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Somerset, NJ -- The Northeast Conference (NEC) today announced a 25-game basketball television package for the 2021-22 season. The Wagner men's team will open the TV slate with a home game against Sacred Heart at 7:00 PM on ESPN3 and SNY. The Seahawks' women's team will face Mount St. Mary's on December 31 at 11:30 am on ESPN3, SNY, and MASN.
On January 15, Wagner's women's team will be featured on ESPN3 and SNY at 7:00 pm at St. Francis Brooklyn.
The Seahawks' men's basketball team will take on Mount St. Mary's at the Spiro Sports Center on ESPNU on February 10 at 5:00 pm. Wagner's road contest at Sacred Heart on February 17 at 7:00 pm will be broadcast on ESPN3 and SNY.
Among the highlights:
- 23 games will be featured on ESPN networks
- CBS Sports Network will televise a pair of NEC men's games
- ESPNU will air its first ever NEC regular season women's game, one of three games on the network
- All 25 games of the package will be carried nationally in some form
- ESPN3 will broadcast 14 NEC hoops game this season, all of which will also air on NEC Front Row
- Five games will air exclusively on ESPN+.
- SNY will televise nine games
- This year's NEC slate includes a record number of women's games
- All NEC men's and women's teams will be featured at least once during the regular season
- Six NEC Tournament games will be televised, including the title games on ESPN or ESPN2 (men) & ESPNU (women)
- All games outside of those on ESPNU, CBSSN & ESPN+ will also stream on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run series of streaming and mobile apps
ESPNU is set to televise a pair of games during conference play, including the first-ever women's regular season matchup on the network when defending NEC champion Mount St. Mary's hosts fellow contender FDU on January 27. In another highly anticipated matchup, reigning NEC men's titleholder Mount St. Mary's heads to Staten Island to take on 2020-21 NEC regular season champion Wagner on February 10.
The NEC returns to the CBS Sports Network airwaves with a pair of men's games on tap beginning with Bryant entertaining LIU on January 29. The CBS schedule also includes the annual Wildcard game on February 24. CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports' 24-hour cable channel which televises live sports programming throughout the year as well as a full slate of original programming and studio coverage, is available through all major cable, satellite and telco distributors as well as via OTT streaming service providers YouTube TV, fuboTV, DirecTV and Hulu. Additionally, a live CBS Sports Network stream is available through CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App with select providers.
The NEC and ESPN will team up to bring games to fans through ESPN streaming services on web and via the ESPN App across smartphones, tablets and connected devices. Fourteen NEC games will be streamed non-exclusively on ESPN3, available to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Five NEC games will air exclusively on ESPN+, the direct-to-consumer streaming service. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App. It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu.
ESPN3 and ESPN+ will serve as the home to eleven NEC women's basketball games this winter. Most notably, ESPN3 is set to air a wildcard game on March 3, the final day of the regular season. Fans will also be able to catch perennial contenders Sacred Heart and Saint Francis U in both ends of their home-and-home on January 23 in Fairfield and February 26 in Loretto.
When March hits, ESPN3 will carry the men's semifinals on Saturday, March 5 and the women's semis on Thursday, March 10. As part of the network's Championship Week coverage, the NEC men's title game will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2 for the 35th straight year on Tuesday, March 8th at 7:00 pm. For the 15th year in a row, ESPNU is set to carry the NEC Women's Championship game. This year's final is scheduled for Sunday, March 13th at 12:00 pm.
NEC hoops will once again have a strong regional presence within its footprint.
SNY plans to carry nine games this season, including the package opener on December 31 when Wagner visits Mount St. Mary's in a rematch of the 2021 NEC women's final. SNY has also secured the annual "Battle of Brooklyn" on MLK Day as LIU entertains St. Francis Brooklyn in women's action. The NEC will have a major postseason presence on SNY as well, with both men's semis airing live on March 5 at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and the women's semis split between live (7:00 pm) and tape delay (9:00 pm) on March 10.
Longtime regional partner MASN has picked up a pair of Mount St. Mary's games, including the aforementioned New Year's Eve women's game at Wagner. In a rematch of the 2021 NEC men's title tilt, MASN will carry the Mount-Bryant heavyweight matchup on February 5.
The conference anticipates adding additional local/regional syndication partners in the lead up to conference play.
"It's hard to put into words what it will feel like to watch NEC hoops airing nationwide with fans packing the stands this season," said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. "Many thanks to ESPN, CBSSN and our host of regional partners for allowing us to showcase the league's marquee sport both inside and outside of the conference footprint. You can feel the enthusiasm for NEC basketball reaching an all-time high, and this year's extensive package will enable our loyal fans to follow their favorite teams on a variety of networks and platforms."
Now in his 22nd season, Dave Popkin serves as the primary play-by-play announcer on men's broadcasts, with Paul Dottino (23rd year) filling in. Tim Capstraw (23rd year) and Joe DeSantis (15th year) are slated to split color analyst duties.
Dottino and Craig D'Amico (13th year) will once split play-by-play duties on women's telecasts. Pam Roecker is back for her 20th year as color analyst.
Pack Network will handle production duties for the league's ESPN3/ESPN+ package.
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 41st season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout seven states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Boston (#9), Baltimore (#26), Hartford/New Haven (#33) and Providence (#53). 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 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary's, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, all @NECsports.
2021-22 NEC Basketball Television Schedule
Date Matchup Time Carriers
Fri., Dec. 31 Mount St. Mary's at Wagner (w) 11:30 am ESPN3, SNY, MASN
Thur., Jan. 6 Merrimack at FDU (m) 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Sat., Jan. 15 Wagner at St. Francis Brooklyn (w) 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Mon., Jan. 17 St. Francis Brooklyn at LIU (w) 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Fri., Jan. 21 CCSU at Saint Francis U (m) 7:00 pm ESPN+
Sun., Jan. 23 Saint Francis U at Sacred Heart (w) 2:00 pm ESPN3
Thur., Jan. 27 FDU at Mount St. Mary's (w) 5:00 pm ESPNU
Sat., Jan. 29 LIU at Bryant (m) 2:00 pm CBSSN
Thur., Feb. 3 FDU at St. Francis Brooklyn (m) 7:00 pm ESPN+
Sat., Feb. 5 Bryant at Mount St. Mary's (m) 4:00 pm ESPN3, MASN
Thur., Feb. 10 Mount St. Mary's at Wagner (m) 5:00 pm ESPNU
Thur., Feb. 10 St. Francis Brooklyn at LIU (m) 7:00 pm ESPN3
Fri., Feb. 11 Merrimack at CCSU (w) 7:00 pm ESPN+
Thur., Feb. 17 Wagner at Sacred Heart (m) 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Sat., Feb. 19 Bryant at FDU (w) 2:00 pm ESPN+
Sat., Feb. 19 Sacred Heart at Merrimack (m) 3:00 pm ESPN+
Thur., Feb. 24 Wildcard Game (m) 6:00 pm CBSSN
Sat., Feb. 26 Sacred Heart at Saint Francis U (w) 4:00 pm ESPN3
Thur., Mar. 3 Wildcard Game (w) 7:00 pm ESPN3
Sat., Mar. 5 NEC Men's Semifinal 6:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
NEC Men's Semifinal 8:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
Tues., Mar. 8 NEC Men's Championship 7:00 pm ESPN or ESPN2
Thur., Mar. 10 NEC Women's Semifinal 7:00 pm ESPN3, SNY
NEC Women's Semifinal 7:00 pm ESPN3 (live), SNY (tape delay at 9 pm)
Sun., Mar. 13 NEC Women's Championship 12:00 pm ESPNU
