FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
All NE10 Teams Will Qualify for Postseason Tournaments.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast-10 Conference announced on Thursday that all spring teams will qualify for postseason play this semester, as the league unveiled its postseason plans for its 10 spring sports in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic - including the dates and locations for its men's and women's golf and outdoor track & field championships.
Similar to the adjustments made to spring sport schedules as part of the Conference's Return To Play plan, the NE10 has altered postseason competition formats in an effort to reduce travel and allow for regular COVID-19 surveillance testing. The allowance of full field postseason formats factors in the reality of teams not being able to complete their full regular season schedules due to COVID-19 protocol and therefore allows each team the opportunity to compete for a league championship.
Key changes to the normal postseason format include one-day, 36-hole tournaments for men's and women's golf, as well as a three-day schedule for outdoor track & field where men and women will each compete separately over a day and a half. For sports whose regular seasons are being played within divisions, the postseason format will retain a divisional format until the final championship game or series. Each division will have its own seven-team bracket to determine the two teams, one from each, that will play for the NE10 championship.
All brackets or schedules are subject to change based on the established institutional and conference health protocol. The health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and campus communities remains the primary focus for the league.
Conference winning percentage will determine championship seeding for team sports, with higher seeds serving as the host institutions throughout the tournaments. All game times are to be determined.
MEN'S GOLF
The NE10 Men's Golf Championship will be a one-day, 36-hole tournament on Tuesday, April 20, at the Springfield Country Club in West Springfield, Mass.
WOMEN'S GOLF
The NE10 Women's Golf Championship will be a one-day, 36-hole tournament on Thursday, April 22, at the Cold Spring Country Club in Belchertown, Mass.
MEN'S TENNIS
The NE10 Men's Tennis Championship will have a seven-team bracket, including a first-round bye for the top-seeded team on April 24. The semifinals will be played on April 27, while the championship match is scheduled for Saturday, May 1.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
The NE10 Women's Tennis Championship will have an 11-team bracket, with the top five seeded teams earning first round byes. Teams seeded six through 11 will play in the first round on Sunday, April 25.
The NE10 quarterfinals will be played on April 28, with the semifinals on April 30 and the championship match on Sunday, May 2.
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
The NE10 Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be hosted by American International College from May 6-8 on the John G. Hoyt '52 Track & Field Complex. Men's teams will compete on May 6-7, while women's teams compete on May 7-8.
MEN'S LACROSSE
The NE10 Men's Lacrosse Championship will have an 11-team bracket, with the top five seeded teams earning first round byes. Teams seeded six through 11 will play in the first round on Wednesday, April 28.
The NE10 quarterfinals will be played on May 1, with the semifinals on May 5 and the championship game on Saturday, May 8.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE
The NE10 Women's Lacrosse Championship will be comprised of two divisional brackets with seven teams each (Northeast and Southwest). The top seed in each division will receive a bye in the first round of divisional play on April 30.
The divisional semifinals (May 3) and divisional finals (May 6) will determine the winners of each bracket, who will face-off in the NE10 championship game on Sunday, May 9.
SOFTBALL
The NE10 Softball Championship will be comprised of two divisional brackets with seven teams each (Northeast and Southwest).
Divisional quarterfinals (May 4) and divisional semifinals (May 6) will both be single elimination. The divisional finals will be a best-of-three series (May 9-10), with a doubleheader scheduled for the first day. The NE10 championship series, which will pit the winners of the Northeast and Southwest divisional brackets against each other, will also be best-of-three (May 14-15) with a doubleheader on the first day.
BASEBALL
The NE10 Baseball Championship will be comprised of two divisional brackets with seven teams each (Northeast and Southwest).
Divisional quarterfinals (May 11) and divisional semifinals (May 13) will both be single elimination. The divisional finals will be a best-of-three series (May 16-17), with a doubleheader scheduled for the first day. The NE10 championship series, which will pit the winners of the Northeast and Southwest divisional brackets against each other, will also be best-of-three (May 21-22) with a doubleheader on the first day.
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
