Northeast Conference


The Northeast Conference is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Teams in the NEC compete in Division I for all sports except football, which competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA. Participating schools are located principally in the Northeastern United States.
The conference was named the ECAC Metro Conference when it was established in 1981. The original eleven member schools were Fairleigh Dickinson University, the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University, Loyola College in Maryland, Marist College, Robert Morris University, St. Francis College, Saint Francis College, Siena College, Towson State University, the University of Baltimore and Wagner College.
The conference's name was changed to its present form on August 1, 1988. Other names considered were Big North, Great North, North Shore, Northern, Northeastern, Eastern and Eastern Private Intercollegiate.
The Northeast Conference has expanded eight times since 1981. The expansions and additions from the original charter members were in 1985, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2008, and 2019. The Northeast Conference's rank was largest at 12 in 2008 with the addition of Bryant University; it dropped to 10 in 2013 with the departure of Monmouth and Quinnipiac for the MAAC, returned to 11 with the 2019 addition of Merrimack, and again dropped to 10 in 2020 with the departure of Robert Morris for the Horizon League.
Additional changes were announced in 2018 and took effect with the 2019–20 school year. First, on September 10, the NEC announced it would add Merrimack. Then, on October 3, Long Island University announced that it would combine its two existing athletic programs—NEC member LIU Brooklyn and the Division II program at LIU Post—into a single Division I program under the LIU name. The new LIU program, nicknamed Sharks, maintains LIU Brooklyn's previous memberships in Division I and the NEC. The most recent change took place on July 1, 2020, when charter member Robert Morris left to join the Horizon League.
The Northeast Conference has a total of 10 full members in 24 championship sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's indoor track & field, women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track & field, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball.
Men's lacrosse became the league's 23rd sport for the 2011 season. The number of sports dropped to 22 after the 2012–13 school year, when the conference dropped field hockey. The departure of Monmouth and Quinnipiac to become all-sports members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in July 2013 gave the MAAC four full members that sponsored the sport; the other two were NEC single-sport affiliates Rider and Siena. The MAAC then decided to add field hockey as a sponsored sport for the 2013 season, and all of the NEC's remaining field hockey programs eventually joined the MAAC except for Saint Francis, which joined the Atlantic 10 Conference. The NEC reinstated field hockey as a sponsored sport for the 2019 season with seven members—full members Bryant, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, and Wagner, plus associate members Fairfield and Rider. The most recent addition to the NEC's sports roster is men's swimming & diving, added for 2020–21 with full members Bryant, LIU, Mount St. Mary's, and St. Francis Brooklyn plus incoming associate member Howard.
Currently, a total of seven affiliate members compete in football, men's lacrosse, men's and women's swimming, and women's bowling. One of these, namely Howard, will add men's and women's soccer, women's lacrosse, and women's golf to its NEC membership in 2021–22.

Member schools

Full members

Current full members

Former full members

Affiliate members

Current affiliate members

Future affiliate members

Former affiliate members

Membership timeline


DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1981 till:2026
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1982 text:Towson
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1982 shift: till:1992 text:East Coast
bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:1992 till:1995 text:Big South
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1995 till:2001 text:America East
bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:end text:CAA
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1983 text:Baltimore
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1984 text:Siena
bar:3 color:OtherC2 from:1984 shift: till:1989 text:ECAC North
bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:end text:MAAC
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1989 text:Loyola
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:2013 text:MAAC
bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:Patriot League
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1997 text:Marist
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:end text:MAAC
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1981 till:end text:Fairleigh Dickinson
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1981 till:2019 text:Long Island
bar:7 color:Full from:2019 till:end
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1996 text:Robert Morris
bar:8 color:Full from:1996 till:2020
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:end text:Horizon
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1981 till:end text:St. Francis Brooklyn
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1996 text:Saint Francis
bar:10 color:Full from:1996 till:end
bar:11 color:FullxF from:1981 till:1996 text:Wagner
bar:11 color:Full from:1996 till:end
bar:12 color:FullxF from:1985 till:2013 text:Monmouth
bar:12 color:Full from:1996 till:2013
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:MAAC
bar:13 color:FullxF from:1989 till:end text:Mount Saint Mary's
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1992 till:1997 text:Rider
bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:2019 text:MAAC
bar:14 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end
bar:15 color:AssocF from:1996 till:1997
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1997 till:1998 text:Central Connecticut State
bar:15 color:Full from:1998 till:end
bar:16 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2013 text:Quinnipiac
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:MAAC
bar:17 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2003 text:UMBC
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:2003 till:end text:America East
bar:18 color:AssocF from:1998 till:1999
bar:18 color:Full from:1999 till:end text:Sacred Heart
bar:19 color:AssocF from:1999 till:2013 text:Albany
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:CAA
bar:20 color:AssocF from:1999 till:2008 text:Stony Brook
bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2008 till:2013 text: Big South
bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:CAA
bar:21 color:AssocF from:2000 till:2002 text:St. John's

