Little East Conference (D3) Adding WIH, AQ in 2027-28

[Scott_TG]

New England College announced last month that they are joining the Little East in both men's and a debuting LEC women's hockey conference in Fall 2025. This means that the NEC women's program is sacrificing being in an AQ conference for two seasons to help the LEC start the two year wait they need for an AQ in lieu of one of the core members starting a program.

The LEC Women's Hockey conference will be:

Castleton
Keene State
NEC
Plymouth State
UMB
USM

Norwich men announced they are joining the LEC as an affiliate for Fall 2025 which makes sense as the men have core membership for an LEC autobid to the 2026 men's tourney.

I would not be surprised to see the Norwich women jump in the LEC for 2027-28, waiting to avoid losing an autobid.

I believe this leaves the NEHC women with Norwich (for now), Elmira, William Smith and Albertus Magnus and Salve Regina who are joining. They would be on a 2 season grace period to get back to six teams before losing the autobid.

I could see Elmira and William Smith heading to the UCHC/Empire 8 or even the SUNYAC as affiliates, Albertus and Salve would need to link with the LEC, CCC or MASCAC...

https://littleeast.com/news/2024/2/8...hip-sport.aspx

 

[Russell Jaslow]

New England College announced last month that they are joining the Little East in both men's and a debuting LEC women's hockey conference in Fall 2025. This means that the NEC women's program is sacrificing being in an AQ conference for two seasons to help the LEC start the two year wait they need for an AQ in lieu of one of the core members starting a program.

The LEC Women's Hockey conference will be:

Castleton
Keene State
NEC
Plymouth State
UMB
USM

Norwich men announced they are joining the LEC as an affiliate for Fall 2025 which makes sense as the men have core membership for an LEC autobid to the 2026 men's tourney.

I would not be surprised to see the Norwich women jump in the LEC for 2027-28, waiting to avoid losing an autobid.

I believe this leaves the NEHC women with Norwich (for now), Elmira, William Smith and Albertus Magnus and Salve Regina who are joining. They would be on a 2 season grace period to get back to six teams before losing the autobid.

I could see Elmira and William Smith heading to the UCHC/Empire 8 or even the SUNYAC as affiliates, Albertus and Salve would need to link with the LEC, CCC or MASCAC...

https://littleeast.com/news/2024/2/8...hip-sport.aspx

This is what I wrote on the men's board about this:

So, I was waiting for this shoe to fall, because I knew a shoe was falling, but didn't know the details.

Now that it has, and like you said, NEHC is dead, I can confidently say expect the Empire 8 to get involved. It may not be exactly what we expect, it may take longer than what we expect, and it may not even be called the Empire 8. But, they will be involved, and it will "save" Elmira. (But I don't know how they will handle the women.)

Now, the next question, as far as NY teams, is what happens to Hobart, Skidmore, and Manhattanville. I don't know, because dumb, dumb me completely forgot to ask my sources when I was at the Hobart game this past Saturday.

 

[Scott_TG]

it may not even be called the Empire 8.

If its not being called the Empire 8, why not just keep the UCHC

 

[Russell Jaslow]

If its not being called the Empire 8, why not just keep the UCHC

Why not...? LOL

 

[Russell Jaslow]

New England College announced last month that they are joining the Little East in both men's and a debuting LEC women's hockey conference in Fall 2025. This means that the NEC women's program is sacrificing being in an AQ conference for two seasons to help the LEC start the two year wait they need for an AQ in lieu of one of the core members starting a program.

The LEC Women's Hockey conference will be:

Castleton
Keene State
NEC
Plymouth State
UMB
USM

I didn't realize all five of the other schools are full time LEC members. So they fell just one short of a no waiting period. I suspect they are going to apply for a waiver for the waiting period. It has been granted before, but not always.

 

[Scott_TG]

I didn't realize all five of the other schools are full time LEC members. So they fell just one short of a no waiting period. I suspect they are going to apply for a waiver for the waiting period. It has been granted before, but not always.

They better not unless they can waive the grace periods for the UCHC and NEHC...otherwise things get absurd

 

[Russell Jaslow]

They better not unless they can waive the grace periods for the UCHC and NEHC...otherwise things get absurd

That's true. I forgot about that. I'm sure other factors will weigh in. Like if NEHC totally disappears, then it's a wash. And I'm predicting the UCHC, even for women, will have enough teams when this is all over. Just saying...