
Castleton State College (later Castleton University and now Vermont State University at Castleton) andJohnson State College (later Northern Vermont University at Johnson and now Vermont State University at Johnson) joined the NAC in the 2001–02 academic year.
Two institutions left the NAC as associate members, both effective after the 2006–07 academic year:
Saint Joseph's (Me.) for baseball
and Western New England for field hockey
Lasell and Mount Ida left the NAC to join theGreat Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) after the 2006–07 academic year; while both remained in the conference as associate members (Lasell for field hockey, and Mount Ida for men's lacrosse).
2008:
Bay Path, Becker, Elms, Lesley and Wheelock left the NAC to form part of the then-newly createdNew England Collegiate Conference (NECC) after the 2007–08 academic year.
Daniel Webster left the NAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse after the 2008 spring season (2007–08 academic year).
Green Mountain College andLyndon State College (later Northern Vermont University at Lyndon and now Vermont State University at Lyndon) joined the NAC in the 2008–09 academic year.
Saint Joseph's (Me.) rejoined the NAC as an associate member (this time for field hockey and men's lacrosse) in the 2008–09 academic year.
2009 –Rivier University joined the NAC as an associate member for field hockey in the 2009 fall season (2009–10 academic year).
2010 – Emerson, Mount Ida and Saint Joseph's (Me.) left the NAC as associate members for men's lacrosse after the 2010 spring season (2009–10 academic year).
Salem State University joined the NAC as an associate member for men's golf in the 2012 spring season (2011–12 academic year).
2012 – TheMassachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) joined the NAC as an associate member for men's golf, men's lacrosse and men's & women's tennis in the 2013 spring season (2012–13 academic year).
2014 – Lasell, Rivier, Saint Joseph's (Me.) and Simmons left the NAC as associate members for field hockey after the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
2017:
Two institutions joined the NAC as associate members, both effective in the 2017–18 academic year.
TheState University of New York at Canton (SUNY Canton) joined the NAC (with UMaine–Presque Isle (or UMPI) upgrading for all sports) in the 2018–19 academic year.
Two institutions joined the NAC as associate members, both effective in the 2018–19 academic year.
former full member Lesley rejoining for women's tennis
and SUNY Delhi to add men's golf, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's tennis into its NAC associate membership
2019 – SUNY Delhi upgraded its NAC membership for all sports in the 2019–20 academic year; although its men's and women's basketball and softball teams would later join for 2020–21.
2020:
Two institutions left the NAC as associate members, all effective after the 2019–20 academic year.
Castleton, the MCLA and Salem State left the NAC as associate members for men's golf
The MCLA left the NAC as an associate member for men's and women's tennis after the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year). The last time those two sports competed were in the 2019–20 and 2020–21 school years respectively. They were later discontinued due to athletic budget cuts at the end of 2021–22.
2023:
Cazenovia left the NAC after the 2022–23 academic year; as the school ceased operations.
^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.[15]
^abThe formerJohnson State andLyndon 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.
^Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^abcdefThe NAC entered into a partnership with theEmpire 8 Athletic Conference (Empire 8) by which the two leagues would operate as a single conference in men's tennis, with championships immediately conducted for that sport; thus the Empire 8 sponsoring that tournament championship, beginning the 2024–25 school year.
^Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
^This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
^Currently known as Bay Path University since 2014.
^abThis institution is a former women's college, it has since become a co-educational college (Elms since 1998–99, Lesley since 1997–98, Lesley since 2005–06).
^Lasell competed as an associate member of the NAC for field hockey from the 2007 to 2013 fall seasons (2007–08 to 2013–14 school years).
The NAC had twelve former associate members, all but three wereprivate 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.
^abThe MLCA men's and women's tennis teams last competed in the 2019–20 and 2020–21 school years respectively. They were later discontinued due to athletic budget cuts at the end of the 2021–22 school year.
^Mount Ida was a full member of the NAC from 1999–2000 to 2006–07.
^Currently known as Simmons University since 2018.
^Castleton University merged with Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College to become Vermont State University on July 1, 2023.
^Castleton was a full member of the NAC from 2001–02 to 2017–18.
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