MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast-10 Conference celebrated its 40th anniversary Wednesday by lifting the lid on a new logo that will be used by the NE10 and its member institutions on all promotional materials for the 2020-21 season.

Additionally, beginning in September, the conference will honor 40 Iconic Moments and 40 Outstanding Individuals throughout the school year – further celebrating the accomplishments and the people who helped shape the NE10 over the past four decades. 

On June 10, 1980, a formal announcement was made that the Northeast-7 – a league that was described by the NCAA as, "probably the strongest Division II conference in the country" – would begin competition that fall in the sports of soccer, basketball and baseball. 

American International, Assumption, Bentley, Bryant, Springfield, Stonehill and the University of Hartford were the founding members of the NE-7, a conglomerate of New England-based schools that formed the league to "provide a stimulus to the entire athletic programs of conference members."

The NE-7 remained open to change, right from its founding, and was willing to accept new members in future years. What began as the NE-7 transitioned into the NE-8 just a year later in 1981 with the addition of Saint Anselm. In July of 1987, Quinnipiac and Saint Michael's joined the league to create the NE-10.

The league was formed on October 1, 1979, but required a year of planning before becoming New England's newest athletic conference. After the official announcement came the following June, the conference applied for automatic qualifying status to NCAA tournament play following a two-year probationary period. 

40 years later, the Northeast-10 has grown to 14 full member institutions and four associate members in field hockey and ice hockey. The league remains committed as ever to growing and developing its brand as a perennial power in Division II. 

SNHU joined the league for the 2000-01 season and has captured 29 NE10 titles across nine sports over the 20 years.