NE10 LANDING PAGE - DII 50th ANNIVERSARY

Southern New Hampshire Joined the NE10 in 2000.

MANSFIELD, Mass. - Southern New Hampshire University may not have been a founding member of NCAA Division II, but it joined soon thereafter in 1975. Formerly known as New Hampshire College, SNHU has been a proud member of Division II for nearly 50 years - the last 24 of which have come in the Northeast-10 Conference. 

A former member of the Mayflower Conference, New England Collegiate Basketball League (NECBL) and the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC), New Hampshire College was one of five new members introduced to the NE10 beginning in the 2000-01 academic year - alongside Franklin Pierce, Saint Rose, Southern Connecticut and UMass Lowell. The expansion, at the time, made the NE10 the second largest Division II conference in the country at 15 institutions. Shortly after joining the NE10, the school's name was changed to Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). 

One of the most influential figures in SNHU history was Ed Shapiro - the President of New Hampshire College from 1971-87. He not only worked with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) to achieve accreditation candidacy for the college, but also moved the college to its present day location.

On the athletics side, it was Dr. George Larkin who oversaw the athletics department in his role as Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs. He served in this capacity at New Hampshire College and Southern New Hampshire University from 1969 to 2004 - a period of time that spanned both the institution's involvement in Division II and the Northeast-10 Conference. During the early years of SNHU's affiliation with Division II, it was Tom Sullivan - the Director of Athletics and head coach of men's basketball - who led the department for nine years. He led the men's basketball program to three 20-win seasons and won two NCAA New England Regional Championships. 

Following Sullivan as head coach for men's basketball was the legendary Stan Spirou - who coached the Penmen from 1985 to 2018 and amassed an overall record of 640-341 (.652) during his tenure. SNHU earned 18 NCAA Tournament bids in this time, while capturing eight conference titles, five NCAA Division II Elite Eight berths and twice advancing to the national semifinals. He retired with the seventh-most Division II wins of all-time, including the most of any DII head coach in New England. 

Since joining the NE10, SNHU men's soccer won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2013 - the second NE10 men's soccer program to accomplish the feat (Franklin Pierce in 2007). The Penmen have only gotten stronger in terms of overall athletics ever since, as they have won two-straight NE10 Presidents' Cups following the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. The NE10 Presidents' Cup is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence in the NE10. 

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• SNHU men's soccer has won a pair of NCAA Division II national championships in program history, as both the 1989 and 2013 teams accomplished this milestone. The 1989 team finished the season with a 22-1-2 record, suffering its only loss in the final of the NECC tournament before bouncing back with three-straight victories in the NCAA Championship - including a 3-1 win at UNC Greensboro in the final. It marked the school's first national title in any sport. 24 years later, the 2013 men's soccer team lost the season-opener before rattling off 20-straight wins and going undefeated in its final 23 games - earning a 22-1-1 record. The 22 wins matched the program record set in 1988 and 1989. The national title came with a 2-1 victory over Carson-Newman in Evans, Ga. 
• SNHU baseball turned into a regional power by advancing to its first Division II College World Series in 2012. Six years later, the Penmen won four regional titles in a five-year span under head coach Scott Loiseau, culminating with a "three-peat" from 2021 to 2023. 
• After winnings it first two regional championships in 1980 and 1981, the men's basketball program waited another six years before capturing another - but the regional title in 1987 set off a run of four titles in nine years under Spirou. The run included a three-year stretch that produced trips to the national semifinals (1993, 1994) and the Elite Eight (1995). 
• Led by USTFCCCA First Team All-American Ashley Corcoran, the SNHU women's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field programs earned a "sweep" of Northeast-10 Conference Championships in the 2022-23 academic year - the first time that the Penmen have ever accomplished that feat - and helped to lead the institution to its second-consecutive NE10 Presidents' Cup. 

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT DIVISION II

Paul Calkins, Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse

"I believe that what makes SNHU so special is the support we get from the entire SNHU community. When you think of the DII motto "Life in the Balance", I think of togetherness and family. Our team chant at the end of every huddle is "family". We incorporate our players' families in every postgame. We also encourage our guys to get out and support other SNHU teams. I have been here for 36 years and I have always treated my SNHU family as my very own family."

Deb Robitaille, Head Coach of Softball

"When you think of the Division II motto "Life in the Balance", the first thing that comes to mind is family. SNHU has seen two national titles, many regional births and many conference championships - but most importantly about SNHU is we are a family. When one of us wins, we all win! Easy to balance life when your school is part of your extended family."

Division II 50th Anniversary - Southern New Hampshire University

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.