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Bridgewater, NJ -- The NEC today announced its 2025-26 basketball streaming and linear television package, combining ESPN and regional exposure with fresh opportunities for school-produced games to reach a broader audience.
Among the highlights:
- ESPN+ will broadcast 16 NEC games this season, including four exclusive matchups.
- ESPNU will air a pair of marquee matchups.
- YES Network, SportsNet Pittsburgh and NESN/NESN Nation will pick up a host of games, providing regional coverage to fans while also remaining accessible nationwide on ESPN+.
- The 2025-26 NEC on ESPN slate includes nine men’s and nine women’s games, with each team appearing at least once during the regular season.
- NEC Tournament coverage includes the men’s and women’s semifinals airing on ESPN+, YES and NESN Nation, with title games on ESPN2 (men) & ESPNU (women).
- Through a new partnership, RYZ Sports Network will feature a men’s and women’s Game of the Week during conference play, airing school-produced broadcasts on its linear FAST channel.
- The NEC will team with Creator Sports Network to stream ‘watchalong’ games on its YouTube and Twitch channels, while digital creators co-stream live contests across various social platforms.
“Once we tip off conference play, the NEC remains committed to providing top-tier exposure for our basketball student-athletes and programs,” said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. “Our longstanding partnership with ESPN allows us to showcase NEC basketball on a national stage, while our regional agreements with YES Network, SportsNet Pittsburgh and NESN connect us directly with fans across the conference footprint. On top of that, platforms like RYZ and the Creator Sports Network are helping us reach fans in new ways. These collaborations guarantee that NEC basketball will be accessible to fans everywhere - on-campus, at home or on the go.”
NEC Basketball on ESPN
The NEC and longtime broadcast partner ESPN are teaming up once again, with ESPN+ serving as the go-to destination for NEC basketball fans this winter. The platform will carry a dozen games, evenly split between men and women, and will feature the first NEC-televised contests for league newcomer New Haven.
ESPNU will televise a pair of key games during a three-day span in league play, beginning with a rematch of the 2025 NEC women’s final on January 29, when preseason favorite FDU hosts Stonehill. Two days later, the unanimous men’s regular season favorite LIU visits two-time defending NEC regular season champon CCSU in New Britain in front of a national audience on the “U.”
As the attention turns March, ESPN+ will carry the NEC men’s semifinals on Saturday, March 7, and the women’s semifinals on Thursday, March 12. As part of its Championship Week coverage, ESPN2 will air the NEC men’s title game for the 39th consecutive year on Tuesday, March 11, at 7:00 pm. ESPNU will televise the NEC Women’s Championship game for the 19th straight year, scheduled for Sunday, March 15, at 12:00 pm.
NEC Hoops Across the Region
The NEC will supplement it’s national coverage on ESPN with extensive regional programming across the conference footprint.
NEC basketball will continue to have a strong presence in the New York metro area with YES Network returning as a regional partner. YES will broadcast three regular-season games on its linear network and YES App, including the opening game of the conference package when FDU hosts Wagner in an MLK Day matinee. When March arrives, YES and the YES App will air the NEC men’s and women’s semifinals.
NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) are also back this season, adding to the NEC’s regional coverage. SNP’s broadcasts will be split between SNP and SNP+, while NESN will feature games on NESN+ and NESN Nation, a recently launched FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) channel accessible on a variety of streaming platforms, smart TVs and other connected devices.
Expanding Platforms in 2025-26
Beyond ESPN and regional networks, the NEC is adding additional distribution outlets this winter.
RYZ Sports Network will bring the conference broader exposure with school-produced men’s and women’s Game of the Week broadcasts on its linear FAST channel, carried on Samsung TV+, Roku, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Live, Xumo, Xfinity, LG, Fubo and more. RYZ also connects with millions of viewers through the Atmosphere OOH network, bringing live sports to restaurants, gyms, hotels and other venues nationwide.
In addition, select NEC games will stream on the Creator Sports Network (CSN), where digital creators co-stream live games on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, X, Kick and Facebook, providing live commentary and interactive content alongside the game feed, similar to “ManningCast”-style broadcasts or other creator-driven streams. The NEC’s Craig D’Amico will also stream a number of games in a similar format on the conference’s own YouTube and Twitch channels, bringing additional coverage and engagement directly to fans.
NEC Talent
A veteran broadcast crew with deep NEC roots returns to the air this season.
