The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

History

The NEWMAC was established in 1998, when the former New England Women's 8 Conference (NEW 8) voted to begin sponsoring conference play and championships for men. At this time, the conference expanded its membership to include Springfield College and the United States Coast Guard Academy.

The NEW 8 began play in 1985–86 as the New England Women's 6 Conference (NEW 6). Charter members were Babson College, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Smith College, Wellesley College and Wheaton College. Mount Holyoke College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) joined in 1988 and the name was changed to the NEW 8 Conference. At the conclusion of the 1994–95 academic year, Brandeis University withdrew from the NEW 8 to join the University Athletic Association (where its men's sports competed at that time) and Clark University accepted membership, keeping the NEW 8's membership at eight institutions.

In March 2012, NEWMAC announced the addition of Emerson College as the 11th full member of the league starting in the 2013–14 academic year. With the addition of Emerson the NEWMAC began re-sponsoring the sport of men's lacrosse, adding an affiliate member, Massachusetts Maritime Academy. In July 2012, the conference welcomed Simmons College as an affiliate member to compete in the sport of rowing.

In April 2015, the conference office announced it would begin sponsoring football in the 2017 season, with Maine Maritime Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy and Norwich University as affiliate members. On September 29, 2015, NEWMAC announced the addition of the Catholic University of America as another associate member in football effective July 1, 2017, and on June 23, 2021, the conference added the State University of New York Maritime College (SUNY Maritime) as its new football affiliate in 2023, leaving the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference after the 2022 season.

In February 2022, the Landmark Conference announced that it would begin sponsoring football starting in the 2023–24 season, thus the Catholic University of America, a NEWMAC football affiliate, departed after the 2022–23 season.

On August 19, 2025, the NEWMAC announced that it would add men's volleyball as a sponsored sport, with the first season in spring 2027 (part of the 2026–27 academic year). Full members Emerson, MIT, Springfield, and Wheaton were joined by three associates, namely the State University of New York at New Paltz (New Paltz), New York University (NYU), and Vassar College.

Chronological timeline 1985 – The NEWMAC was established as the New England Women's 6 Conference (NEW-6). Charter members included Babson College, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Smith College, Wellesley College and Wheaton College, beginning the 1985–86 academic year. 1988: The NEW-6 was rebranded as the New England Women's 8 Conference (NEW-8), beginning the 1988–89 academic year. Mount Holyoke College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) joined the NEW-8 in the 1988–89 academic year. 1995: Brandeis left the NEW-8 to fully align along with its men's sports in the University Athletic Association (UAA) after the 1994–95 academic year. Clark University joined the NEW-8 in the 1995–96 academic year. 1998: The NEW-8 offered men's sports and was rebranded as the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), beginning the 1998–99 academic year. Springfield College and the United States Coast Guard Academy (Coast Guard) joined the NEWMAC in the 1998–99 academic year; thus being the 1st schools with men's and women's sports to join the newly branded conference. 2012 – Simmons University joined the NEWMAC as an associate member for rowing in the 2012–13 academic year. 2013: Emerson College joined the NEWMAC in the 2013–14 academic year. The NEWMAC had absorbed the Pilgrim Lacrosse League to re-add men's lacrosse as a sponsored sport, while having the addition of Massachusetts Maritime Academy as an associate member for that sport, beginning the 2014 spring season (2013–14 academic year). 2015 – The NEWMAC added football as a sponsored sport, while having the additions as associate members for that sport: Maine Maritime Academy, Norwich University, the United States Merchant Marine Academy and the Catholic University of America, beginning the 2017 fall season (2017–18 academic year). 2019 – Massachusetts Maritime left the NEWMAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse after the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year). 2023: Catholic (D.C.) left the NEWMAC as an associate member for football to join the Landmark Conference for that sport after the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year); as that conference had announced that it would sponsor that sport, beginning the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year). Salve Regina University joined the NEWMAC in the 2023–24 academic year. The State University of New York Maritime College joined the NEWMAC as an associate member for football in the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year). 2026 – The NEWMAC added men's volleyball as a sponsored sport starting with the 2027 spring season (2026–27 academic year), with four full members being joined by three new affiliates: the State University of New York at New Paltz (New Paltz), New York University (NYU) and Vassar College. 2027 – Saint Anselm College will join the NEWMAC (via transition from the NCAA Division II ranks), beginning the 2027–28 academic year.

