Conference of New England Set to Absorb New England Volleyball Conference
SMITHFIELD, R.I. — The New England Volleyball Conference (NEVC) will undergo membership changes beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year.
The Conference of New England (CNE) announced on Tuesday morning, in alignment and collaboration with the NEWMAC, Empire 8, and United Volleyball Conference, that it will add Men’s Volleyball as its 22nd championship sport, effective with the 2026-27 academic year.
“In response to the ongoing movement in our region, our membership opted to use this as an opportunity to intentionally position our programs for stabilized success that maintained access to NCAA championships moving forward,” said NEVC and CNE CommissionerPatrick Colbert.
“It was clear that the best path forward was working to move our programs into a multisport conference that would continue to serve our members at a high level,” continued Colbert. “This is an exciting day for our institutions, and we look forward to celebrating the NEVC brand through the 2025-26 academic year.”
The CNE will absorb six NEVC members, including three CNE core members – Curry College, Endicott College, and Nichols College. Bard College, VSU-Johnson, and SUNY Potsdam will also stay on as associates of the CNE.
Additionally, the nationally renowned program from Wentworth Institute of Technology will also transition its program into the CNE, bringing the total membership to seven.
Current NEVC members Russell Sage College and SUNY Poly will depart for their multisport conference, the Empire 8.
Both Nichols and Endicott bring top resumes to the CNE from their success in the NEVC, with Nichols reaching the NCAA Quarterfinals earlier this season.
Curry just finished their inaugural men’s volleyball season this spring and will play as a part of the NEVC for the 2026 spring season.
Bard College made the NEVC postseason this past season, sporting the league’s Rookie of the Year in Ansel Waisler.
VSU-Johnson 2025 season was highlighted by strong play from Owen Marchessault. The rising junior was among the league’s best in digs per set.
An NEVC semifinalist, SUNY Potsdam went 18-8 overall and 5-1 in the league in 2025. The Bears ran off 12 consecutive wins from March 7 through April 12 when they were stopped short in the NEVC Semifinals by Endicott Gulls.
While the NEVC will cease operations following the 2025-26 academic year, this collaboration allows all seven institutions to be eligible to earn access to CNE Championships and an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Championship starting in the spring of 2027.
About the NEVC
The NEVC is an NCAA Division III single-sport conference sponsoring the sport of men’s volleyball. The conference is comprised of eight institutions, Bard College, Curry College, Endicott College, Nichols College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, SUNY Potsdam, Russell Sage College and VSU-Johnson.