BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - Monmouth University has accepted an invitation from the Northeast Conference (NEC) Council of Presidents to join the league as a women's bowling associate member for the 2024-25 academic year.

Effective immediately, Monmouth will be eligible to compete in the NEC Women's Bowling Championship and earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

"We are excited to welcome Monmouth back to the NEC as an associate member in women's bowling," said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "Monmouth's impressive track record in the sport significantly strengthens our conference and positions us to compete for multiple NCAA bids annually in our quest for a national championship. We look forward to Monmouth elevating the NEC's reputation as one of the premier women's bowling conferences in the country."

Monmouth's addition sets the number of NEC women's bowling institutions at seven for the forthcoming 2024-25 season. The Hawks will compete alongside NEC core members FDU, LIU, Mercyhurst and Wagner, along with fellow affiliates Duquesne and Niagara.

"We are looking forward to having our women's bowling program return to the Northeast Conference," Director of Athletics Jen Sansevero said. "The NEC has a strong bowling tradition and the opportunity for our student-athletes to compete on a regular basis in the northeast makes this transition the right fit for our program and institution at this time."

Under the guidance of longtime head coach Karen Grygiel, Monmouth has secured a spot in the year-end NTCA Top-25 poll in six of the past eight seasons, peaking with a No. 13 year-end national ranking in 2016-17. Grygiel, who recently completed her 14th season as the lone head coach in program history, piloted the Hawks to 36 wins in 2023-24, highlighted by victories over a dozen nationally ranked teams. In 2023, Monmouth made a spirited run to the MEAC Championship match, finishing as the conference runner-up.

"We are excited to return to the NEC and compete against the top programs in our region," head coach Karen Grygiel said. "We are familiar with the competitiveness of the conference and see this as a great chance to be part of one of the strongest leagues in the country."

Monmouth was a full-time Northeast Conference member from 1988 to 2013. Based in West Long Branch, NJ, the University launched its women's bowling program in 2010 and competed under the NEC banner for its first three years. Following a four-year stretch as an associate in the Southland Bowling League (2014-18) and a subsequent six-year stint in the MEAC (2018-24), Monmouth women's bowling will return to the NEC for the 2024-25 season.

The NEC showcased its strength in the sport of women's bowling during the 2023-24 campaign by earning two bids in the NCAA Bowling Championship field. This marked the fourth straight year that the conference earned multiple bids, highlighting its competitiveness at the national level. NEC champion Merrimack and Duquesne, via an at-large bid, advanced to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Furthermore, five of the NEC's eight women's bowling programs made their mark in the year-end NTCA Top-25 rankings. Duquesne led the quintet with a No. 10 ranking. Merrimack finished the year 14th, followed by Sacred Heart and FDU at the 17th and 18th spots, respectively. Niagara wrapped the year ranked 23rd in the country. Notably, FDU boasts a rich history in women's bowling with five NCAA Final Four appearances and national championships in 2006 and 2010.

With the addition of Monmouth, the NEC will proudly showcase associate members across 15 sports for the 2024-25 season. These sports include baseball (Coppin State, Delaware State, UMES and Norfolk State), women's bowling (Duquesne, Monmouth and Niagara), field hockey (Fairfield and Rider), football (Duquesne), men's golf (Binghamton, Howard, UMES and North Carolina Central), women's golf (Delaware State, Howard, UMES and North Carolina Central), women's lacrosse (Delaware State and Howard), men's lacrosse (Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris and VMI), men's soccer (Howard), women's soccer (Delaware State and Howard), men's swimming and diving (Howard), women's swimming and diving (Howard), men's and women's tennis (Binghamton) and men's volleyball (Daemen and D'Youville).