The Northeast Conference (NEC) announced this week that Binghamton University would join the conference as associate members in men’s tennis, women’s tennis and men’s golf, which will go into effect this coming fall.
The America East (AE) conference terminated men’s tennis after 2014, women’s tennis after 2016 and men’s golf after 2007 due to an inadequate number of sponsoring institutions.
Previously, the men’s golf program competed in the Big Sky Conference as an affiliate member for the past nine years while the men’s tennis program competed in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for the past eight years. However, the most drastic change comes with the women’s tennis team, which will compete in a conference for the first time in over eight years.
Last season, the men’s golf team struggled, finishing last at the Big Sky Conference championships. The men’s tennis team ended its season with a 4-20 record while going 0-10 in MAC play. The women’s team saw a similar outcome, closing out its season with a 1-22 record, recording its one win being against its future NEC opponent Wagner.
For the first time in over a decade, the trio of men’s tennis, women’s tennis and men’s golf will compete in the same conference, looking to replicate the success they achieved as a part of the AE conference.