NEC Presidents and athletic administrators convened in early June for the conference’s annual Spring Meetings, focusing on the conference’s future direction and strategic positioning within an evolving Division I athletics landscape.
The meetings provided a forum for high-level discussion and collaboration on key conference priorities, including media rights negotiations, strategic planning, championship access and sport-specific policy considerations. Administrators also reviewed ongoing NCAA governance developments, NEC SAAC initiatives, emerging technologies and continued efforts to enhance the student-athlete experience across the membership.
In addition, the meetings provided an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the achievements of NEC student-athletes and teams from the 2025-26 academic year.
“Each year, our Spring Meetings bring together the NEC community with a shared focus on building momentum and moving the conference forward,” said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. “This year’s meetings placed emphasis on the student-athlete experience and expanding opportunities, along with media rights strategy and the continued evolution of our Strategic Plan as we continue to build for the future and highlight what makes the NEC special.”
NEC Strategic Plan
NEC Presidents and athletic administrators reviewed the NEC Strategic Plan, which is entering its final stages following months of collaboration and feedback from a broad spectrum of conference stakeholders.
Breakout session feedback helped refine the plan’s strategic priorities, which include enhancing the student-athlete experience, strengthening the NEC brand, increasing basketball visibility and positioning the conference for long-term success. Administrators also reviewed how to better define the NEC’s identity and elevate the stories that set the conference apart.
NEC Media Rights
As part of ongoing media rights discussions, NEC Presidents and athletic administrators received an update from TrailRunner International, the conference’s consultant, on the status of negotiations for the NEC’s next media agreement beginning with the 2027-28 academic year.
The group explored opportunities to increase visibility for NEC student-athletes and institutions while expanding the conference’s reach across streaming and linear platforms.
NEC Championship Access
To enhance the student-athlete experience, beginning in 2027-28, the NEC will expand tournament fields to 50 percent of eligible teams. The change will increase brackets in baseball (6-team field), field hockey (5), women’s lacrosse (5), men’s soccer (5) and women’s soccer (6), further expanding postseason opportunities for student-athletes and teams across the conference.
NEC Basketball Scheduling
A one-year pilot program was implemented in men's and women's basketball that provides flexibility to move select games from Thursday to Wednesday to help alleviate travel challenges and open additional streaming and television windows.
NEC SAAC & Student-Athlete Voice
FDU’s Diego Diaz, the 2025-26 NEC SAAC Chair and NCAA Division I SAAC Co-Chair, shared key updates on student-athlete advocacy efforts at both the conference and national levels.
The committee’s name was officially changed from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to the Student-Athlete Advocacy Committee, reflecting a broader national shift toward student-athletes serving as active participants in governance and decision-making processes.
Diaz also highlighted ongoing SAAC initiatives, including the NEC Fights Food Insecurity canned food drive, NEC Attacks Cancer in a first-of-its-kind partnership with the HEADstrong Foundation, and NEC Building Communities outreach efforts.
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Kaitlyn O'Malley, Stonehill
Deputy Director of Athletics/SWA
Incoming NEC SWA Chair
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NEC Governance
CCSU’s Tom Pincince was appointed NEC AD Chair and Stonehill’s Kaitlyn O’Malley was appointed NEC SWA Chair.
NCAA Men's Soccer - 2 Semester Model
Administrators reviewed the proposed NCAA DI men’s soccer structure that would transition the sport to a two-semester format beginning in 2027-28. Attention turned to potential scheduling models and the operational and facility impacts of the change.
AI Education & Innovation
The NEC explored emerging applications of artificial intelligence in athletics administration, including compliance, communication and content creation, with an emphasis on improving operational efficiency across conference and campus operations.
NEC Awards Banquet
The annual NEC Awards Banquet was a memorable evening dedicated to celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of individuals, teams and institutions across the conference during the 2025-26 academic year.
The NEC recognized the following team award winners:
NEC Building Communites Award
FDU
NEC Fights Food Insecurity
Le Moyne
NEC Money Wars
FDU
Commissioner's Cup
Brenda Weare Commissioner's Cup: LIU
Joan Martin Women's Commissioner's Cup: FDU
Men's Commissioner's Cup: LIU
NEC Team Sportsmanship
Fall: MXC - Saint Francis; WXC - Saint Francis; FH - New Haven; FB - Mercyhurst; MSOC - Stonehill; WSOC - Saint Francis; WVB - Le Moyne
Winter: MBB - Stonehill; WBB - Stonehill; BOWL - Wagner; MSWIM - Wagner; WSWIM - Le Moyne, Simon Hodnett MITF - Stonehill; Simon Hodnett WITF - Le Moyne
Spring: BASE - Le Moyne; MGOLF - NC Central; WGOLF - Chicago State; MLAX - Mercyhurst; WLAX - LIU; SB - Mercyhurst; MVB - Saint Francis; MTEN - FDU; WTEN - Saint Francis, Simon Hodnett MOTF - Stonehill; Simon Hodnett WOTF - Stonehill
The evening’s most prominent honors went to FDU women’s tennis student-athlete Anastasia Lim and Wagner baseball student-athlete Lukas Torres, who were both on hand to receive their NEC Female and Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year awards, respectively.
The banquet also included special recognition of NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris, who will step down later this summer after 16 years leading the conference, and FDU Athletic Director Brad Hurlbut, in honor of his upcoming retirement.
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