PROVIDENCE, R.I. - On behalf of the Little East Conference (LEC) Presidents Council, Commissioner Al Bean announced the addition of women's golf as the LEC's 24th championship sport beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, with planning to conduct the inaugural championship tournament to begin immediately.
 
LEC women's golf will launch with five primary member institutions - Eastern Connecticut State University, Keene State College, Rhode Island College, University of Southern Maine and Western Connecticut State University - and two affiliate members in Husson University and Westfield State University. Per NCAA Division III rules, the LEC will undergo a two-year process to acquire automatic qualification to the national championship.
 
"It's very exciting to announce the addition of women's golf as our 13th Little East Conference sport for women," said Bean. "Participation in women's golf continues to grow and provides a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to enhance their opportunities for competition, and participate in a very challenging and enjoyable life-long sport. I look forward with great anticipation to our first conference championship tournament this fall."
 
There has been rapid growth in the sponsorship of women's golf among the LEC's primary membership in recent years. Eastern Connecticut announced the sport addition just two months ago, while USM and WestConn played their inaugural seasons in 2024-25 and Keene State began play in 2022-23. Women's golf was first sponsored by RIC in 2016-17.
 
Husson and Westfield State bring two well-established women's golf program's to the LEC; the Owls' women's golf program began varsity play in 2009-10, while the Eagles launched women's golf for the 2015-16 academic year.
 
Husson, Keene State and Westfield State had been competing as members of the Northeast Women's Golf Conference (NWGC). Keene State was the top finisher among the three teams at the 2024-25 NWGC Championship, placing sixth. Husson was close behind in seventh, while Westfield State was 11th.
 
"Husson University is honored to be joining the Little East Conference in women's golf," said Eagles' Interim Athletic Director Christopher Grotton. "The opportunity to compete for a conference championship in our region is something that our students and staff are excited to begin. We have been fortunate to compete at a high level within the Northeast Women's Golf Conference, and embrace the challenge of competing in the LEC."
 
"I was thrilled to get the call from Al Bean on behalf of the Little East Conference to have our women's golf program join the LEC," said Westfield State Director of Athletics Richard Lenfest, Jr. "We have had a good history of our programs competing in the Little East, as women's swimming & diving does now. The NWGC afforded our women's golf program an excellent start in conference play, but ultimately the LEC helps to reduce our travel footprint and compete against many similar institutions."
 
Women's golf joins men's and women's ice hockey as new championship additions in the LEC for the 2025-26 academic year. Men's golf and men's swimming & diving were added the to LEC's championship offerings for the 2021-22 academic year. The LEC is now the second-largest conference in New England with its 24 championship offerings.
 
About the Little East Conference
The Little East Conference (LEC) was formed in 1986 when six public institutions gathered to create a single sport athletic conference, and has expanded into what is now one of New England's premier NCAA Division III multi-sport athletic conferences. The LEC now features 24 championship sports, sponsoring quality competition for our student-athletes while following the Division III mission of "passion, responsibility, sportsmanship and citizenship."
 
The Little East's nine primary institutions  – Eastern Connecticut State University, Keene State College (N.H.), UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, Plymouth State University (N.H.), Rhode Island College, University of Southern Maine, Vermont State University Castleton, and Western Connecticut State University - encompass all six New England states, as do its affiliate members.