NESCAC Soccer: A Parent & Player’s Guide
For players who want to play college soccer and challenge themselves academically, the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) should be considered.
The NESCAC is a conference made up of ten private colleges in New England. The conference includes both men’s and women’s soccer teams, and the competition is very good!
If you are a standout high school, MLS NEXT, ECNL, or Girls Academy player, you should keep reading to see if a NESCAC should be included in your list of colleges to consider.
NESCAC Soccer Overview
History of NESCAC Soccer
The NESCAC league was founded in 1971 and has since become one of the most competitive soccer leagues in the country. The league is a member of the NCAA Division III and is known for its high level of athletics and academic excellence.
The NESCAC soccer league has a rich history of producing talented players who have gone on to play professionally or transfer to a D1 university.
Even though there’s a perception that D3 college soccer is weak, this is not the case for the NESCAC conference. Both boys and girls conferences can compete with many D2 schools.
11 Member Institutions
The NESCAC soccer league includes eleven member institutions, each of which has a strong tradition of academic excellence and athletic achievement. The member institutions are:
- Amherst College (Amherst, MA)
- Bates College (Lewiston, ME)
- Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME)
- Colby College (Waterville, ME)
- Connecticut College (New London, CT)
- Hamilton College (Clinton, NY)
- Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT)
- Trinity College (Hartford, CT)
- Tufts University (Medford, MA)
- Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT)
- Williams College (Williamstown, MA)
NESCAC Acceptance Rates
According to koppelmangroup.com, here are the acceptance rates for each school…
- Bowdoin College: 9.1%
- Colby College: 9.7%
- Amherst College: 11.3%
- Bates College: 12.1%
- Williams College: 12.6%
- Tufts University: 15%
- Middlebury College: 15.4%
- Hamilton College: 16.4%
- Wesleyan University: 16.5%
- Trinity College: 33.5%
- Connecticut College: 37.4%
NESCAC Championships and Records
2023 Champions
- Men’s Champions: Amherst Mammoths
- Women’s Champions: Amherst Mammoths
Men’s All-Time Records
The NESCAC men’s soccer championship has been dominated by a few teams over the years. The Amherst Mammoths, Williams Ephs, and Middlebury Panthers have won the most. Other teams with at least one championship include the Bowdoin Polar Bears, Bates Bobcats, and Trinity Bantams.
Below is a table showing the all-time champions:
| Team | Championships |
|---|---|
| Amherst | 7 |
| Williams | 6 |
| Middlebury | 3 |
| Bowdoin | 2 |
| Bates | 1 |
| Trinity | 1 |
Women’s All-Time Records
On the women’s side, the championships mirror the men’s with Amherst, Williams, and Middlebury having five or more trophies.
Here is the complete list.
| Team | Championships |
|---|---|
| Williams | 8 |
| Amherst | 7 |
| Middlebury | 5 |
| Bates | 1 |
| Connecticut College | 1 |
| Tufts | 1 |
For more information about the NESCAC and the different programs, head over to nescac.com.
Written By: Beau Bridges
Founder of SoccerNovo
I’m Beau 👋 a proud dad of an MLS NEXT player, former soccer coach, soccer enthusiast, and board member of our local youth sports program. I created soccernovo.com to share my knowledge of the game and help parents learn more about youth soccer in the U.S. I also authored an eBook ‘Soccer Coach Made Simple‘. Learn more about Beau.
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