The Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium (CBB) is an athletic conference and academic consortium between three private liberal arts colleges in the U.S. state of Maine. The group consists of Colby College in Waterville, Bates College in Lewiston, and Bowdoin College in Brunswick. In allusion to the Big Three of the Ivy League, they are collectively known the "Maine Big Three", a play on words with the words "Maine" and "main". The school names are ordered by their geographical organization in Maine (north to south).

The colleges contest a variety of college sports between themselves, primarily in football and rowing. On the former, they compete for a CBB Championship Trophy in three-way football games in the Fall of their respective academic years. As of the 2023–24 season, Bowdoin leads the conference in wins, with 20; Colby has 17 and Bates has won 13. There have been eight three-way-ties: 1965, 1979, 1993, 1995, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2022. For rowing, the schools contest the CBB Chase Regatta, an annual up-and-down river tourney for the President's Cup. The all-time leader of the Chase Regatta is Bates with a total of 18 composite wins, followed by Colby's 5 wins, concluding with Bowdoin's 1 win.

History

From its inception, Bates College served as an alternative to a more traditional and historically conservative Bowdoin College. There is a long tradition of rivalry and competitiveness between the two colleges, revolving around socioeconomic class, academic quality, and collegiate athletics. The two colleges have competed against each other athletically since the 1870s, and subsequently share one of the ten oldest NCAA Division III football rivalries, in the United States. The Bates-Bowdoin Game is the most attended football game every academic year at both colleges. Bowdoin developed a "football fight song" entitled, "Forward the White" in 1913. All football games between the two occurred on Bowdoin's Whittier Field, until the development of Bates' Garcelon Field.

Colby remained isolated from neighboring Bates, and the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium because of its location in Waterville as well as socioeconomic and political differences. The CBB Games was created for the 1965 college football season. Previously, Bates and Bowdoin have competed since 1870s against the University of Maine in the Maine State Series or Maine State Championship. When the University of Maine moved to a higher division in 1965, Colby joined and the rivalry took its current name. In the 1940s, Colby began competing with the two colleges and in the first game, had a three-way tie. In 1988, Bates president Thomas Hedley Reynolds began the Chase Regatta, a rowing competition, which features the President's Cup, which is contested annually. Since August 3, 1997, when Reynolds instated the President's Cup to be contested by all three for rowing. Rowing is the most active boat sport of Bates and Colby, with Bowdoin being more active in Sailing. Bowdoin is the only college in the CBB to maintain a Club Rowing team, and suspended its varsity team at its founding.

