Great Northeast Athletic Conference

Great Northeast Athletic Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded1995 (1995)
CommissionerJoe Walsh (since 2005)
Sports fielded
  • 22
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 11
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams14
HeadquartersWinthrop, Massachusetts
RegionNew England
Official websitethegnac.com
Locations

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

History

Great Northeast Athletic Conference
50km
31miles
Dean
New England College
Mitchell
Albertus Magnus
Saint Joseph (CT)
Colby-Sawyer
Rivier
Elms
Norwich
Saint Joseph's (ME)
Simmons
Emmanuel
Regis
Lasell
Locations of GNAC members, 2025–2026 full

Recent changes

On August 24, 2021, the University of New England joined the GNAC as an associate member for women's swimming & diving, beginning the 2021–22 academic year.[1]

On June 16, 2022, New England (Me.) left the GNAC as an associate member for women's swimming & diving after the 2021–22 academic year, to join the Little East Conference (LEC) as an affiliate member for that sport.[2]

On September 28, 2022, Mitchell College and New England College joined the GNAC, beginning the 2023–24 academic year.[3]

Chronological timeline

  • 1995 – In 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) was founded. Charter members included the following: On men's sports and women's sports, Albertus Magnus College, Daniel Webster College, Emerson College, Endicott College, Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island Campus and Rivier College (now Rivier University); on women's sports only, Emmanuel College, Pine Manor College, the University of Saint Joseph, Simmons College (now Simmons University) and Suffolk University, all beginning the 1995–96 academic year.
  • 1998:
  • 1999 – Endicott left the GNAC to join the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) after the 1998–99 academic year.
  • 2001 – Emmanuel (Mass.) added men's sports in its athletic program to join the GNAC in the 2001–02 academic year.
  • 2004 – Elms College, Husson College (now Husson University) and Wheelock College joined the GNAC as associate members for women's swimming & diving in the 2004–05 academic year.
  • 2006 – Rhode Island College, the University of Southern Maine and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (a.k.a. Massachusetts–Dartmouth or UMass Dartmouth) joined the GNAC as associate members for men's golf in the 2007 spring season (2006–07 academic year).
  • 2007:
  • 2008 – Daniel Webster and Southern Vermont left the GNAC to join the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) after the 2007–08 academic year.
  • 2009 – Wheelock left the GNAC as an associate member for women's swimming & diving after the 2008–09 academic year.
  • 2011:
    • Anna Maria College joined the GNAC in the 2011–12 academic year.
    • Three institutions joined the GNAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2011–12 academic year:
  • 2012:
  • 2013:
    • Emerson left the GNAC to join the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) after the 2012–13 academic year; while it remained in the conference as an associate member for men's volleyball since the 2014 spring season (2013–14 academic year).
    • Husson added men's swimming & diving into its GNAC associate membership in the 2013–14 academic year.
  • 2017:
    • Colby–Sawyer College joined the GNAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2017–18 academic year.
    • Regis (Mass.) had upgraded as a full member of the GNAC for all sports in the 2017–18 academic year.
  • 2018:
    • Mount Ida left the GNAC after the 2017–18 academic year; as the school ceased operations.
    • Colby–Sawyer had upgraded as a full member of the GNAC for all sports in the 2018–19 academic year.
    • Saint Joseph (Conn.) added men's sports in its athletic program to join the GNAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
    • Eastern Nazarene College joined the GNAC as an associate member for men's and women's tennis in the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
  • 2019:
    • Worcester State left the GNAC as an associate member for men's golf after the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
    • Lesley University joined the GNAC as an associate member for men's tennis in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year).
  • 2020:
    • Five institutions left the GNAC as associate members, all effective after the 2019–20 academic year:
      • Lesley for men's tennis
      • Husson for men's and women's swimming & diving
      • and Rhode Island College, Southern Maine and UMass Dartmouth for men's golf
    • Suffolk left the GNAC to join the CCC after the 2019–20 academic year; although it remained in the conference as an associate member for men's and women's indoor track & field, beginning the 2020–21 school year.
    • Dean College joined the GNAC in the 2020–21 academic year.
    • Lesley rejoined the GNAC as an associate member for women's tennis in the 2021 spring season (2020–21 academic year).
  • 2021 – Elms had upgraded as a full member of the GNAC for all sports in the 2021–22 academic year.
  • 2021 – The University of New England joined the GNAC as an associate member for women's swimming & diving in the 2021–22 academic year.
  • 2022 – Two institutions left the GNAC as associate members, both effective after the 2021–22 academic year:
    • New England (Me.) for women's swimming & diving to join the Little East Conference (LEC) for that sport
    • and Suffolk for men's and women's indoor track & field
  • 2023:
    • Eastern Nazarene left the GNAC as an associate member for women's tennis after the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year).
    • Mitchell College and New England College joined the GNAC in the 2023–24 academic year.
  • 2024 – Eastern Nazarene left the GNAC as an associate member for men's tennis after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year).
  • 2025 – Two institutions left the GNAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 2024–25 academic year:

