Click Here For PDF Release

Bridgewater, NJ -- Mercyhurst University has accepted a full membership invitation from the Northeast Conference (NEC) Council of Presidents, effective July 1, 2024, it was announced today by NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris and Mercyhurst President Dr. Kathleen A. Getz.
 
Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, Mercyhurst will make its NEC debut in the fall of 2024. The University will attain full membership status in 2028-29 upon completion of its four-year NCAA Division I reclassification period.
 
A press conference to announce the partnership will take place today at 11:30 am at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The event will be streamed live on NEC Front Row.
 
“Today, on behalf of the NEC Council of Presidents, we are delighted to extend a heartfelt welcome to Mercyhurst University as the newest member of the NEC,” said Morris. “Mercyhurst’s commitment to bringing out the best in their student-athletes, both on the field and in the classroom, alongside their focus on community engagement, deeply resonated with our mission and values. We appreciate President Kathleen Getz and Athletic Director Joe Spano for their exceptional leadership throughout this process. Their forward-thinking vision and meticulous planning have positioned the Lakers for a seamless and successful transition to Division I and the NEC. We’re eager to kick off this partnership, which promises to uplift the conference and invigorate both the vibrant campus life at Mercyhurst and the surrounding Erie community.”
 
Mercyhurst becomes the second new addition to the NEC for the 2024-25 academic year, joining Chicago State University, which accepted a full membership invitation last December. These institutions will join NEC charter members Fairleigh Dickinson University, Long Island University, Saint Francis University and Wagner College, alongside Central Connecticut State University (admitted in 1997), Stonehill College (admitted in 2022) and Le Moyne College (admitted in 2023).
 
A member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) since 2008, Mercyhurst offers 27 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs, including 13 men’s sports and 14 women’s sports. Sports sponsorship at Mercyhurst includes 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 ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s heavyweight and lightweight rowing, women’s rowing, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, stunt, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s water polo and wrestling.
 
The Lakers will participate in 18 of the NEC’s 25 championship sports in 2024-25, the exceptions being men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving.
 
Mercyhurst will be integrated into NEC athletic schedules beginning with the 2024-25 season. During its reclassification, Mercyhurst will immediately be able to participate in NEC championships in NCAA non-automatic qualifier sports (cross country, swimming and diving, and indoor and outdoor track and field). Beginning in 2026-27, all Mercyhurst athletic programs will be eligible to compete in the NEC postseason but will remain ineligible for NCAA competition until the 2028-29 academic year.
 
“Today marks a watershed moment for Mercyhurst University, amplifying our commitment to excellence in all that we do,” said President Getz. “In making this transition to the Northeast Conference, we believe our Mercyhurst community, our alumni, and devoted fans will benefit from a new era of spirited competition and connectedness, forging an enduring legacy for future generations of Lakers. Further, we are truly grateful for the gracious welcome extended to us by Commissioner Noreen Morris and the NEC Council of Presidents, whose values and mission are strategically aligned with our own.”
 
Joe Spano, Mercyhurst’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, also expressed his enthusiasm on the program’s move to Division I and its new affiliation with the NEC. 
 
“For years, our athletic programs have showcased exceptional talent and dedication, both athletically and academically, at the NCAA Division II level,” said Spano. “In looking to the future, we see the immense potential for growth and achievement that comes with competing at the highest level of collegiate athletics and we are excited to offer this opportunity to our student-athletes. I would like to thank the NEC for this opportunity. It is truly an honor to be associated with such outstanding institutions.”
 
Mercyhurst is a four-year, liberal arts, Catholic institution, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926. The school was granted university status in 2012.
 
With an enrollment of 2,125 undergraduate and 360 graduate students, Mercyhurst has garnered recognition across various categories by U.S. News & World Report, including Top Regional Universities North, Best Colleges for Veterans, Best Value Schools, and Top Performers for Social Mobility.
 
In athletics, Mercyhurst teams have won 26 conference championships and made 72 appearances in the NCAA Tournament since 2000. Notably, men’s lacrosse captured the 2011 national championship and earned national runner-up status in both 2013 and 2023. The men’s basketball program has qualified for seven NCAA Tournaments in the past decade.
 
Mercyhurst’s men’s and women’s ice hockey programs have competed at the DI level since 1999 and earned national acclaim, highlighted by four appearances in the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four.
 
Over the past decade, the Lakers’ athletic program on average has finished 33rd out of 250+ schools in the annual Division II Learfield Directors’ Cup standings.
 
In the academic realm, Mercyhurst student-athletes posted the highest institutional GPA in the PSAC during the 2022-23 academic year, boasting a combined GPA of 3.497 across 17 sports.
 
For media inquiries, please contact Austin Alonge (Mercyhurst Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications) at aalonge@mercyhurst.edu or Ron Ratner (NEC Senior Associate Commissioner) at rratner@northeastconference.org.

About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 43rd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout five states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#34) and Syracuse (#85). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.

About Mercyhurst University
Situated on a 75-acre, park-like campus in Erie, Pennsylvania, Mercyhurst University is a private, residential institution founded in 1926. Consistently recognized as a Top Tier regional university by U.S. News & World Report, Mercyhurst is one of 17 Mercy colleges in the U.S. As home to more than 2,600 students, it is committed to building a culture of inclusivity that values the expression of differences and prepares its graduates to exercise leadership in service to a just world. It offers a wide range of rigorous academic programs that provide hands-on, professional preparation, including over 100 undergraduate areas of study, 20 graduate programs, and assorted associate degree/certificate options. Mercyhurst offers a vibrant campus life, with more than 70 academic, social, and honors organizations, as well as 26 varsity athletic teams, which compete at NCAA Division I or II as the Lakers, and nine club teams.