Eastern Nazarene is last out of NECC; will join NAC

Posted: Jan 09, 2023
Eastern Nazarene athletics photos
 

The North Atlantic Conference will expand to 14 schools in the fall of 2023, as Eastern Nazarene will join.

Eastern Nazarene was the last remaining member of the New England Collegiate Conference, which has just four all-sports members this academic year. Of those, Lesley has already been announced as a new NAC member in 2023-24, while Mitchell and New England College will join the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

Eastern Nazarene will join the conference for 2023-24 along with previously added new members Lesley University and SUNY Morrisville, combining with current members SUNY Canton, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Delhi, Maine-Farmington, Husson, NVU-Johnson, NVU-Lyndon, Maine Maritime, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Maine-Presque Isle, and Thomas.

"The invitation to join the NAC is one that ENC Athletics eagerly accepted and we look forward to working alongside member schools immediately in 2023-24," said Brad Zarges, Eastern Nazarene's athletic director. "Among a long list of reasons that membership in the NAC became so appealing, two stand out: first, Commissioner (Marcela) Zalot's leadership, along with the collegiality of the athletic administrators, has established clear vision for the conference that is student-athlete centered. Second, the alignment of sport sponsorship allows all but one of our programs to compete in the NAC, allowing ENC to move forward with our strategic goal of comprehensive competitiveness."

Eastern Nazarene sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, including 13 sponsored by the NAC: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball. The men's volleyball team will remain a member of the New England Collegiate Conference.

"We are thrilled to add Eastern Nazarene College to the NAC in what I see as a mutually beneficial partnership for both the institution and the conference," said Zalot, the commissioner of the NAC. "The addition of Eastern Nazarene aligns with the NAC's strategic goals by stabilizing our sport sponsorship as we move forward with 14 member institutions, while adding another member school within our current geographical footprint and in proximity to other NAC institutions.

"Moreover, as I got to know the people at Eastern Nazarene as well as the place, the more I came to believe they would be an ideal match for the North Atlantic Conference. You can accomplish a great deal by working with good people, and I am confident that, as our current members engage with the student-athletes, staff, and administrators at Eastern Nazarene, they will appreciate the shared values and competitive drive in ENC Athletics," added Zalot.