The state of amateur football in New England

[shizzle787]

As many of you know, amateur football is declining in popularity in certain parts of New England. Therefore, I wanted to map out an extensive view of where the sport is in the six New England states.

High school (public): teams run by the local state public school leagues (include the likes of Northwest Catholic and Xavier).

CT: 138 programs (down from 143 in 2014) split into six divisions
MA: 279 programs split into eight divisions
RI: 43 programs split into six divisions (impressive considering there are only 40 municipalities in the state)
VT: 30 programs split into three divisions
NH: 57 programs split into four divisions
ME: 51 programs split into four divisions plus 27 eight-man programs split into two divisions

NEPSAC: private school league

52 programs split into two divisions plus 7 eight-man programs

I could not quickly find information on Christian private schools and I noticed at least one played sports in NEPSAC. Most of these schools stick to basketball, soccer, and volleyball so I may be missing a few programs.

College:

No NJCAA schools in New England play football. There are no NAIA or NCCAA schools in New England.

NCAA Division 1 FBS (3): UConn, UMass, Boston College

NCAA Division 1 FCS (13): CCSU, Yale, Sacred Heart, Bryant, Brown, URI, Holy Cross, Merrimack, Harvard, Stonehill, Dartmouth, New Hampshire, Maine

NCAA Division 2 (8): St. Anselm (NH), Franklin Pierce (NH), AIC (MA), Bentley (MA), Assumption (MA), Post, SCSU, New Haven

NCAA Division 3 (34): Coast Guard, Trinity, Wesleyan, WCSU, Amherst (MA), Anna Maria (MA), Bridgewater State (MA), Curry (MA), Dean (MA), Endicott (MA), Fitchburg State (MA), Framingham State (MA), UMass Dartmouth (MA), Mass Maritime (MA), MIT (MA), Nichols (MA), Springfield (MA), Tufts (MA), Western NE (MA), Westfield State (MA), Williams (MA), WPI (MA), Worcester State (MA), Salve Regina (RI), Bates (ME), Bowdoin (ME), Colby (ME), Husson (ME), Maine Maritime (ME), New England (ME), Plymouth State (NH), Castleton (VT), Middlebury (VT), Norwich (VT)


A couple of observations:
1) High school football might be in trouble in Vermont. 30 programs for an entire state is very low (even for its small population).
2) Eastern doesn't have a football program?
3) Vermont only has three college football programs
4) Division 2 is very light in the region (especially if New Haven or Bentley move up)


A couple of questions:
1) Are there any college programs on the verge of folding?
2) Are any colleges/universities considering adding the sport?

 

[ZooCougar]

As many of you know, amateur football is declining in popularity in certain parts of New England. Therefore, I wanted to map out an extensive view of where the sport is in the six New England states.

High school (public): teams run by the local state public school leagues (include the likes of Northwest Catholic and Xavier).

CT: 138 programs (down from 143 in 2014) split into six divisions
MA: 279 programs split into eight divisions
RI: 43 programs split into six divisions (impressive considering there are only 40 municipalities in the state)
VT: 30 programs split into three divisions
NH: 57 programs split into four divisions
ME: 51 programs split into four divisions plus 27 eight-man programs split into two divisions

NEPSAC: private school league

52 programs split into two divisions plus 7 eight-man programs

I could not quickly find information on Christian private schools and I noticed at least one played sports in NEPSAC. Most of these schools stick to basketball, soccer, and volleyball so I may be missing a few programs.

College:

No NJCAA schools in New England play football. There are no NAIA or NCCAA schools in New England.

