The Northeast-10 enters its 27th year as there is little
surprise why the Northeast-10 Conference has continued to grow
stronger year by year since it’s inception and now stands as
a model conference of NCAA Division II.
The conference was built from the ground up with strong
cornerstones and a vision of becoming the premier Division II NCAA
athletic conference in the nation. A quick look around the league
today will tell even the casual observer that the NE-10 has done
so. Entering it’s 24th year overall, the conference is a
powerful union of strong academic and athletic colleges and
universities that incorporates 15 institutions from New York and
New England. In 2003-04, the NE-10 will sponsor 23 championship
sports - the most of any Division II conference in the nation.
The Northeast-10 can look to a long history of successes –
the growth from seven original schools to more than double its size
20 years later – the contention for and winning of national
championships – the change in league structure from on-campus
administration to a central governing location – the
anticipation of, coping with and addition of modern technology -
the recognition of student-athlete performances in the classroom
where the real competitions are played out – all of
them have been built thanks to the hard work and dedication through
the years of thousands of people who have, at one time or another,
called the Northeast-10 home for their athletics program or their
livelihood.
The NE-10 history began with the vision of a few good men and
women. It was back in 1979 that a handful of athletics directors
realized that the world of college athletics was changing and that
they, and their programs, would have to change as well. Before that
time, there were not the same black and white classifications that
divide college sports into neat packages, organized and classified
division by division and league by league as seen today. It was not
uncommon to watch Northeastern play Bentley in baseball, Holy Cross
to play Saint Michael’s in soccer or Assumption to face
Providence on the basketball court.
In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the NCAA began to
emphasize the importance of conferences in organizing competition
and determining bids to NCAA national tournaments. The NCAA
required six teams to be recognized as a conference in order to
award championships, and the creation of national tournaments with
automatic qualifiers to league champions became a new goal towards
which teams could strive.
The founding fathers of the NE-10 were only happy to comply. Thus,
a handful of athletic directors at smaller schools, classified
Division II and of similar scope, academic makeup and athletic
abilities hatched the idea of a new athletics conference in New
England. The visionaries included Al Shields at Bentley, Tom
Folliard of Stonehill, Leon Drury of Bryant, and Andy Laska of
Assumption. After rolling around some ideas, they soon convinced
Springfield Athletic Director Ed Steitz, Gordie McCullough of
Hartford and Milt Piepul of American International to join them in
this new venture. Therefore, on October 9, 1979, a simple press
release announced that a new unnamed Division II conference was
being formed. Eight months later, at the Pleasant Valley Country
Club in Springfield, Mass., the league was publicly announced.
The Northeast-7 Conference established instant credibility in its
membership and that credibility led to a slow but continued
expansion through the years. The admittance of Saint Anselm in 1981
created the Northeast-8. In 1984, Hartford joined the ECAC Division
I North Atlantic Conference but was immediately replaced by
Merrimack.
The “Northeast-10” name came about when Saint
Michael’s and Quinnipiac joined the league in 1987 and the
conference remained stable until 1995 when Springfield left for
Division III. The league stayed at 10 members as Le Moyne joined
the league in 1996 from the New England Collegiate Conference
(NECC) and briefly expanded to 11 when Pace joined in 1998 from the
New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC). Quinnipiac
elevated to the Division I Northeast Conference (NEC) to again
return the foundation of 10 until the last major expansion took
place prior to 2001 when five new schools joined the fold. Franklin
Pierce, Southern New Hampshire University (formerly New Hampshire
College), the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Southern
Connecticut State University were joined by the College of Saint
Rose and gives the NE-10 the 15 members it has today.
With that major expansion, the NE-10 now stands as the second
largest NCAA Division II conference in the nation. Further, the
strength in numbers was the guiding force in the addition and
strengthening of a number of championship sports the league now
offers.
Since the addition of those five institutions, the league has added
football, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field
as championship sports. While the expansion has added championships
in certain sports, it has also increased the championship
opportunities for countless student-athletes with the expansion of
post season tournaments for sports such as field hockey,
men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and
women’s lacrosse and baseball.
The expansion continues in 2003-04 as the conference adds another
three championships to its diverse menu - men’s swimming and
diving, women’s swimming and diving, and men’s ice
hockey - the only Division II ice hockey conference in the
nation.
The conference also continues to expand in the classroom. In
2002-03 the NE-10 honored a record number of scholar athletes to
the Commissioner’s Honor Roll. The creation of the
Northeast-10 Academic Achievement Award also continues to grow in
recognition and prestige.
