North_Eastern_Athletic_Conference

United East Conference

United East Conference

American college athletic conference

"North Eastern Athletic Conference" redirects here. For other uses, see Northeastern Athletic Conference (disambiguation).

The United East Conference (UEC), formerly known as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC), is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

Quick Facts Formerly, Association ...

History

The North Eastern Athletic Conference was founded in 2004. The original membership consisted of the following schools: Baptist Bible College (now known as Clarks Summit University), Bard College, Philadelphia Biblical University (now known as Cairn University), Cazenovia College, Chestnut Hill College, D'Youville College (now a university), Keuka College, Keystone College, Penn State-Berks, Polytechnic University (later known as the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and now fully merged into NYU as its Tandon School of Engineering), State University of New York at Purchase (SUNY Purchase), and Villa Julie College (now known as Stevenson University).

At the conclusion of the 2006–07 season, the NEAC had a shifting of membership losing five institutions and gaining three new members. The departing members were: Bard, Chestnut Hill, Polytechnic (N.Y.), SUNY Purchase, and Stevenson; while the new members were: Penn State-Harrisburg, Wells College, and Wilson College (Pa.). The NEAC consisted of 10 members in the 2007–08 season.

At the conclusion of the 2007–08 season, the NEAC lost an additional three institutions while gaining two new members. The departing members were: Baptist Bible, Cairn, and Keystone (all to the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference, later renamed the Colonial States Athletic Conference). The new members were State University of New York at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) and State University of New York Institute of Technology (SUNYIT); the latter is now known as SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly). The NEAC consisted of nine members in the 2008–09 season.

The NEAC accepted four associate member institutions for the 2008–09 season; they were: Medaille College (later a university; for men's and women's lacrosse), Rutgers University–Camden (for men's golf), State University of New York at Oneonta (for men's tennis), and the University of Dallas (in men's soccer, men's golf, men's & women's cross country, and men's & women's basketball). The University of Dallas also competed in women's volleyball to the NEAC in the 2009–10 season.

At the conclusion of the 2008–09 season, the NEAC lost an additional founding member in D'Youville. In the 2009–10 season, the NEAC welcomed three additional new members in the College of Saint Elizabeth, Penn State-Abington, and State University of New York at Morrisville (SUNY Morrisville). The NEAC had accepted four associate member institutions in that same season. Additionally, the NEAC also began a three year partnership with the North Atlantic Conference in four sports: baseball; women's lacrosse; and men's and women's tennis. Departing the NEAC at the conclusion of the 2009–10 season were associate members the University of Dallas and SUNY Oneonta.

In the 2010–11 season, the NEAC welcomed by Gallaudet University. In the 2011–12 season, the NEAC gained one new full member in Lancaster Bible College while Rutgers–Camden (already an associate member in men's golf) joined the NEAC in men's tennis. The partnership between the NEAC and the NAC ended for baseball and women's lacrosse following the 2011–12 season.

At the conclusion of the 2012–13 season, the NEAC lost one full member in Penn State Harrisburg. In the 2013–14 season, the NEAC added Cedar Crest College as an associate member for women's swimming. Beginning in the 2014–15 season, the NEAC accepted two new full members in Bryn Athyn College and Pennsylvania College of Technology. Also in that same season, Wilson College, a former women's college that became co-educational in the 2013–14 school year, began a men's athletic program, and four other schools became men's volleyball associates.

Changes in the NEAC membership have continued to the present. On August 30, 2017, Bryn Athyn and Wilson announced that they would leave the NEAC for the Colonial States Athletic Conference in the 2018–19 school year.[1] The next change of membership came in 2019–20 with the return of Penn State Harrisburg[2] and the departure of Saint Elizabeth for the Colonial States Athletic Conference.[3] In July 2020, the NEAC lost four members, with Keuka departing for the Empire 8 Conference[4] and Cazenovia, SUNY Cobleskill, and SUNY Poly leaving for the North Atlantic Conference.[5] The NEAC membership returned to 9 in 2021 with the arrival of St. Mary's College of Maryland.[6]

On August 2, 2021, the conference revealed that they were rebranding themselves as the United East Conference.[7] The conference said that the name “United East” was chosen because it describes the conference’s commitment to collaborate on a shared mission in a diverse environment while also still giving a nod to the geographical placement of the member schools.

