The Stonehill Skyhawks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Stonehill College, located in Easton, Massachusetts, in NCAA sporting competitions. All current Skyhawk athletic teams compete at the Division I level, with most being members of the Northeast Conference (NEC). Stonehill has been a member of the NEC since 2022. On April 5, 2022, Stonehill announced it was accepting an invitation to join the NEC at the NCAA Division I level, effective in the fall of 2022. Prior to 2022, Stonehill was a founding member of the Northeast-10 Conference in NCAA Division II. History Skyhawks nickname In late 2002, The Strategic Planning Committee determined that the previous Stonehill College mascot, the chieftain, was disrespectful to Native Americans and decided that it would be changed. The committee ruled that a new mascot be named as the institution's athletic identity. Therefore, in the following year the college held open forums in which students, alumni, and faculty were asked to submit ideas for the new identity, vote on suggestions, and gauge popularity. Among popular choices were: "Summit"; "Skyhawks"; "Saints"; "Wolfpack"; "Crusaders"; "Mission"; "Shovelmakers"; and "Blizzard". During the fall semester of the 2005 academic year Stonehill College officially changed the name of its athletic teams to the "Stonehill Skyhawks", with a brand new mascot known as 'Ace', an anthropomorphic purple hawk wearing a scarf, goggles, bomber jacket, and an aviator cap. The actual name 'Skyhawks' is not a reference to either a bird or animal. After the school's property was bought by the Congregation of Holy Cross, the airfield was leased to the Navy during World War II and private companies before and after the war until it was closed in 1955 due to increasing student enrollment. The Navy used the field for training exercises and would employ the Skyhawk aircraft between 1954–1995. Varsity teams Stonehill currently sponsors 23 varsity sports. Most recently, the school has added women's swimming and diving and women's ice hockey as varsity sports. Swimming and diving began in 2020–21 and women's ice hockey will begin in 2022–23. The women's ice hockey team will play in the New England Women's Hockey Alliance. List of teams Men's sports (9) Baseball Basketball Cross country Football Ice hockey Soccer Tennis Track and field (indoor & outdoor) Women's sports (14) Basketball Cross country Equestrian Field hockey Golf Ice hockey Lacrosse Soccer Softball Swimming & diving Tennis Track and field (indoor & outdoor) Volleyball National