VESTAL, N.Y. – In a key move to strengthen opportunities for conference success and NCAA advancement in three spring sports, Binghamton has joined the Northeast Conference as associate members in men's tennis, women's tennis and men's golf, the conference announced Monday.

The move brings all three programs under the same conference umbrella for the first time in more than a decade after the America East discontinued those sports due to a lack of sponsoring institutions. In the NEC, all three programs will benefit from consolidated competition in the Northeast and automatic NCAA berths available for the NEC champion every year.

"We believe this is a positive move to further improve our student-athlete experience in these important sports," Director of Athletics Eugene Marshall, Jr. said. "I would like to thank Commissioner Morris, the Presidents' Council, the Directors of Athletics and Coaches for their selection of Binghamton as an affiliate member in these sports. Our teams will now be able to play in a regional conference against familiar opponents and it also cuts down on travel expenses. We are competitively compatible with the teams in the NEC so it's a 'win-win' for us."

The new conference membership is most impactful for women's tennis, which had a long run of America East success before enduring the last seven years without any conference affiliation. Men's tennis returns to a Northeast-based conference after competing in the Mid-American Conference for the last eight years. Golf also enjoys a return to the Northeast after spending the last nine years competing in the Big Sky Conference out West.

All three programs will immediately be eligible to compete for NEC championships and the automatic NCAA berths that are awarded to the winners.

Binghamton sponsors 17 (of its 21) sports as a full member of the America East and also is a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).
 
Men's Tennis

• Returning to a Northeast-based conference for first time since America East ended its men's tennis sponsorship after 2014
• Bearcats won final seven championships in AE and 10 overall in 13 years of tennis membership
• Joined the Mid-American Conference in 2015 and had one runnerup and one semifinal appearance in eight years
• Advanced to NCAA Regionals nine times between 2003-13
• FDU is the reigning NEC champion, having captured the 2023 title April 14-16 at Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, NJ
• 2023-24 NEC men's tennis members (9) include Binghamton, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (Pa.), Stonehill and Wagner
• Head coach Nick Zieziula will enter his 10th year guiding the program in 2023-24

 
Women's Tennis

• Gaining a conference affiliation for the first time in eight years since America East ended its women's tennis sponsorship after 2016
• Had long run of success in America East with seven runnerup finishes and eight semifinal runs in 15 years between 2002-16
• LIU is the reigning NEC champion, having captured the 2023 event held April 14-16 at Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, NJ
• 2023-24 NEC women's tennis members (9) include Binghamton, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (Pa.), Stonehill and Wagner
• Head coach Libby McGovern will enter her 14th year guiding the program in 2023-24

Men's Golf

• Returning to a Northeast-based conference after spending last nine years with Big Sky
• Also were affiliate member of golf-only America Sky Conference from 2007-12
• Won two conference titles in America East (2003, 2005) and were runnersup four times between 2002-07
• Advanced to NCAA Regionals three times (2003, 2004, 2006)
• LIU is the reigning NEC champion, having captured the 2023 crown at the 54-hole championship held April 30 - May 2 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.
• 2023-24 NEC golf members (11) include Binghamton, FDU, Howard, Le Moyne, LIU, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Merrimack, NC Central, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (Pa.) and Wagner
• Head coach Bernie Herceg will enter his 16th year guiding the program in 2023-24

About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 42nd season, the Northeast Conference 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), Boston (#9) and Hartford/New Haven (#33). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, FDU, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.