Northeast Conference Fans: The NEC Fan Guide you’re reading is designed is consistent – to provide its members the opportunity to to provide relevant – and interesting – information participate in quality competition at the Division I level while about the Northeast Conference’s 11 member operating programs that are fully integrated in the academic institutions, 200-plus coaches and approximately mission of each institution. NEC athletic programs truly focus on 4,300 student-athletes. putting the student in the term student-athlete. The NEC placed among the top NCAA Division I conferences with the release of the Headquartered in Somerset, NJ, the Northeast first Academic Progress Rate (APR) figures and also ranked Brenda Weare Conference provides the following services for among the nation's elite in Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figures Commissioner its members: announced in Fall of 2007. During the 2006-07 academic year, more than 1,000 student-athletes earned a place on the • Conducts 21 championship sports for men and women; Conference’s Academic Honor Roll by maintaining a 3.2 GPA or • Recognizes and promotes academic achievement of its better. NEC graduation rates for student-athletes are consistently student-athletes; higher than those of non-athletes. • Produces an annual cable TV package of 2-3 football games and 20-25 basketball games; On the field of play, the NEC has enjoyed many successes both • Supports a positive and safe competitive environment for regionally and nationally, competing in 20 NCAA championships its teams and fans; each year. The future of the NEC looks even brighter with new • Assists programs in maintaining compliance with NCAA facilities and improvements recently completed, under construction rules and regulations; or in planning stages at more than half of the league’s member • Promotes the league and its members through marketing institutions. and merchandising efforts; • Maintains a state-of-the-art website featuring news, We hope the information contained in this Fan Guide will give you statistics, media guides, recordbooks, championship a better understanding of the NEC. Whether you’re an administrator, information, podcasts and streaming video. coach, student-athlete, prospective student-athlete or spectator, we thank you for your support. The NEC encompasses five states and a variety of diverse locations, from the bustling activity of Brooklyn, NY to the rural setting of Sincerely, Loretto, PA to the beaches and shoreline of West Long Branch, NJ. Brenda Weare, Commissioner But when it comes to intercollegiate athletics, the goal of the NEC Northeast Conference 200 Cottontail Lane • Somerset, NJ 08873 Phone: 732-469-0440 • Fax: 732-469-0744 www.northeastconference.org Sacred Heart Fairfield, CT Central Connecticut State New Britain, CT Northeast Conference Profile: Saint Francis (PA) Loretto, PA Quinnipiac • The Northeast Conference was founded in 1981 as the basketball Hamden, CT only ECAC-Metro Conference and has since grown to sponsor 21 championship sports for men and women. Long Island • The 11 institutions of higher learning that comprise the NEC give Brooklyn, NY the league a five-state geographic footprint, including four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh St. Francis (NY) (#22), Baltimore (#24), and Hartford/New Haven (#29). Brooklyn, NY • Over 55,000 students attend NEC institutions, while more than 4,200 Wagner participate in intercollegiate athletics. Staten Island, NY Robert Morris • NEC schools have an alumni base of over 460,000. Moon Township, PA Fairleigh Dickinson • NEC associate members include Albany and Duquesne (2008) in the Teaneck, NJ sport of football, and Lock Haven, Rider and Siena in field hockey. Mount St. Mary’s Emmitsburg, MD NEC • Bryant University will become a core member of the NEC in 2012 upon Somerset, NJ Monmouth completion of the five-year NCAA Division I reclassification period. West Long Branch, NJ 2 Northeast Conference Northeast Conference Marketing Opportunities: The NEC’s Corporate Partnership Program offers a wide variety of marketing, promotional, media, hospitality and merchandising benefits to its partners. The purpose of the program is to align the NEC with reputable companies and organizations in order to improve the quality of services, as well as enhance the visibility and reputation of the conference for its student-athletes and member institutions. Corporate Partners Official Suppliers Anaconda Sports: Basketball Brine: Soccer Levy Awards: Awards Molten: Volleyball Penn Monto: Field Hockey Rawlings: Baseball Worth: Softball Tees Plus: Merchandise & Apparel Contributing Sponsors Baseball & Softball Northeast Conference Television Network: The Northeast Conference Television Network consists of a string of regional networks that bring NEC sports to over 20 million homes across the Eastern seaboard. NEC-TV has televised over 200 men’s and women’s basketball and football events over the past decade, as well as the “NEC Countdown To Tipoff” preview show in each of the last three years. This year, the NEC adds ESPNU to its growing list of broadcast partners. Additionally, ESPN2 