“The America East-NCSN relationship will provide welcome television opportunities for the conference men’s and women’s championships and sports that generally do not benefit from television exposure, enhancing the overall experiences of all student-athletes,” said America East Conference Commissioner, Chris Monasch.

America East is the 11th major college conference to strike an agreement with the soon-to-be-launched cable network. NCSN will cover the action of both men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, indoor track and field, lacrosse, outdoor track and field, swimming and diving, and tennis. Also showcased will be men’s baseball and golf, in addition to women’s field hockey, softball, and volleyball.

“Since our initial announcement last month to build the nation’s first 24-hour cable network for college sports, the response by college sports fans, athletes, administrators, and athletic directors has been extraordinary,” said Brian Bedol, President, CEO and co-founder of the network. “Today we are one important step closer to delivering on our promise to be the home of college sports in this country.”

Other conferences that have signed multi-year agreements with NCSN include the BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic 10, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Southland, Mid-Continent, Mountain West, Big South, and West Coast Conference. In addition, NCSN just announced a precedent-setting agreement for the exclusive programming rights to football games featuring a consortium of Division 1-AA schools. Other programming deals are in the works.

“The agreement between America East and NCSN continues to support our vision that there is real value to conferences and universities from national exposure for their athletic programs and well-deserving student athletes,” said Chris Bevilacqua, executive vice president and co-founder of NCSN. “Working towards our goal to become the ,best of the best, of college sports, the members of America East are a welcome and exciting addition to NCSN’s programming mix."

America East schools include: University at Albany, Binghamton University, Boston University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont.

“The University of Hartford is pleased that America East will partner with NCSN,” said Hartford Athletic Director Pat Meiser-McKnett. “The student athletes in all of our programs will benefit through the exposure on this exciting new national network. It will also give our fans and alumni the opportunity to see a broader array of their favorite Hawk teams on television.”

About America East
America East enters its 15th year of all-sports championship competition with a reputation as one of the most comprehensive conferences in the nation. This commitment to broad-based, competitive Division I athletics programs complements the academic integrity of the nine member institutions.

America East’s proven record of success in its 21 sports enables the conference to earn admission to NCAA Championships in baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, field hockey, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, and volleyball. In addition, several America East student-athletes compete as individuals in NCAA Championships such as cross country, swimming and diving, and track and field. America East ranks among the nation’s leading Division I conferences in providing access for its champions into NCAA post-season play.