Now in his 26th year, Dave Popkin will again serve as the primary play-by-play announcer on men’s broadcasts, with Paul Dottino (27th year) filling in. Joe DeSantis (19th year) will serve as the primary color analyst.
The women’s broadcasts will likewise feature a seasoned group familiar to NEC fans. Dottino and Craig D’Amico (17th year) return to share play-by-play duties, while Pam Roecker is back for her 24th season as color analyst.
Pack Network and Linacre Media will handle production duties for the league’s ESPN+ package.
About The NEC
Now in its 45th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of ten 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), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (
www.necsports.com) and digital network (
www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.
2025-26 NEC Basketball ESPN+ Streaming & Linear TV Schedule
(all times EST)
Date Matchup Time Carriers
Mon., Jan. 19 Wagner at FDU (m) 2:00 pm ESPN+, YES, NESN Nation
Thur., Jan. 22 Saint Francis at Chicago State (w) 7:00 pm ESPN+ exclusive
Thur., Jan. 29 Stonehill at FDU (w) 5:00 pm ESPNU
Sat., Jan. 31 LIU at CCSU (m) 2:00 pm ESPNU
Thur., Feb. 5 Saint Francis at Mercyhurst (m) 7:00 pm ESPN+, SNP+, NESN Nation
Sat., Feb. 7 LIU at Stonehill (w) 1:00 pm ESPN+ exclusive
Thur., Feb. 12 CCSU at New Haven (m) 7:00 pm ESPN+, NESN+
Sat., Feb. 14 FDU at CCSU (w) 1:00 pm ESPN+, YES, NESN+
Thur., Feb. 19 Mercyhurst at Wagner (w) 7:00 pm ESPN+, SNP, NESN Nation
Sat., Feb. 21 Le Moyne at Stonehill (m) 2:00 pm ESPN+ exclusive
Thur., Feb. 26 Chicago State at LIU (m) 7:00 pm ESPN+ exclusive
Sat., Feb. 28 New Haven at Le Moyne (w) 1:00 pm ESPN+, YES*, NESN Nation
Sat., Mar. 7 NEC Men’s Semifinal #1 12:00 pm ESPN+, YES, NESN Nation
Sat., Mar. 7 NEC Men’s Semifinal #2 2:00 pm ESPN+, YES, NESN Nation
Tues., Mar. 10 NEC Men’s Championship 7:00 pm ESPN2
Thur., Mar. 12 NEC Women’s Semifinal #1 7:00 pm ESPN+, NESN Nation^
Thur., Mar. 12 NEC Women’s Semifinal #2 7:00 pm ESPN+, NESN Nation^
Sun., Mar. 15 NEC Women’s Championship 12:00 pm ESPNU
* YES will air game on same day delay at 4 pm ^ NESN Nation will air one women’s semi live and one on delay
2025-26 RYZ Network Men's Basketball Game of the Week
Fri., Jan. 2 CCSU at LIU 7:00 pm
Sat., Jan. 10 CCSU at Le Moyne 1:00 pm
Mon., Jan. 19 New Haven at Chicago State 6:00 pm
Fri., Jan. 23 Chicago State at Saint Francis 7:00 pm
Sat., Jan. 31 Stonehill at Le Moyne 1:00 pm
Sat., Feb. 7 Mercyhurst at FDU 3:30 pm (live or same-day delay...TBD)
Thur., Feb. 12 LIU at Wagner 7:00 pm
Feb. 19 or 21 Wildcard Game TBD
Feb. 26 or 28 Wildcard Game TBD
Wed., Mar. 4 NEC Men's Quarterfinal Game TBD
2025-26 RYZ Network Women's Basketball Game of the Week
Sun., Jan. 4 CCSU at New Haven 1:00 pm
Thur., Jan. 8 LIU at Mercyhurst 6:00 pm
Sat., Jan. 17 FDU at LIU 2:00 pm
Thur., Jan. 22 Le Moyne at Wagner 7:00 pm
Thur., Jan. 29 Chicago State at Saint Francis 7:00 pm
Thur., Feb. 5 FDU at Stonehill 6:00 pm
Sat., Feb. 14 Le Moyne at Chicago State 2:00 pm (live or same-day delay...TBD)
Feb. 19 or 21 Wildcard Game TBD
Feb. 26 or 28 Wildcard Game TBD
Wed., Mar. 9 NEC Women's Quarterfinal Game TBD