On March 1, 2022, SUNY Morrisville announced that it would leave the United East to join the North Atlantic Conference starting in the 2023–24 academic year.[8]

On July 6, 2022, the United East Conference announced that Clark Summit joined the conference as an associate member in men's golf and men's tennis starting in the 2022–23 academic year.[9][10]

On August 15, 2022, Wells announced that it would leave the United East to join the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference starting in the 2023–24 academic year.[11]

On December 19, 2022, the United East Conference and the Colonial States Athletic Conference announced their intent to merge beginning with the 2023-24 academic year. The merger was intended to address the evolving landscape of higher education by stabilizing conference membership and solidifying the sport sponsorship currently offered by the existing conferences. This merger also provided member institutions an opportunity to decrease the number of associate memberships necessary to support the current sport offerings on each respective campus. When the merger was finalized sports with a large number of members would compete in north and south divisions.[12][13]

On June 23, 2023, the CSAC and United East officially announced that the merged conference would retain the United East name, officially ending the CSAC on July 1, 2023.[14] Consequently, all ten members from the CSAC (Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Clarks Summit University, Keystone College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, the University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College of Pennsylvania) joined the United East.

On January 4, 2024, the United East accepted Penn State Brandywine's application to become a full member of the conference beginning in 2024–25.[15]