Member schools Current members The NEWMAC currently has 12 full members; all but one are private schools.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation UndergraduateEnrollment AcceptanceRate Nickname Colors Joined Babson College Wellesley, Massachusetts 1919 Nonsectarian 2,350 26% Beavers 1985 Clark University Worcester, Massachusetts 1887 Nonsectarian 2,242 54% Cougars 1995 Emerson College Boston, Massachusetts 1880 Nonsectarian 4,113 33% Lions 2013 Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) Cambridge, Massachusetts 1861 Nonsectarian 4,638 8% Engineers 1985 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, Massachusetts 1837 Nonsectarian 2,200 55% Lyons 1987 Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island 1934 Roman Catholic 2,872 73% Seahawks 2023 Smith College Northampton, Massachusetts 1871 Nonsectarian 2,100 42% Bears 1985 Springfield College Springfield, Massachusetts 1885 Nonsectarian 2,228 68% Pride 1998 United States Coast Guard Academy(Coast Guard) New London, Connecticut 1876 Federal/Military 1,049 18% Bears 1998 Wellesley College Wellesley, Massachusetts 1870 Nonsectarian 2,383 30% Blue 1985 Wheaton College Norton, Massachusetts 1834 Nonsectarian 1,701 70% Lyons 1985 Worcester Polytechnic Institute(WPI) Worcester, Massachusetts 1865 Nonsectarian 4,892 44% Engineers 1987

Notes

Future members The NEWMAC will have one new full member, a private school:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation UndergraduateEnrollment AcceptanceRate Nickname Colors Joining Currentconference Saint Anselm College Goffstown, New Hampshire 1889 Catholic 2,094 78% Hawks 2027 Northeast-10 (NE-10)

Notes

Former member The NEWMAC had one former full member, a private school:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation UndergraduateEnrollment Nickname Colors Joined Left Currentconference Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts 1948 Private 3,591 Judges 1985 1995 University (UAA)

Notes

Affiliate members The NEWMAC currently has seven affiliate members—four private, two state-supported, and one federal service academy.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined NEWMACsport(s) Primaryconference New York, New York 1831 Private 29,760 Violets 2026 University (UAA) Norwich University Northfield, Vermont 1819 Private (Military) 3,400 Cadets 2017 Football Great Northeast (GNAC) Simmons University Boston, Massachusetts 1899 Nonsectarian 4,933 Sharks 2013 Great Northeast (GNAC) Bronx, New York 1874 Public 1,671 Privateers 2023 Football Skyline New Paltz, New York 1828 Public 6,113 Hawks 2026 New Jersey (NJAC) Kings Point, New York 1943 Federal 1,011 Mariners 2017 Football Skyline Vassar College Poughkeepsie, New York 1861 Private 2,456 Brewers 2026 Liberty (LL)

Notes

Former affiliate members The NEWMAC had three former affiliate members, all but one are public schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left NEWMACsport(s) Currentprimaryconference Washington, D.C. 1887 Catholic 6,725 Cardinals 2017 2023 Football Landmark Maine Maritime Academy Castine, Maine 1941 Public 900 Mariners 2017 2020 Football North Atlantic (NAC) Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 1891 Public 1,637 Buccaneers 2005 2019 Men's lacrosse Massachusetts (MASCAC)

Membership timeline

Sports The NEWMAC sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in the following sports:

+ Conference sportsSportMen'sWomen'sBaseballBasketballCross CountryField Hockey FootballLacrosseRowing SoccerSoftball Swimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Outdoor)Volleyball

Men's sports +SchoolBaseballBasketballCross CountryFootballLacrosseSoccerSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Outdoor)VolleyballTotal NEWMAC SportsBabson8Clark7Coast Guard9Emerson7MIT10Salve Regina7Springfield10Wheaton9WPI7Totals9995+3897864+374+6Affiliate membersMaritime1Merchant Marine1Norwich1NYU1SUNY New Paltz1Vassar1 Future member Saint Anselm 7

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the NEWMAC Future member Saint Anselm in green. +SchoolAlpine SkiingEquestrianFencingGolfGymnasticsIce HockeyRifleRowingSailingSquashTrack & Field (Indoor)Water PoloWrestlingBabsonUSCSAINDLECCoast GuardINDNEISAINDNEWAMITNFCINDINDNEISACSAINDNWPC Saint Anselm LEC LECSalve ReginaIHSACNENEISASpringfieldMASCACEIGLINDNEWAWheatonNFCINDMPSFWPIINDINDNEWA

Women's sports +SchoolBasketballCross CountryField HockeyLacrosseRowingSoccerSoftballSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Outdoor)VolleyballTotal NEWMAC SportsBabson10Clark10Coast Guard9Emerson7MIT10Mount Holyoke9Salve Regina9Smith11Springfield10Wellesley11Wheaton10WPI9Totals121210116+112111091012115+1Affiliate membersSimmons1 Future members Saint Anselm 9

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the NEWMAC Future member Saint Anselm in green. +SchoolAlpine SkiingArtistic SwimmingBowlingEquestrianFencingGolfGymnasticsIce HockeyRifleSailingTrack & Field (Indoor)Water PoloWrestlingBabsonUSCSACWGCCoast GuardNEISAINDMITNFCINDNEISAINDMount HolyokeIHSAIND Saint Anselm ECC LEC LECSalve ReginaIHSACNENEISASmithINDSpringfieldNCGAIND2027-28WellesleyNFCLLINDWheatonMPSFNFCINDCWPAWPIIND

Notes

References

External links