The Alfred State Pioneers, UMass Dartmouth Corsairs, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Mariners and Western New England Golden Bears have been selected as the participants in the 2021 New England Bowl Series which will be played at campus sites on Saturday, Nov. 20. UMass Dartmouth will host Alfred State, while Western New England will host Merchant Marine.  Kickoff times will be announced.

Three of the teams – Alfred State, UMass Dartmouth and Western New England – will be appearing in the New England Bowl Series for the first time. Merchant Marine (2018) will be making the program's second New England Bowl Series appearance.

Alfred State posted a 6-4 overall record and a 5-1 conference mark in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) under the direction of fourth-year head coach Scott Linn. The Pioneers are led by senior quarterback Aaron Jenkins who threw for 2,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also running for a team-best 943 yards and 15 touchdowns.

UMass Dartmouth recorded an 8-2 overall record and a 6-2 conference tally in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) under the guidance of 15^th year head coach Mark Robichaud. The Corsairs were ranked as high as number eight in the NCAA Division III Region I weekly rankings. UMass Dartmouth is paced by sophomore Dante Aviles-Santos who has passed for 1,905 yards and 21 touchdowns and run for 276 yards and six touchdowns.

Merchant Marine registered an 8-1 overall record and a 5-1 conference tally in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) under the leadership of 17^th year Head Coach Michael Toop. A 1977 USMMA graduate, Coach Toop will be retiring following the 2021 season after a legendary 45-year coaching career. The Mariners were ranked as high as number two in the NCAA Division III Region I weekly rankings. USMMA is led by senior quarterback Ian Blankenship who threw for 895 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also accumulating 1,067 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

Western New England turned in a 7-3 overall record and a 5-1 conference ledger in Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC) under the direction of fourth-year head coach Jason Lebeau. The Golden Bears have participated in the past four NCAA Division III Football Championships (2015-19). WNE is paced by senior wideout Steven Fedorchak, the team leader with 50 receptions, 658 years and eight touchdowns.

For the fifth time, the competing teams and the host institutions were selected by the commissioners of the four NCAA Division III conferences that have joined forces to present the New England Bowl Series: Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC), the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC), the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), and the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

The 2021 edition of the New England Bowl marks the fourth time that the commissioners are presenting multiple games to reward deserving teams from all four conferences.

New England Bowl Series History