2025-2026 Little East

[FloridaHomey]

LEC announcing a 5 year deal with Flosports for streaming all games

Little East Conference on Instagram: "The LEC has secured a five-year media rights agreement with @flosports, and will begin broadcasting over 1,000 games on their @flocollege platform beginning in 2025-26. The internationally available FloCollege pl

381 likes, 13 comments - littleeastconf on April 3, 2025: "The LEC has secured a five-year media rights agreement with @flosports, and will begin broadcasting over 1,000 games on their @flocollege platform beginning in 2025-26. The internationally available FloCollege platform features a growing...

www.instagram.com

No better way to promote D3 hockey and college sports than by…. paywalling broke college students and blocking out casual fans

I agree wholeheartedly on this point! Athletic departments are shortsighted in asking their fans to pay to watch their teams play (all sports). They’ve lost sight of the benefits of having their sports being watched outside of their backyards.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

I want to be sure people realize that FloSports is just the vehicle the product is being delivered on. There is no "difference" per se to what each athletic department is already doing. Instead of using Hudl/BlueFrame, the product is going out over the Flo server. The people manning the camera, doing the commentary etc. are still the same people the school would have if it wasn't with FloSports.

As someone who has had the FloSports annual subscription for the last five years, going behind this paywall doesn't bother me since I already have access to it because I enjoy other pieces of content that Flo has like their racing channel. To be honest, the $150 a year subscription is the biggest steal in streaming if you enjoy watching racing, AHL or Division I hockey and then other niche sports like wrestling etc.

However, for someone who doesn't already have the subscription and is used to it being free, I certainly understand the frustration.

I just want to be clear that people crapping on Flo for the product need to realize it's not like Flo is bringing in their own people and producing the event, they aren't. Flo is just putting out the stream they are receiving from the school. You could have a 4-camera professional esque broadcast on Flo and you could also have a single-high camera on a tripod being manned by a student-worker. I believe in the contract, especially for certain "bigger" sports, Flo requires or strongly encourages at least two camera shoots to hopefully "improve" the broadcast quality. But two cameras doesn't mean much if you don't have good camera people or a producer who knows what they are doing.

 

[MilkUniversity]

Starting to get a glimpse into the LEC schedules for this season with Babson and Norwich's released.

Seems that the first day of LEC conference hockey is November 7th with Babson vs Keene and Plymouth vs Norwich already lined up.

I might be biased, but already circling February 21st on the calendar for Babson vs Plymouth on the final day of the regular season. Both teams are likely top 3 (along with Norwich) so could see some major playoff and NCAA tourney implications.

 

[MilkUniversity]

With schedules almost all released and students arriving on campus, the first season of LEC hockey is almost here. While a few teams have not yet announced their schedules, this year's recruiting classes have started to come out.

Any notable transfers or highlights to look for? That and any predictions for this year?

 

[Irish Eamon]

Plymouth State is going to run away with the LEC. Depth, size, speed is going to be tough to beat. Goaltending is a question.

 

[MilkUniversity]

Plymouth looks strong, just they still need to pick up the pieces from last year. Chemistry seemed off, lot of injuries down the stretch, and a lot of core guys have graduated. We get one more year of Shantz in net, so hopefully he's in for a strong season, but prospects after that are spotty.

On the upside, we got a Plattsburgh forward as a transfer and a former QMJHL player as a two-way D-man. 4 promising forwards, 2 two-way D-men, and a goalie prospect should create some impact and will give PSU the depth it needs.

 

[Sk8save!]

I would think that Norwich, Babson, and others would beg to differ.

 

[jerrynu26]

Plymouth State is going to run away with the LEC. Depth, size, speed is going to be tough to beat. Goaltending is a question.

They may win, but I don’t think they will run away with it.

 

[MilkUniversity]

It's probably going to come down to the final weekend of the regular season to decide 1st place. Haven't even considered how the playoffs will go.

Plymouth probably has the most to lose by jumping from the MASCAC to LEC. But also is gaining a lot of new opportunity, playing in a competitive conference against programs with some national recognition.

Babson and Norwich now get a clear path to return to the NCAA tourney with Hobart out of the way. However, I don't think we'll see 2 LEC teams make it to NCAA's for a few years, so they'll still have to slug it out. Know Norwich is having challenges with its admin and financially, so that might tip the scale over time towards Babson, Plymouth, or someone else.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

It's probably going to come down to the final weekend of the regular season to decide 1st place. Haven't even considered how the playoffs will go.

Plymouth probably has the most to lose by jumping from the MASCAC to LEC. But also is gaining a lot of new opportunity, playing in a competitive conference against programs with some national recognition.

Babson and Norwich now get a clear path to return to the NCAA tourney with Hobart out of the way. However, I don't think we'll see 2 LEC teams make it to NCAA's for a few years, so they'll still have to slug it out. Know Norwich is having challenges with its admin and financially, so that might tip the scale over time towards Babson, Plymouth, or someone else.

I also see Keene State being a factor sooner rather than later. Not saying they are competing for LEC title year 1 or 2, but I don’t think it will be long.

 

[MilkUniversity]

I also see Keene State being a factor sooner rather than later. Not saying they are competing for LEC title year 1 or 2, but I don’t think it will be long.

Being in the LEC is going to lift Keene's profile a ton. Feel like competing against some of the mid to lower ranking teams from the NEHC like NEC, UMass Boston, and USM is going to help them find their place and style quick. Seemed like they had a small recruiting class this year, but there's a lot of potential in the next couple of years.

It's also more of my Plymouth side talking, but excited we could see the start of an insane 3-way rivalry between PSU, Keene, and NEC. PSU and Keene have a longstanding sports rivalry as the two DIII state schools in New Hampshire, so I'm hoping for a packed house at Hannaway Rink. PSU and NEC also have a hockey rivalry going back to at least the 90s, and while it's usually been one-sided for NEC, PSU is levelling the score over the last few years. Keene and NEC are only 40 minutes apart, so we could get some local pride on the line, especially for players from New Hampshire.

 

[Irish Eamon]

Any advanced scouting for New England College? I think this team could get Plymouth in the playoffs, because they are always big, play physical and play with an edge. These teams give Plymouth trouble. with a one and done, a team you want to avoid. Babson plays a tight style, play a trap, but lack scoring firepower. Umass Boston has a great coach but talent has been thin for the last couple of years. Utica, with its five D1 drop downs, and not exactly the toughest conference, seems to be the favorite to win it all. One month until it gets underway...............

 

[MilkUniversity]

Any advanced scouting for New England College? I think this team could get Plymouth in the playoffs, because they are always big, play physical and play with an edge. These teams give Plymouth trouble. with a one and done, a team you want to avoid. Babson plays a tight style, play a trap, but lack scoring firepower. Umass Boston has a great coach but talent has been thin for the last couple of years. Utica, with its five D1 drop downs, and not exactly the toughest conference, seems to be the favorite to win it all. One month until it gets underway...............

Just from looking at their EliteProspects page, they have 8 incoming freshmen (4 Fs & 4 Ds). Leaned into EHL and NCDC prospects and 4 are internationals. Not too sure what NEC's needs are for this year, but seems like a balanced class even if there aren't any standouts.

Still NEC is always a scrappy team to play. They took down Babson in the playoffs last year and had big series wins against Elmira and Norwich. Plymouth has done well vs NEC since the pandemic but would not want to face them in a win or go home matchup.

Wonder if one of the Norwich people on the forum will chime in, but feel like Norwich is the team to beat. Know they've been having financial issues and coaching turnover, but they're one of those few historic teams in D3 that will always be relevant in the conversation.