BOSTON — With Division III football in New England continuing to grow and develop, the commissioners of four conferences in the region have decided to provide teams with some added postseason incentive.
Officials from the the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference, the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the New England Football Conference/Commonwealth Coast Conference and the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference have established the New England Bowl.
The contest, which will feature the two top teams from those leagues that were not selected for inclusion in the NCAA Division III Football Championship, will be played on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Each of the 27 institutions from those conferences will be eligible to participate in the inaugural New England Bowl. The ECFC, MASCAC, NEFC/CCC and NEWMAC commissioners will select the two combatants — and the host institution — after the announcement of the 32-team NCAA tournament field on Sunday, Nov. 13.
In 2016, teams competing in the ECFC, MASCAC and NEFC, as well as NEWMAC teams competing in other conferences based outside the region, will be eligible to play in the New England Bowl. In 2017, the NEFC will be rebranded as CCC Football, and the NEWMAC will offer football for the first time.
That extensive sampling includes Husson University of Bangor (ECFC) and Maine Maritime Academy of Castine (NEFC in 2016, NEWMAC in 2017). The fledgling program at the University of New England in Biddeford (CCC) hits the field in 2017.
“The Division III New England Commissioners Association is committed to working together to provide opportunities for our student-athletes that will enhance their experiences at our member institutions, and the New England Bowl is the beginning of that collaboration,” NEWMAC Executive Director Patrick B. Summers said in a press release.
The commissioners will choose the bowl teams from those with an overall winning percentage of 0.667 based on criteria including, overall record, conference record, conference standing, head-to-head results, and results versus teams selected for the NCAA tournament.
“Division III football in New England has a long and storied tradition,” said NEFC and CCC Commissioner Gregg M. Kaye. “The opportunity for student-athletes to share a postseason experience with their teammates is an important achievement that remains with participants in all sports well beyond their collegiate years.”
“Our group is excited to provide a first-rate championship experience to our members and continue to enhance the experience for participants for years to come,” said ECFC Commissioner Katie Boldvich.