Bridgewater, NJ -- NEC football is expanding its national footprint in 2026 with a pair of FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) packages that will deliver a robust schedule of games to viewers across the country.

RYZ Sports Network returns for its second season as an NEC football partner with an expanded 13-game slate, while SI TV joins the conference’s distribution lineup for the first time and will carry 12 games this fall.

The two packages build upon the NEC’s move into the FAST space last season and complement the conference’s digital coverage on ESPN+, providing additional opportunities for fans to watch NEC football across an array of connected TV platforms and devices.

“We saw tremendous value in entering the FAST space last year and are excited to expand our presence in 2026,” said NEC Senior Associate Commissioner Ron Ratner. “The return of RYZ and the addition of SI TV provide important new opportunities to showcase our football programs, grow the NEC brand and introduce our student-athletes to new audiences on platforms where more and more fans are consuming live sports.”

RYZ will once again feature NEC football throughout the regular season after debuting its weekly NEC Football Game of the Week in 2025. RYZ Sports Network is widely available across the FAST and streaming landscape, including Samsung TV Plus (channel 2394), The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Fire TV, the DIRECTV app (channel 4149), Xumo Play, Xfinity, LG Channels, VIZIO WatchFree+, Fubo, Sling and Hisense. RYZ is also available to non-DIRECTV subscribers for free on channel 4149 through MyFree DIRECTV. The network further extends its reach through the Atmosphere out-of-home network, which distributes live sports to restaurants, bars, gyms, hotels and other public venues nationwide.

The 2026 season also marks the NEC’s first partnership with SI TV, further expanding the conference’s presence in the rapidly growing FAST marketplace. SI TV is Sports Illustrated’s new 24/7 FAST channel that launched earlier this year and features a mix of live sports, original programming, studio shows and archival content. SI TV is currently available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Fire TV, the DIRECTV app (channel 4189), Sling Freestream, The Roku Channel, Anoki LiveTVx, Plex, LocalNow, Sports.tv, Tablo TV, DistroTV and Free Live Sports. SI TV is also available to non-DIRECTV subscribers for free on channel 4189 through MyFree DIRECTV. 

Two games are scheduled to appear on both networks: Albany at LIU on September 12 and Norfolk State at Chicago State on September 26.

RYZ Sports Network Football Schedule
Aug. 29 - Bryant at Stonehill - 6 pm
Sept. 5 - Stonehill at New Haven - 12 pm
Sept. 12 - Albany at LIU - 12 pm
Sept. 19 - Villanova at LIU - 12 pm
Sept. 26 - Norfolk State at Chicago State - 7 pm
Oct. 3 - Wagner at CCSU - 12 pm
Oct. 10 - LIU at Duquesne - 1 pm
Oct. 17 - CCSU at Mercyhurst - 12 pm
Oct. 24 - New Haven at CCSU - 12 pm
Oct. 31 - Mercyhurst at Stonehill - 12 pm
Nov. 7 - Robert Morris at Duquesne - 12 pm
Nov. 14 - CCSU at LIU - 12 pm
Nov. 21 - Duquesne at CCSU - 12 pm

SI TV Football Schedule
Sept. 5 - Southern Connecticut State at Wagner - 12 pm
Sept. 12 - Albany at LIU - 12 pm
Sept. 19 - Brown at New Haven - 12 pm
Sept. 26 - Norfolk State at Chicago State - 7 pm
Oct. 3 - Norfolk State at Robert Morris - 2 pm
Oct. 10 - Princeton at Wagner - 12 pm
Oct. 17 - Duquesne at Stonehill - 12 pm
Oct. 24 - Mercyhurst at Robert Morris - 2 pm
Oct. 31 - Robert Morris at CCSU - 12 pm
Nov. 7 - Wagner at Mercyhurst - 12 pm
Nov. 14 - Mercyhurst at Duquesne - 12 pm
Nov. 21 - Wagner at Stonehill - 12 pm

About the NEC
Now in its 46th season, the NEC 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), 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 sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 17 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, 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.