NCAA Division 1 FBS (3): UConn, UMass, Boston College

NCAA Division 1 FCS (13): CCSU, Yale, Sacred Heart, Bryant, Brown, URI, Holy Cross, Merrimack, Harvard, Stonehill, Dartmouth, New Hampshire, Maine

NCAA Division 2 (8): St. Anselm (NH), Franklin Pierce (NH), AIC (MA), Bentley (MA), Assumption (MA), Post, SCSU, New Haven

NCAA Division 3 (34): Coast Guard, Trinity, Wesleyan, WCSU, Amherst (MA), Anna Maria (MA), Bridgewater State (MA), Curry (MA), Dean (MA), Endicott (MA), Fitchburg State (MA), Framingham State (MA), UMass Dartmouth (MA), Mass Maritime (MA), MIT (MA), Nichols (MA), Springfield (MA), Tufts (MA), Western NE (MA), Westfield State (MA), Williams (MA), WPI (MA), Worcester State (MA), Salve Regina (RI), Bates (ME), Bowdoin (ME), Colby (ME), Husson (ME), Maine Maritime (ME), New England (ME), Plymouth State (NH), Castleton (VT), Middlebury (VT), Norwich (VT)


A couple of observations:
1) High school football might be in trouble in Vermont. 30 programs for an entire state is very low (even for its small population).
2) Eastern doesn't have a football program?
3) Vermont only has three college football programs
4) Division 2 is very light in the region (especially if New Haven or Bentley move up)


A couple of questions:
1) Are there any college programs on the verge of folding?
2) Are any colleges/universities considering adding the sport?

Nice post.

D2 is weird. Schools around where I live take it very seriously. It’s big in rural directional schools in the Missouri River Valley. My guess is that the close proximity of traditional rivals who compete at that level and the cost make it an appealing option.

In New England where college football isn’t as of a big of a deal but basketball is, you have lots of schools that want to play D1 hoop but want to do the bare minimum in football. So you see the schools that would be D1 playing non scholarship or scholarship limited FCS.

Also the club program at UVM petitions to get the school to add the sport. Doubt that will happen.

 

[Exit 4]

Nice job cataloguing. Regarding VT, I have spent a fair amount of time in that state over the past 20 years and the mere fact there are even 30 programs strikes me as 25 more than expected. It’s a state of individualist sports with a small dose of 3 on 3 pond hockey. I think the near absence of football is almost a point of pride to many up there.

 

[shizzle787]

Nice job cataloguing. Regarding VT, I have spent a fair amount of time in that state over the past 20 years and the mere fact there are even 30 programs strikes me as 25 more than expected. It’s a state of individualist sports with a small dose of 3 on 3 pond hockey. I think the near absence of football is almost a point of pride to many up there.

I feel like VT is hockey, skiing, and basketball in that order, and that's about it.

 

[Exit 4]

I feel like VT is hockey, skiing, and basketball in that order, and that's about it.

Seems right. The only football I ever see up there is NFL on in the bars after skiing.

 

[LBird33]

Nice post.

D2 is weird. Schools around where I live take it very seriously. It’s big in rural directional schools in the Missouri River Valley. My guess is that the close proximity of traditional rivals who compete at that level and the cost make it an appealing option.

In New England where college football isn’t as of a big of a deal but basketball is, you have lots of schools that want to play D1 hoop but want to do the bare minimum in football. So you see the schools that would be D1 playing non scholarship or scholarship limited FCS.

Also the club program at UVM petitions to get the school to add the sport. Doubt that will happen.

VT dropped football a while back for $$$$$ reasons . So did BU

 

[CCSUblue]

There are no NAIA or NCCAA schools in New England.

Doesn't change your statistics at all because they don't play football, but Fisher College in Boston is NAIA.

 

[freescooter]

Division 3 has actually added programs in recent years. To some extent it also had an effect on the lack of juco football. A few schools like Dean were jucos and had football programs but later became 4 year schools. A couple of womens colleges, Endicott and Salve Regina, added D3 football after going coed. It also lost a couple of schools that closed in recent years. Becker and Mt Ida both of which were originally jucos.

D2 is a sort of weird thing in this area. Seems most schools are either some form of d1 or d3. The move to d1 is in part a desire to have a shot at the NCAA tournament in basketball but also related to the difficulty in getting games in a variety of sports Including football. In some like hockey there aren’t enough to hold an NCAA championship.

 

[BlueandOG]

This post highlights the short-sighted leadership of BC during ACC expansion. It is in their interest to have strong regional rivals (see Bama/Auburn, Florida/FSU, Michigan/OSU, etc etc etc). I hate BC and UMASS, but I want them to win every game except when they play us.

