Somerset, NJ -- The Northeast Conference (NEC) has bolstered its membership in a trio of sports thanks to a unique partnership with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

The collaboration between the two conferences in the sports of baseball, men’s golf and women’s golf will bring a host of MEAC schools under the NEC banner beginning with the 2022-23 academic year.

The affiliate member relationship will provide uninterrupted regular season, conference championship and NCAA automatic qualifier access to the incoming MEAC programs as they join forces with NEC sponsoring members in the aforementioned sports.

While retaining primary membership in the MEAC, the following institutions have accepted associate membership invitations from the NEC Council of Presidents.

Baseball: Coppin State, Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore and Norfolk State
Men’s Golf: Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore and North Carolina Central
Women’s Golf: Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore and North Carolina Central

“We are thrilled to announce this associate member partnership with the MEAC baseball, women’s golf and men’s golf programs,” said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. “This is a win-win relationship for both conferences and places the student-athlete experience at the forefront. On behalf of the NEC Presidents and Athletic Administrators, we welcome these MEAC programs to the NEC family.”

The addition of Coppin State, Delaware State, UMES and Norfolk State will expand NEC baseball membership to 11 institutions with the MEAC quartet joining NEC full-time members Central Connecticut, FDU, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, Stonehill and Wagner. LIU is the defending NEC baseball champion. Coppin State won the 2022 MEAC Tournament title and Delaware State captured the MEAC regular season championship this past spring.

NEC men’s golf will consist of nine sponsoring members in 2022-23 with Howard, UMES and NCCU set to combine with FDU, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U and Wagner. Sacred Heart is the reigning NEC men’s golf champion. Howard claimed the 2022 MEAC championship in just its second year sponsoring the sport following a donation by the NBA’s Steph Curry to fund both the men’s and women’s golf programs for a six-year period beginning in 2020-21.

NEC women’s golf will feature 11 sponsoring programs with the addition of Delaware State, UMES and NCCU. The trio joins fellow MEAC member Howard, which began its tenure as an NEC women’s golf associate this past spring. The 11-team alignment will also include NEC full-time members FDU, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. Sacred Heart captured the 2022 NEC crown. DSU and UMES competed under the Southland umbrella in 2021-22, while NCCU competed as an independent in its inaugural women’s golf campaign.

The NEC will showcase associate members in 11 sports in 2022-23, including women’s bowling (Duquesne), football (Duquesne), field hockey (Fairfield and Rider) and men’s volleyball (Daemen and D’Youville). Along with men’s and women’s golf, Howard also competes as an NEC associate in women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s swimming.

What They're Saying About the NEC-MEAC Partnership

Derek Carter, Coppin State University Director of Athletics
“We are thrilled to be joining the NEC in the sport of baseball. The value of this move allows each MEAC baseball-playing institution to continue our rivalries while also establishing new competition partners.”
 
Alecia Shields-Gadson, Delaware State University Director of Athletics:
“As a founding member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Delaware State remains committed to the long-term success of one of the nation’s two Division I Historically Black College and University conferences. However, the university is honored to accept the invitation to join the highly respected Northeast Conference as an associate member in the sports of baseball and women’s golf. The move allows our baseball and women’s golf programs to compete for automatic bids to NCAA championship tournaments, in addition to establishing new relationships and rivalries with current Northeast Conference members. I also want to thank MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills for her leadership in guiding our conference into progressive partnerships such as this.” 

Brad Hurlbut, FDU Director of Athletics & NEC AD Chair
“On behalf of the NEC Athletic Directors, we are truly excited to officially welcome the MEAC baseball, men’s golf and women’s golf programs to the NEC family. We look forward to hosting these institutions on our campuses and visiting their schools and venues as well. What a terrific way to grow the partnership with the MEAC which was begun last year when six of Howard’s programs joined the NEC as associate members!”
 
Kery Davis, Howard University Director of Athletics:
"This is a great opportunity for our men’s golf program. Our student-athletes will have an opportunity to compete in a competitive conference while reducing their time away from the classroom. Thank you, Commissioner Noreen Morris and NEC Council of Presidents, we look forward to competing next year."
 
Dr. Robert Mock, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Acting Director of Athletics:
“We are very excited that we are able to continue to offer our student-athletes in the sports of baseball and men’s and women’s golf the chance to compete for a conference championship and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. We are appreciative of the Northeast Conference for welcoming us and our teams will be looking forward to facing off with a large field of competitive programs.”
 
Melody Webb, Norfolk State University Director of Athletics:
“We are excited about our baseball team joining the NEC as an associate member. This is a great opportunity for Norfolk State University as we continue to compete for a postseason berth while maintaining some old MEAC rivalries. The associate membership provides a new landscape to compete against eight new competitive programs and will only strengthen our baseball program moving forward.”
 
Dr. Louis Perkins, North Carolina Central University Director of Athletics:
“North Carolina Central University is enthusiastic about the partnership between the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Northeast Conference to provide our men’s and women’s golf student-athletes with the opportunity to compete for conference championships and earn award recognition. The collaboration delivers on NCCU’s mission to foster a championship-caliber overall experience for our student-athletes.” 

About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 42nd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9), 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 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.