BROOKLINE, Mass. – Last week, the National Collegiate Athletic Association granted the approval of a consortium between Newbury College and Hellenic College Holy Cross that now allows full-time students of Hellenic College to participate in athletics with Newbury College.
The NCAA granted the consortium citing the proximity the colleges have to one another, as well as the ongoing academic consortium that the two institutions have shared.
“The consortium is a great example of how colleges can work together to improve the student experience for all students,” said Newbury College President Joseph L. Chillo LP.D., “This partnership in athletics demonstrates how small colleges can work together to help each other improve their institutional effectiveness and ability to expand programming that will benefit the student body at both institutions.”
The newly formed athletics consortium will go into effect for the fall of the 2018 season, or the 2018-19 academic year, and will run for at least four years before renewal will be required by Constitution 3.1.2.6.
“This new collegiate athletic collaborative effort between Newbury and Hellenic reflects a perfect example of what colleges can do to advance education, improve the student experience and offer a valuable teamwork environment,” said Rev. Christopher Metropulos, president of Hellenic College. “I am truly excited about the opportunities that this athletic partnership provides to our students and I am confident that it will open up additional avenues for both schools.”
Newbury and Hellenic have been partners since 2000 when the two institutions established a cross-registration program for academics.
Hellenic’s Pappas Gymnasium has served as the home court for the Nighthawks for well over a decade while the Athletic Field was home to Nighthawks soccer matches this past fall.
“Obviously, I am very pleased that we were granted the consortium with Hellenic. This marks a milestone in Newbury Athletics as we are moving into the next phase of the program,” said Director of Athletics Jonathan Harper. “With the addition of men’s lacrosse, we will have nine sports participating in intercollegiate athletics at Hellenic. We now have a consistent home for our athletics program, while inviting Hellenic students to participate in Division III. I would like to thank President Chillo and Kevin Derrivan for their support of this proposal.”
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in late August, expanding the relationship between the two Colleges. As a result of the MOU, Newbury hopes to build a multi-use turf athletic field at Hellenic College that would accommodate soccer, lacrosse, and softball, while also making enhancements to Pappas Gymnasium.
About Newbury: Newbury College is a private, independent college located just minutes from Boston in the Fisher Hill neighborhood of Brookline, Massachusetts. Founded in 1962, Newbury College offers bachelor and associate degree programs in over 20 career-focused majors. Committed to personalized and experience-based teaching, Newbury inspires students to become independent thinkers, valuable collaborators, and global-minded citizens.
