BOSTON - The America East Conference announced today Northeast Delta Dental as the first-ever title partner of the America East Softball Championship. The 2026 Northeast Delta Dental America East Softball Championship takes place at the University of Maine from May 6-9.
As part of the continued partnership with the America East, Northeast Delta Dental will once again activate a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) campaign with America East student-athletes. The student-athletes will highlight their own mental health journeys and stories during Mental Health Awareness Month in May. The campaign will be promoted on social media as well as at the Northeast Delta Dental America East Softball Championship hosted by the University of Maine.
“Our company mission is to advance the oral health and overall wellbeing of our community,” explained Tom Raffio, President & CEO, Northeast Delta Dental. “We know that oral health has a systemic link to whole-body health, and believe the same is true of mental and physical wellness. Our sponsorship of the America East Conference is in direct alignment with these beliefs so we are proud to be a partner.”
Throughout the Northeast Delta Dental America East Softball Championship, Northeast Delta Dental and the America East will also highlight different first responders, service members, emergency workers, and more from the local area. This upholds Northeast Delta Dental’s commitment to community involvement.
“We are thrilled to once again partner with Northeast Delta Dental on this innovative endeavor,” said Brad Walker, America East Commissioner. “America East strives to be innovative and forward-thinking and this partnership, which provides real NIL opportunities for our student-athletes, is another opportunity to do that. It was a great success in conjunction with our baseball and outdoor track and field championships a year ago and we are excited for it to coincide with our softball championship at Maine this year.”
The broad-based, multifaceted agreement was negotiated by America East’s multimedia rights partner, Van Wagner.
ABOUT NORTHEAST DELTA DENTAL
Northeast Delta Dental is a values-driven company that successfully balances profitability and community involvement, with colleagues working together to create a corporate environment built upon high trust and mutual respect. We are recognized for our expertise in the dental insurance industry, the vibrancy of our participating dentist network, and our strong brand. Learn more about Northeast Delta Dental at https://www.nedelta.com/
ABOUT THE 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 on its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -