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The Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium (CBB) is an athletic conference and academic consortium between three private liberal arts colleges in the U.S. State of Maine. The group consists of Colby College in Waterville, Bates College in Lewiston, and Bowdoin College in Brunswick. In allusion to the Big Three of the Ivy League, Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin are collectively known the "Maine Big Three",[1][2] a play on words with the words "Maine" and "main". The school names are ordered by their geographical organization in Maine (north to south).

The colleges contest the C-B-B Trophy in three-way football games in the Fall of their respective academic years. As of the 2023–24 season, Bowdoin leads the conference in wins, with 20; Colby has 17 and Bates has won 13. Colby holds the record for the longest streak of consecutive wins (1988–1992). Bates holds the record for biggest shutout with a 51–0 game over Colby in 1985. There have been eight three-way-ties: 1965, 1979, 1993, 1995, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2022. The three colleges also contest the Chase Regatta, an annual up-and-down river tourney. The inaugural winner was Bowdoin, but the series has since been dominated by Bates and Colby; Colby has won the regatta five times and the President's Cup nine times. Bates currently holds the most titles (14 out of 20 wins), the winning streak (2006–present), and the most President's Cups (9 cups).[3]

The CBB Consortium often draws comparisons to the football games of the Big Three of the Ivy League, with Bowdoin often drawing the connection to Harvard, Bates to Princeton, and Colby to Yale.[4] Just as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are initialized as HYP, so too are Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin as "CBB".[5][6]

History

[edit]
Colby playing Bates at their homecoming game, 2012

From its inception, Bates College served as an alternative to a more traditional and historically conservative Bowdoin College.[7][8] There is a long tradition of rivalry and competitiveness between the two colleges, revolving around socioeconomic class, academic quality, and collegiate athletics.[9][10][11] The two colleges have competed against each other athletically since the 1870s, and subsequently share one of the ten oldest NCAA Division III football rivalries, in the United States.[12][9]

The Bates-Bowdoin Game is the most attended football game every academic year at both colleges. As of 2015, both college's presidents are named Clayton (Spencer and Rose), leading students to include them in chants against each other. Bowdoin developed a "football fight song" entitled, "Forward the White" in 1913.[13] All football games between the two occurred on Bowdoin's Whittier Field, but with the development of Bates' Garcelon Field, both fields have been used to hold football games.

Colby remained isolated from neighboring Bates, and the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium because of its location in Waterville, and socio-economic and political differences.[12] However, in the 1940s, Colby began competing with the two colleges and in the first game, had a three-way tie. In 1988, Bates president Reynolds began the Chase Regatta, which features the President's Cup, which is contested by Bates, Colby, and Bowdoin annually.[3]

The CBB Games is a college football competition between the three colleges. Each team plays the others once, with the C-B-B Trophy awarded to the college that beats the other two. The CBB Games was created for the 1965 college football season. Previously, Bates and Bowdoin have competed since 1870s against the University of Maine in the Maine State Series or Maine State Championship. When the University of Maine moved to a higher division in 1965, Colby joined and the rivalry took its current name.[9][14]

The Chase Regatta is an annual rowing race between the men's and women's heavyweight varsity and club rowing crews of the colleges.[3] The colleges have competed in the regatta since August 3, 1988 but have competed annually since August 3, 1997, when Bates President Thomas Hedley Reynolds instated the President's Cup to be contested by all three of the CBB schools. The President's Cup is given to the team that has won the most overall heats and races, while the overall winner is determined by who won the most varsity and heavyweight competitions in the regatta.[3]

