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Bridgewater, NJ -- It has been 956 days since FDU last lost a game against an NEC opponent and after polling the conference’s head coaches, more of the same is expected in the 2026-27 season.

The Knights’ record-setting 37-game unbeaten streak has yielded two conference regular season titles, a pair of NEC Tournament crowns and back-to-back NCAA appearances - a run of success that helped make FDU the preseason favorite for the third straight season with six first-place votes.

Fresh off a second-place finish in the NEC standings, a run to the NEC semifinals in its conference tournament debut and a postseason WNIT appearance, Mercyhurst claimed the No. 2 spot in the preseason poll and received one first-place vote.

Stonehill, which reached the 2025 NEC title tilt, landed the final two first-place votes to finish third in the preseason rankings.

The next three spots were taken by the New York trio of NEC squads with Le Moyne in fourth, LIU in fifth and Wagner at the No. 6 spot. Chicago State (seventh), New Haven (eighth) and Central Connecticut (ninth) rounded out the preseason poll.

The NEC revealed the results of the poll, along with the five-member Preseason All-Conference team, during #NECWBB Media Week on Monday, October 26.

The conference’s head coaches have correctly predicted the eventual NEC winner seven times in the last eight years as FDU is looking to become the first team to string together three consecutive conference titles since Saint Francis won four straight from 2002 to 2005.

Each program will play a 16-game double round-robin schedule that begins on Saturday, January 2.

All nine NEC institutions are eligible to qualify for the 2027 NEC Tournament, which will be held on March 8, 11 and 14 at higher seeds.

If a reclassifying institution wins the NEC Tournament championship, the tournament runner-up will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the NEC’s automatic qualifier under the current policy. If Mercyhurst and New Haven both reach the NEC title game, the conference will stage an “NCAA Qualifying Game” between the two non-advancing semifinalists to which team earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

A third straight historic season could be in store for FDU after the Knights accomplished an unprecedented feat in the NEC during the 2025-26 campaign. FDU became the first team in league history to pair back-to-back undefeated conference regular seasons with consecutive NEC Tournament crowns. Under the direction of three-time Brenda Reilly NEC Coach of the Year Stephanie Gaitley, the 15th-seeded Knights made some noise in their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance as they played second-seeded Iowa down to the wire in a steamy Carver-Hawkeye Arena on an unusual 86 degree day in Iowa City.

Eyeing a three-peat in 2026-27, FDU returns several key pieces from last year’s squad, including Preseason All-NEC frontcourt selections sophomore Leah Crosby (Plainfield, NJ/St. Thomas Aquinas) and senior Rebecca Osei-Owusu (Brooklyn, NY/Monsignor Scanlan). With a year of experience under her belt, sophomore guard and two-time NEC Rookie of the Week Reese Downey (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) will look to take her game to the next level in the Knights’ backcourt. A season ago, the Knights boasted a stifling defense as they led the league in scoring the defense (51.5) and field goal percentage defense (35.3 percent). 

Taking the conference by storm in its first season of playoff eligibility, Mercyhurst earned the second seed in the NEC Tournament with a 14-4 regular season record, led by since-graduated all-star Jenna Van Schaik. Fresh off a WNIT appearance, the Lakers bring back a young core that made significant strides last season, led by 2025-26 NEC Most Improved Player Cici Hernandez (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) and 2025-26 NEC Rookie of the Year Sofia Wilson (Avon Lake, OH/Magnificat). The dynamic guard duo both averaged double digits a season ago with Hernandez netting 13.5 points per game and Wilson dropping 11.5 per outing. Hernandez also represented the Lakers on the Preseason All-NEC squad.

Experience is the calling card this year’s Stonehill squad as the Skyhawks’ roster is loaded with 10 upperclassmen. Veteran guard and Preseason All-Conference pick Brooke Paquette (Hudson, NH/Bishop Guertin) returns for her senior season after back-to-back all-star campaigns. The 2026 All-NEC first team selection ranked second in the league in scoring (14.9 ppg) and shot a conference-best 90.2 percent from the charity stripe. With injuries cutting their 2025-26 seasons short, junior Megan Sias (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) and sophomore Reese Roggenburk (Cleveland, OH/Magnificat) are back in the frontcourt this season. The Skyhawks are eyeing their second NEC title game appearance in three years.

Le Moyne advanced to its third consecutive NEC Tournament semifinals a season ago, and after completing the DI reclassification process, the Dolphins are eligible to earn the conference’s automatic bid for the first time. All-NEC second team honoree Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay (Mineral Area College)) highlights a veteran-led squad for the Dolphins.

Exceeding all expectations a year ago, LIU made its first NEC Tournament finals appearance in 16 years after being picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll. The Sharks bring back seven players from last year’s squad, highlighted by Preseason All-NEC guard Janessa Williams (Lake Worth, FL/The King’s Academy). LIU will be under new direction this season as former LIU men’s basketball assistant Baronton Terry takes the reins of the program.

Bringing in 11 newcomers this season, Wagner aims to capture the NEC crown for the first time in 38 years under sixth-year skipper Terrell Coburn.

NEC second team all-star Keona McGee (Milwaukee WI/Dominican) returns for her junior season to lead Chicago State in its quest for a third straight conference postseason appearance and first NEC title.

New Haven’s roster features 16 underclassmen as the Chargers become eligible for the NEC Tournament for the first time since making the jump to Division I last season.

CCSU boasts a young squad with one upperclassman on the roster as head coach Kristin Caruso and the Blue Devils look to get back to the NEC Tournament following a one year absence.

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.