Northeast Conference Announces Fall-To-Spring, Winter & Spring Sport Regular Season & Championship Formats

Northeast Conference Commissioner Noreen Morris today announced revised regular season competition and NEC Championship formats for fall-to-spring, winter and spring sports.

The NEC also revealed regular season conference schedules for each sport. Times for all games will be determined at a later date.

COMPLETE RELEASE

These plans were developed and adopted in conjunction with conference and institutional athletic administrators, the NEC Sport Management Committee and the NEC COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee, and approved by the NEC Council of Presidents. With the health and safety of campus and conference communities remaining the NEC's top priority, the regular season and championship sport formats are subject to reevaluation by the Presidents as the conference monitors health crisis data, along with updated COVID-19 guidance from federal, state, local and campus levels.

"It's been a long road to get to this point, so this announcement comes with great anticipation and excitement around the league," said Morris. "These are unprecedented times, so I'm thankful for our Council of Presidents and athletic administrators from around the conference for their unwavering resolve in identifying solutions that prioritized health and safety, and forged a clear path toward a return to play. I'm also thrilled for our resilient student-athletes and coaches, who despite having to make numerous sacrifices along the way, have always remained positive and never wavered in their approach to training and desire to compete. It will be a super spring here in the NEC and I can't wait to see everyone in action."

Below is a seasonal breakdown by sport that includes regular season format and days of competition, along with NEC Championship dates, field composition and tournament format.

Fall-to-Spring Sports

NEC fall sports competition will start no earlier than March 1 with the exception of the NEC Cross Country Championship set for February 28. Non-conference competition will be permitted prior to March 1 at the discretion of each institution. Once league play begins, non-conference competition is prohibited. 

Saint Francis U has opted out of participating in fall-to-spring sports competition.

CCSU has opted out of participating in football as has Fairleigh Dickinson in men's and women's cross country.

Men's & Women's Cross Country

• The NEC Cross Country Championship will take place on Sunday, February 28 at Bryant University.

Men's Soccer

• Seven-match conference schedule to be contested in a single round-robin format over six weeks (March 1 - April 12).
• Matches will be played on Monday.
• Single match NEC Championship will pit No. 2 at No. 1 the weekend of April 16-18. 

Women's Soccer

• Eight-match conference schedule to be contested in a single round-robin format over six weeks (March 2 - April 13).
• Matches will be played on Tuesday and Friday.
• Single match NEC Championship will pit No. 2 at No. 1 the weekend of April 16-18.

Women's Volleyball

• 12-match conference schedule to be contested in a double round-robin doubleheader format over five weeks (March 2 - March 31).
• Match days alternate between Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
• Single match NEC Championship will pit No. 2 at No. 1 on April 3.

 Winter Sports

Non-conference competition will be permitted throughout the season at the discretion of each institution.

Associate member Howard has opted out of participating in men's and women's swimming and diving. 

Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving Championship

• The NEC Men's & Women's Swimming Championships will take place from March 29 to April 2 at Spire in Geneva, OH.

 Spring Sports

Non-conference competition will be permitted prior to and throughout the NEC regular season at the discretion of each institution.

Baseball

• 30-game conference schedule to be contested in a round-robin format (all three-game series) over ten weeks (March 19– May 22).
• Games will be played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Four-team, double-elimination NEC Championship will be contested on May 27-30 at a location TBD. 

Women's Lacrosse

• 12-match conference schedule to be contested over nine weeks with a makeup week (March 6 – May 1).
• Matches will be played on Wednesday and Saturday.
• Four-team, single-elimination NEC Championship will take place at the high seed on May 6 & 8.

Softball

• 32-game conference schedule to be contested in a round-robin format (all four-game series) over eight weeks with makeup dates (March 20 – May 9).
• Games will be played on Saturday and Sunday with one midweek opponent.
• Four-team, double-elimination NEC Championship will be contested at the high seed on May 13-15.

Men's & Women's Outdoor Track & Field

• The NEC Men's & Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place on May 1-2 at Bryant University. 

About The Northeast Conference

Now in its 40th anniversary season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout seven states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Boston (#9), Baltimore (#26), Hartford/New Haven (#33) and Providence (#53). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary's, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, all @NECsports.