Football

Series results SeasonResultColby–Bates ScoreBates–Bowdoin ScoreBowdoin–Colby Score19653-way tieColby, 39–20Bates, 10–0Bowdoin, 28–211966BatesBates, 28–7Bates, 35–13Bowdoin, 15–61967BatesBates, 38–14Bates, 38–24Bowdoin, 7–01968BowdoinBates, 28–12Bowdoin, 41–14Bowdoin, 17–01969BowdoinColby, 14–13Bowdoin, 13–10Bowdoin, 38–141970BowdoinBates, 14–7Bowdoin, 21–3Bowdoin, 31–171971BowdoinColby, 17–8Bowdoin, 42–15Bowdoin, 30–271972ColbyColby, 35–21Bowdoin, 37–10Colby, 28–221973BowdoinColby, 14–0Bowdoin, 20–12Bowdoin, 28–201974BatesBates, 16–14Bates, 18–7Bowdoin, 27–61975BowdoinColby, 21–12Bowdoin, 19–6Bowdoin, 41–131976BowdoinBates, 38–16Bowdoin, 20–14Bowdoin, 37–191977BowdoinBates, 25–14Bowdoin, 21–17Bowdoin, 15–141978BatesBates, 27–20Bates, 24–14Bowdoin, 27–1019793-way tieBates, 20–7Bowdoin, 14–0Colby, 21–201980BowdoinBates, 14–13Bowdoin, 13–0Bowdoin, 8–01981BatesBates, 10–6Bates, 23–13Colby, 17–131982BowdoinColby, 28–21Bowdoin, 33–14Bowdoin, 18–01983ColbyColby, 20–13Bates, 33–15Colby, 15–141984BowdoinBates, 31–21Bowdoin, 28–23Bowdoin, 20–141985BowdoinBates, 51–0Bowdoin, 24–21Bowdoin, 24–01986BatesBates, 21–6Bates, 36–0Bowdoin, 21–141987BowdoinBates, 46–28Bowdoin, 20–19Bowdoin, 14–101988ColbyColby, 19–3Bowdoin, 10–6Colby, 24–01989ColbyColby, 30–0Bates, 10–0Colby, 38–201990ColbyColby, 9–3Bates, 19–14Colby, 23–201991ColbyColby, 41–7Bowdoin, 34–13Colby, 28–131992ColbyColby, 50–0Bowdoin, 35–14Colby, 26–1819932-way tie: Colby and BowdoinColby, 53–14Bowdoin, 34–6Tie, 21–211994ColbyColby, 28–6Bates, 33–14Colby, 34–1319953-way tieColby, 26–6Bates, 33–29Bowdoin, 24–31996ColbyColby, 28–21Bowdoin, 35–16Colby, 39–151997BowdoinBates, 22–21Bowdoin, 28–19Bowdoin, 27–191998BowdoinBates, 13–7Bowdoin, 49–14Bowdoin, 10–71999BatesBates, 20–17 (OT)Bates, 38–7Colby, 20–02000ColbyColby, 14–0Bates, 44–13Colby, 34–72001ColbyColby, 42–0Bates, 38–35 (OT)Colby, 41–132002BatesBates, 19–14Bates, 48–28Colby, 32–272003ColbyColby, 27–14Bates, 20–17Colby, 7–62004ColbyColby, 17–16Bowdoin, 21–0Colby, 23–02005ColbyColby, 24–17Bowdoin, 21–14Colby, 28–32006BowdoinColby, 10–7 (4OT)Bowdoin, 23–14Bowdoin, 13–102007BowdoinColby, 20–13Bowdoin, 31–7Bowdoin, 20–172008BowdoinBates, 31–21Bowdoin, 55–14Bowdoin, 20–620093-way tieColby, 34–27Bates, 28–24Bowdoin, 32–272010BowdoinColby, 10–6Bowdoin, 21–20Bowdoin, 26–2120113-way tieColby, 37–13Bates, 24–2Bowdoin, 20–102012BatesBates, 31–6Bates, 14–6Colby, 17–020133-way tieColby, 21–3Bates, 17–10Bowdoin, 32–222014BatesBates, 34–28 (OT)Bates, 10–7Colby, 14–72015BatesBates, 10–9Bates, 31–0Bowdoin, 35–132016BatesBates, 21–19Bates, 24–7Colby, 32–162017BatesBates, 27–24Bates, 24–17Colby, 31–202018ColbyColby, 21–6Bowdoin, 31–14Colby, 30–142019ColbyColby, 23–20Bates, 30–5Colby, 47–342021ColbyColby, 10–2Bates, 25–24Colby, 21–1020223-way tieColby, 38–17Bates, 21–14Bowdoin, 21–142023BowdoinColby, 30–24Bowdoin, 35–20Bowdoin, 35–142024ColbyColby, 28–26Bowdoin, 35–24Colby, 34–102025ColbyColby, 13–6Bowdoin, 17–9Colby, 16–6SeasonWinnerColby – Bates scoreBates – Bowdoin scoreBowdoin – Colby scoreNote: Source of wins and losses: games between 1966 and 1978, games between 1979 and 1998, and for all other games not specified in aforementioned years: The highest scoring game was the 1987 Colby-Bates with a total of 74 points. The lowest scoring game was the 1967 Bowdoin-Colby game with a total of 7 points. The biggest shutout was Bates' 51–0 game against Colby in 1985. The longest consecutive streak of games won is Colby with 5 championships in a row (1988–1992). There have been 7 three-way-ties, 1 two-way tie, and 4 uses of overtime, (the 2006 Colby-Bates game required overtime to be issued four times for a winner to be determined).

