In 1971, Bates, Colby, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, and Union College joined on and the NESCAC was officially formed.

[9] Later, Bates, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts joined and the NESCAC was officially formed.

The Conference was created out of a concern for the direction of intercollegiate athletic programs and remains committed to keeping a proper perspective on the role of sport in higher education.

Due to the prestigious reputations of its member schools, the NESCAC is able to attract many of the most athletically and intellectually gifted student-athletes in the country.

Members stress that intercollegiate athletic programs should operate in harmony with the educational mission of each institution.

Schools are committed to maintaining common boundaries to keep athletics strong yet in proportion to their overall academic mission.

Conference tenets are usually more restrictive than those of the NCAA Division III regarding season length, number of contests and post-season competition.

In the 2012–13 season, four of the top ten NACDA Director's Cup institutions were from NESCAC: Williams (1), Middlebury (3), Amherst (6), and Tufts (8).

Many colleges banned fraternities and sororities on the grounds of unwarranted exclusivity, and provided on-campus social houses for all students to engage with.

Williams College displaced their fraternity system in the 1960s due to high levels of racial and religious discrimination.

Many schools in the NESCAC provide significant financial aid to help increase the enrollment of lower income and middle class students.

[56] The New England Small College Athletic Conference sponsors championship competition in 13 men's and 14 women's NCAA sanctioned sports.

Current member schools have appeared in the College World Series a combined total of 5 times.