The entrance into the NEC marks another milestone for CSU's Athletic Department; the department added women's triathlon which will begin competing this fall and launched a fundraising campaign to expand its sports offerings, most notably pursuing the potential to add FCS Division I football (Football Championship Subdivision), which would be the only Division I football program in the City of Chicago. The full NEC conference membership will be for 13 of CSU's men's and women's sports while men's and women's tennis will remain in the Horizon League for one more season.Â
The NEC's membership consists of nine schools including Central Connecticut State University (admitted in 1997), Chicago State (admitted in 2024), Fairleigh Dickinson University (charter member), Le Moyne College (admitted in 2023), Long Island University (charter member), Mercyhurst (admitted in 2024), Saint Francis University (charter member), Stonehill College (admitted in 2022) and Wagner College (charter member).
The NEC's member institutions will compete in 25 championship sports in 2024-25: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track and field, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's volleyball.
The primary points of focus throughout the membership process had been the academic, personal and athletic success of CSU student-athletes. In addition, the NEC and CSU share a similar vision for growth and expansion. The university will be working with the conference to ease travel challenges and game scheduling, much of which will continue to occur during the weekends.Â
"The NEC stood out because of its mission to support student-athletes in competition, in the classroom and in their community," said CSU's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Monique Carroll. "The NEC also has a strong vision for future growth that aligns with our own. We look forward to growing with it and to giving our students an opportunity to compete for championships."
CSU Athletics has been independent since 2022; the school was previously a member of the Western Athletic Conference.Â
Currently, CSU Athletics is composed of 16 intercollegiate teams involving more than 150 student-athletes who compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, triathlon, indoor and outdoor track, and volleyball. Expanding these offerings is part of a larger strategy to attract more students and enhance their experience at the 156-year-old institution.Â
About the Northeast Conference
Now entering its 44th 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), Chicago (#3), Boston (#8). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#87). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, 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.
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About Chicago State University
Chicago State University, founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The University's five colleges offer over 70 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting and non-degree programs. CSU is committed to equity in education, serving as the only U.S. Department of Education-designated four-year Predominantly Black Institution in Illinois and ranked by a Harvard economist in the top 4% of public and private universities nationwide in supporting our graduates' economic mobility. The University serves as a prominent civic space on the greater South Side of Chicago by hosting a multitude of athletic, educational, cultural, and recreational activities. The University is located near public transit that provides convenient access to the campus.
About Chicago State Athletics
Chicago State University sponsors 16 Division I intercollegiate athletic teams and competes in the Northeast Conference with the exception of men's and women's tennis who will compete in the Horizon League during the 2024-25 season. CSU's athletic program includes over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, triathlon and volleyball.Â
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