Statistics +StatisticColbyBatesBowdoinGames played114Series Wins171320Highest series streak544Current series streakL1L1W1Total points scored in the series229421052285Most points scored in a winning game535155Most points scored in a losing game282735Fewest points scored in a winning game10107Most points scored in a shutout win505124Overtime wins130Largest margin of victory505141Smallest margin of victory111

Rowing Series results No.DateSiteOverall winnerPresident's CupComposite timeBates totalBowdoin totalColby totalCite11997Kennebec RiverBowdoinColby——1—21998Messalonskee StreamColbyColby———131999Messalonskee StreamColbyColby———242000Kennebec RiverBatesBates—1——52001Messalonskee RiverColbyColby———362002Kennebec RiverColbyColby———472003Messalonskee RiverBatesColby—2——82004Messalonskee RiverBatesColby—3——92005Kennebec RiverColbyColby———5102006Kennebec RiverBatesBates—4——112007Messalonskee StreamBatesColby—5——122008Messalonskee StreamBatesBates—6——132009Kennebec RiverBatesBates—7——142010Messalonskee StreamBatesBowdoinMV8 (10:11.1) WV8 (11:43.0)8——152011Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (6:41.1) WV8 (7:26.3)9——162012Messalonskee StreamBatesCancelledMV8 (8:57.7) WV8 (9:41.9)10——172013Messalonskee StreamBatesBatesMV8 (6:45.6) WV8 (7:27.3)11——182014Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (6:18.9) WV8 (7:02.3)12——192015Kennebec RiverBatesBatesMV8 (5:30.1) WV8 (5:53.0)13——202016Kennebec RiverBatesBatesMV8 (5:53.0) WV8 (6:39.0)14——212017Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (7:17.2) WV8 (8:16.2)15——222018Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (6:37.2) WV8 (7:35.7)16——232019Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (6:38.6) WV8 (7:32.1)17——242022Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (6:28.1) WV8 (7:16.0)18——252023Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (6:02.5) WV8 (6:57.2)19——262024Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (5:41.5) WV8 (6:39.9)20——272025Androscoggin RiverBatesBatesMV8 (5:59.4) WV8 (7:01.0)21—— Note: The President's Cup is given to the team that has won the most overall heats and races, while the overall winner is determined by who won the most varsity and heavyweight competitions in the regatta.

The all-time leader of the Chase Regatta is Bates with a total of 18 composite wins, followed by Colby's 5 wins, concluding with Bowdoin's 1 win. The regatta has been held on various waters, and is hosted by all three of the colleges; the most frequent waters occupied are: the Androscoggin River (Bates and Bowdoin), the Kennebec River (Colby), and Messalonskee River (Colby).

Records

Number of wins: (Bates) — 18 composite wins Most consecutive victories: (Bates, 2006 - 2022 — overall winner), (Bates, 2011-2022) Smallest winning margin: (Bowdoin, 1997) — .9-second margin over Colby Largest winning margin: (Bates, 2013) — 59-second margin ahead of runner-up Colby.

Trophies The President's Cup — instated to be contested by all three of the schools in rowing.

In fiction In 1999, all three colleges were prominently featured in The Sopranos. In the episode entitled, "College", Tony Soprano takes his daughter, Meadow on a trip to Maine to tour the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium.

See also List of college athletic programs in Maine

References

External links For further reading on consortium: CBB Faculty Resource Sharing CBB Study Abroad Program CBB Library Resources For further information on the NESCAC and collegiate scores: NESCAC Football Archive Colby College Football Archive Bates College Football Archive Bowdoin College Football Archive