BOSTON – College basketball returns in just over three months! The America East is excited to release its 2025-26 men’s and women’s conference schedules, featuring 72 contests on each side, all of which will air on the ESPN+ as a part of AE on ESPN.
Each team will play a 16-game, double round robin schedule, beginning with women’s action on New Years Day and concluding with the men on March 3. This year the league will also play four men’s games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday Jan. 19, with UAlbany, Binghamton, UMBC and NJIT serving as hosts.
Conference action kick off on Thursday, Jan. 1 with a full slate of women’s basketball action, including a 2025 championship rematch as Vermont plays at UAlbany. The men begin two days later highlighted by defending champion Bryant traveling to Maine in a rematch of the 2025 title game. Teams will via for home advantage in the 2026 #AEPlayoffs, where once again all games will be played at the higher seed.
The women wrap up their regular season on Saturday, February 28 with #AEPlayoffs quarterfinal action set for Thursday, March 5. The semifinals will take place on Monday, March 9, with the #AEPlayoffs Championship set for Friday, March 13 at 5 p.m. at the highest remaining seed.
The men’s regular season ends on Tuesday, March 3, with the top eight programs advancing to the #AEPlayoffs Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 7. Semifinal action takes place on Tuesday, March 10 and the winners will advance to the Championship at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m.
Women’s Early Season Must Watch Matchups
- Jan. 1 - Vermont at UAlbany: It’s a 2025 championship game rematch as the defending champion Catamounts battle the Great Danes. The two teams have faced each other 12 times over the past four seasons, with UVM holding an 8-4 advantage.
- Jan. 3 - Maine at Bryant: 2022-23 #AEHoops Player of the Year Adrianna Smith is back this season and looks to lead the Black Bears over a Bulldog squad which brings back four starters and earned the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
- Jan. 3 - UMass Lowell at UAlbany: Jon Plefka’s first AE road trip on I-90 won’t be easy as the River Hawks have lost nine straight to the Great Danes, but a win at UAlbany would signal the program is in the hunt for a home playoff game this season.
- Jan. 8 - NJIT at New Hampshire: The top two returning scorers in the league could turn this game into a shootout as UNH’s Eva DeChent averaged nearly 18 points per game and NJIT’s Alejandra Zuniga put up 16 points per game.
- Jan. 15 - Vermont at Maine: These two teams have combined to win the last three conference championships and whoever comes out on top of this contest could have the inside track on the No. 1 seed in this year’s #AEPlayoffs.
- Jan. 17 - Binghamton at UMBC: Second-year head coaches Mary Grimes and Candice Hill lead programs on the rise and if one team is rolling this game could be crucial in possibly earning homecourt advantage in the #AEPlayoffs.
Men’s Early Season Must Watch Matchups
- Jan. 3 - Bryant at Maine: Opening night features a rematch of the 2025 championship. Though only one starter from last year’s game will be suiting up, the defending champion Bulldogs have a chance to make an early statement on the road.
- Jan. 8 - New Hampshire at NJIT: Third-year head coach Grant Billmeier will seek to set the tone in the Highlanders’ first home game of conference play against a new-look Wildcats that will try to push the pace.
- Jan. 10 - UMass Lowell at Binghamton: An early big game for both teams, who are looking to bounce back after neither was able to secure a playoff win last year and get in position to host a quarterfinal contest.
- Jan. 19 - Vermont at UAlbany: On MLK Day, the Great Danes have the opportunity to make a statement at home against the Catamounts as they look to earn a top-four seed for the second straight year.
- Jan. 19 - UMBC at Binghamton: This MLK Day matchup is destined to be a good one as five of their last six matchups have been decided by 5 or fewer points and each team has won three times.
- Jan. 24 - UVM at Bryant: The Bulldogs ended the Catamounts’ streak of eight straight regular-season titles last season and beat them by 20 points at home. A win for UVM would be key if they want another regular season title.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise –