Bridgewater, N.J. – The Northeast Conference and Commissioner Noreen Morris announced on Thursday afternoon that the NEC will reinstate men's lacrosse as the league's 25th championship sport for the 2024-25 academic year.

NEC men's lacrosse sponsorship will recommence with seven competing programs, as core members Le Moyne, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart and Wagner will be joined by the addition of Detroit Mercy and VMI as associate members. Detroit Mercy and VMI will be immediately eligible to compete in the 2025 NEC Men's Lacrosse Championship, with the opportunity to secure the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Le Moyne, which will play its first season at the Division I level in 2024 as an independent, will also be eligible for the NEC Championship in 2025 and will be eligible to claim the automatic berth to the NCAA Championship in 2028. The NEC initially sponsored men's lacrosse from 2011 through 2022 and took a two-year hiatus following the departure of four programs due to conference realignment.

"I am absolutely thrilled to announce the return of men's lacrosse next season," said Morris. "As we reflected on our past successes and the pivotal role men's lacrosse has played in our conference's identity, it became evident that this sport is deeply ingrained in our NEC community. I also want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Detroit Mercy and VMI. Their commitment to join us has been instrumental in our ability to resurrect NEC men's lacrosse. Together, we're paving the way for an exciting new journey, and I eagerly anticipate crowning a men's lacrosse champion in 2025."

Le Moyne College Assistant Vice President of Athletics & Recreation Bob Beretta said the following "I'd like to thank Commissioner Morris for her incredible leadership, navigating multiple levels of complexity to form this coalition and return men's lacrosse sports sponsorship to the Northeast Conference beginning in 2025."

"During our negotiations with Commissioner Morris and NEC leadership in the spring, we stressed the importance of finding a stable, long-term home under the NEC umbrella for our men's lacrosse program," Beretta added. "We also emphasized our strong desire for Le Moyne's intercollegiate athletic teams to gain immediate eligibility for NEC championships. We could not have asked for better outcomes as Commissioner Morris has delivered favorable results for our student-athletes on both fronts. That's a direct result of the Commissioner's diligence in serving her membership and the willingness of the NEC presidents to always place the health and welfare of student-athletes first. We could not be more excited to be partnered with a conference that is so aligned with our own College's mission and goals."

"I'd like to thank Commissioner Morris and her staff at the NEC office for all of their work bringing men's lacrosse back to the conference," said head coach Dan Sheehan. "I'm excited for our student-athletes to have the opportunity to compete under the NEC umbrella and for championship opportunities. I'd also like to thank President LeMura and Bob Beretta for their continued support of Le Moyne men's lacrosse on and off campus."

NEC men's lacrosse enjoyed a significant amount of national acclaim during its initial 11-year run, highlighted by four NCAA Tournament wins and nine USILA All-Americans. Bryant helped put NEC men's lax on the map with a landmark win in 2014, ousting No. 2 Syracuse from the NCAA Tournament with a 10-9 victory.

The Le Moyne men's lacrosse program has a storied run of success, including six NCAA Championships at the Division II level between 2004 and 2021. The Dolphins, who won 16 NE10 Championships and 19 NE10 regular season titles, have won 354 games, against just 42 defeats, since the 2000 season, the most victories in Division II in the span. The Dolphins have had 129 USILA All-Americans since 2000, including 59 first team selections.
 
Men's lacrosse has held NCAA championship sport status since 1981. Currently, there are 77 NCAA Division I institutions that sponsor the sport.
 
With the addition of Detroit Mercy and VMI, the NEC will proudly showcase associate members across 13 sports for the 2024-25 season. These sports include baseball (Coppin State, Delaware State, UMES and Norfolk State), women's bowling (Duquesne and Niagara), field hockey (Fairfield and Rider), football (Duquesne), men's golf (Binghamton, Howard, UMES and North Carolina Central), women's golf (Delaware State, Howard, UMES and North Carolina Central), men's lacrosse (Detroit Mercy and VMI), women's lacrosse (Delaware State and Howard), men's soccer (Howard), women's soccer (Delaware State and Howard), men's swimming and diving (Howard), women's swimming and diving (Howard), men's and women's tennis (Binghamton) and men's volleyball (Daemen and D'Youville).