annually televises the NEC men’s basketball championship game as part of its Championship Week festivities. Television Partners: School Market Market Rank TV Households Central Connecticut State Hartford/New Haven, CT #29 1,007,490 Fairleigh Dickinson New York, NY #1 7,391,940 Long Island New York, NY #1 7,391,940 Monmouth New York, NY #1 7,391,940 Mount St. Mary’s Baltimore, MD #24 1,095,490 Quinnipiac Hartford/New Haven, CT #29 1,007,490 Robert Morris Pittsburgh, PA #22 1,158,210 Sacred Heart New York, NY #1 7,391,940 St. Francis (NY) New York, NY #1 7,391,940 Saint Francis (PA) Johnstown/Altoona, PA #99 295,180 Wagner New York, NY #1 7,391,940 Sportsmanship Counts! In 2004, the Northeast Conference launched Sportsmanship Counts!, Northeast Conference a program designed to reinforce and promote the ideals and Educating Student-Athletes On And Off The Field fundamentals of good sportsmanship. The 2006-07 athletic year featured a strong balance between athletic feats and academic achievements as over 25 percent of NEC student-athletes were NEC member institutions value the principles of sportsmanship named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll and nearly 200 were named to the and the ideal of pursuing victory with honor in Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll with GPAs of 3.75 or higher. A total of intercollegiate athletics. The Conference 33 student-athletes were named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District believes that athletics should be teams and five earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America status. conducted in a way that reflects Additionally, NEC institutions earned a higher Academic Progress Rate (APR) than positively on the individual the national average and ranked 15th among the 31 NCAA Division I conferences. A total of 18 NEC teams from among more than 800 across participants and institutions. the nation were honored by the NCAA with public recognition awards for The essential elements of their latest Academic Progress Rate scores. Wagner captured the inaugural sportsmanship and ethics in NEC Institutional Academic Award for the 2006-07 academic year with a combined sports are embodied in the 3.147 GPA in 19 sports. concept of character building and seven core principles: respect, 2006-07 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans responsibility, fairness, honesty, 1st Team Ray Gensler Robert Morris Football integrity, caring and civility. The highest Mandy Jenkins Mount St. Mary’s Track & Field potential of sports is achieved when competition reflects these seven principles. 2nd Team Ryne Nutt CCSU Football Erika Jacobs Saint Francis (PA) XC/Track & Field The NEC has communicated its message through public service announcements that air on televised football and basketball games, public address announcements at all 3rd Team Alex Harrison CCSU Soccer events and on-campus signage. Educating Student-Athletes On And Off The Field 3 2007-08 Northeast Conference Championship Schedule: Championship Date Site/Host M/W Cross Country Oct. 27 Stanley Quarter Park (New Britain, CT) Field Hockey Nov. 2-3 High Seed Women’s Soccer Nov. 9 & 11 High Seed Men’s Soccer Nov. 16 & 18 High Seed Women’s Volleyball Nov. 17-18 High Seed M/W Indoor Track & Field Feb. 9-10 P.G. County Sports Complex (Landover, MD) Women’s Swimming & Diving Feb. 14-16 Yale University (New Haven, CT) Men’s Basketball Mar. 6, 9 & 12 High Seeds Women’s Basketball Mar. 8-9, 16 LIU (quarters/semis), High Seed (Championship) M/W Tennis Apr. 18-19 Mercer County Tennis Center (West Windsor, NJ) Women’s Lacrosse Apr. 25 & 27 High Seed Women’s Golf Apr. 25-27 Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club (Dade City, FL) Men’s Golf May 2-4 Wren Dale Golf Club at Hershey (Hershey, PA) M/W Outdoor Track & Field May 3-4 Robert Morris Softball May 9-10 High Seed Baseball May 22-24 Bernie Robbins Stadium (Atlantic City, NJ) Northeast Conference Website: The Northeast Conference has an online presence with its official website at www.northeastcon- ference.org. With an easily navigable user interface, the site contains up-to-date information on all 21 NEC sports including tournament coverage, continuous news updates, statistics, media guides and recordbooks, podcasts and streaming video, as well as an NEC webstore. www.northeastconference.org Venues Tennis In recent years, the NEC has taken its championship events to a number of top-notch venues in order to enhance the overall experience for its student- athletes and fans. Mercer County Park, West Windsor, NJ Baseball Cross Country New Britain Stadium, Van Cortlandt Park, Riverdale, NY New Britain, CT Golf Wren Dale Golf Club at Hershey, Sea Trail Golf Resort, Hershey, PA Sunset Beach, NC Swimming & Diving Indoor Track & Field P.G. County Sports Complex, Landover, MD P.G. County Sports Complex, Landover, MD 4 Northeast Conference CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY About Central Connecticut State Founded in 1849, Central Connecticut State University is a regional, comprehensive public university dedicated to learning in the liberal arts and sciences and to education for the professions.