View source for Conference of New England

{{Short description|NCAA Division III sports conference in New England}}
{{Infobox sports league
| name = Conference of New England
| formerly = Commonwealth Coast Conference (1984–2024)
| title = 
| logo = Conference of New England logo.png
| color = color:white; background:#021849; {{box-shadow border|a|#dc000c|2px}}
| font_color = #FFFFFF
| founded = 1984
| commissioner = Patrick Colbert
| since = 2023
| association = [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]
| sports = 20
| mens = 10
| womens = 10
| division = [[NCAA Division III|Division III]]
| teams = 11
| region = [[New England]]
| headquarters = [[Biddeford, Maine]], U.S.
| website = [https://cnesports.org cnesports.org]
| map = Map of the USA with The Commonwealth Coast Conference region highlighted.png
| map_size = 300
}}

The '''Conference of New England''' ('''CNE'''), formerly known as the '''Commonwealth Coast Conference''' ('''CCC'''), is an [[List of NCAA conferences|intercollegiate athletic conference]] affiliated with the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA's]] [[NCAA Division III|Division III]]. Member institutions are located in [[New England]] in the states of [[Connecticut]], [[Maine]], [[Massachusetts]], and [[Rhode Island]].

==Overview==
[[File:Commonwealth_Coast_Conference_Full_Primary_Logo_Introduced_June_2019.jpg|thumb|Previous logo]]

The CCC and Commonwealth Coast Football unveiled a new family of logos during a June 2019 visual rebrand.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cccathletics.com/sports/general/2018-19/Releases/CCC_Rebrand|title=CCC Unveils Visual Rebrand and Identity Initiative|publisher=Commonwealth Coast Conference|date=June 17, 2019|access-date=March 30, 2022}}</ref>

==History==
{{OSM Location map
| coord =  {{Coord|43.378|-71.926}}
| zoom = 6
| width = 360 <!-- width and height of the frame. numeric input - do not add px -->
| height = 360
| caption = Location of current members:<br>[[File:Green pog.svg|10px]] full member<br>[[File:Blue pog.svg|10px]] associate member<br>[[File:White pog.svg|10px]] future associate member<!-- Text below the map -->
| nolabels = 1

| label-color = #191970

|      label1 = Curry <!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos1 = right
| mark-coord1 = {{coord|42.2344|-71.1081}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title1 = Curry College
| mark-description1 = [[Curry Colonels]]
| mark-size1=10 
|label-color1 = #191970
|       mark1 = Green pog.svg

|      label2 = Endicott <!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos2 = right
| mark-coord2 = {{coord|42.553190|-70.842078}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title2 = Endicott College
| mark-size2=10 
| mark-description2 = [[Endicott Gulls]]

|      label3 = Gordon <!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos3 = left
| mark-coord3 = {{coord|42.589470|-70.820929}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title3 = Gordon College
| mark-size3=10 
| mark-description3 = [[Gordon Fighting Scots]]

|      label4 = Nichols <!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos4 = right
| mark-coord4 = {{coord|42.045133|-71.930887}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title4 = Nichols College
| mark-size4=10 
| mark-description4 = [[Nichols Bison]]

|      label5 = Roger Williams <!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
| mark-coord5 = {{coord|41.651198|-71.259478}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title5 = Roger Williams University
| mark-size5=10 
| mark-description5 = [[Roger Williams Hawks]]
| label-pos5 = bottom

|      label7 = Univ. of New England <!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
| mark-coord7 = {{coord|43.458415|-70.386540}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title7 = University of New England
| mark-size7=10 
| mark-description7 = [[UNE Nor'Easters]]
| label-pos7 = top

|      label8 = Wentworth<!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos8 = left
| mark-coord8 = {{coord|42.336228|-71.095445}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title8 = Wentworth Institute of Technology
| mark-size8=10 
| mark-description8 = [[WIT Leopards]]

|      label9 = Western New England <!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos9 = left
| mark-coord9 = {{coord|42.1155|-72.5197}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title9 = Western New England University
| mark-size9=10 
| mark-description9 = [[WNE Golden Bears]]
|label-color9 = #191970
|       mark9 = Green pog.svg

<!--Associate members-->

| mark-title10 = Becker College
| mark-description10 = [[Becker Hawks]]
|      label11 = Husson <!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos11 = left
| mark-coord11 = {{coord|44.827733|-68.793779}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title11 = Husson University
| mark-size11=10 
| mark-description11 = [[Husson Eagles]]
|       mark11 = Blue pog.svg

|mark-coord12={{coord|42.358224|-71.061220}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker -->
|mark12=Green pog.svg
|label12=Suffolk
|label-color12=#191970
|label-pos12=right
|mark-title12=Suffolk University
|mark-size12=10 
|mark-description12=[[Suffolk Rams]]

|      label13 = Hartford<!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos13 = left
| mark-coord13 = {{coord|41.800911|-72.714021}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title13 = University of Hartford
| mark-size13=10 
| mark-description13 = [[Hartford Hawks]]
| mark13=Green pog.svg

|      label14 = Johnson & Wales<!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|  label-pos14 = right
| mark-coord14 = {{coord|41.8198|-71.41430}}    <!-- lat and lon location for the marker --> 
| mark-title14 = Johnson & Wales University
| mark-size14=10 
| mark-description14 = [[Johnson & Wales University]]
| label-color14 = #191970
|       mark14 = Green pog.svg

|mark-title15=Maine Maritime Academy
|mark-description15=[[Maine Maritime Academy]]
|mark-coord15={{coord|44.388333|-68.803333}}
|mark15=White pog.svg
|label15=Maine Maritime<!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|mark-size15=10
|label-color15=#191970
|label-pos15=left

|mark-title16=Colby–Sawyer
|mark-description16=[[Colby–Sawyer College]]
|mark-coord16={{coord|43.40733|-71.97333}}
|mark16=Blue pog.svg
|label16=Colby–Sawyer<!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|mark-size16=10
|label-color16=#191970
|label-pos16=left

|mark-title17=New England College
|mark-description17=[[New England College]]
|mark-coord17={{coord|43.1778|-71.8214}}
|mark17=White pog.svg
|label17=New England College<!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|mark-size17=10
|label-color17=#191970
|label-pos17=left

|mark-title18=Saint Joseph
|mark-description18=[[University of Saint Joseph (Connecticut)|University of Saint Joseph]]
|mark-coord18={{coord|41.7820|-72.7305}}
|mark18=Blue pog.svg
|label18=Saint Joseph<!--label text. Default position is left of the marker-->
|mark-size18=10
|label-color18=#191970
|label-pos18=bottom
}}

===Recent events===
On June 21, 2022, the [[University of Hartford]] announced that it would join the CCC, starting the 2023–24 academic year;<ref name="UHart">[https://hartfordhawks.com/news/2022/6/21/general-university-of-hartford-athletics-joins-commonwealth-coast-conference-ccc.aspx University of Hartford Athletics Joins Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) - University of Hartford Athletics]</ref> while Salve Regina announced it would leave both the CCC and CCC Football to join the [[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference]] (NEWMAC), once concluding the 2022–23 school year.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.newmacsports.com/general/2022-23/releases/20220711mug5jb |title=NEWMAC Welcomes Salve Regina University as Newest Member Effective July 1, 2023 |publisher=New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference |date=July 13, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022}}</ref>

On December 8, 2022, Johnson & Wales (R.I.) announced it would join the CCC as soon as the 2024–25 academic year.<ref name="JWU">{{cite web|url=https://providence.jwuathletics.com/general/2022-23/releases/20221208mlqeio|title=CCC Accepts Johnson & Wales University As Newest Conference Member|publisher=JWU Providence Athletics|year=2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209053354/https://providence.jwuathletics.com/general/2022-23/releases/20221208mlqeio|archive-date=9 December 2022}}</ref> first as an associate member for men's and women's ice hockey, before eventually going for full membership status, <ref>{{Cite web |title=Conference History |url=https://cnesports.org/sports/2023/4/18/about.aspx |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=cnesports.org |language=en}}</ref>

In 2023, two schools announced they would be reinstating their varsity football programs and joining the CCC for football, starting the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year); first [[Maine Maritime Academy]] on January 9,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maine Maritime Academy to Reinstate Football Program - About MMA - Maine Maritime Academy |url=https://mainemaritime.edu/about-mma/press-releases/maine-maritime-academy-to-reinstate-football-program/ |access-date=2023-04-09 |language=en-US}}</ref> then [[New England College]] followed suit on November 14.<ref>{{cite web|title=New England College Set to Join Commonwealth Coast Conference as an Associate Member for Football |url=https://cccathletics.com/news/2023/11/14/new-england-college-set-to-join-commonwealth-coast-conference-as-an-associate-member-for-football.aspx |access-date=2023-11-18 |language=en-US}}</ref>

On August 1, 2024, 40 years after it was founded, the conference announced that it would be rebranding as the '''Conference of New England (CNE)''', effective with the 2024–25 season.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://cnesports.org/news/2024/7/31/general-the-conference-of-new-england.aspx|title=The Conference of New England is Here|publisher=Conference of New England|date=August 1, 2024|access-date=August 1, 2024}}</ref>

===Chronological timeline===
* 1984 – On 1984, the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) was founded. Charter members included [[Anna Maria College]], [[Curry College]], [[Emerson College]], [[Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology|Hellenic College]], [[Salve Regina University|Salve Regina College]] (now Salve Regina University), the [[United States Coast Guard Academy]] (Coast Guard) and [[Wentworth Institute of Technology]] (Wentworth Tech), beginning the 1984–85 academic year.
* 1985:
** Hellenic left the CCC when the school dropped its athletic program after lasting only one season after the 1984–85 academic year.
** [[Roger Williams University|Roger Williams College]] (now Roger Williams University) joined the CCC in the 1985–86 academic year.
* 1986 – The CCC was granted membership within the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) Division III ranks in the 1986–87 academic year.
* 1987:
** The U.S. Coast Guard left the CCC to join the [[Constitution Athletic Conference]] after the 1986–87 academic year.
** [[Gordon College (Massachusetts)|Gordon College]] joined the CCC in the 1987–88 academic year.
* 1988 – [[Regis College (Massachusetts)|Regis College]] joined the CCC in the 1988–89 academic year.
* 1989:
** Emerson left the CCC to become an [[NCAA Division III independent schools|NCAA D-III Independent]] after the 1988–89 academic year.
** [[New England College|New England College of New Hampshire]] joined the CCC in the 1989–90 academic year.
* 1992 – [[Eastern Nazarene College]] joined the CCC in the 1992–93 academic year.
* 1995 – [[Colby–Sawyer College]] and [[Nichols College]] joined the CCC in the 1995–96 academic year.
* 1999 – [[Endicott College]] and the [[University of New England (United States)|University of New England of Maine]] joined the CCC in the 1999–2000 academic year.
* 2007 – [[Western New England University]] joined the CCC in the 2007–08 academic year.
* 2011 – Four member schools left the CCC to join their respective new home primary conferences, all effective after the 2010–11 academic year:
** Anna Maria to the [[Great Northeast Athletic Conference]] (GNAC)
** Regis (Mass.) to the [[New England Collegiate Conference]] (NECC)
** and Colby–Sawyer and New England (N.H.) to the [[North Atlantic Conference]] (NAC)
* 2016 – [[Becker College]], [[Johnson & Wales University|Johnson and Wales University, Providence]] and [[Suffolk University]] joined the CCC as associate members for men's ice hockey in the 2016–17 academic year.
* 2017:
** The CCC added football as a sponsored sport, although not directly as it absorbed the former and defunct [[New England Football Conference]] and rebranded as [[Commonwealth Coast Football]] (CCC Football) in the 2017 fall season (2017–18 academic year).
** Becker added football to join the CCC Football league in the 2017 fall season (2017–18 academic year).
* 2018:
** Eastern Nazarene left the CCC to join the NECC after the 2017–18 academic year.
** Johnson & Wales (R.I.) and Suffolk left the CCC as associate members for men's ice hockey after the 2017–18 academic year.
* 2019 – [[Husson University]] joined CCC Football in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
* 2020 – Suffolk upgraded as a  full member of the CCC for all sports in the 2020–21 academic year.
* 2022 – Due to changes in NCAA legislation regarding the number of member schools required for an automatic qualifier (AQ), football was fully incorporated into the CCC multi-sport conference, eliminating the need for the single-sport Commonwealth Coast Football league, beginning the 2022–23 academic year.
* 2023:
** Salve Regina left the CCC (and CCC Football) to join the [[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference]] (NEWMAC) after the 2022–23 academic year; while it remained in the conference as an associate member for men's and women's ice hockey only for the 2023–24 academic year.
** The [[University of Hartford]] joined the CCC in the 2023–24 academic year.
* 2024:
** The [[University of Saint Joseph (Connecticut)|University of Saint Joseph of Connecticut]] (with Colby–Sawyer returning) joined the CCC as associate members for men's tennis in the 2025 spring season (2024–25 academic year).
** The CCC was rebranded as the Conference of New England (CNE), effective beginning the 2024–25 academic year.
** Johnson & Wales (R.I.) returned to the CNE as an associate member for men's and women's ice hockey for the 2024–25 academic year.
** The CNE announced that it would add a women's golf championship in 2025–26, coinciding with the addition of the sport by full member Roger Williams; giving the CNE the six women's golf members needed to qualify for an automatic bid to the NCAA championship.<ref name=WGolf25>{{cite press release |url=https://cnesports.org/news/2024/9/12/general-cne-to-add-womens-golf-starting-in-2025-26.aspx |title=CNE to Add Women’s Golf Starting in 2025-26 |publisher=Conference of New England |date=September 12, 2024 |access-date=January 29, 2025}}</ref>
* 2025:
** Johnson & Wales (R.I.) will upgrade as a full member of the CNE for all sports, beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
** [[Maine Maritime Academy]] (with New England (N.H.) following suit) will reinstate their varsity football programs and join the CNE as associate members for football, beginning the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year).

