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Somerset, NJ -- The Northeast Conference (NEC) today announced a 26-game basketball television package for the 2022-23 season.
Among the highlights:
- 21 games will be featured on ESPN networks
- CBS Sports Network will televise a record five NEC games, including the league’s first women’s contest on the network
- ESPNU will air one men’s and one women’s game
- All 26 games of the package will be carried nationally in some form
- ESPN3 will broadcast 12 NEC hoops game this season, all of which will air simultaneously on NEC Front Row
- Five games will air exclusively on ESPN+.
- SNY will televise eight contests
- This year’s NEC slate includes a record 13 women’s games
- All NEC men’s and women’s teams will be featured at least once during the regular season
- Six NEC Tournament games will be televised, including the title games on ESPN2 (men) & ESPNU (women)
- All games outside of those on ESPNU, CBSSN & ESPN+ will also stream on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run series of streaming and mobile apps
ESPNU will televise a pair of games during conference play, starting with a prominent women’s matchup on January 19 as defending NEC regular season champion FDU hosts fellow contender St. Francis Brooklyn. In another key battle, Sacred Heart heads to Saint Francis U on February 9 in a battle of men’s teams with NEC title aspirations.
The record five-game package with CBS Sports Network opens on January 26 with reigning NEC regular season men’s champion Wagner entertaining St. Francis Brooklyn in an inter-borough affair. One week later on February 2, men’s preseason favorite Merrimack plays host to a new-look LIU squad. The women then take center stage on February 4 in the league’s first-ever game on the network when preseason No. 1 Wagner takes on preseason No. 2 FDU in Staten Island. As the season reaches its crescendo, CBS will be there for a pair of key men’s contests. In one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season, Sacred Heart welcomes Merrimack on February 18 and the annual Wildcard game is set for February 23. CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is widely available through all major cable, satellite and telco distributors as well as via OTT streaming service providers YouTube TV, fuboTV, DirecTV and Hulu. Additionally, a live CBS Sports Network stream is available through CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App by authenticating with select providers. For more information, including a full programming schedule, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
The NEC and ESPN will team up to bring games to fans through ESPN streaming services on web and via the ESPN App across smartphones, tablets and connected devices. Twelve NEC games will be streamed non-exclusively on ESPN3, available to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Five of those contests will air exclusively on ESPN+, the direct-to-consumer streaming service. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App. It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu.
ESPN3 and ESPN+ will serve as the home to ten NEC women’s basketball games this winter. Most notably, ESPN3 is set to air a wildcard game on March 2, the final day of the regular season.
When March hits, ESPN3 will carry the men’s semifinals on Saturday, March 4 and the women’s semis on Thursday, March 9. As part of the network’s Championship Week coverage, the NEC men’s title game will be televised by ESPN2 for the 36th straight year on Tuesday, March 7th at 7:00 pm. For the 16th year in a row, ESPNU is set to carry the NEC Women’s Championship game. This year’s final is scheduled for Sunday, March 12th at 12:00 pm.
NEC hoops will once again have a strong New York metro area regional presence.
SNY plans to carry eight games this season, including the package opener on January 16 when neighborhood rivals LIU and St. Francis Brooklyn square off on MLK Day in men’s action. Fans will also be able to catch the annual Battle of Brooklyn women’s matchup between the two teams on January 28. SNY is also set to carry the second meeting of the season between women’s title contenders Wagner and FDU in Hackensack on February 18. The NEC will have a major postseason presence on SNY as well, with both men’s semis airing live on March 4 at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and the women’s semis split between live (7:00 pm) and tape delay (9:00 pm) on March 9.
The conference anticipates adding additional local/regional syndication partners in the lead up to conference play.
“Thanks to our television partners, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase NEC hoops far and wide this winter,” said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. “This year’s schedule has it all, highlighted by a record number of women’s contests, along with a host of rivalry games and marquee matchups that will keep fans at the edge of their seat. From ESPN providing us with a robust digital platform to SNY expanding the league’s reach within our footprint to CBSSN helping the NEC enhance its reach nationally, the stars have aligned in what should be a very competitive basketball season.”
Now in his 23rd season, Dave Popkin serves as the primary play-by-play announcer on men’s broadcasts, with Paul Dottino (24th year) filling in. Tim Capstraw (24th year) and Joe DeSantis (16th year) are slated to split color analyst duties.
Dottino and Craig D’Amico (14th year) will once split play-by-play duties on women’s telecasts. Pam Roecker is back for her 21st year as color analyst.
Pack Network and Northeast Sports Network (NSN) will handle production duties for the league’s ESPN3/ESPN+ package.
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.
2022-23 NEC Basketball Television Schedule (updated 2/13)
Date Matchup Time Carriers
Mon., Jan. 16 St. Francis Brooklyn at LIU (m) 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Mon., Jan. 16 Sacred Heart at Saint Francis U (w) 7:00 pm ESPN+
Thur., Jan. 19 St. Francis Brooklyn at FDU (w) 5:00 pm ESPNU
Sat., Jan. 21 Wagner at CCSU (w) 12:30 pm ESPN3 (live), SNY (TD at 5 pm)
Thur., Jan. 26 St. Francis Brooklyn at Wagner (m) 5:00 pm CBSSN
Sat., Jan. 28 St. Francis Brooklyn at LIU (w) 2:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Sat., Jan. 28 FDU at Merrimack (m) 3:00 pm ESPN3
Thur., Feb. 2 LIU at Merrimack (m) 5:00 pm CBSSN
Thur., Feb. 2 Saint Francis U at Stonehill (m) 7:00 pm ESPN3
Sat., Feb. 4 FDU at Wagner (w) 2:00 pm CBSSN
Thur., Feb. 9 Sacred Heart at Saint Francis U (m) 5:00 pm ESPNU
Thur., Feb. 9 Merrimack at Stonehill (w) 6:00 pm ESPN+
Sat., Feb. 11 Saint Francis U at Merrimack (w) 3:00 pm ESPN3
Sat., Feb. 11 CCSU at FDU (m) 5:00 pm ESPN+
Thur., Feb. 16 Wagner at CCSU (m) 7:00 pm ESPN+
Sat., Feb. 18 Wagner at FDU (w) 4:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Sat., Feb. 18 Merrimack at Sacred Heart (m) 2:00 pm CBSSN
Thur., Feb. 23 Wildcard Game (m) 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Sat., Feb. 25 CCSU at Sacred Heart (w) 2:00 pm ESPN+
Wed., Mar. 1 NEC Men's Quarterfinal 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Thur., Mar. 2 Wildcard Game (w) 7:00 pm ESPN3
Sat., Mar. 4 NEC Men’s Semifinal 6:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
NEC Men’s Semifinal 8:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Mon., Mar. 6 NEC Women’s Quarterfinal 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Tues., Mar. 7 NEC Men’s Championship 7:00 pm ESPN2
Thur., Mar. 9 NEC Women’s Semifinal 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
NEC Women’s Semifinal 7:00 pm ESPN3 (live), SNY (TD at 9 pm)
Sun., Mar. 12 NEC Women’s Championship 12:00 pm ESPNU