October 1, 1979 – Seven New England colleges
and universities form a new athletic conference (as yet unnamed),
to encompass several sports. The Colleges are American
International, Assumption, Bentley, Bryant, the University of
Hartford, Springfield and Stonehill. The new conference will
initially encompass men’s and women’s basketball,
baseball, men’s soccer, softball and women’s tennis.
The colleges selected for the conference are based on several
criteria, including proximity to each other, sports offered,
compatibility of athletic programs as well as the educational
philosophies of the institutions. Al Shields, Athletic Director at
Bentley , is also named the first conference commissioner. (The
“founding fathers” of the NE-10 began with Shields, Tom
Folliard of Stonehill, Leon Drury of Bryant and Andy Laska of
Assumption. The four later convinced Ed Steitz of Springfield,
Gordie McCullough of Hartford and Milt Piepul of American
International to join them.)
June 10, 1980 – After a year of planning,
New England’s newest athletic conference, the Northeast-7, is
officially announced as a reality. The unveiling of the conference
takes place at the Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Mass. by
Al Shields. The conference is recognized by the NCAA as an allied
member and will apply for automatic qualifying status to NCAA
tournament as soon as the two-year probationary period ends. Dick
Lipe, SID at Bentley, is named Assistant Commissioner and Director
of Publicity for the conference.
September 16, 1980 – The first Northeast-7
Conference contest takes place when AIC visits Assumption in
men’s soccer. Assumption wins the match, 2-1.
September 22, 1980 – Senior men’s
soccer forward John Szymko of Springfield College is named the
first ever Conference Player of the Week having scored four goals
in a 6-0 shutout of Stonehill earlier that week.
November 10, 1980 – Hartford wins the
inaugural Northeast-7 men’s soccer regular season title with
a 6-0-0 record, part of a 15-0-2 mark overall. There is no
post-season tournament.
December 11, 1980 – The first Northeast-7
basketball game takes place as host Bryant defeats Hartford,
76-69.
February 28, 1981 – Stonehill’s
men’s basketball team tops Springfield 74-68 in the first
conference tournament championship game.
March 1981 – The first baseball games takes
place under the NE-7 banner. In a doubleheader, Assumption tops
Stonehill 6-4, while Stonehill wins the second game, 16-6.
May 11, 1981 – Springfield wins the NE-7
regular season baseball championship. There is no post-season
tournament.
June 16, 1981 – The Northeast-8 is born as
the conference announces the addition of Saint Anselm College.
Saint Anselm’s acceptance is immediate, but the Hawks do not
begin conference competition until 1983-84 as schedules are
set.
October 1981 – Springfield wins the first
men’s cross country championship.
October 27, 1981 – The Northeast-8 is one of
the four conferences awarded an automatic qualifier to the NCAA
Division II women’s basketball championship, upon the
completion of its season in 1981-82. The NE-8 joins the California
Collegiate Athletic Association, Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic
Association and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in
receiving “AQ” status.
December 7, 1981 – Springfield defeats AIC
in the first NE-8 women’s basketball conference game.
February 21, 1981 – Bentley defeats
Springfield 80-65 for the first women’s basketball tournament
championship.
April 1982 – Bryant wins the inaugural NE-8
golf championship at the Woonsocket (RI) Country Club, edging
runner-up Bentley by 24 strokes.
Summer, 1982 – The NE-8 is granted a NCAA
Division II championship automatic qualifier to its tournament
softball champion.
September 2, 1982 – The NE-8 is awarded an
automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division II Men’s basketball
championship.
April 3, 1983 – Stonehill and Assumption
split in a doubleheader in the first ever NE-8 softball games.
Stonehill wins the opener 7-0. Assumption wins the nightcap,
8-1.
October 8, 1983 – The first women’s
cross country championship race is run, with Springfield besting
the five team field with a low of 31 points, edging Bryant by five
points.
June 12, 1984 – Merrimack College accepts an
invitation to join the NE-8. Merrimack replaces Hartford, which
leaves the conference to join the Division I ECAC North
Atlantic.
September, 1984 – Springfield captures the
first NE-8 women’s tennis championship with 28 points.
November 11, 1984 – The first NE-8
men’s soccer tournament champion is crowned as Saint Anselm
downs Springfield, 2-1 in overtime.
March 1985 – American International, led by
future NBA standout Mario Elie, becomes the first NE-10 men’s
basketball program to reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division
II national championship tournament. The Yellow Jackets fall in the
Elite Eight to Kentucky Wesleyan, 76-73.
September 12, 1985 - Women’s Soccer debuts
as Stonehill shuts out host Saint Anselm, 2-0.
November 6, 1985 - Host and regular season
champion Springfield shut out Bryant 4-0 for the first
women’s soccer tournament championship.