==Member schools==
===Current members===
The CNE currently has 11 full members, all [[Private university|private]] schools.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined{{efn|group=full|Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.}}
! Colors
|-
| '''[[Curry College]]'''
| [[Milton, Massachusetts]]
| 1879
| Nonsectarian
| 2,410
| [[Curry Colonels|Colonels]]
| 1984
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Curry Colonels}}
|-
| '''[[Endicott College]]'''
| [[Beverly, Massachusetts]]
| 1939
| Nonsectarian
| 4,528
| [[Endicott Gulls|Gulls]]
| 1999
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Endicott Gulls}}
|-
| '''[[Gordon College (Massachusetts)|Gordon College]]'''
| [[Wenham, Massachusetts]]
| 1889
| [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]]
| 1,816 
| [[Gordon Fighting Scots|Fighting Scots]]
| 1987
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Gordon Fighting Scots}}
|-
| '''[[University of Hartford]]'''
| [[West Hartford, Connecticut]]
| 1877
| Nonsectarian
| 6,792
| [[Hartford Hawks|Hawks]]
| 2023
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Hartford Hawks}}
|-
| '''[[Johnson & Wales University]]'''
| [[Providence, Rhode Island]]
| 1914
| Nonsectarian
| 4,652
| [[Johnson & Wales Wildcats|Wildcats]]
| 2025{{efn|group=former|Johnson & Wales competed in the CCC as an associate member for men's ice hockey from 2016–17 to 2017–18, and later on for both men's and women's ice hockey during the 2024–25 school year, before became an full member starting in 2025–26.}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Johnson & Wales Wildcats}}
|-
| '''[[Nichols College]]'''
| [[Dudley, Massachusetts]]
| 1815
| Nonsectarian
| 1,518
| [[Nichols Bison|Bison]]
| 1995
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Nichols Bison}}
|-
| '''[[Roger Williams University]]'''
| [[Bristol, Rhode Island]]
| 1956
| Nonsectarian
| 4,702
| [[Roger Williams Hawks|Hawks]]
| 1985
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Roger Williams Hawks}}
|-
| '''[[Suffolk University]]'''
| [[Boston|Boston, Massachusetts]]
| 1906
| Nonsectarian
| 6,832
| [[Suffolk Rams|Rams]]
| 2020{{efn|group=full|Suffolk competed in the CCC as an associate member for men's ice hockey from 2016–17 to 2017–18.}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Suffolk Rams}}
|-
| {{sort|New England U.|'''[[University of New England (United States)|University of New England]]'''}}
| [[Biddeford, Maine]]
| 1831
| Nonsectarian
| 7,208 
| [[New England Nor'easters|Nor'easters]]
| 1999
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|New England Nor'easters}}
|-
| '''[[Wentworth Institute of Technology]]'''
| [[Boston|Boston, Massachusetts]]
| 1904
| Nonsectarian
| 4,397
| [[Wentworth Tech Leopards|Leopards]]
| 1984
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|WIT Leopards}}
|-
| '''[[Western New England University]]'''
| [[Springfield, Massachusetts]]
| 1919
| Nonsectarian
| 3,702
| [[Western New England Golden Bears|Golden Bears]]
| 2007
| style="text-align:right;" | {{college color boxes|Western New England Golden Bears}}
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=full}}
<!--===Future members===
The CNE will have one new full member, also a [[Private university|private]] school.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined{{efn|group=future|Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.}}
! Colors
! Current<br />conference
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=future}}
-->

