NEFC Timeline
Chronology
1965 - The New England Football Conference is
founded by charter members Curry, Bridgewater State and Maine
Maritime.
1971 - Plymouth State and New England College
become conference members.
1972 - Nichols College and Boston State become
conference members.
1972 - New England College suspends football
program following '72 season; Mass. Maritime Academy becomes
conference member.
1973 - Framingham State and New Haven become
conference members.
1979 - Western Connecticut State becomes
conference member.
1981 - Western New England College becomes
conference member.
1981 - New Haven leaves conference, moves to
Division II.
1981 - Boston State suspends football program
following '81 season.
1982 - Westfield State becomes conference
member.
1985 - Fitchburg State and Worcester State become
conference members.
1985 - Western Connecticut leaves conference to
pursue independent schedule.
1987 - UMass Lowell becomes conference member in
1987, initiating a split into two six-team divisions with
divisional winners meeting in championship playoff game.
1988 - UMass Boston and UMass Dartmouth become
conference members.
1988 - Western New England leaves conference
following '88 season.
1992 - Plymouth State and UMass Lowell join the
Freedom Football Conference; Curry and Nichols join the Eastern
Collegiate Football Conference.
1992 - The conference now numbers nine colleges
that play a round robin schedule.
1997 - Five new members begin conference play in
1998: Curry, Nichols, MIT, Salve Regina and WNEC. The 14-team
conference will have two 7-team divisions.
1999 - Bridgewater State (10-0) receives first
automatic qualification to NCAA playoffs.
2000 - The first Championship game in the 14-team
Conference is scheduled. Wal*Mart agrees to sponsor the game. The
Divisions are re-named with the Red being the Bogan Division and
the Blue becoming the Boyd Division named after the NEFC's first
two commissioners. Bridgewater State defeats Salve Regina 27-24 for
the championship. UMass Boston drops football.
2001 - The Bogan Division plays with only six
teams while the Boyd continues with seven. Endicott College begins
a football program and is admitted into the Boyd Division beginning
with the 2003 season.
2004 - A Most Valuable Player Award is established
for the NEFC Championship Game and is named the William Mottola
Award in honor of the long-time conference commissioner.
2005 - Plymouth State University and the United
States Coast Guard Academy are admitted as members for play
beginning in the 2006 season. Plymouth will enter the Boyd Division
and Coast Guard Academy will compete in the Bogan division.















