Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium

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, they are collectively known the "Maine Big Three", 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 a variety of college sports between themselves, primarily in football and rowing. On the former, they compete for a CBB Championship 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. There have been eight three-way-ties: 1965, 1979, 1993, 1995, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2022. For rowing, the schools contest the CBB Chase Regatta, an annual up-and-down river tourney for the President's Cup. The all-time leader of the Chase Regatta is Bates with a total of 18 composite wins, followed by Colby's 5 wins, concluding with Bowdoin's 1 win.

History

thumb|253x253px|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. There is a long tradition of rivalry and competitiveness between the two colleges, revolving around socioeconomic class, academic quality, and collegiate athletics. 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. All football games between the two occurred on Bowdoin's Whittier Field, until the development of Bates' Garcelon Field.

Colby remained isolated from neighboring Bates, and the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium because of its location in Waterville as well as socioeconomic and political differences. In the 1940s, Colby began competing with the two colleges and in the first game, had a three-way tie. In 1988, Bates president Thomas Hedley Reynolds began the Chase Regatta, a rowing competition, which features the President's Cup, which is contested annually. Since August 3, 1997, when Reynolds instated the President's Cup to be contested by all three for rowing. Rowing is the most active boat sport of Bates and Colby, with Bowdoin being more active in Sailing. Bowdoin is the only college in the CBB to maintain a Club Rowing team, and suspended its varsity team at its founding.

Football

Series results

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0; border:2px #000000 solid; border-collapse:collapse;"

! style="background:#F9F9F9; width:5%;" |Season

! style="background:#F9F9F9; width:10%;" |Result

! style="background:#F9F9F9; width:8%;" |Colby–Bates Score

! style="background:#F9F9F9; width:8%;" |Bates–Bowdoin Score

! style="background:#F9F9F9; width:8%;" |Bowdoin–Colby Score

!1965

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |3-way tie

|Colby, 39–20

|Bates, 10–0

|Bowdoin, 28–21

!1966

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 28–7

|Bates, 35–13

|Bowdoin, 15–6

!1967

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 38–14

|Bates, 38–24

|Bowdoin, 7–0

!1968

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 28–12

|Bowdoin, 41–14

|Bowdoin, 17–0

!1969

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 14–13

|Bowdoin, 13–10

|Bowdoin, 38–14

!1970

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 14–7

|Bowdoin, 21–3

|Bowdoin, 31–17

!1971

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 17–8

|Bowdoin, 42–15

|Bowdoin, 30–27

!1972

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 35–21

|Bowdoin, 37–10

|Colby, 28–22

!1973

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 14–0

|Bowdoin, 20–12

|Bowdoin, 28–20

!1974

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 16–14

|Bates, 18–7

|Bowdoin, 27–6

!1975

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 21–12

|Bowdoin, 19–6

|Bowdoin, 41–13

!1976

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 38–16

|Bowdoin, 20–14

|Bowdoin, 37–19

!1977

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 25–14

|Bowdoin, 21–17

|Bowdoin, 15–14

!1978

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 27–20

|Bates, 24–14

|Bowdoin, 27–10

!1979

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |3-way tie

|Bates, 20–7

|Bowdoin, 14–0

|Colby, 21–20

!1980

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 14–13

|Bowdoin, 13–0

|Bowdoin, 8–0

!1981

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 10–6

|Bates, 23–13

|Colby, 17–13

!1982

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 28–21

|Bowdoin, 33–14

|Bowdoin, 18–0

!1983

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 20–13

|Bates, 33–15

|Colby, 15–14

!1984

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 31–21

|Bowdoin, 28–23

|Bowdoin, 20–14

!1985

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 51–0

|Bowdoin, 24–21

|Bowdoin, 24–0

!1986

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 21–6

|Bates, 36–0

|Bowdoin, 21–14

!1987

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 46–28

|Bowdoin, 20–19

|Bowdoin, 14–10

!1988

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 19–3

|Bowdoin, 10–6

|Colby, 24–0

!1989

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 30–0

|Bates, 10–0

|Colby, 38–20

!1990

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 9–3

|Bates, 19–14

|Colby, 23–20

!1991

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 41–7

|Bowdoin, 34–13

|Colby, 28–13

!1992

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 50–0

|Bowdoin, 35–14

|Colby, 26–18

!1993

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |2-way tie: Colby and Bowdoin

|Colby, 53–14

|Bowdoin, 34–6

|Tie, 21–21

!1994

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 28–6

|Bates, 33–14

|Colby, 34–13

!1995

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |3-way tie

|Colby, 26–6

|Bates, 33–29

|Bowdoin, 24–3

!1996

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 28–21

|Bowdoin, 35–16

|Colby, 39–15

!1997

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 22–21

|Bowdoin, 28–19

|Bowdoin, 27–19

!1998

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 13–7

|Bowdoin, 49–14

|Bowdoin, 10–7

!1999

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 20–17 (OT)

|Bates, 38–7

|Colby, 20–0

!2000

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 14–0

|Bates, 44–13

|Colby, 34–7

!2001

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 42–0

|Bates, 38–35 (OT)