===Associate members===
The CNE currently has three associate members, all [[Private university|private]] schools:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined{{efn|group=assoc|Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.}}
! Primary<br />conference
! CNE<br />sport(s)
! Colors
|-
| '''[[Colby–Sawyer College]]'''
| [[New London, New Hampshire]]
| 1946
| Nonsectarian
| 2,262
| [[Colby–Sawyer Chargers|Chargers]]
| 2024
| [[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|Great Northeast (GNAC)]]
| Men's tennis
| align=right | {{color box|#0492d2}} {{color box|#231f20}}
|-
| '''[[Husson University]]'''
| [[Bangor, Maine]]
| 1898
| Nonsectarian
| 3,476
| [[Husson Eagles|Eagles]]
| 2019
| [[North Atlantic Conference|North Atlantic (NAC)]]
| Football
| align=right | {{Color box|#004b44}} {{Color box|#b09a60}}
|-
| {{sort|Saint Joseph (Conn.)|'''[[University of Saint Joseph (Connecticut)|University of Saint Joseph]]'''}}
| [[West Hartford, Connecticut]]
| 1932
| Catholic<br />{{small|([[Sisters of Mercy|R.S.M.]])}}
| 2,467
| [[Saint Joseph Blue Jays|Blue Jays]]
| 2024
| [[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|Great Northeast (GNAC)]]
| Men's tennis
| align=right | {{color box|#0e2b58}} {{color box|#fcd006}}
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=assoc}}

===Future associate members===
The CNE will have two future associate members, one [[Private university|private]] and the other [[Public university|public]].

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joining{{efn|group=futass|Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.}}
! Primary<br />conference
! CNE<br />sport(s)
! Colors
|-
| '''[[Maine Maritime Academy]]'''
| [[Castine, Maine]]
| 1941
| Public
| 941
| [[Maine Maritime Mariners|Mariners]]
| 2025
| [[North Atlantic Conference|North Atlantic (NAC)]]
| Football
| align=right| {{color box|#003da5}} {{color box|#fdda25}}
|-
| '''[[New England College]]'''
| [[Henniker, New Hampshire]]
| 1946
| Nonsectarian
| 4,327
| [[New England College Pilgrims|Pilgrims]]
| 2025
| [[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|Great Northeast (GNAC)]]
| Football
| align=right| {{color box|#000f30}} {{color box|white}} {{color box|#a0a5a8}} {{color box|#d50422}}
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=futass}}

===Former members===
The CNE had nine former full members, with all but one being [[Private university|private]] schools.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined{{efn|group=former|Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.}}
! Left{{efn|group=former|Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.}}
! Current<br />conference
|-
| '''[[Anna Maria College]]'''
| [[Paxton, Massachusetts]]
| 1946
| [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]
| 1,432
| [[Anna Maria AMCats|AMCats]]
| 1984
| 2011
| [[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|Great Northeast (GNAC)]]
|-
| '''[[Colby–Sawyer College]]'''
| [[New London, New Hampshire]]
| 1837
| Nonsectarian
| 1,200
| [[Colby–Sawyer Chargers|Chargers]]
| 1995
| 2011
| [[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|Great Northeast (GNAC)]]
|-
| '''[[Eastern Nazarene College]]'''
| [[Quincy, Massachusetts]]
| 1900
| [[Church of the Nazarene|Nazarene]]
| 1,063
| [[Eastern Nazarene Lions|Lions]]
| 1992
| 2018
| Closed in 2025
|-
| '''[[Emerson College]]'''
| [[Boston|Boston, Massachusetts]]
| 1880
| Nonsectarian
| 4,290
| [[Emerson Lions|Lions]]
| 1984
| 1989
| [[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference|New England (NEWMAC)]]
|-
| '''[[Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology|Hellenic College]]'''
| [[Brookline, Massachusetts]]
| 1937
| [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|GOArch]]
| 222
| [[Hellenic Owls|Owls]]
| 1984
| 1985
| N/A{{efn|group=former|Hellenic dropped its athletics program following the 1984–85 school year.}}
|-
| '''[[New England College]]'''
| [[Henniker, New Hampshire]]
| 1946
| Nonsectarian
| 1,460
| [[New England College Pilgrims|Pilgrims]]
| 1989
| 2011
| [[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|Great Northeast (GNAC)]]
|-
| '''[[Regis College, Massachusetts|Regis College]]'''{{efn|group=former|This institution is a former women's college, which later had become a co-educational college (Regis (Mass.) since 2007–08).}}
| [[Weston, Massachusetts]]
| 1927
| Catholic<br />{{small|([[Sisters of St. Joseph]])}}
| 1,737
| [[Regis Pride|Pride]]
| 1988
| 2011
| [[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|Great Northeast (GNAC)]]
|-
| '''[[Salve Regina University]]'''
| [[Newport, Rhode Island]]
| 1934
| [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholic]]<br />{{small|([[Sisters of Mercy]])}}
| 2,771
| [[Salve Regina Seahawks|Seahawks]]
| 1984
| 2023
| [[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference|New England (NEWMAC)]]
|-
| {{sort|Coast Guard|'''[[United States Coast Guard Academy]]'''}}<br />{{small|(Coast Guard)}}
| [[New London, Connecticut]]
| 1876
| Federal
| 1,045
| [[Coast Guard Bears|Bears]]
| 1984
| 1987
| [[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference|New England (NEWMAC)]]
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=former}}