 

[UConnJim]

I feel like VT is hockey, skiing, and basketball in that order, and that's about it.

I don't think you are correct about the popularity of high school sports in Vermont. I lived in Vermont for a few years and Vermont likes traditional high school sports. Here are the number of boys high school teams in Vermont by sport:

Basketball 62
Baseball 58
Soccer 58
Football 30
Hockey 23
Nordic Ski Racing 22
Alpine Ski Racing 20

Based on my experience, I would have said football, basketball, and baseball are the 3 most popular boys high school sports in Vermont. I just don't remember that many hockey rinks in Vermont, especially in Southern Vermont.

 

[Nostical]

This post highlights the short-sighted leadership of BC during ACC expansion. It is in their interest to have strong regional rivals.

Today, they not only understand just how short-sighted DeFilippo was, they're now looking to promote the regional rivalry with UConn. I was told BC is going to be heavily promoting our game on Oct 29 and it should be very well attended by BC fans. Let's hope.

 

[HartfordHank]

Today, they not only understand just how short-sighted DeFilippo was, they're now looking to promote the regional rivalry with UConn. I was told BC is going to be heavily promoting our game on Oct 29 and it should be very well attended by BC fans. Let's hope.

When and where because I am certainly not seeing anything!

 

[Nostical]

When and where because I am certainly not seeing anything!

It’s only Sept 5th —lol. Give the season a chance to percolate.

 

[Alum86]

Is that Post out of Waterbury, D2? They were a club team years back and then a under 200 lb. (Or something) league team. Quite the upgrade if so.

 

[CCSUblue]

Is that Post out of Waterbury, D2? They were a club team years back and then a under 200 lb. (Or something) league team. Quite the upgrade if so.

This is their inaugural D-2 season. Sounds like they played a sort of juco season/ scrimmage season last year. Post had sprint football from 2010 until the cancelled 2020 season when they decided to transition to D-2.

 

[freescooter]

This post highlights the short-sighted leadership of BC during ACC expansion. It is in their interest to have strong regional rivals (see Bama/Auburn, Florida/FSU, Michigan/OSU, etc etc etc). I hate BC and UMASS, but I want them to win every game except when they play us.

I’m not sure I want them to be great but I do want BC and UMass to ba regular features on tone schedule and I would say UMass is as close to a rivalry as we have and I’d like it to be treated that way. I do think it would be great if losing to either of those schools meant the coach was automatically on the hot seat.

 

[Northbound]

Work with hs football teams in VT.

Like any place else the smaller teams can have a hard time from year to year with numbers.

For example a fee years back Brattleboro dropped down a division after getting hammered in the top division, won a state title and then jumped back up - winning cures all numbers ills.

What is likely to happen across new englad is the smaller communities will do one of three things:

1) Merge for football - kids from flie schools play for one school

2) Drop to 8-man this is happening across MY state

3) Struggle in 11 mam and eventually say screw it

It’s tough numbers are a real issue most places.

 

[HartfordHank]

Work with hs football teams in VT.

Like any place else the smaller teams can have a hard time from year to year with numbers.

For example a fee years back Brattleboro dropped down a division after getting hammered in the top division, won a state title and then jumped back up - winning cures all numbers ills.

What is likely to happen across new englad is the smaller communities will do one of three things:

1) Merge for football - kids from flie schools play for one school

2) Drop to 8-man this is happening across MY state

3) Struggle in 11 mam and eventually say screw it

It’s tough numbers are a real issue most places.

A number of high schools in Central Mass are what they call co-OP teams with players from a neighboring school supplementing an established high school team.

 

[HartfordHank]

It’s only Sept 5th —lol. Give the season a chance to percolate.

Please point it out to me when you think it is happening. Doubt it is going to happen. No benefit to BC.

 

[History Geek]

A number of high schools in Central Mass are what they call co-OP teams with players from a neighboring school supplementing an established high school team.

We have those too. Sometimes it’s relatively an equal distribution between districts, sometimes not. I can see that happening more in CT soon.

