Six Howard Athletics Programs join NEC
By The Sports Pulse Staff
Courtesy photo
WASHINGTON – Howard University has accepted an invitation from the Northeast Conference’s (NEC) Council of Presidents and will join the NCAA Division I league as part of a six-sport associate member partnership.
The Bison will begin NEC competition during the 2020-21 season in men’s and women’s swimming. In 2021-22, Howard will join the conference in men’s and women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse, and golf.
During the upcoming season, Howard men’s soccer and women’s lacrosse will play in the Sun Belt and Atlantic (ASUN) conferences, respectively, while women’s soccer and women’s golf will compete independently.
Founded in 1867, Howard is a private, historically black university (HBCU) based in Washington, D.C.
“Howard University is pleased to become an associate member of the Northeast Conference. This move will significantly reduce the geographical footprint that our athletes must travel for games, which will have a positive impact on our travel expenses,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick.
“I’d like to thank our former conference homes for these particular sports, the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Sun Belt, ASUN, and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association, for their previous support of our programs.”
The addition of Howard boosts NEC women’s swimming & diving membership to ten teams this coming year. Howard will join Bryant, LIU, Mount St. Mary’s, and St. Francis Brooklyn for the inaugural season of NEC men’s swimming and diving this winter. The Bison previously competed in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) in both sports.
NEC men’s and women’s soccer membership will stand at ten and eleven, respectively, with the Bison’s addition. The conference will feature a nine-team women’s lacrosse alignment, while women’s golf sponsorship rises to eight programs.
“The Northeast Conference is thrilled to develop this six-sport associate partnership with Howard University,” said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris.
Howard is a full-time member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and will continue its membership with this conference change. Howard previously held associate membership in the Sun Belt in men’s soccer, the SWAC in women’s soccer, and the A-Sun in women’s lacrosse.
The 2020-21 campaign will mark Howard’s first season of competition in the sport of women’s golf.
The program’s announcement made national headlines when Howard received a generous financial gift from six-time NBA All-Star and Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation co-founder, Stephen Curry, committed to supporting the establishment of the university’s first NCAA DI golf program for six years.
“This is a great opportunity for the student-athletes in these six programs,” said Howard Director of Athletics Kery Davis. “Our teams will have an opportunity to compete in a competitive conference while reducing their time away from the classroom. Thank you, Commissioner Noreen Morris and NEC Council of Presidents, we look forward to competing next year.”