===Former associate members===
The CNE had three former associate members, all [[Private university|private]] schools.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined{{efn|group=fass|Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.}}
! Left{{efn|group=fass|Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.}}
! Primary<br />conference
! CCC/CNE<br />sport(s)
|-
| rowspan=2 | '''[[Becker College]]'''
| rowspan=2 | [[Worcester, Massachusetts]]
| rowspan=2 | 1784
| rowspan=2 | Nonsectarian
| rowspan=2 | 1,892
| rowspan=2 | [[Becker College|Hawks]]
| 2016{{sup|m.i.h.}}
| 2021{{sup|m.i.h.}}
| rowspan=2 | Closed in 2021
| {{sortname|Men's|ice hockey|nolink=y}}
|-
| 2017{{sup|fb.}}
| 2021{{sup|fb.}}
| Football
|-
| rowspan=3 | '''[[Johnson & Wales University]]'''
| rowspan=3 | [[Providence, Rhode Island]]
| rowspan=3 | 1914
| rowspan=3 | Nonsectarian
| rowspan=3 | 4,652
| rowspan=3 | [[Johnson & Wales Wildcats|Wildcats]]
| 2016{{sup|m.i.h.}}
| 2018{{sup|m.i.h.}}
| rowspan=3 | C. New England (CNE)
| rowspan=2 | {{sortname|Men's|ice hockey|nolink=y}}
|-
| 2024{{sup|m.i.h.}}
| 2025{{sup|m.i.h.}}
|-
| 2024{{sup|w.i.h.}}
| 2025{{sup|w.i.h.}}
| {{sortname|Women's|ice hockey|nolink=y}}
|-
| '''[[Suffolk University]]'''
| [[Boston|Boston, Massachusetts]]
| 1906
| Nonsectarian
| 16,095
| [[Suffolk Rams|Rams]]
| 2016
| 2018
| C. New England (CNE)
| {{sortname|Men's|ice hockey|nolink=y}}
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=fass}}

===Membership timeline===
<timeline>
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize  = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1984 till:2030
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5

Colors =
          id:line value:black
          id:bg value:white
          id:Full value:rgb(0.7,0.9,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
          id:FullxF value:rgb(0.9,0.8,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
          id:AssocF value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
          id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.8,0.9,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
          id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
          id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference when the other color has already been used

PlotData=
  width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

  bar:1 color:FullxF from:1984 till:2011 text:[[Anna Maria College|Anna Maria]] (1984–2011)
  bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2025 text:[[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|GNAC]]
  bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2025 till:end text:[[Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference|MASCAC]]

  bar:2 color:FullxF from:1984 till:1987 text:[[United States Coast Guard Academy|Coast Guard]] (1984–1987)
  bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1990
  bar:2 shift:(15) color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:1998 text:[[Constitution Athletic Conference|Constitution]]
  bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:end text:[[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference|NEWMAC]]

  bar:3 color:FullxF from:1984 till:2017 text:[[Curry College|Curry]] (1984–present)
  bar:3 color:Full from:2017 till:end

  bar:4 color:FullxF from:1984 till:1989  text:[[Emerson College|Emerson]] (1984–1989)
  bar:4 shift:(15) color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:1995 text:Ind.
  bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2013 text:[[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|GNAC]]
  bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:[[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference|NEWMAC]]

  bar:5 color:FullxF from:1984 till:1985 text:[[Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology|Hellenic]] (1984–1985), then dropped athletics

