On Nov. 21, 2023, Mount Saint Charles Academy, a 100-year-old college-prep Catholic school in Woonsocket, R.I., announced that it would join the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC), effective at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.
The endeavor was ambitious, for sure. Particularly for the boys soccer program, which finished the 2023 season at 3-9-5 as a Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) member. It’s no secret that the NEPSAC is home to some of the best prep soccer programs in the country, routinely producing college and professional standouts.
Mount, a traditional hockey power, cited various reasons for wanting to move to the NEPSAC in all sports. It evaluated the trajectory for RIIL sports in the future and wanted to stay ahead of that curve in a highly competitive private school landscape. The school also felt that there was a lack of flexibility and autonomy in the RIIL rules that primarily govern public schools. And, the school felt the move would attract and retain students.
