Bridgewater, NJ -- Quinnipiac University has accepted an invitation from the Northeast Conference (NEC) Council of Presidents to join the league as an associate member in field hockey for the 2026-27 academic year.

Quinnipiac will be immediately eligible to compete in the NEC Field Hockey Championship and claim the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

"We warmly welcome Quinnipiac back to NEC field hockey," said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "Their return will reignite regional rivalries and bring excitement and depth to the league as the NEC continues to grow as a home for competitive field hockey programs."

The addition of Quinnipiac brings the number of NEC field hockey programs to ten for the forthcoming 2026 season. The Bobcats will compete alongside NEC core members LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Stonehill and Wagner, as well as fellow affiliates Fairfield, Merrimack, Rider and Sacred Heart.

Quinnipiac is no stranger to the NEC, having served as a full-time member from 1998-99 through the 2012-13 academic year. During that tenure, the Bobcats won the inaugural NEC Field Hockey Tournament in 1999 and went on to claim three tournament championships and four regular-season titles. 

“We’re excited for our field hockey program to join the NEC ahead of the 2026 season,” said Quinnipiac Director of Athletics Greg Amodio. “We’re looking forward to competing for championships on an annual basis in a competitive league, and we’re excited to renew rivalries with familiar opponents around the region.”

Quinnipiac won the MAAC Tournament in 2013 before joining the Big East as a field hockey associate in 2016. Third-year head coach Nina Klein guided the Bobcats to a 5-4 finish in Big East play this fall.

“We are excited for the next chapter in our pursuit of chasing championships and creating the best environment possible for our student-athletes," said Klein. "We are grateful to the NEC for welcoming us back to the conference. Quinnipiac field hockey has a rich history of being successful in the NEC. We had a historic season in 2025, posting the most wins in over a decade, and cannot wait to see what the fall of 2026 holds for us in the NEC."

With the inclusion of Quinnipiac, the NEC will proudly showcase associate members across 15 sports for the 2026-27 season. These sports include baseball (Coppin State, Delaware State, UMES and Norfolk State), women’s bowling (Duquesne, Monmouth and Niagara), field hockey (Fairfield, Merrimack, Quinnipiac, Rider and Sacred Heart), football (Duquesne and Robert Morris), men's golf (Binghamton, Howard, UMES and North Carolina Central), women's golf (Delaware State, Howard, UMES and North Carolina Central), men's lacrosse (Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris and VMI), women's lacrosse (Delaware State and Howard), men's soccer (Howard), women's soccer (Delaware State and Howard), men's swimming and diving (Howard), women's swimming and diving (Howard), men's and women's tennis (Binghamton) and men’s volleyball (Daemen, D’Youville, Manhattan & UMES). 
 
About The Northeast Conference

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.