June 23, 1986 – The conference announces it
will expand to 10 for the first time with the additions of
Quinnipiac College of Hamden, Conn. (from the NECC) and Saint
Michael’s College of Colchester, Vt (from the old MidEast
Conference). The name of the conference will soon be changed to the
Northeast-10.
November 17, 1986 – The Northeast-8 is given
permission to experiment with the three-point field goal in the
sport of women’s basketball. The three pointer will be used
in all conference games during the 1986-87 season.
July 1, 1987 – Quinnipiac and Saint
Michael’s join the conference, which is renamed the
Northeast-10.
January 1989 - Bob Burke, Director of
Athletics at American International, is selected to serve as
conference commissioner. Ed Markey, AD at Saint Michael’s, is
appointed assistant commissioner.
August 23, 1989 – Gordie McCullough dies
at age 53.
May 21, 1990 – Edward S. Steitz dies
at the age of 69. Steitz served as AD at Springfield for 33 years,
retiring in 1989. He was a key influence in helping usher in the
three-point shot in college basketball.
March 21, 1994 – Men’s
Lacrosse debuts as a Northeast-10 sport. Bentley tops Assumption
15-5.
April 24, 1994 – Bentley wins the first
NE-10 men’s lacrosse championship with a perfect 6-0 regular
season record.
May 1994 - Merrimack becomes the first
conference school to win a national championship. The Lady Warriors
softball team downs Humboldt State 6-2 for the Division II
title.
June 1995 – The Northeast-10 shrinks to
nine when Springfield College resigns and changes its NCAA status
to Division III and joins the Constitution Athletic
Conference.
May 2, 1995 - F. Paul Bogan is selected as the
third all time and first full-time commissioner of the conference.
Bogan assumes duties July 1.
June 1996 – Le Moyne College of Syracuse, NY
is accepted to the conference after resigning from the NECC.
July 1996 - The Eastern Football Conference is
formed. The 12-team league begins in 1997 and includes five NE-10
members.
September 7, 1996 - Field Hockey debuts as Saint
Michael’s downs host Assumption, 2-0.
October 14, 1996 – Quinnipiac announces it
will resign from the NE-10 and shift it’s programs to NCAA
Division I status as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC).
The Braves join the NEC July 1, 1998.
November 3, 1996 - Bentley wins the inaugural
NE-10 field hockey championship over Saint Michael’s 1-0. The
game is decided in a second round of penalty strokes which Bentley
wins, 2-1.
July 29, 1997- F. Paul Bogan passes away from
sudden illness at the age of 62.
August 7, 1997 – Bob Burke,
Director of Athletics at American International, is named interim
commissioner until a permanent successor is found.
January 1997 – Pace University of
Pleasantville, NY resigns from the NYCAC and is accepted into the
NE-10 for the 1997-98 academic year, bringing the conference member
total to 11.
July 1998 - David R. Brunk is selected as the
fourth commissioner in the history of the Northeast-10. Brunk
assumes duties October 12, 1998.
December 1, 1998 - Julie Smalley is named the
first full-time Director of Media Relations. Smalley replaces Dick
Lipe, SID at Bentley College, who had served since the
conference’s first year of publicity in 1980-81.
March 25, 1999 - Women’s Lacrosse debuts
with Bentley downing AIC 13-8 and Saint Michael’s topping
Assumption 16-7.
May 2, 1999 - Visiting Saint Michael’s
topples Stonehill 10-9 in the first NE-10 women’s lacrosse
championship game.
August 25, 1999 - Jonathan C. Harper is named the
second full-time Director of Media Relations.
September 22, 1999 – The NE-10
announces it will expand by five institutions beginning with the
2000-01 academic year. Four institutions are accepted from the now
defunct NECC – Franklin Pierce College, New Hampshire
College, the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Southern
Connecticut State University. The College of Saint Rose, from the
NYCAC, is also accepted. The expansion makes the NE-10 the second
largest Division II conference in the nation.
November 5, 1999 - The NE-10 goes on-line at www.northeast10.org.
September 21, 2000 - The NE-10 announces it will
add another four championship sports to its offerings with the
additions of men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track
and field for the 2001-2002 academic year. The additions bring the
total number of NE-10 championships to 19.
October 18, 2000 - Stonehill College is named the
inaugural recipient of the Northeast-10 Academic Achievement
Award.
January 2001 - The Northeast-10 Conference
announces it will absorb the Eastern Football Conference beginning
with the 2001 season to create its 20th sport.
August 31, 2001 – The First NE-10 football
game takes place as host Bentley edges Saint Anselm, 27-24.