Member schools

Current members

The GNAC currently has fourteen full members, all are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a]
Albertus Magnus College New Haven, Connecticut 1925 Catholic
(D.S.P.) 		1,961 Falcons 1995
Colby–Sawyer College New London, New Hampshire 1837 Nonsectarian 2,262 Chargers 2018
Dean College Franklin, Massachusetts 1865 Nonsectarian 1,055 Bulldogs 2020
Elms College[b] Chicopee, Massachusetts 1928 Catholic
(S.S.J.) 		1,713 Blazers 2021[c]
Emmanuel College[b] Boston, Massachusetts 1919 Catholic
(SNDdeN) 		1,850 Saints 1995
Lasell University[b] Newton, Massachusetts 1851 Nonsectarian 2,200 Lasers 2007
Mitchell College New London, Connecticut 1938 Nonsectarian 572 Mariners 2023
New England College Henniker, New Hampshire 1946 Nonsectarian 4,327 Pilgrims 2023
Norwich University Northfield, Vermont 1819 Private 2,300 Cadets 1998
Regis College[b] Weston, Massachusetts 1927 Catholic
(S.S.J.) 		2,748 Pride 2017
Rivier University Nashua, New Hampshire 1933 Catholic
(S.P.M.) 		2,520 Raiders 1995
University of Saint Joseph[b] West Hartford, Connecticut 1932 Catholic
(R.S.M.) 		2,467 Blue Jays 1995
Saint Joseph's College of Maine Standish, Maine 1912 Catholic
(R.S.M.) 		1,987 Monks 2007
Simmons University[d][e] Boston, Massachusetts 1899 Nonsectarian 1,900 Sharks 1995
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ a b c d e This institution is a former women's college, which has eventually turned into a co-educational college (Lasell since 1997–98, Elms since 1998–99, Emmanuel (Mass.) since 2001–02, Regis (Mass.) since 2007–08 and Saint Joseph (Conn.) since 2018–19).
  3. ^ Before joining for full membership, Elms competed in the GNAC as an associate member for swimming & diving from 2008–09 to 2020–21.[4]
  4. ^ This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
  5. ^ Non-basketball member; therefore Simmons had sponsored women's basketball until after at least the 2018–19 school year.

Associate members

The GNAC currently has two associate members, both are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] GNAC
sport(s) 		Primary
conference
Emerson College[b] Boston, Massachusetts 1880 Nonsectarian 4,290 Lions 2013 Men's volleyball New England (NEWMAC)
Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts 1904 Nonsectarian 4,576 Leopards 2011 Men's volleyball C. New England (CNE)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Emerson was a full member of the GNAC from 1995–96 to 2012–13.

