The great world of College Basketball changes by the day as we reflect here toward the end of the 2025 offseason. General Managers, Rev share, Transfer Portal, Realignment, and Raising Money from donors has dominated major college sports headlines.
The chaos at the top has led to plenty of uncertainties about what the future will look like, or even what a couple of years from now will look like.
The Northeast Conference, better known as the NEC, is on the opposite end of the D1 totem pole. However, the league is no stranger to change and has recently added a handful of former D2 members, via the NE-10 Conference, to stay ahead of the evolving realignment curve.
The league also worked closely with Stonehill College to ensure that all of the NCAA transition standards were met, so the Skyhawks could be eligible on the newly approved three-year transition for NCAA Tournament eligibility.
Perhaps even more astounding is the fact that the NEC Tournament Champion has gone to the First Four in Dayton for 12 consecutive years. This has provided the league with opportunities to rack up six NCAA Tournament victories over the past decade, including the miraculous FDU win over Purdue in 2022.
Intimate settings, rowdy postseason environments, and a steadfast commitment to on-campus home games in the NEC Tournament make it one of the most enjoyable in the country.
But how does this league keep surviving, given all of the chaos across college athletics?
I sat down with NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris and NEC Senior Associate Commissioner and Head of Men's Basketball, Ron Ratner, to ask that very question and so much more. Enjoy:
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