bar:22 color:AssocOS from:2003 till:2007 text:VMI
bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2017 text:CCSA
bar:22 color:OtherC2 from:2017 till:end text:AmEast
bar:23 color:AssocOS from:2004 till:2007 text:Fairfield
bar:23 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end
bar:24 color:FullxF from:2008 till:2009 text:Bryant
bar:24 color:Full from:2009 till:end
bar:25 color:AssocF from:2008 till:end text:Duquesne
bar:26 color:Full from:2019 till:end text:Merrimack
bar:27 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2020 text:NJIT
bar:28 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:Howard
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1981
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text:^"NEC membership history"
  1. > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <#

    Sports

The Northeast Conference currently sponsors championship competition in 11 men's and 13 women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Seven schools are associate members in five of those sports.
The most recent additions to the NEC sports lineup came in 2019 and 2020. First, the NEC reinstated field hockey as a sponsored sport for the 2019 season after having dropped the sport following the 2012 season. Bryant, LIU, Sacred Heart, and Wagner were joined by incoming full member Merrimack and incoming associates Fairfield and Rider. Men's swimming & diving was added the following year, with full members Bryant, LIU, Mount St. Mary's and St. Francis Brooklyn joined by incoming associate Howard.
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball8–
Basketball1010
Bowling–8
Cross country1010
Field hockey–7
Football8–
Golf88
Lacrosse88
Soccer910
Softball–9
Swimming & Diving510
Tennis89
Track and Field 910
Track and Field 910
Volleyball–8

Men's sponsored sports by school

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Northeast Conference which are played by NEC schools:
SchoolFencingIce HockeyVolleyballWater PoloWrestling
LIU—-—EIWA
Merrimack—Hockey East———
Sacred HeartNEIFCAtlantic HockeyEIVA—EIWA
St. Francis Brooklyn——IndependentCWPA—
Saint Francis ——EIVA——
Wagner———CWPA—

Women's sponsored sports by school

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Northeast Conference which are played by NEC schools:
SchoolEquestrianFencingGymnasticsIce HockeyRowingRugbyTriathlonWater Polo
Fairleigh Dickinson—NIWFA——————
LIU—INDEAGLNEWHA———MAAC
Merrimack———Hockey EastIND———
Mount St. Mary's—————IND——
Sacred HeartINDNEIFC—NEWHAMAACIND——
St. Francis Brooklyn———————MAAC
Saint Francis —A-10—————CWPA
Wagner—NIWFA————INDMAAC

In addition to the above, Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart count their female cheerleaders as varsity athletes.

Basketball champions

Men's basketball champions

SeasonRegular Season ChampionTournament Champion
1982Fairleigh Dickinson Robert Morris
1983Robert Morris Robert Morris
1984Long Island Long Island
1985Marist Fairleigh Dickinson
1986Fairleigh Dickinson Marist
1987Marist Marist
1988Fairleigh Dickinson Fairleigh Dickinson
1989Robert Morris Robert Morris
1990Robert Morris Robert Morris
1991Saint Francis Saint Francis
1992Robert Morris Robert Morris
1993Rider Rider
1994Rider Rider
1995Rider Mount Saint Mary's
1996Mount Saint Mary's Monmouth
1997Long Island Long Island
1998Long Island Fairleigh Dickinson
1999UMBC Mount Saint Mary's
2000Central Connecticut St. Central Connecticut St.
2001St. Francis Monmouth
2002Central Connecticut St. Central Connecticut St.
2003Wagner Wagner
2004Monmouth and St. Francis Monmouth
2005Monmouth Fairleigh Dickinson
2006Fairleigh Dickinson Monmouth
2007Central Connecticut St. Central Connecticut St.
2008Robert Morris Mount Saint Mary's
2009Robert Morris Robert Morris
2010Quinnipiac Robert Morris
2011Long Island Long Island
2012Long Island Long Island
2013Robert Morris Long Island
2014Robert Morris Mount Saint Mary's
2015St. Francis Brooklyn Robert Morris
2016Wagner Fairleigh Dickinson
2017Mount Saint Mary's Mount Saint Mary's
2018Wagner LIU Brooklyn
2019Saint Francis and Fairleigh Dickinson Fairleigh Dickinson
2020Merrimack Robert Morris