C-B-B Games results

[edit]
Season Result Colby–Bates Score Bates–Bowdoin Score Bowdoin–Colby Score
1965 3-way tie Colby, 39–20 Bates, 10–0 Bowdoin, 28–21
1966 Bates Bates, 28–7 Bates, 35–13 Bowdoin, 15–6
1967 Bates Bates, 38–14 Bates, 38–24 Bowdoin, 7–0
1968 Bowdoin Bates, 28–12 Bowdoin, 41–14 Bowdoin, 17–0
1969 Bowdoin Colby, 14–13 Bowdoin, 13–10 Bowdoin, 38–14
1970 Bowdoin Bates, 14–7 Bowdoin, 21–3 Bowdoin, 31–17
1971 Bowdoin Colby, 17–8 Bowdoin, 42–15 Bowdoin, 30–27
1972 Colby Colby, 35–21 Bowdoin, 37–10 Colby, 28–22
1973 Bowdoin Colby, 14–0 Bowdoin, 20–12 Bowdoin, 28–20
1974 Bates Bates, 16–14 Bates, 18–7 Bowdoin, 27–6
1975 Bowdoin Colby, 21–12 Bowdoin, 19–6 Bowdoin, 41–13
1976 Bowdoin Bates, 38–16 Bowdoin, 20–14 Bowdoin, 37–19
1977 Bowdoin Bates, 25–14 Bowdoin, 21–17 Bowdoin, 15–14
1978 Bates Bates, 27–20 Bates, 24–14 Bowdoin, 27–10
1979 3-way tie Bates, 20–7 Bowdoin, 14–0 Colby, 21–20
1980 Bowdoin Bates, 14–13 Bowdoin, 13–0 Bowdoin, 8–0
1981 Bates Bates, 10–6 Bates, 23–13 Colby, 17–13
1982 Bowdoin Colby, 28–21 Bowdoin, 33–14 Bowdoin, 18–0
1983 Colby Colby, 20–13 Bates, 33–15 Colby, 15–14
1984 Bowdoin Bates, 31–21 Bowdoin, 28–23 Bowdoin, 20–14
1985 Bowdoin Bates, 51–0 Bowdoin, 24–21 Bowdoin, 24–0
1986 Bates Bates, 21–6 Bates, 36–0 Bowdoin, 21–14
1987 Bowdoin Bates, 46–28 Bowdoin, 20–19 Bowdoin, 14–10
1988 Colby Colby, 19–3 Bowdoin, 10–6 Colby, 24–0
1989 Colby Colby, 30–0 Bates, 10–0 Colby, 38–20
1990 Colby Colby, 9–3 Bates, 19–14 Colby, 23–20
1991 Colby Colby, 41–7 Bowdoin, 34–13 Colby, 28–13
1992 Colby Colby, 50–0 Bowdoin, 35–14 Colby, 26–18
1993 2-way tie: Colby and Bowdoin Colby, 53–14 Bowdoin, 34–6 Tie, 21–21
1994 Colby Colby, 28–6 Bates, 33–14 Colby, 34–13
1995 3-way tie Colby, 26–6 Bates, 33–29 Bowdoin, 24–3
1996 Colby Colby, 28–21 Bowdoin, 35–16 Colby, 39–15
1997 Bowdoin Bates, 22–21 Bowdoin, 28–19 Bowdoin, 27–19
1998 Bowdoin Bates, 13–7 Bowdoin, 49–14 Bowdoin, 10–7
1999 Bates Bates, 20–17 (OT) Bates, 38–7 Colby, 20–0
2000 Colby Colby, 14–0 Bates, 44–13 Colby, 34–7
2001 Colby Colby, 42–0 Bates, 38–35 (OT) Colby, 41–13
2002 Bates Bates, 19–14 Bates, 48–28 Colby, 32–27
2003 Colby Colby, 27–14 Bates, 20–17 Colby, 7–6
2004 Colby Colby, 17–16 Bowdoin, 21–0 Colby, 23–0
2005 Colby Colby, 24–17 Bowdoin, 21–14 Colby, 28–3
2006 Bowdoin Colby, 10–7 (4OT) Bowdoin, 23–14 Bowdoin, 13–10
2007 Bowdoin Colby, 20–13 Bowdoin, 31–7 Bowdoin, 20–17
2008 Bowdoin Bates, 31–21 Bowdoin, 55–14 Bowdoin, 20–6
2009 3-way tie Colby, 34–27 Bates, 28–24 Bowdoin, 32–27
2010 Bowdoin Colby, 10–6 Bowdoin, 21–20 Bowdoin, 26–21
2011 3-way tie Colby, 37–13 Bates, 24–2 Bowdoin, 20–10
2012 Bates Bates, 31–6 Bates, 14–6 Colby, 17–0
2013 3-way tie Colby, 21–3 Bates, 17–10 Bowdoin, 32–22
2014 Bates Bates, 34–28 (OT) Bates, 10–7 Colby, 14–7
2015 Bates Bates, 10–9 Bates, 31–0 Bowdoin, 35–13
2016 Bates Bates, 21–19 Bates, 24–7 Colby, 32–16
2017 Bates Bates, 27–24 Bates, 24–17 Colby, 31–20
2018 Colby Colby, 21–6 Bowdoin, 31–14 Colby, 30–14
2019 Colby Colby, 23–20 Bates, 30–5 Colby, 47–34
2021 Colby Colby, 10–2 Bates, 25–24 Colby, 21–10
2022 3-way tie Colby, 38–17 Bates, 21–14 Bowdoin, 21–14
2023 Bowdoin Colby, 30–24 Bowdoin, 35–20 Bowdoin, 35–14
2024 Colby Colby, 28–26 Bowdoin, 35–24 Colby, 34–10
Season Winner Colby – Bates score Bates – Bowdoin score Bowdoin – Colby score

Note: Source of wins and losses: games between 1966 and 1978,[15] games between 1979 and 1998,[16] and for all other games not specified in aforementioned years:[17][18][19][20] The highest scoring game was the 1987 Colby-Bates with a total of 74 points. The lowest scoring game was the 1967 Bowdoin-Colby game with a total of 7 points. The biggest shutout was Bates' 51–0 game against Colby in 1985. The longest consecutive streak of games won is Colby with 5 championships in a row (1988–1992). There have been 7 three-way-ties, 1 two-way tie, and 4 uses of overtime, (the 2006 Colby-Bates game required overtime to be issued four times for a winner to be determined).