  bar:6 color:FullxF from:1984 till:2017 text:[[Salve Regina University|Salve Regina]] (1984–2023)
  bar:6 color:Full from:2017 till:2023
  bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:[[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference|NEWMAC]]

  bar:7 color:FullxF from:1984 till:end text:[[Wentworth Institute of Technology|Wentworth]] (1984–present)

  bar:8 color:FullxF from:1985 till:end text:[[Roger Williams University|Roger Williams]] (1985–present)

  bar:9 color:FullxF from:1987 till:end text:[[Gordon College (Massachusetts)|Gordon (Mass.)]] (1987–present)

  bar:10 color:FullxF from:1988 till:2011 text:[[Regis College, Massachusetts|Regis (Mass.)]] (1988–2011)
  bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2017 text:[[New England Collegiate Conference|NECC]]
  bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:2017 till:end text:[[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|GNAC]]

  bar:11 color:FullxF from:1989 till:2011 text:[[New England College|New England (N.H.)]] (1989–2011)
  bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2018 text:[[North Atlantic Conference|NAC]]
  bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:2018 till:2023 text:[[New England Collegiate Conference|NECC]]
  bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:2025 text:[[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|GNAC]]
  bar:11 color:AssocF from:2025 till:end text:[[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|GNAC]] (CNE fb.)

  bar:12 color:FullxF from:1992 till:2018  text:[[Eastern Nazarene College|Eastern Nazarene]] (1992–2018)
  bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:2023 text:[[New England Collegiate Conference|NECC]]
  bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:2025 text:[[North Atlantic Conference|NAC]]

  bar:13 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2011  text:[[Colby–Sawyer College|Colby–Sawyer]] (1995–2011)
  bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2018 text:[[North Atlantic Conference|NAC]]
  bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:2018 till:2024 text:[[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|GNAC]]
  bar:13 shift:(-50) color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:[[Great Northeast Athletic Conference|GNAC]] (2024–present, CNE m.ten.)

  bar:14 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2017 text:[[Nichols College|Nichols]] (1995–present)
  bar:14 color:Full from:2017 till:end

  bar:15 color:FullxF from:1999 till:2017 text:[[Endicott College|Endicott]] (1999–present)
  bar:15 color:Full from:2017 till:end

  bar:16 color:FullxF from:1999 till:2018 text:[[University of New England (United States)|New England (Me.)]] (1999–present)
  bar:16 color:Full from:2018 till:end

  bar:17 color:FullxF from:2007 till:2017 text:[[Western New England University|Western New England]] (2007–present)
  bar:17 color:Full from:2017 till:end

  bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2016 till:2017 text:[[Becker College|Becker]] (2016–2021, m.i.h.; 2017–2021, fb.)
  bar:18 color:AssocF from:2017 till:2021 text:

  bar:19 color:AssocOS from:2016 till:2018 text:[[Johnson and Wales University|JWU]] (2016–18, m.i.h.; 2024–25, i.h.; 2025–future, full)
  bar:19 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:2025 text:
  bar:19 color:FullXF from:2025 till:end text:

  bar:20 color:AssocOS from:2016 till:2018 text:[[Suffolk University|Suffolk]] (2016–2018, m.i.h.; 2020–present, full)
  bar:20 color:FullXF from:2020 till:end text:

  bar:21 color:AssocF from:2019 till:end text:[[Husson University|Husson]] (2019–present, fb.)

  bar:22 color:FullXF from:2023 till:end text:[[University of Hartford|Hartford]] (2023–present)

  bar:23 shift:(-90) color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:[[University of Saint Joseph|Saint Joseph (Conn.)]] (2024–present, m.ten.)

  bar:24 shift:(-60) color:AssocF from:2025 till:end text:[[Maine Maritime University|Maine Maritime]] (2025–future, fb.)

  bar:N color:red from:1984 till:2024 text:Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC)
  bar:N shift:(-60) color:blue from:2024 till:end text:Conference of New England (CNE)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:3 start:1985
TextData =
 fontsize:M
 textcolor:black
 pos:(0,20) tabs:(400-center)
 text:^"Conference of New England membership history"

#> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space.
{{Font color||{{RGB|178|229|204}}|&nbsp;Full member (all sports)&nbsp;}}
{{Font color||{{RGB|229|204|178}}|&nbsp;Full member (non-football)&nbsp;}}
{{Font color||{{RGB|229|178|204}}|&nbsp;Associate member (football-only)&nbsp;}}
<#
</timeline>

