Photo courtesy of the Northeast Conference
Photo courtesy of the Northeast Conference

NEC Basketball "Social" Media Day returns to Barclays

Release courtesy of the Northeast Conference

Somerset, NJ -- It's one of the longest running events at Barclays Center and it's back again in two weeks.

For the eighth straight year, the Northeast Conference (NEC) will ceremoniously tipoff its basketball season at the state-of-the-art arena in Brooklyn with NEC Basketball "Social" Media Day set for Wednesday, October 23.

Franklin Group will once again serve as the presenting sponsor of the event held at the 40/40 Club, overlooking the Brooklyn Nets court.

NEC hoops followers can expect an immersive experience for an event dubbed #NECinNYC, as fans can join the conversation on social media while watching the proceedings live on both NEC Front Row and ESPN3 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Longtime NEC commentators Dave Popkin, Joe DeSantis, Pam Roecker and Craig D'Amico will serve as hosts of the telecast.

As part of the proceedings, the NEC will unveil the trailer for season two of the league's All In, Ball Out basketball branding campaign.

And in a new addition to the event, NEC basketball student-athletes will compete in an All In, Ball Out arcade-style shootout tournament with the semifinals and finals airing on Instagram Live.

"We are incredibly excited to return to the Barclays Center for the eighth straight year to tip off the NEC men's and women's basketball seasons," said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. "Hosting our Basketball Social Media Day in this venue within the largest media market in the world is an amazing experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. And our fans will have an equally exciting opportunity to follow the live action on NEC Front Row and #ESPN3, and interact with our student-athletes through social media posts and stories throughout the day."

Along with each NEC men's and women's basketball head coach, schools will bring one player from each team to Barclays Center. Players and coaches will be interviewed during the telecast and made available to media attending the event. NEC preseason polls and All-Conference teams will be announced, and a number of NEC hoops alumni will engage in a roundtable discussion reflecting on their journey from the college ranks to establishing a career post graduation.

Fans can tweet questions in advance for NEC coaches and players to @NECsports or by using the hashtag #NECinNYC. NEC Assistant Commissioner Ralph Ventre will engage fans during the telecast with the best tweets displayed on air.

NEC fans can begin the day at approximately 10:45 am by watching the pre-show on Facebook Live with special guest speaker Tim Capstraw, the longtime NEC and Brooklyn Nets analyst.

Once the proceeding are underway, keep an eye on the NEC's IG story, with men's and women's basketball student-athletes providing content throughout the day.

Barclays Center's college basketball franchise BROOKLYN HOOPS™ is presented by Ticketmaster. For tickets to all of Barclays Center's college basketball games, please visit barclayscenter.com.

ABOUT THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Now in its 39th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 11 institutions of higher learning located throughout seven states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Boston (#9), Pittsburgh (#24), Baltimore (#26), Hartford/New Haven (#33) and Providence (#53).  Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner.For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, all @NECsports.