The Little East Conference (LEC) is an NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 Division III intercollegiate athletic conference

Athletic conference

An athletic conference is a collection of sports teams, playing competitively against each other at the professional, collegiate, or high school level. In many cases conferences are subdivided into smaller and smaller divisions, with the best teams competing at successively higher levels...

. The member institutions are located in the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 states of Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

, Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

, and Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

.

History

The Little East Conference officially began on April 28, 1986 as a playing conference for men's and women's basketball among six New England institutions: Eastern Connecticut State University

Eastern Connecticut State University

Eastern Connecticut State University is a public, coeducational liberal arts university and is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Eastern is located in Willimantic, Connecticut on . Founded in 1889, it is the second-oldest campus in the Connecticut State University System...

, Plymouth State College (now Plymouth State University

Plymouth State University

Plymouth State University, formerly Plymouth State College, is a regional comprehensive university located in Plymouth, New Hampshire and part of the University System of New Hampshire....

), Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College is a nationally ranked, coeducational, state-supported comprehensive college founded in 1854, located in Providence, Rhode Island, USA...

, Southeastern Massachusetts University (now University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is one of five campuses and operating subdivisions of the University of Massachusetts . It is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States, in the center of the South Coast region, between the cities of New Bedford to the east and Fall River...

), the University of Massachusetts Boston

University of Massachusetts Boston

The University of Massachusetts Boston, also known as UMass Boston, is an urban public research university and the second largest campus in the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. The university is located on on Harbor Point in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States...

, and the University of Southern Maine

University of Southern Maine

The University of Southern Maine is a multi-campus public urban comprehensive university and part of the University of Maine System. USM's three primary campuses are located in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston...

. From the beginning, the conference was officially recognized by the NCAA.

The number of sports contested in the conference has grown to include men's and women's soccer, baseball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor track, men's and women's outdoor track, men's lacrosse, softball, swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis and volleyball, as well as the original men's and women's basketball. The number of participating institutions rose to seven with the addition of Western Connecticut State University

Western Connecticut State University

Western Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...

 in 1993-94 and then to eight for the 1997-98 year as Keene State College

Keene State College

Keene State College is a liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is a member of the University System of New Hampshire and of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges....

 joined.

Since the inception of the Little East Conference, baseball has been the conference's most recognizable sport. Two conference teams, Eastern Connecticut State University and the University of Southern Maine, have won a combined six Division III National Titles. Each year various conference teams are generally recognized in National top 25 polls as well as New England regional polls.

Full members

The league currently has eight full members:

Institution	Location	Team name	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment
Eastern Connecticut State University Eastern Connecticut State University Eastern Connecticut State University is a public, coeducational liberal arts university and is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Eastern is located in Willimantic, Connecticut on . Founded in 1889, it is the second-oldest campus in the Connecticut State University System...	Willimantic, Connecticut Willimantic, Connecticut Willimantic is a census-designated place and former city located in the town of Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was estimated at 15,823 at the 2000 census. It is home to Eastern Connecticut State University, as well as the Windham Textile and History Museum....	Warriors	1889	Public	5,113
Keene State College Keene State College Keene State College is a liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is a member of the University System of New Hampshire and of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges....	Keene, New Hampshire Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,409 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cheshire County.Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England, and hosts the annual Pumpkin Fest...	Owls	1909	Public	6,400
Plymouth State University Plymouth State University Plymouth State University, formerly Plymouth State College, is a regional comprehensive university located in Plymouth, New Hampshire and part of the University System of New Hampshire....	Plymouth, New Hampshire Plymouth, New Hampshire Plymouth is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains Region. Plymouth is located at the convergence of the Pemigewasset and Baker rivers. The population was 6,990 at the 2010 census...	Panthers	1871	Public	5,264
Rhode Island College Rhode Island College Rhode Island College is a nationally ranked, coeducational, state-supported comprehensive college founded in 1854, located in Providence, Rhode Island, USA...	Providence, Rhode Island Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...	Anchormen	1854	Public	9,000
University of Massachusetts Boston University of Massachusetts Boston The University of Massachusetts Boston, also known as UMass Boston, is an urban public research university and the second largest campus in the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. The university is located on on Harbor Point in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States...	Boston, Massachusetts	Beacons	1852	Public	13,433
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth University of Massachusetts Dartmouth The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is one of five campuses and operating subdivisions of the University of Massachusetts . It is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States, in the center of the South Coast region, between the cities of New Bedford to the east and Fall River...	Dartmouth, Massachusetts Dartmouth, Massachusetts Dartmouth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States established in 1664. The population was 30,665 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth....	Corsairs Corsair Corsairs were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French Crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds...	1895	Public	7,261
University of Southern Maine University of Southern Maine The University of Southern Maine is a multi-campus public urban comprehensive university and part of the University of Maine System. USM's three primary campuses are located in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston...	Gorham Gorham, Maine Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 16,381 at the 2010 census. In addition to an urban village center known as Gorham Village or simply "the Village," the town also encompasses a number of smaller, unincorporated villages and hamlets with distinct... , Lewiston Lewiston, Maine Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...  & Portland, Maine Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...	Huskies	1878	Public	10,974
Western Connecticut State University Western Connecticut State University Western Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...	Danbury, Connecticut Danbury, Connecticut Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....	Colonials	1903	Public	6,001