|Colby, 41–13

!2002

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 19–14

|Bates, 48–28

|Colby, 32–27

!2003

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 27–14

|Bates, 20–17

|Colby, 7–6

!2004

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 17–16

|Bowdoin, 21–0

|Colby, 23–0

!2005

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 24–17

|Bowdoin, 21–14

|Colby, 28–3

!2006

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 10–7 (4OT)

|Bowdoin, 23–14

|Bowdoin, 13–10

!2007

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 20–13

|Bowdoin, 31–7

|Bowdoin, 20–17

!2008

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Bates, 31–21

|Bowdoin, 55–14

|Bowdoin, 20–6

!2009

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |3-way tie

|Colby, 34–27

|Bates, 28–24

|Bowdoin, 32–27

!2010

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 10–6

|Bowdoin, 21–20

|Bowdoin, 26–21

!2011

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |3-way tie

|Colby, 37–13

|Bates, 24–2

|Bowdoin, 20–10

!2012

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 31–6

|Bates, 14–6

|Colby, 17–0

!2013

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |3-way tie

|Colby, 21–3

|Bates, 17–10

|Bowdoin, 32–22

!2014

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 34–28 (OT)

|Bates, 10–7

|Colby, 14–7

!2015

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 10–9

|Bates, 31–0

|Bowdoin, 35–13

!2016

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 21–19

|Bates, 24–7

|Colby, 32–16

!2017

| align="center" style="" |Bates

|Bates, 27–24

|Bates, 24–17

|Colby, 31–20

!2018

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 21–6

|Bowdoin, 31–14

|Colby, 30–14

!2019

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 23–20

|Bates, 30–5

|Colby, 47–34

!2021

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 10–2

|Bates, 25–24

|Colby, 21–10

!2022

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |3-way tie

|Colby, 38–17

|Bates, 21–14

|Bowdoin, 21–14

!2023

| align="center" style="" |Bowdoin

|Colby, 30–24

|Bowdoin, 35–20

|Bowdoin, 35–14

!2024

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 28–26

|Bowdoin, 35–24

|Colby, 34–10

!2025

| align="center" style="" |Colby

|Colby, 13–6

|Bowdoin, 17–9

|Colby, 16–6

!Season

!Winner

!Colby – Bates score

!Bates – Bowdoin score

!Bowdoin – Colby score

|}Note: Source of wins and losses: games between 1966 and 1978, games between 1979 and 1998, and for all other games not specified in aforementioned years: 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).

Statistics

{| class="wikitable"

|+

!Statistic

| align="center" style="background: #002878; color: #FFFFFF" |Colby

| align="center" style="background: #800020; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

| align="center" style="background: #000000; color: #FFFFFF" |Bowdoin

|Games played

| colspan="3" align="center"|114

|Series Wins

|17

|13

|20

|Highest series streak

|Current series streak

|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

|Most points scored in a shutout win

|50

|51

|24

|Overtime wins

|Largest margin of victory

|50

|51

|41

|Smallest margin of victory

Rowing

Series results

{| class="wikitable"

!No.

!Date

!Site

!Overall winner

!President's Cup

!Composite time

!Bates total

!Bowdoin total

!Colby total

!Cite

|1997

|Kennebec River

| align="center" style="background: #000000; color: #FFFFFF" |Bowdoin

| align="center" style="background: #002878; color: #FFFFFF" |Colby

|—

|1998

|Messalonskee Stream

| align="center" style="background: #002878; color: #FFFFFF" |Colby

|—

|15

|2011

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (6:41.1)

WV8 (7:26.3)

|—

|16

|2012

|Messalonskee Stream

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

| align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" |Cancelled

|MV8 (8:57.7)

WV8 (9:41.9)

|10

|—

|17

|2013

|Messalonskee Stream

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (6:45.6)

WV8 (7:27.3)

|11

|—

|18

|2014

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (6:18.9)

WV8 (7:02.3)

|12

|—

|19

|2015

|Kennebec River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (5:30.1)

WV8 (5:53.0)

|13

|—

|20

|2016

|Kennebec River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (5:53.0)

WV8 (6:39.0)

|14

|—

|21

|2017

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (7:17.2)

WV8 (8:16.2)

|15

|—

|22

|2018

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (6:37.2)

WV8 (7:35.7)

|16

|—

|23

|2019

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (6:38.6)

WV8 (7:32.1)

|17

|—

|24

|2022

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (6:28.1)

WV8 (7:16.0)

|18

|—

|25

|2023

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (6:02.5)

WV8 (6:57.2)

|19

|—

|26

|2024

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (5:41.5)

WV8 (6:39.9)

|20

|—

|27

|2025

|Androscoggin River

| align="center" style="background: #881124; color: #FFFFFF" |Bates

|MV8 (5:59.4)

WV8 (7:01.0)

|21

|—

Note: 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.

Trophies

The President's Cup — instated to be contested by all three of the schools in rowing.

References

External links

For further reading on consortium:

CBB Faculty Resource Sharing
CBB Study Abroad Program
CBB Library Resources

For further information on the NESCAC and collegiate scores:

NESCAC Football Archive
Colby College Football Archive
Bates College Football Archive
Bowdoin College Football Archive

History

Football

Series results

Statistics

Rowing

Series results

Trophies

See also

References

External links