{{Font color||{{RGB|178|229|204}}|&nbsp;Full member (all sports)&nbsp;}}
{{Font color||{{RGB|229|204|178}}|&nbsp;Full member (non-football)&nbsp;}}
{{Font color||{{RGB|229|178|204}}|&nbsp;Associate member (football)&nbsp;}}
{{Font color||{{RGB|204|229|178}}|&nbsp;Associate member (sport)&nbsp;}}

==Sports==
{{see also| Conference of New England men's basketball tournament|Conference of New England men's ice hockey tournament}}
The CNE sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in 20 sports. The conference started sponsoring [[American football|football]] in the 2017–18 season, absorbing the former football-only New England Football Conference. From 2017 to 2021 football was operated as a single-sport conference branded [[Commonwealth Coast Football]].<ref>{{cite web |date=October 5, 2015 |title=Commonwealth Coast Conference To Administer Football Championship Beginning in 2017-18 |url=http://cccathletics.com/sports/general/2015-16/Releases/CCCFootball |access-date=March 30, 2022 |publisher=Commonwealth Coast Conference}}</ref> Due to changes in NCAA legislation regarding the number of members required for a conference to receive and automatic qualifier (AQ), football was fully incorporated into the multi-sport conference in 2022, eliminating the need for the football-only league. Women's ice hockey was added as a conference sport in 2020–21 when the CNE took over operations of the [[Colonial Hockey Conference]].<ref>{{cite web|date=October 4, 2019 |title=CCC To Administer Women’s Ice Hockey Starting In 2020-21 |url=https://www.cccathletics.com/sports/wice/2019-20/releases/WIHAdd|publisher=Commonwealth Coast Conference|language=en|access-date=March 30, 2022}}</ref> Women's golf will be added in 2025–26.<ref name=WGolf25/>

{| class="wikitable" style=
|+ '''Championship sports'''
!Sport||Men's||Women's
|-
|[[Baseball]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|[[Basketball]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|[[Cross country running|Cross country]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|[[Field hockey]]|| ||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|[[American football|Football]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|[[Golf]]||{{center|{{Y}}}} || {{center|''2025–26''}}
|-
|[[Ice hockey]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|[[Lacrosse]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|[[Soccer]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|[[Softball]]|| ||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|[[Tennis]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|[[Track and field]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|[[Volleyball]]|| ||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|}
{|class="wikitable"
|+Sports sponsorship
!School
!{{Abbr|BASE|Baseball}}
!{{Abbr|SOFT|Softball}}
!{{Abbr|MBB|men's Basketball}}
!{{Abbr|WBB|women's Basketball}}
!{{Abbr|MXC|men's Cross Country}}
!{{Abbr|WXC|women's Cross Country}}
!{{Abbr|FH|Field Hockey}}
!{{Abbr|FB|Football}}
!{{Abbr|MGOL|men's Golf}}
!{{Abbr|MIH|men's Ice Hockey}}
!{{Abbr|WIH|women's Ice Hockey}}
!{{Abbr|MLAX|men's Lacrosse}}
!{{Abbr|WLAX|women's Lacrosse}}
!{{Abbr|MSOC|men's Soccer}}
!{{Abbr|WSOC|women's Soccer}}
!{{Abbr|MTEN|men's Tennis}}
!{{Abbr|WTEN|women's Tennis}}
!{{Abbr|MT&F|men's Track and Field}}
!{{Abbr|WT&F|women's Track and Field}}
!{{Abbr|WVB|women's Volleyball}}
|-
|Curry
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|Endicott
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|Gordon
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|Hartford
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|Nichols
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|Roger Williams
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|Suffolk
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|U. of New England
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|Wentworth
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=eeeeee
|Western New England
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-bgcolor=dddddd
|Colby–Sawyer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|
|
|-bgcolor=cccccc
|Husson
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-bgcolor=dddddd
|St. Joseph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|{{center|{{Y}}}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!Total
!9
!10
!10
!10
!10
!10
!6
!6
!9
!7
!6
!9
!9
!10
!10
!10
!8
!6
!7
!10
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website}}

{{The Conference of New England navbox}}
{{NCAA Division III conference navbox}}
{{NCAA Division III football conference navbox}}
{{NCAA Division III hockey conferences}}

[[Category:Conference of New England| ]]
[[Category:NCAA Division III ice hockey conferences]]