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| Eastern Nazarene athletics photo |
The New England Collegiate Conference announced that Eastern Nazarene will be joining the conference for the 2018-19 academic year, Newbury president Joseph L. Chillo announced today.
ENC is currently a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference. ENC’s began a relationship with the NECC as an associate member in men’s volleyball this season. All other sports will join the NECC for the 2018-19 academic year.
Eastern Nazarene will join full members Bay Path, Becker, Elms, Lesley, Mitchell, Newbury, Regis, Southern Vermont and Wheelock. Daniel Webster, currently a conference members, is closing its doors at the end of the academic year.
“We are delighted that Eastern Nazarene College has decided to join the New England Collegiate Conference to provide an invaluable D-III student-athlete experience,” said president Joseph L. Chillo. “The addition of Eastern Nazarene College to the conference further signifies the strength of the NECC and the similarity of institutions all focused on providing an outstanding academic and athletic experience for students. The NECC selection committee was most impressed with ENC president Corlis McGee and her staff in their commitment to providing a strong, mission-driven experience for their students.”
"Our excitement for joining the NECC stems from an opportunity to partner with member schools that desire an increasingly competitive conference," McGee said. "The addition of ENC increases the strength of the conference and matches our intentions to offer a transformative athletic experience for our student-athletes. ENC regularly competes against many of the member colleges of the NECC in all sports, so we already have an existing and very positive relationship."
“The addition of Eastern Nazarene College as a full-member of the NECC is a positive step in the growth of the conference,” NECC commissioner Del Malloy said. “Throughout the years, athletic programs at ENC have stood for the very best in Division III. They are true student-athletes who compete hard and always exhibit high standards of teamwork, respect and good sportsmanship whenever they play. We look forward to this partnership for years to come.”
ENC is located in Quincy, Mass. and is a distinctively Christian liberal arts college. The campus has approximately 1,000 students who have the opportunity to compete in their 15 sponsored sports. Both men and women compete in basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball, while the men also compete in baseball and golf and the women compete in softball.
“Our excitement for joining the NECC stems from an opportunity to partner with member schools that desire an increasingly competitive conference,” McGee said. “The addition of ENC increases the strength of the conference and matches our intentions to offer a transformative athletic experience for our student-athletes. ENC regularly competes against many of the member colleges of the NECC in all sports, so we already have an existing and very positive relationship.”