Chronological timeline

United East Conference
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
50km
30miles
Gallaudet
PS-Brandywine
Wilson
Valley Forge
Saint Elizabeth
Rosemont
Notre Dame (MD)
Keystone
Clarks Summit
Cedar Crest
Cairn
Bryn Athyn
St Mary's
PS-Harrisburg
PS-Berks
PS-Abington
Penn College
.
LBC
Locations of United East members:
Skye Division
Volt Division
Future
  • 2004 – In 2004, the United East was founded as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC). Charter members included Baptist Bible College (now Clarks Summit University), Bard College, Philadelphia Biblical University (now Cairn University), Cazenovia College, Chestnut Hill College, D'Youville College, Keuka College, Keystone College, Penn State-Berks, Polytechnic University (later the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and now the NYU Tandon School of Engineering), the State University of New York at Purchase (SUNY Purchase), and Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University), beginning the 2004–05 academic year.
  • 2007 – Five institutions left the NEAC to join their respective new home primary conferences: Bard, Polytechnic (N.Y.) and SUNY Purchase to the Skyline Conference, Chestnut Hill to the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), and Stevenson to the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC), all after the 2006–07 academic year.
  • 2007 – Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg, Wells College and Wilson College joined the NEAC in the 2007–08 academic year.
  • 2008 – Clarks Summit, Cairn, and Keystone left the NEAC to join the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC; later renamed the Colonial States Athletic Conference [CSAC]) after the 2007–08 academic year.
  • 2008 – The State University of New York at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) and the State University of New York Institute of Technology (SUNYIT, now the SUNY Polytechnic Institute, or SUNY Poly) joined the NEAC in the 2008–09 academic year.
  • 2008 – Four institutions joined the NEAC as associate members: Medaille College for men's and women's lacrosse, Rutgers University–Camden for men's golf, the State University of New York at Oneonta for men's tennis, and the University of Dallas for men's soccer, men's golf, men's & women's cross country, and men's & women's basketball (despite the latter's conference affiliation as an all-sports member remains as a D-III Independent school), all in the 2008–09 academic year.
  • 2009 – D'Youville left the NEAC to join the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) after the 2008–09 academic year.
  • 2009 – The College of Saint Elizabeth (now Saint Elizabeth University), Penn State University at Abington and the State University of New York at Morrisville (SUNY Morrisville) joined the NEAC in the 2009–10 academic year.
  • 2009 – Dallas added women's volleyball to its NEAC associate membership in the 2009 fall season (2009–10 academic year).
  • 2009 – The NEAC had accepted four associate member institutions in that same season. Additionally, the NEAC also began a three year partnership with the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) in four sports: baseball, women's lacrosse, and men's and women's tennis.
  • 2010 – Two institutions left the NEAC as associate members: Dallas for most sports sponsored during its tenure and SUNY Oneonta for men's tennis, both after the 2009–10 academic year.
  • 2010 – Gallaudet University joined the NEAC in the 2010–11 academic year.
  • 2011 – Lancaster Bible College joined the NEAC in the 2011–12 academic year.
  • 2011 – Rutgers–Camden added men's tennis to its NEAC associate membership in the 2012 spring season (2011–12 academic year).
  • 2012 – The partnership between the NEAC and the NAC ended for baseball and women's lacrosse after the 2011–12 academic year.
  • 2012 – Hilbert College joined the NEAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse in the 2013 spring season (2012–13 academic year).
  • 2013 – Penn State–Harrisburg left the NEAC to join the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC, now the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference or C2C) after the 2012–13 academic year.
  • 2013 – Cedar Crest College joined the NEAC as an associate member for women's swimming in the 2013–14 academic year.
  • 2014 – Rutgers–Camden left the NEAC as an associate member for men's tennis after the 2014 spring season (2013–14 academic year).
  • 2014 – Wilson (Pa.) added men's sports into its athletic program in the 2014–15 academic year.
  • 2014 – Bryn Athyn College and the Pennsylvania College of Technology (Penn College) joined the NEAC in the 2014–15 academic year.
  • 2014 – The NEAC added men's volleyball along with four institutions as associate members for that sport (Hilbert and Medaille, former full member D'Youville, and Pennsylvania State University at Altoona) in the 2015 spring season (2014–15 academic year).
  • 2017 – D'Youville, Hilbert, Medaille and Penn State–Altoona left the NEAC as associate members for men's volleyball after the 2017 spring season (2016–17 academic year).
  • 2018 – Bryn Athyn and Wilson (Pa.) left the NEAC to join the CSAC after the 2017–18 academic year.
  • 2019 – Saint Elizabeth (N.J.) left the NEAC to join the CSAC after the 2018–19 academic year.
  • 2019 – Penn State–Harrisburg re-joined the NEAC in the 2019–20 academic year.
  • 2020 – Four institutions left the NEAC to join their respective new home primary conferences: Cazenovia, SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Poly for the NAC, and Keuka for the Empire 8, all after the 2019–20 academic year.
  • 2021 – Cedar Crest left the NEAC as an associate member for women's swimming after the 2020–21 academic year.
  • 2021 – St. Mary's College of Maryland joined the NEAC in the 2021–22 academic year.
  • 2021 – Rosemont College joined the NEAC as an associate member for men's golf (alongside former full member Wilson (Pa.) re-joining as an associate), both in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year).
  • 2021 – The NEAC was re-branded as the United East Conference, beginning the 2021–22 academic year.
  • 2022 – Clark Summit joined the United East as an associate member for men's golf and men's tennis in the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year).
  • 2022 – The United East Conference and the Colonial States Athletic Conference announced their intent to merge beginning with the 2023–24 academic year.
  • 2023 – Two institutions left the United East to join their respective new home primary conferences: SUNY Morrisville to the NAC, and Wells to the AMCC, both after the 2022–23 academic year.
  • 2023 – The United East and the CSAC officially announced that the merged conference would retain the United East name, officially ending the CSAC on July 1. Consequently, all ten members from the CSAC (Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Clarks Summit University, Keystone College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, the University of Valley Forge and Wilson College of Pennsylvania) joined the United East as full members, beginning the 2023–24 academic year. Clarks Summit (formerly Baptist Bible), Keystone, Cairn (formerly Philadelphia Biblical), Wilson (Pa.), Saint Elizabeth (N.J.) and Bryn Athyn were all former full members at one point during their tenure within the United East (formerly known as the NEAC) before the rebrand in 2021.
  • 2024 – Penn State–Brandywine joins the United East in the 2024–25 academic year, the first new member after the merger.

Member schools

Current members

The United East currently has seventeen full members, twelve of which are private, with two public and three hybrid:

More information Institution, Location ...
Notes
  1. Bryn Athyn left the United East (then the NEAC on its first stint) after the 2017–18 school year before re-joining as a full member in the 2023–24 school year.
  2. Cairn was known as Philadelphia Biblical University throughout its first stint in the NEAC. It adopted its current name in 2012.
  3. Cairn left the United East (then the NEAC on its first stint) after the 2007–08 school year before re-joining as a full member in the 2023–24 school year.
  4. This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
  5. Cedar Crest was an associate member for women's swimming between the 2013–14 and 2020–21 school years, before joining as a full member in the 2023–24 school year.
  6. Clarks Summit was known as Baptist Bible College & Seminary throughout its first stint in the NEAC. The school name was changed to Summit University of Pennsylvania in 2015, and to Clarks Summit University in 2016.
  7. Clarks Summit (when it was known as Baptist Bible College) was a former full member of the NEAC/United East from 2004–05 to 2007–08, then joined as an associate member for men's golf and men's tennis in the 2022–23 school year, before re-joining as a full member in the 2023–24 school year.
  8. Keystone left the United East (then the NEAC on its first stint) after the 2007–08 school year before re-joining as a full member in the 2023–24 school year.
  9. This institution is a former women's college, which has eventually turned into a co-educational college (Rosemont since 2009–10, Wilson since 2013–14, Saint Elizabeth since 2016–17, and Notre Dame of Maryland since 2023–24).
  10. Rosemont was an associate member for men's golf since the 2021–22 school year, before joining as a full member in the 2023–24 school year.
  11. Saint Elizabeth (N.J.) was known as The College of Saint Elizabeth during its first stint as a member.
  12. Saint Elizabeth left the United East (then the NEAC on its first stint) after the 2018–19 school year, before re-joining in the 2023–24 school year.
  13. Wilson (Pa.) left the United East (then the NEAC on its first stint) after the 2017–18 school year, then joined as an associate member for men's golf, in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) before re-joining as a full member in the 2023–24 school year.
  14. Part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education (CSHE) of Pennsylvania.
  15. Penn State–Harrisburg left the United East (then the NEAC on its first stint) after the 2012–13 school year, before re-joining in the 2019–20 school year.

Future member

More information Institution, Location ...
Notes
  1. Part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education (CSHE) of Pennsylvania.

Associate members

The United East currently has four associate members, all but one are private schools:

More information Institution, Location ...
Notes
  1. Rutgers–Camden competed in the NEAC/United East as an associate member for men's tennis from the 2012 to 2014 spring seasons (2011–12 to 2013–14 school years).

Former members

The United East had twelve full members, all but four are private schools:

More information Institution, Location ...
Notes
  1. Cazenovia closed its doors after 2022–23 school year.
  2. D'Youville was D'Youville College throughout its tenure in the NEAC. It adopted its current name in 2022.
  3. D'Youville changed its nickname from Spartans to Saints in 2020.
  4. Keuka changed its nickname from Storm to Wolves in 2014.
  5. The NYU engineering school was the standalone Polytechnic University while in the NEAC. Polytechnic became affiliated with New York University (NYU) in 2008 as the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (athletically known as NYU Poly), and merged completely into NYU in 2014. And as part of the final merger of NYU Poly with NYU, Poly's athletics program was merged into that of NYU.
  6. Part of the State University of New York System.
  7. Stevenson was known as Villa Julie College throughout its tenure in the NEAC. It adopted its current name in 2008.

Former associate members

The United East has had seven former associate members, with four being private schools and three public. One of these schools, Rutgers–Camden, is currently a United East associate in a different sport.

More information Institution, Location ...
Notes
  1. Dallas competed in what was then the NEAC for some sports (men's soccer, men's golf, men's & women's cross country, and men's & women's basketball joined from 2008-09 to 2009-10; later men's volleyball in the 2009-10 season).
  2. D'Youville was a full member of the NEAC/United East from 2004–05 to 2008–09. It was designated a university in 2022.
  3. D'Youville changed its nickname from Spartans to Saints in 2020.
  4. The AMCC began sponsoring men's volleyball in the 2017–18 school year.
  5. Medaille announced that it would cease all operations and close on August 31, 2023.
  6. Part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education (CSHE) of Pennsylvania.
  7. Rutgers–Camden remains in the United East as an associate member for men's golf.

