Article by Dan Tortora
The Northeast Conference (NEC) has decided to do away with their rule that had stated that schools that entered into the conference through realignment/reclassification would not be able to participate right away in NEC postseason tournaments/championships.
Originially, the NEC had barred any incoming school to the conference from being able to advance to and compete in their conference tournaments/championships for the first two years that that school was in the conference, except for those sports that do not have an NCAA automatic qualifier (men's and women's cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field, along with women's swimming).
Now, any incoming institution has the opportunity to play in the NEC postseason tournaments/championships immediately, with no two-year hiatus.
That means that LeMoyne College, who will officially become a member of the NEC on July 1, 2023, and Stonehill College, who joined the NEC last season, will not be in a holding pattern, each eligibile to participate in NEC tournaments/championships beginning in the upcoming fall season here in 2023.
This allows the LeMoyne Dolphins full access to the NEC postseason from the moment they enter into the conference, a win for student-athletes, coaches, alumni, and Dolphins everywhere.