Series statistics

[edit]
Statistic Colby Bates Bowdoin
Games played 114
Series Wins 17 13 20
Highest series streak 5 4 4
Current series streak L1 L1 W1
Total points scored in the series 2294 2105 2285
Most points scored in a winning game 53 51 55
Most points scored in a losing game 28 27 35
Fewest points scored in a winning game 10 10 7
Most points scored in a shutout win 50 51 24
Overtime wins 1 3 0
Largest margin of victory 50 51 41
Smallest margin of victory 1 1 1

Chase Regatta results

[edit]
Main article: Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Chase Regatta

In fiction and literature

[edit]

In 1999, all three colleges were prominently featured in The Sopranos. In the episode entitled, "College", Tony Soprano takes his daughter, Meadow on a trip to Maine to tour the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium.[21][22] They first visit Bates in Lewiston; while walking past the college's chapel she states, "[Bates has] a 48-to-52 male-female ratio, which is great, strong liberal arts program and this cool Olin Arts Center for music."[23] They then drive up to Colby and Bowdoin using Drew University in New Jersey as the two college's exteriors.[24] On the drive from Bates to Colby, Tony Soprano reveals to his daughter that he is in the mafia, a major turning point in the series.[25]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Staff, Maine Public (March 20, 2020). "Two of the Maine Big Three colleges have reported positive cases of COVID-19". www.mainepublic.org. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  2. ^ Snyder, Kayla (April 12, 2019). "A look into the art museums of the Maine Big Three". The Bowdoin Orient. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Athletics | Bates College" (PDF). athletics.bates.edu. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  4. ^ Calhoun, Charles (1993). A Small College in Maine. Hubbard Hall, Bowdoin College: Bowdoin College. p. 163.: Bowdoin College. pp. 12, 19. ...Of the three top schools in Maine, the CBB drew the most notation to what was informally characterized as a smaller Ivy League, one that provided an Ivy League education with a smaller student body{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ^ Larson, Timothy (2005). Faith by Their Works: The Progressive Tradition at Bates College from 1855 to 1877. Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine: Edmund S. Muskie Archives. pp. 3, 51. ... the group [CBB] seemed to draw power from their comparisons to the Ivy League operating in such a group entitled, 'the Little Ivies."... Bowdoin often drawing the connection to Harvard, Bates to Princeton, and Colby to Yale..
  6. ^ "Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin: Plenty of History Behind These Football Rivals". News. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  7. ^ Calhoun, Charles C (1993). A Small College in Maine. Hubbard Hall, Bowdoin College: Bowdoin College. p. 163.
  8. ^ Eaton, Mabel (1930). General Catalogue of Bates College and Cobb Divinity School. Coram Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.: Bates College. pp. 34, 36, 42.
  9. ^ a b c Nevin, David (1970). Muskie of Maine. Ladd Library, Bates College: Random House, New York. p. 99.
  10. ^ Larson, Timothy (2005). Faith by Their Works: The Progressive Tradition at Bates College from 1855 to 1877. Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine: Bates College Publishing. pp. Multi–source.
  11. ^ "Chapter 4 | 150 Years | Bates College". www.bates.edu. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  12. ^ a b Woz, Markus (2002). Traditionally Unconventional. Ladd Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine: Bates College. p. 6.
  13. ^ "Bowdoin Football – "Forward the White" – Bowdoin". athletics.bowdoin.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  14. ^ Clark, Charles E. (2005). Bates Through the Years: an Illustrated History. Edmund Muskie Archives: Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. p. 37.
  15. ^ "Football vs. Bowdoin, Nov. 7, 2015 (Josh Kuckens and Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College) | Athletics | Bates College". athletics.bates.edu. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  16. ^ "Football vs. Bowdoin, Nov. 7, 2015 (Josh Kuckens and Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College) | Athletics | Bates College". athletics.bates.edu. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  17. ^ "Football Begins CBB Chase Saturday at Bates". Bowdoin. 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  18. ^ "Bowdoin Football Opens CBB Chase Saturday at Bates". Bowdoin. 2015-11-05. Archived from the original on 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  19. ^ "Postgame Reaction from 17-10 win over Bowdoin | Athletics | Bates College". athletics.bates.edu. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  20. ^ "Football preview: CBB series offers a new start for Bates (0-6) and Colby (0-6) | Athletics | Bates College". athletics.bates.edu. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
  21. ^ "Season One, Episode 2, Script". Springfield! Springfield!. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  22. ^ "Looking back at Maine's most notorious college applicant". WCSH. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  23. ^ "College (1.05)". Sopranos Autopsy. 2014-08-15. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  24. ^ Ugoku. "The Sopranos location guide - Colby College". www.sopranos-locations.com. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  25. ^ Edgerton, Gary (2013-03-01). The Sopranos. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-3852-0.
[edit]

For further information on history of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium:

For further reading:

For further information on the NESCAC, and individual collegiate scores:

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