Former members

The GNAC had ten former full members, all were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Current
conference
Anna Maria College Paxton, Massachusetts 1946 Catholic
(S.S.A.) 		1,500 Amcats 2011 2025 Massachusetts (MASCAC)
Daniel Webster College Nashua, New Hampshire 1965 For-profit N/A Eagles 1995 2008 Closed in 2017
Endicott College Beverly, Massachusetts 1939 Nonsectarian 4,528 Gulls 1995 1999 C. New England (CNE)
Emerson College[c] Boston, Massachusetts 1880 Nonsectarian 4,290 Lions 1995 2013 New England (NEWMAC)
Johnson & Wales University Providence, Rhode Island 1914 Nonsectarian 8,564 Wildcats 1995 2025 C. New England (CNE)
Mount Ida College Newton, Massachusetts 1899 Nonsectarian N/A Mustangs 2007 2018 Closed in 2018
Pine Manor College[d] Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 1911 Nonsectarian N/A Gators 1995 2012 N/A[e]
Southern Vermont College Bennington, Vermont 1929 Nonsectarian N/A Mountaineers 1998 2008 Closed in 2019
Suffolk University[f] Boston, Massachusetts 1906 Nonsectarian 6,832 Rams 1995 2020 C. New England (CNE)
Western New England University Springfield, Massachusetts 1919 Nonsectarian 3,702 Golden Bears 1998 2007 C. New England (CNE)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ Emerson remains in the GNAC as an associate member for men's volleyball.
  4. ^ This institution is a former women's college, which has eventually turned into a co-educational college (Pine Manor from 2014–15).
  5. ^ Pine Manor was acquired by Boston College in 2021.
  6. ^ Suffolk competed as an associate member of the GNAC for men's and women's indoor track & field from 2020–21 to 2021–22.

Former associate members

The GNAC had 12 former associate members, 7 were private schools while 5 were public schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] GNAC
sport(s) 		Primary
conference
Eastern Nazarene College Quincy, Massachusetts 1900 Nazarene 1,063 Lions 2018 2024 Men's tennis Closed in 2025
2018 2023 Women's tennis
Husson University Bangor, Maine 1898 Nonsectarian 3,500 Eagles 2008 2020 Men's swimming & diving North Atlantic (NAC)
2008 2020 Women's swimming & diving
Lesley University Cambridge, Massachusetts 1909 Nonsectarian 6,593 Lynx 2019 2020 Men's tennis North Atlantic (NAC)
2020 2023 Women's tennis
University of New England Biddeford, Maine 1831 Nonsectarian 7,208 Nor'easters 2021 2022 Women's swimming & diving C. New England (CNE)
Ramapo College Mahwah, New Jersey 1969 Public 5,145 Roadrunners 2013 2019 Men's tennis New Jersey (NJAC)
Rhode Island College Providence, Rhode Island 1854 Nonsectarian 7,523 Anchormen 2008 2020 Men's golf Little East (LEC)
Rutgers University–Camden Camden, New Jersey 1950 Public 6,158 Scarlet
Raptors 		2014 2019 Men's tennis New Jersey (NJAC)
Rutgers University–Newark Newark, New Jersey 1945 Public 12,321 Scarlet
Raiders 		2013 2019 Men's tennis New Jersey (NJAC)
University of Southern Maine Portland, Maine 1878 Public 8,022 Huskies 2008 2020 Men's golf Little East (LEC)
Suffolk University[c] Boston, Massachusetts 1906 Nonsectarian 6,832 Rams 2020 2022 Men's indoor track & field C. New England (CNE)
2020 2022 Women's indoor track & field
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 1895 Public 8,513 Corsairs 2012 2020 Men's golf Little East (LEC)[d]
Worcester State University Worcester, Massachusetts 1874 Public[e] 5,611 Lancers 2012 2019 Men's golf Mass. State (MASCAC)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ Suffolk was a full member of the GNAC from 1995–96 to 2019–20.
  4. ^ Massachusetts–Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth) discontinued men's golf at the end of the 2019–20 school year due to budget cuts.
  5. ^ Part of the Massachusetts State Universities System.[5]

Membership timeline

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football)   Associate member (sport) 

