Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
Encyclopedia
The Northeast Conference (NEC) Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual college basketball
award given to the Northeast Conference
's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season, when the league was known as the ECAC
Metro Conference.
The most well-recognized NEC Player of the Year is Marist
's Rik Smits
, who won the award in 1987 and 1988. Smits went on to have a successful National Basketball Association
(NBA) career for 12 seasons (1988–2000), all with the Indiana Pacers
. In 1998, Smits was named an Eastern Conference
All-Star.
Central Connecticut State
, Long Island
and Robert Morris
have the most all-time winners with five each. All charter members of the Northeast Conference that are still members have had at least one winner. Of current NEC members, only Bryant
and Sacred Heart have had zero players of the year.
Metro Conference, but member schools changed the name beginning with the 1989–90 school year. Marist College
was a charter member in 1981 but left in 1997. Rider University
left in 1997 after spending five years in the NEC.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
award given to the Northeast Conference
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season, when the league was known as the ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Metro Conference.
The most well-recognized NEC Player of the Year is Marist
Marist Red Foxes
Marist College plays NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the MAAC. Other schools in this conference include Siena College, Iona College, Niagara University, Manhattan College, Fairfield University, Loyola College in Maryland, Canisius College, Rider University, and Saint Peter's...
's Rik Smits
Rik Smits
Rik Smits is a retired Dutch professional basketball player who spent his entire professional career with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association. The 7'4" center was drafted by the Pacers out of Marist College with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft...
, who won the award in 1987 and 1988. Smits went on to have a successful National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) career for 12 seasons (1988–2000), all with the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. In 1998, Smits was named an Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
All-Star.
Central Connecticut State
Central Connecticut State Blue Devils men's basketball
The Central Connecticut Blue Devils Men's Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Howie Dickenman...
, Long Island
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
and Robert Morris
Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball
The Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball...
have the most all-time winners with five each. All charter members of the Northeast Conference that are still members have had at least one winner. Of current NEC members, only Bryant
Bryant Bulldogs men's basketball
-History:Bryant University competed in the NAIA as an NAIA independent program from 1963 until 1976 as the Bryant College Indians before the college became a member of the NCAA at the Division II level in 1977...
and Sacred Heart have had zero players of the year.
Key
| † | Co-Players of the Year |
| * | Awarded a national Player of the Year award: the Naismith College Player of the Year Naismith College Player of the Year The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith.... or the John R. Wooden Award John R. Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los... |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Player of the Year award at that point |
Winners
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Marist Marist Red Foxes Marist College plays NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the MAAC. Other schools in this conference include Siena College, Iona College, Niagara University, Manhattan College, Fairfield University, Loyola College in Maryland, Canisius College, Rider University, and Saint Peter's... |
Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
||
| 1983–84† | Robert Morris Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball The Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... |
Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
||
| 1983–84† | St. Francis (NY) St. Francis (NY) Terriers The St. Francis Terriers represent St. Francis College in athletics. The Terriers participate in the Northeast Conference, with the exception of the men's and women's water polo teams which compete in the CWPA and the MAAC, respectively. The Terriers field teams in basketball, cross country,... |
|||
| 1983–84† | Long Island Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... |
Power forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
||
| 1984–85 | (2) | Long Island Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... |
Power forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
|
| 1985–86 | Wagner | Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
||
| 1986–87 | Marist Marist Red Foxes Marist College plays NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the MAAC. Other schools in this conference include Siena College, Iona College, Niagara University, Manhattan College, Fairfield University, Loyola College in Maryland, Canisius College, Rider University, and Saint Peter's... |
Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
||
| 1987–88 | (2) | Marist Marist Red Foxes Marist College plays NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the MAAC. Other schools in this conference include Siena College, Iona College, Niagara University, Manhattan College, Fairfield University, Loyola College in Maryland, Canisius College, Rider University, and Saint Peter's... |
Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
|
| 1988–89 | Robert Morris Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball The Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... |
Guard | ||
| 1989–90 | Fairleigh Dickinson Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:... |
Forward | ||
| 1990–91 | Saint Francis (PA) Saint Francis University Saint Francis University is a four-year, coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular... |
Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
||
| 1991–92 | Robert Morris Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball The Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... |
Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
||
| 1992–93 | Rider | Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
||
| 1993–94 | Marist Marist Red Foxes Marist College plays NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the MAAC. Other schools in this conference include Siena College, Iona College, Niagara University, Manhattan College, Fairfield University, Loyola College in Maryland, Canisius College, Rider University, and Saint Peter's... |
Small forward Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
||
| 1994–95 | Long Island Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... |
Power forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
||
| 1995–96 | Mount St. Mary's Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers men's basketball The Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... |
Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
||
| 1996–97 | Long Island Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... |
Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... / Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
||
| 1997–98 | (2) | Long Island Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... |
Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... / Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
|
| 1998–99 | St. Francis (NY) St. Francis (NY) Terriers The St. Francis Terriers represent St. Francis College in athletics. The Terriers participate in the Northeast Conference, with the exception of the men's and women's water polo teams which compete in the CWPA and the MAAC, respectively. The Terriers field teams in basketball, cross country,... |
Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
||
| 1999–00 1999–00 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 11, 1999 with the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3, 2000 at the... |
Central Connecticut State Central Connecticut State Blue Devils men's basketball The Central Connecticut Blue Devils Men's Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Howie Dickenman... |
Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
||
| 2000–01 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2000, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2001 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in... |
Monmouth | Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
||
| 2001–02 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2001, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 1, 2002 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia... |
Central Connecticut State Central Connecticut State Blue Devils men's basketball The Central Connecticut Blue Devils Men's Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Howie Dickenman... |
Forward | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2002, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 7, 2003 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans,... |
Wagner | Small forward Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
||
| 2003–04 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2003, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 5, 2004 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas... |
Central Connecticut State Central Connecticut State Blue Devils men's basketball The Central Connecticut Blue Devils Men's Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Howie Dickenman... |
Forward | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2004, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2005 at the Edward Jones Dome in Saint Louis,... |
Monmouth | Power forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
||
| 2005–06 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2005, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3, 2006 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
Fairleigh Dickinson Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:... |
Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
||
| 2006–07 | Central Connecticut State Central Connecticut State Blue Devils men's basketball The Central Connecticut Blue Devils Men's Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Howie Dickenman... |
Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... / Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
||
| 2007–08 | Robert Morris Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball The Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... |
Point guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2008 and ended with the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 6, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The season saw six different teams achieve the AP #1 ranking during the... |
Robert Morris Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball The Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... |
Shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first... |
Quinnipiac | Power forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2010 with the preliminary games of the 2010 Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic, and ended with the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 4, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston... |
Central Connecticut State Central Connecticut State Blue Devils men's basketball The Central Connecticut Blue Devils Men's Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Howie Dickenman... |
Small forward Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
Winners by school
| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Central Connecticut State Central Connecticut State Blue Devils men's basketball The Central Connecticut Blue Devils Men's Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Howie Dickenman... (1997) |
5 | 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2011 |
| Long Island Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... (1981) |
5 | 1984†, 1985, 1995, 1997, 1998 |
| Robert Morris Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball The Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... (1981) |
5 | 1984†, 1989, 1992, 2008, 2009 |
| Marist Marist Red Foxes Marist College plays NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the MAAC. Other schools in this conference include Siena College, Iona College, Niagara University, Manhattan College, Fairfield University, Loyola College in Maryland, Canisius College, Rider University, and Saint Peter's... (1981) |
4 | 1983, 1987, 1988, 1994 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:... (1981) |
2 | 1990, 2006 |
| Monmouth (1985) | 2 | 2001, 2005 |
| St. Francis (NY) St. Francis (NY) Terriers The St. Francis Terriers represent St. Francis College in athletics. The Terriers participate in the Northeast Conference, with the exception of the men's and women's water polo teams which compete in the CWPA and the MAAC, respectively. The Terriers field teams in basketball, cross country,... (1981) |
2 | 1984†, 1999 |
| Wagner (1981) | 2 | 1986, 2003 |
| Mount St. Mary's Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers men's basketball The Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... (1989) |
1 | 1996 |
| Quinnipiac (1998) | 1 | 2010 |
| Rider (1992) | 1 | 1993 |
| Saint Francis (PA) Saint Francis University Saint Francis University is a four-year, coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular... (1981) |
1 | 1991 |
| Bryant Bryant Bulldogs men's basketball -History:Bryant University competed in the NAIA as an NAIA independent program from 1963 until 1976 as the Bryant College Indians before the college became a member of the NCAA at the Division II level in 1977... (2008) |
0 | — |
| Sacred Heart (1999) | 0 | — |
Footnotes
The Northeast Conference was founded in 1981 as the ECACEastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Metro Conference, but member schools changed the name beginning with the 1989–90 school year. Marist College
Marist College
Marist College is a private liberal arts college on the east bank of the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, New York. The site was established in 1905 by Marist Brothers, and the college was chartered in 1929...
was a charter member in 1981 but left in 1997. Rider University
Rider University
Rider University is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian university located chiefly in Lawrenceville, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States...
left in 1997 after spending five years in the NEC.