NE10 LANDING PAGE - DII 50th ANNIVERSARY

Saint Michael's Joined the NE10 in 1987.

MANSFIELD, Mass. - Head north in the footprint of the Northeast-10 Conference and you will find Saint Michael's College - a proud founding member of NCAA Division II located just outside of Burlington, Vt. with 23 varsity sports, including the unique offerings of alpine and nordic skiing in a traditional New England winter setting. 

Saint Michael's, a former member of the Mideast Collegiate Conference (1984-87), has a special history with the NE10 - including being part of the conference's name change. In 1987, both Saint Michael's and Quinnipiac joined the Northeast-8. With membership increased to 10 institutions, the league made one final rebrand by changing its name to the Northeast-10. It has remained the same ever since, regardless of membership, and has become one of the most prominent conferences in all of Division II. 

In the early 1970s, Saint Michael's was transitioning from an all-male college to co-educational. It was a time of great change in athletics as well, as the College joined Division II when it was founded in 1972. In the 2023-24 academic year - the 50th anniversary of Division II - Saint Michael's is one of eight current NE10 member institutions to be a founding member of Division II. 

As the Purple Knights near their 40th anniversary in the NE10, Ed Markey remains a pivotal figure in the College's history. A longtime Director of Athletics (1968-97) at Saint Michael's, Markey became an NCAA cornerstone in New England through his service as President of the New England College Athletic Conference (NECAC), Chairman of the NCAA Division II Selection Committee and as a member of the ECAC Executive Council. He also served as an Assistant Commissioner for the NE10 when Saint Michael's became a member. Markey also was a longtime coach for Saint Michael's baseball and men's basketball. 

Sue Duprat and Zaf Bludevich were also influential figures at Saint Michael's. Duprat was the first full-time female employee in athletics, as she worked at the College from 1976 to 2003 as a coach and Associate AD and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA). Bludevich was the first full-time head athletic trainer, while also coaching multiple sports and serving as an Associate AD during his 39-year tenure with Saint Michael's (1975-2004). 

Since joining the NE10, Saint Michael's has enjoyed its share of athletic success - including a pair of conference titles in men's basketball over a three-year span (1999 and 2001). The field hockey team qualified for back-to-back trips to the NCAA Final Four in 2000 and 2001, while women's tennis made three-straight appearances to the NCAA Tournament from 2008-10. 

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Men's basketball had a five-year run of incredible success starting in the 1996-97 season and running through 2000-01. In that stretch, Saint Michael's won two NE10 regular season titles, two NE10 tournament titles and made three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In that span, the Purple Knights were led by Todd Roberts - the NE10 Player of the Year and future NE10 Hall of Fame inductee. He helped Saint Michael's compile a four-year record of 88-35 (.651). Saint Michael's added another NE10 regular season title this season (2023-24) under head coach Eric Eaton - the NE10 Coach of the Year. 
• Field hockey advanced to the NCAA semifinals in consecutive seasons in 2000 and 2001, which included a pair of NE10 regular season titles. Under head coach Carla Hesler, the Purple Knights went a combined 28-10 those two seasons - a winning percentage of .737. Andrea Slaven (2005-08) is the all-time leader in points for the program at 117. 
• Women's tennis qualified for three straight NCAA Tournaments from 2008-10 under head coach Greg Cluff, going a combined 41-23 (.641) in those seasons - including a pair of 10-win seasons against NE10 opponents. 
• In non-NE10 sponsored sports, Saint Michael's won a national championship in ice hockey in 1999 as a member of the ECAC by beating Southern New Hampshire, 8-5. The NE10 began sponsoring men's ice hockey the following season (1999-2000). Alpine skiing has seen recent success on the national stage for the Purple Knights, sending 26 qualifiers to the NCAA Championship between 2016 and 2024. 

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT DIVISION II

Chris Kenny, Director of Athletics

"As a proud founding member of NCAA Division II and Vermont's lone representative, we happily celebrate this golden anniversary. We were an institution transitioning from all-male to co-educational in 1973, and our women's varsity sport offerings were just beginning. I feel we truly began to benefit from our Division II affiliation when we joined the Northeast-10 Conference on July 1, 1987. The breadth of experiences and growth opportunities that NE10 membership has brought to our student-athletes, on and off the field of competition, has greatly enhanced the Purple Knight educational experience. Division II's Life In The Balance is a guiding philosophy we embrace at Saint Michael's. We encourage our student-athletes to make the most of this special opportunity – academically, athletically, and experientially – knowing it prepares them exceptionally well for the Game Of Life."

Division II 50th Anniversary - Saint Michael's College

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.