NORTHEAST CONFERENCE

THE NEC SPONSORED 25 SPORTS INCLUDING 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 LACROSSE, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SOCCER, SOFTBALL, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TENNIS, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL. THE NEC ENJOYED AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION OR PLAY-IN ACCESS TO 17 DIFFERENT NCAA DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIPS INCLUDING BASEBALL, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, WOMEN'S BOWLING, FIELD HOCKEY, FOOTBALL, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S GOLF, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S LACROSSE, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SOCCER, SOFTBALL, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TENNIS, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL. MORE THAN 42,000 STUDENTS ATTENDED NEC INSTITUTIONS LAST YEAR, OF WHICH APPROXIMATELY 4,000 PARTICIPATED IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS. NEC AGAIN PERFORMED WELL IN GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE (GSR) FIGURES RELEASED BY THE NCAA. ACCORDING TO NCAA DATA, NEC STUDENT ATHLETES GRADUATED AT A 90% RATE OVER THE FOUR YEAR TIME PERIOD, JUST THREE POINTS OFF THE CONFERENCE RECORD. NEARLY 3,400 STUDENT-ATHLETES WERE NAMED TO THE NEC'S ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL, WHILE 1,273 WERE NAMED TO THE COMMISSIONER'S HONOR ROLL AFTER POSTING GPAS OF 3.75 OR HIGHER. NEC STUDENT-ATHLETES AVERAGED A 3.323 GPA LAST YEAR, A FIGURE THAT RANKS FOURTH IN LEAGUE HISTORY. THE NEC STUDENT ATHLETE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SAAC) CAME TOGETHER FOR A TWO-DAY MEETING LAST FALL. AMIDST THE SHARING OF BEST PRACTICES, THE GROUP DISCUSSED LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, ONLINE LEARNING, MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND NATIONAL SAAC ISSUES. FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR, FDU WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE NEC BUILDING COMMUNITIES AWARD. THE AWARD RECOGNIZES THE INSTITUTION THAT DEMONSTRATES THE HIGHEST DEDICATION TO MAKING AN IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF ITS STUDENT-ATHLETES, COACHES AND ADMINISTRATORS. FDU ACCUMULATED A CONFERENCE-HIGH 6,963 SERVICE HOURS THROUGH THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF 353 STUDENT-ATHLETES DURING THE RECENTLY COMPLETED ACADEMIC YEAR. THE NEC HONORED 25 TEAMS - ONE FOR EACH SPORT THE NEC SPONSORS - FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO SPORTSMANSHIP LAST SEASON AS PART OF ITS ANNUAL TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS PROGRAM. THIS INITIATIVE RECOGNIZES THOSE TEAMS WHO BEST ADHERE TO THE PRINCIPLES OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND ARE RECOGNIZED FOR PURSUING VICTORY WITH HONOR IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS.