The Northeast Conference (NEC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Teams in the NEC compete in Division I for all sports; football competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Participating schools are located principally in the Northeastern United States, from which the conference derives its name.
NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions in the United States whose football programs are not part of a football conference. This means that FCS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition as conference schools do. As of the 2024 season, Merrimack and Sacred Heart will be competing as independents, as their primary conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, does not sponsor football after previously being members of the Northeast Conference. Merrimack and Sacred Heart are confirmed to play as FCS independents in 2024.
The Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. It is the only Division II collegiate ice hockey conference in the United States.
The Eastern Illinois Panthers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Eastern Illinois University located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1899. The team plays its home games at the 10,000 seat O'Brien Field, which is named after former head coach Maynard O'Brien.
The Wofford Terriers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Wofford College located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). Wofford's first football team was fielded in 1889. The team plays its home games at the 13,000 seat Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Josh Conklin is the current head coach for the Terriers.
The Sacred Heart Pioneers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Sacred Heart University located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are one of two NCAA Division I FCS independent schools. The school's first football team was fielded in 1993. The 2001 Sacred Heart Pioneers football team compiled a perfect 11–0 record and won the school's first conference championship.
The Merrimack Warriors are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Merrimack College, located in North Andover, Massachusetts, in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sporting competitions. All of the Warrior athletic teams compete at the Division I level. Men's and women's ice hockey compete in the Hockey East conference, and men's lacrosse competes in the America East Conference, while the remaining teams are members of the Northeast Conference. Starting July 1, 2024, Merrimack will leave the NEC, and its primary affiliation for sports will be in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The Merrimack Warriors men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Merrimack College. The Warriors are a member of Hockey East. They play at the 2,549-seat J. Thom Lawler Rink in North Andover, Massachusetts, which underwent renovation in 2010. Merrimack's 92.08% capacity during the 2013–14 season was second in Hockey East.
The Stonehill Skyhawks football team represents Stonehill College in football. Stonehill is a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). Prior to 2005, Stonehill's athletics teams were known as the Chieftains.
The Central Connecticut Blue Devils football program is the intercollegiate football team for Central Connecticut State University located in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Northeast Conference. Central Connecticut State's first football team was fielded in 1935. The team plays its home games at the 5,500 seat Arute Field in New Britain, Connecticut. The Blue Devils are coached by Adam Lechtenberg.
The 2019 Merrimack Warriors football team represented Merrimack College in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by seventh-year head coach Dan Curran and played their home games at Duane Stadium. They were first year members of the Northeast Conference.
The 2018 Merrimack Warriors football team represented Merrimack College as a member of the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) during the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Dan Curran, Merrimack compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 5–4 in conference play, placing fifth in the NE-10. The Warriors played their home games at Duane Stadium on North Andover, Massachusetts
The 2019–20 Merrimack Warriors men's basketball team represented Merrimack College during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Warriors were led by fourth-year head coach Joe Gallo, and played their home games at Hammel Court in North Andover, Massachusetts as first-year members of the Northeast Conference (NEC).
The 2020–21 Merrimack Warriors men's basketball team represented Merrimack College in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Warriors, led by fifth-year head coach Joe Gallo, will play their home games at Hammel Court in North Andover, Massachusetts as second-year members of the Northeast Conference (NEC).
The 2022 Merrimack Warriors football team represented Merrimack College as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) in the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the 4th and final year of the transition from Division 2. The Warriors were led by tenth-year head coach Dan Curran and played their home games at Duane Stadium in North Andover, MA. They finished the year 8-3, tying the program single season wins record. They played Saint Francis (PA) in the conference championship losing 52-23.
The 2022–23 Merrimack Warriors men's basketball team represented Merrimack College in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Warriors, led by seventh-year head coach Joe Gallo, played their home games at Hammel Court in North Andover, Massachusetts as members of the Northeast Conference.
The 2023–24 Merrimack Warriors men's basketball team represented Merrimack College in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Warriors, led by eighth-year head coach Joe Gallo, played their home games at Hammel Court, with some games at Lawler Arena, located in North Andover, Massachusetts as members of the Northeast Conference. They finished the season 21–12, 13–3 in NEC play to finish in a tie for the regular season championship. As the No. 2 seed in the NEC tournament, they defeated LIU and Le Moyne before losing to Wagner in the championship game.
Michael Gennetti is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head coach for Merrimack College, a position he has held since 2024. He played college football for the Worcester State Lancers and was an assistant coach for them from 2003 to 2004 before joining Merrimack in 2005. After having been an assistant for the Warriors from 2005 to 2023, he was named the head coach for the 2024 season.
The 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, is organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The regular season begins on August 24 and ends in November. The postseason began in November and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, will end on January 4, 2025, with the 2025 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