Women's basketball champions

YearRegular Season ChampionsTournament Champions
1986-87MonmouthMonmouth
1987-88MonmouthRobert Morris
1988-89WagnerWagner
1989-90Mount St. Mary'sFairleigh Dickinson
1990-91Mount St. Mary'sRobert Morris
1991-92Mount St. Mary'sFairleigh Dickinson
1992-93Fairleigh Dickinson/Mount St. Mary'sMount St. Mary's
1993-94Mount St. Mary'sMount St. Mary's
1994-95Mount St. Mary'sMount St. Mary's
1995-96Mount St. Mary'sSaint Francis
1996-97Saint Francis Saint Francis
1997-98Saint Francis Saint Francis
1998-99Mount St. Mary'sSaint Francis
1999-00Saint Francis Saint Francis
2000-01Mount St. Mary'sLong Island
2001-02Saint Francis Saint Francis
2002-03Saint Francis Saint Francis
2003-04Saint Francis Saint Francis
2004-05Saint Francis Saint Francis
2005-06Sacred HeartSacred Heart
2006-07Long Island, Robert Morris and Sacred HeartRobert Morris
2007-08Quinnipiac and Robert MorrisRobert Morris
2008-09Sacred HeartSacred Heart
2009-10Robert MorrisSaint Francis
2010-11Saint Francis Saint Francis
2011-12Sacred HeartSacred Heart
2012-13QuinnipiacQuinnipiac
2013-14Robert MorrisRobert Morris
2014-15Bryant/Central ConnecticutSt. Francis Brooklyn
2015-16Sacred HeartRobert Morris
2016-17Robert MorrisRobert Morris
2017-18Saint Francis Saint Francis
2018–19Robert MorrisRobert Morris
2019–20Robert MorrisNone; tournament canceled in progress due to COVID-19

Football champions

Football champions

  • 1996 – Robert Morris/Monmouth
  • 1997 – Robert Morris
  • 1998 – Monmouth/Robert Morris
  • 1999 – Robert Morris
  • 2000 – Robert Morris
  • 2001 – Sacred Heart
  • 2002 – Albany
  • 2003 – Monmouth/Albany
  • 2004 – Monmouth/Central Connecticut
  • 2005 – Stony Brook/Central Connecticut
  • 2006 – Monmouth
  • 2007 – Albany
  • 2008 – Albany
  • 2009 – Central Connecticut
  • 2010 – Robert Morris/Central Connecticut
  • 2011 – Albany/Duquesne
  • 2012 – Wagner/Albany
  • 2013 – Sacred Heart/Duquesne
  • 2014 – Sacred Heart/Wagner
  • 2015 – Duquesne
  • 2016 – Saint Francis /Duquesne
  • 2017 – Central Connecticut
  • 2018 – Duquesne/Sacred Heart
  • 2019 - Central Connecticut

Most conference championships

  • 6 – Albany
  • 6 – Robert Morris
  • 6 – Central Connecticut
  • 5 – Duquesne
  • 5 – Monmouth
  • 4 – Sacred Heart
  • 2 – Wagner
  • 1 – Saint Francis
  • 1 – Stony Brook

NEC Rivalries

Before the 2013 departure of Monmouth and Quinnipiac, the NEC had 6 rivalry matchups in the conference; which is most prevalent during NEC's men's and women's basketball "Rivalry Week." The concept of playing back-to-back games against a local rival the same week is the only one of its kind among the nation's 31 NCAA Division I conferences. The pre-2013 NEC rivalries are as follows :
;Currently in-conference
  • Battle of Brooklyn: LIU vs. St. Francis Brooklyn
  • The Duel in New England: Central Connecticut vs. Bryant
  • NY–MD Showdown: Mount St. Mary's vs. Wagner
;Non-conference
  • Garden State Rivalry: Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Monmouth
  • Governor's Cup: Sacred Heart vs. Quinnipiac
  • Keystone Clash: Robert Morris vs. Saint Francis

    Brenda Weare Commissioner's Cup

The NEC Commissioner's Cup was instituted during the 1986-87 season with Long Island winning the inaugural award. Cup points are awarded in each NEC sponsored sport. For men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, football, women's bowling, softball, men's and women's lacrosse, and baseball, the final regular season standings are used to determine Cup points. Starting with the 2012-13 season, the Conference began awarding three bonus points to the NEC Tournament champion in those sports. In all other sports, points are awarded based on the finish at NEC Championship events.

Facilities

;Notes