Overview
- Long Island defeated Wagner 64-56 in the NEC semifinal in Brooklyn, improving to 23-10 and advancing to the title game.
- Mercyhurst reached the final but remains ineligible for the NCAA Tournament during its four-year Division II-to-I transition that began in 2024, with eligibility not until 2027-28.
- Under NEC policy, the automatic bid goes to the highest-finishing eligible team, which guarantees LIU a spot in the 2026 NCAA Tournament regardless of the championship result.
- The NEC championship between LIU and Mercyhurst is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, to decide the league title but not the NCAA berth.
- The conference had a contingency to stage a game between eligible semifinal losers if both finalists were ineligible, and LIU is now headed to its first NCAA appearance since 2018 after a season-long resurgence under coach Rod Strickland.