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The Nichols College Athletics Program developed in the 1930's, during the school's tenure as a two-year all-male junior college. Under the coaching and administration prowess of Hal Chalmers, Nichols College grew into one of the top small, private college athletic programs in all of New England. Nichols' tennis, cross country, baseball, ice hockey, and soccer teams played competitive schedules against the likes of Boston College, College of the Holy Cross, Dartmouth and other regional New England powers. With the addition of female undergraduate students in 1971, the athletic program commenced expansion of its athletic offerings to fit the needs of the new student population. Softball, basketball, and field hockey were the early additions while soccer, tennis and lacrosse were added later. In 2008-09, women's ice hockey became the seventh women's varsity sport offered at Nichols College. Women's Volleyball was added in 2017 before men's volleyball began varsity play in 2019. The Division of Athletics made the addition of women's golf in 2023.Â
The Athletic Department at Nichols College has a strong history of championship teams. The Bison football programs of the 1970's came away with five New England Football Conference (NEFC) Championships, a timeline during which the baseball and soccer teams were left their mark. The women's basketball team also dominated within the state during the 1980's, while many other programs have proudly continued the winning tradition with conference and tournament championships in the 1990's.
Today, athletics plays a significant role in the college experience, with well over 50 percent of the student population participating in varsity or club sports. Since 2010, the men's tennis program has captured 12 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championships (2012–19, 2022–25), while the women's tennis team has won seven titles (2010, 2016–19, 2024, and 2025). Men's basketball has also enjoyed sustained success, claiming six consecutive CCC championships (2016–17 through 2019–20, 2021–22, and 2022–23), while men's soccer has earned conference titles twice (2010, 2014). The men's ice hockey program claimed back-to-back Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast championships in 2013–14 and 2014–15 before capturing its first-ever CCC championship in 2017–18. Rounding out the list is the men's volleyball program, who have brought home three consecutive New England Volleyball Conference (NEVC) Championship titles (2023-25).
Entering the 2025-26 academic year, six Nichols programs - men's and women's tennis, men's volleyball, men's basketball, men's soccer, and men's ice hockey - have won an NCAA Tournament contest. Nichols, as a whole, has totaled 33 NCAA Tounament appearances and won 60 conference championships.Â
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Nichols College Championships
(NOTE: * denotes NCAA Division III Tournament participant)
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| Season |
Program |
Affiliation/Championship Type |
| 2022-23 |
Men's Basketball* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Volleyball |
New England Collegiate Conference |
|
|
|
| 2021-22 |
Men's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Basketball* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2019-20 |
Women's Tennis |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Basketball* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2018-19 |
Women's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Basketball* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Tennis*Â |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2017-18 |
Women's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Basketball* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Ice Hockey* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2016-17 |
Men's Basketball* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Women's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2015-16 |
Men's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Basketball |
ECAC New England |
|
|
|
| 2014-15 |
Men's Soccer* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â |
Men's Ice Hockey* |
ECAC Northeast |
|
Men's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2013-14 |
Men's Ice Hockey* |
ECAC Northeast |
|
Men's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2012-13Â |
Men's Tennis* Â Â |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2011-12 |
Men's Tennis* Â Â |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2010-11 |
Men's Golf |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Soccer* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Women's Tennis* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2009-10 |
Field Hockey* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2008-09 |
Men's Ice Hockey* |
ECAC Northeast |
|
|
|
| 2007-08 |
Men's Golf |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2002-03 |
Women's Soccer* |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 2000-01 |
Men's Golf |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Men's Tennis |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 1999-00 |
Men's Tennis |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 1996-97 |
Women's Soccer |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 1995-96 |
Men's Tennis |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
Field Hockey |
Commonwealth Coast Conference |
|
|
|
| 1994-95 |
Women's Soccer |
Northeast Women's Athletic Conference |
|
|
|
| 1993-94 |
Field Hockey |
Northeast Women's Athletic Conference |
|
Softball |
Northeast Women's Athletic Conference |
|
|
|
| 1991-92 |
Field Hockey |
MAIAW State Champions |
|
Softball |
MAIAW State Champions |
|
|
|
| 1990-91 |
Softball |
MAIAW State Champions |
|
|
|
| 1989-90 |
Women's Basketball |
MAIAW State Champions |
|
|
|
| 1987-88 |
Softball |
MAIAW State Champions |
|
|
|
| 1982-83 |
Women's Basketball |
MAIAW State Champions |
|
|
|
| 1981-82 |
Women's Basketball |
MAIAW State Champions |
|
|
|
| 1978-79 |
Football |
New England Football Conference co-Champions |
|
|
|
| 1976-77 |
Football |
New England Football Conference |
|
|
|
| 1975-76 |
Football |
New England Football Conference co-Champions |
|
|
|
| 1974-75 |
Football |
New England Football Conference |
|
|
|
| 1973-74 |
Football |
New England Football Conference |