Sports

A divisional format is used for basketball (M / W).
North
  • Anna Maria
  • Colby–Sawyer
  • Emmanuel
  • Norwich
  • Rivier
  • Saint Joseph (Maine)
South
  • Albertus Magnus
  • Dean
  • Elms
  • Lasell
  • Regis
  • Saint Joseph (Conn.)
See also: Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament
Conference sports
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball
Y
Basketball
Y
Y
Cross country
Y
Y
Field hockey
Y
Golf
Y
Lacrosse
Y
Y
Soccer
Y
Y
Softball
Y
Swimming & diving
Y
Y
Track & field
Y
Y
Volleyball
Y
Y

Men's sponsored sports by school

School Baseball Basketball Cross Country Golf Lacrosse Soccer Swimming & Diving Track & Field Volleyball Total GNAC sports
Albertus Magnus Y Y N Y Y Y Y N N 6
Colby–Sawyer Y Y Y N Y Y N Y N 6
Dean Y Y Y Y Y Y N N Y 7
Elms Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y 8
Emmanuel N Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y 7
Lasell Y Y Y N Y Y N Y Y 7
Mitchell Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 6
New England Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y N 7
Norwich Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N 7
Regis N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y 7
Rivier Y Y N N Y Y N N Y 5
Saint Joseph (CT) Y Y Y N Y Y Y N N 6
Saint Joseph’s (ME) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 8
Totals 11 13 11 8 13 13 6 6 6+2 89
Emerson Y
Wentworth Y

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the GNAC that are played by GNAC schools

School Alpine Skiing Football Ice Hockey Nordic Skiing Rifle Rugby Tennis Wrestling
Albertus Magnus UCHC IND
Colby–Sawyer EISA CNE
Dean MASCAC
Emmanuel IND
New England Y CNE LEC Y NEWA
Norwich NEWMAC LEC YCo-Ed NACR Empire 8 NEWA
Rivier MASCAC
Saint Joseph (CT) [a] CNE
Saint Joseph's (ME) Y
  1. ^ Saint Joseph (CT) will add men's ice hockey in 2026–27.

Women's sponsored sports by school

School Basketball Cross Country Field Hockey Lacrosse Soccer Softball Swimming & Diving Track & Field Volleyball Total GNAC sports
Albertus Magnus Y N N Y Y Y Y N Y 7
Colby–Sawyer Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y 8
Dean Y Y Y Y Y Y N N Y 7
Elms Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y 8
Emmanuel Y Y N Y Y Y N Y Y 7
Lasell Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y 8
Mitchell Y Y N Y Y Y N N Y 6
New England Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y 8
Norwich Y Y N Y Y Y Y N Y 7
Regis Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9
Rivier Y N Y Y Y Y N N Y 6
Saint Joseph (CT) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y 8
Saint Joseph’s (ME) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9
Simmons N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8
Totals 13 12 10 14 14 14 7 7 14 106

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the GNAC that are played by GNAC schools

School Alpine Skiing Golf Ice Hockey Nordic Skiing Rifle Rowing Rugby Tennis Wrestling
Albertus Magnus IND UCHC IND
Colby–Sawyer EISA CNE
Dean IND
Emmanuel 2026-27
New England Y LEC Y Y Y
Norwich LEC YCo-Ed NCR Y
Rivier MASCAC
Saint Joseph (CT) [a] CNE
Saint Joseph's (ME) Y IND
Simmons NEWMAC NAC
  1. ^ Saint Joseph (CT) will add women's ice hockey in 2026–27.

References

  1. ^ "UNE Women Join GNAC Swimming & Diving as Associate Member" (Press release). Great Northeast Athletic Conference. August 24, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  2. ^ "University of New England Women's Swimming to Join LEC as Affiliate Member in 2022-23" (Press release). Little East Conference. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  3. ^ "Mitchell, NEC Joining GNAC in 2023-24 Academic Year" (Press release). Great Northeast Athletic Conference. September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  4. ^ "Elms, GNAC Ready to Begin Conference Affiliation in 2021-22". Great Northeast Athletic Conference. April 7, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  5. ^ Massachusetts State Universities – The Nine State Universities of Massachusetts
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