Membership timeline

Penn State BrandywineUniversity of Valley ForgeNotre Dame of Maryland UniversityRosemont CollegeSt. Mary's College of MarylandPennsylvania College of TechnologyColonial States Athletic ConferenceBryn Athyn CollegeColonial States Athletic ConferenceCedar Crest CollegeLancaster Bible CollegeGallaudet UniversityNorth Atlantic ConferenceState University of New York at MorrisvilleColonial States Athletic ConferenceSaint Elizabeth UniversityPenn State AbingtonNorth Atlantic ConferenceState University of New York Polytechnic InstituteNorth Atlantic ConferenceState University of New York at CobleskillColonial States Athletic ConferenceWilson College (Pennsylvania)Allegheny Mountain Collegiate ConferenceWells CollegeCoast to Coast Athletic ConferencePenn State HarrisburgMAC Commonwealth ConferenceCoast to Coast Athletic ConferenceStevenson UniversitySkyline ConferenceState University of New York at PurchaseCairn UniversityColonial States Athletic ConferenceCairn UniversityPenn State BerksSkyline ConferenceNew York University Tandon School of EngineeringColonial States Athletic ConferenceKeystone CollegeEmpire 8Keuka CollegeEast Coast ConferenceAllegheny Mountain Collegiate ConferenceD'Youville UniversityCentral Atlantic Collegiate ConferenceChestnut Hill CollegeNorth Atlantic ConferenceCazenovia CollegeLiberty LeagueSkyline ConferenceBard CollegeClarks Summit UniversityColonial States Athletic ConferenceClarks Summit University

Sports

See also: United East Men's Basketball Championship
More information Sport, Men's ...

Men's sports

More information School, Baseball ...
Notes
    Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the United East that are played by United East schools
    More information School, Football ...

    Women's sports

    More information School, Basketball ...
    Notes
      Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the United East that are played by United East schools
      More information School, Golf ...

      See also

      References

      1. [1]
        "CSAC Adds Two New Members for 2018-19" (Press release). Colonial States Athletic Conference. August 30, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
      2. [2]
        "NEAC Welcomes Penn State Harrisburg for 2019-20" (Press release). North Eastern Athletic Conference. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
      3. [3]
        "CSAC Adds New Member for 2019-20" (Press release). Colonial States Athletic Conference. March 21, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
      4. [4]
        "Keuka College to Join the Empire 8 Conference Beginning in the Fall of 2020" (Press release). Empire 8 Conference. January 30, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
      5. [5]
        "North Atlantic Conference Expands with Three New Members in 2020–21" (Press release). North Atlantic Conference. August 20, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
      6. [6]
        "St. Mary's College of Maryland to Join North Eastern Athletic Conference in 2021" (Press release). North Eastern Athletic Conference. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
      7. [7]
        "The United East Has Arrived" (Press release). United East Conference. August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
      8. [8]
        "SUNY Morrisville to join North Atlantic Conference in 2023 - SUNY Morrisville".
      9. [9]
        "Clarks Summit Joins United East in Men's Tennis & Men's Golf - United East Conference".
      10. [10]
        "Clarks Summit Joins United East Conference in Men's Tennis and Golf - Clarks Summit University Athletics".
      11. [11]
        "Wells College to Join the AMCC Starting 2023-24". 15 August 2022.
      12. [12]
        "CSAC AND UNITED EAST CONFERENCE - INTENT TO MERGE" (Press release). Colonial States Conference. December 19, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
      13. [13]
        "CSAC and United East Conference - Intent to Merge".
      14. [14]
        "United East Conference and Colonial States Athletic Conference Officially Merge". The Southern Maryland Chronicle. June 23, 2023.
      15. [15]
        "Penn State Brandywine to join United East Conference in 2024-25". PennState. January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
      Share this article:

      This article uses material from the Wikipedia article North_Eastern_Athletic_Conference, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.