 

[BigTenFan]

I think High School Football really helps develop young people athletically and more important emotionally. The kids learn that being part of a team means respect and hard work are important. New England may not be the hotbed of Football but lots of kids have benefitted.

 

[HartfordHank]

Today, they not only understand just how short-sighted DeFilippo was, they're now looking to promote the regional rivalry with UConn. I was told BC is going to be heavily promoting our game on Oct 29 and it should be very well attended by BC fans. Let's hope.

Still waiting for BC to be "heavily promoting our game"? I am a season ticket holder and still haven't received an email. I typically average 3 to 4 emails a week and not one has promoted BC at UConn.

 

[Derucky]

As many of you know, amateur football is declining in popularity in certain parts of New England. Therefore, I wanted to map out an extensive view of where the sport is in the six New England states.

High school (public): teams run by the local state public school leagues (include the likes of Northwest Catholic and Xavier).

CT: 138 programs (down from 143 in 2014) split into six divisions
MA: 279 programs split into eight divisions
RI: 43 programs split into six divisions (impressive considering there are only 40 municipalities in the state)
VT: 30 programs split into three divisions
NH: 57 programs split into four divisions
ME: 51 programs split into four divisions plus 27 eight-man programs split into two divisions

NEPSAC: private school league

52 programs split into two divisions plus 7 eight-man programs

I could not quickly find information on Christian private schools and I noticed at least one played sports in NEPSAC. Most of these schools stick to basketball, soccer, and volleyball so I may be missing a few programs.

College:

No NJCAA schools in New England play football. There are no NAIA or NCCAA schools in New England.

NCAA Division 1 FBS (3): UConn, UMass, Boston College

NCAA Division 1 FCS (13): CCSU, Yale, Sacred Heart, Bryant, Brown, URI, Holy Cross, Merrimack, Harvard, Stonehill, Dartmouth, New Hampshire, Maine

NCAA Division 2 (8): St. Anselm (NH), Franklin Pierce (NH), AIC (MA), Bentley (MA), Assumption (MA), Post, SCSU, New Haven

NCAA Division 3 (34): Coast Guard, Trinity, Wesleyan, WCSU, Amherst (MA), Anna Maria (MA), Bridgewater State (MA), Curry (MA), Dean (MA), Endicott (MA), Fitchburg State (MA), Framingham State (MA), UMass Dartmouth (MA), Mass Maritime (MA), MIT (MA), Nichols (MA), Springfield (MA), Tufts (MA), Western NE (MA), Westfield State (MA), Williams (MA), WPI (MA), Worcester State (MA), Salve Regina (RI), Bates (ME), Bowdoin (ME), Colby (ME), Husson (ME), Maine Maritime (ME), New England (ME), Plymouth State (NH), Castleton (VT), Middlebury (VT), Norwich (VT)


A couple of observations:
1) High school football might be in trouble in Vermont. 30 programs for an entire state is very low (even for its small population).
2) Eastern doesn't have a football program?
3) Vermont only has three college football programs
4) Division 2 is very light in the region (especially if New Haven or Bentley move up)


A couple of questions:
1) Are there any college programs on the verge of folding?
2) Are any colleges/universities considering adding the sport?

I think a lot of people don't really acknowledge that the departure of BC and the resulting collapse of Big East football left the northeast without a major football conference. Money, politics, and false propaganda about the Beast's performance on the field while other BCS automatic bid conferences looted the league for its best coaches, players, and teams led BC to sell out, which was the piece that brought the whole puzzle falling down. No one had enough loyalty or sense that the territorial integrity of football in the northeast was at stake. The northeast had a major football conference and now it's gone, just like Connecticut had the Whalers, and now they're gone.

 

[Palatine]

Still waiting for BC to be "heavily promoting our game"? I am a season ticket holder and still haven't received an email. I typically average 3 to 4 emails a week and not one has promoted BC at UConn.

We're probably the only school on their schedule that thinks BCU is an important game.

And BCU wants to close their their eyes and hope we go away.

 

[ZooCougar]

Still waiting for BC to be "heavily promoting our game"? I am a season ticket holder and still haven't received an email. I typically average 3 to 4 emails a week and not one has promoted BC at UConn.