September 28, 2001 – Tom Folliard passes
away at 61 in his hometown of Washington, D.C.
November 17, 2001 – LIU/C.W. Post wins the
first NE-10 football championship game over Bentley, 43-6.
September 24, 2001 - Jonathan Harper is named
Assistant Commissioner.
November 4, 2001 – Bentley College becomes
the second conference school to win a national title. The Falcons
topple East Stroudsburg 4-2 in the NCAA Division II field hockey
championship game.
February 16, 2002 - UMass Lowell’s
men’s and women’s track & field teams sweep the
inaugural indoor championships held at Southern Connecticut.
May 5, 2002 - Southern Connecticut sweeps the
men’s and women’s inaugural outdoor track & field
championships held at Bryant College.
May 25, 2002 - Southern Connecticut’s
Kateema Riettie wins the individual national championship in
javelin at the NCAA Track & Field Championships.
August 7, 2002 - The Northeast-10 Dick Lipe Media
Award is established and announced at the conference’s first
football media day in Waltham, Mass.
May 11, 2003 - Stonehill College becomes the third
national champion under the NE-10 banner, winning the Women’s
Lacrosse National Championship, 9-8 over Longwood (Va.).
June 3, 2003 - The NE-10 announces it will sponsor
men’s women’s swimming and diving as its 21st and 22nd
championship sports for the 2003-2004 season. The two sports will
initially have six members.
June 9, 2003 - The NE-10 announces it will sponsor
men’s ice hockey as its 23rd championship sport beginning in
2003-2004. The sport gives the conference 23 championships, the
most of any NCAA Division II conference in the nation. The sport
includes six sponsoring schools.
September 12, 2003 - Jonathan Harper is named
Associate Commissioner, while Ken Belbin and Erin Guest are named
Assistant Commissioners.
November 12, 2003 - The first men’s ice
hockey game takes place under the NE-10 banner as Southern
New Hampshire downs Franklin Pierce, 6-2.
December 6, 2003 - Southern Connecticut wins both
the men’s and women’s inaugural Northeast-10 swimming
and diving championships held at the Southern Connecticut
natatorium.
March 6, 2004 - Saint Michael’s edges Saint
Anselm 5-4 in the inaugural NE-10 men’s ice hockey
championship game.
May 30, 2004 - Le Moyne wins the men’s
lacrosse national championship, 11-10 in overtime over Limestone.
It is the first men’s national championship for the NE-10 and
fourth team title overall.
March 26, 2005 - Bryant men’s basketball
team becomes the first conference school to appear in the Elite
Eight game, falling to Virginia Union, 63-58.
May 15, 2005 - Stonehill wins its second national
championship in women’s lacrosse, topping West Chester,
16-10.
June 1, 2005 - Katie Healey is named the Director
of Media Relations, while Amy Resnick is appointed Assistant to the
Commissioner.
October 22, 2005 - Bentley Volleyball Coach Sandy
Hoffman wins victory #600 with a three-game sweep of Saint Rose.
November 13, 2005 - UMass Lowell claims the national championship in field hockey with a 2-1 win over Bloomsburg.
January 5, 2006 - Bentley Women's Basketball Coach Barbara Stevens claims 700th career victory with a 85-69 win over Bryant.
May 2, 2006 - Le Moyne wins its second national championship in men's lacrosse, defeating Dowling 12-5.
June 5, 2006 - The NE-10 celebrates it's 25th
Anniversary and announces it's inaugural Hall of Fame class at the
Harvard Club in Boston. The inaugural class includes 25
inductees.
March 15, 2007 - Saint Rose's Brandon Birchak won
the National Championship in the three-meter diving event becoming
the first student-athlete in school history to capture a National
Championship.
March 24, 2007 - Southern Connecticut wins its first NCAA
Championship in women's basketball, defeating Florida Gulf Coast
61-45.
May 25, 2007 - UMass Lowell's Nicole Plante won the
National Championship in the 10,000-meters with a time of
35:23.49.
May 27, 2007 - Le Moyne College wins its second straight
NCAA Championship, and third in four years in Men's Lacrosse,
defeating Mercyhurst 6-5.
June 4, 2007 - The Northeast-10 inducts 16 new members and
the 1994 Merrimack Softball team into the Hall of Fame at the
second annual Hall of Fame Induction and Award Ceremony at
the Colonnade Hotel in Boston, Mass.
December 2, 2007 - Franklin Pierce University
Claims the 2007 Men's Soccer National Championship with a 1-0
victory over Lincoln Memorial University. This marks the
first ever men's soccer National Championship in Northeast-10
history.