Field hockey

• Bridgewater State University
• Fitchburg State University
• Framingham State University
• Salem State University
• Westfield State University
• Worcester State University

Tennis

• Bridgewater State University
• Salem State University
• Worcester State University

Sports

The LEC sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in men's baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, men's and women's basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, men's and women's cross country

Cross country running

Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

, women's field hockey

Field hockey

Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...

, men's and women's lacrosse

Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...

, men's and women’s soccer, women's softball

Softball

Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

, women's swimming

Swimming (sport)

Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

 and diving

Diving

Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...

, men's and women's tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

, men's and women's track and field

Track and field

Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

, and women's volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

.

Conference facilities

School	Baseball stadium	Softball stadium	Basketball arena	Capacity
Eastern Connecticut	Eastern Baseball Stadium	Spector Field	Geissler Gymnasium	N/A
Keene State	Owl Athletic Complex	Owl Athletic Complex	Spaulding Gymnasium	2,000
Plymouth State	Panther Park	D&M Park	Foley Gymnasium	2,000
Rhode Island College	RIC Baseball Complex	Dayna A. Bazar Memorial Softball Field	The Murray Center	2,500
Southern Maine	Towers Fields	Towers Fields	Warren G. Hill Gymnasium	N/A
UMass Boston	Yetten Field	Clark Athletic Center	Clark Athletic Center	3,500
UMass Dartmouth	UMass Dartmouth Athletic Field	UMass Dartmouth Athletic Field	Tripp Athletic Center	3,000
Western Connecticut	Westside Field	Westside Field	Feldman Arena	2,800

2010–11 conference tournament champions

Women's Cross Country-Keene State College

Men's Cross Country-Keene State College

Women's Tennis-Bridgewater State

Field Hockey-UMass Dartmouth

Men's Soccer-Keene State College

Women's Soccer-Western Connecticut

Women's Volleyball-UMass Boston

Men's Basketball-Rhode Island College

Women's Basketball-Western Connecticut

Men's Indoor Track-Southern Maine

Women's Indoor Track-Southern Maine

Women's Swimming/Diving-Keene State College

Men's Outdoor Track & Field-Southern Maine

Women's Outdoor Track & Field-Southern Maine

Men's Lacrosse-Keene State College

Women's Lacrosse-Keene State College

Softball-Eastern Connecticut

Men's Tennis-UMass Dartmouth

Baseball-Rhode Island College

National champions

The following conference members have won NCAA National Championships:

• Eastern Connecticut-Baseball (1982, 1990, 1998, 2002), Softball (1982, 1985, 1986, 1990)
• UMass Boston-Women's Indoor Track & Field (1985, 1986, 1987), Women's Outdoor Track & Field (1986)
• Southern Maine-Baseball (1991, 1997)

The Little East Commissioner's Cup

Each year since 2001 at the end of the school year the Conference awards the annual Commissioner's Cup. The Commissioner's Cup measures an institution's overall performance in the 19 sports sponsored by the Little East Conference. For sports in which the conference conducts in-season play, point totals are determined by the order of finish in the final regular season standings with bonus points awarded to the champion of the ensuing postseason conference championship tournament. For sports that do not conduct in-season play (cross country, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and swimming and diving) points are awarded based on the order of finish in the conference championship meet.

Since the inaugural Commissioner's Cup has been awarded, Keene State College has won all 10 trophies.

External links

• Official video streaming site of the LEC