2020-21 America East Conference Women's Basketball Schedule Unveiled

The America East Conference has announced its 2020-21 women's basketball conference schedule which will feature NJIT's first season as a member in the league.

As announced on Oct. 19, the America East Board of Presidents approved a scheduling format that prioritizes health and safety for student-athletes, coaches and staff. The Highlanders, who became the 10th full member of the America East effective July 1, 2020, will play a full double round‐robin schedule of 18 conference games against the other nine schools.  The schedule format consists of weekend series (Saturday and Sunday) where a team hosts the same opponent on back‐to‐back days for two games.

"First off it is just so great to talk about an actual basketball season," head coach Mike Lane commented. "Many people had to do a lot of work to pull this off, and we still have to execute the plan, but the NJIT women's basketball program thanks all of those at the national, conference and institution level who put in the time to make this basketball season a reality."

The current members of the America East Conference are: University at Albany, Binghamton University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, University of Massachusetts Lowell, University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont.

NJIT departs the ASUN Conference after five seasons as a member (first season 2015-16), which marked the first time that the Highlanders had been a full member of an automatic qualifying NCAA Division I multi-sport conference.

The Highlanders will debut in the America East Conference at New Hampshire Dec. 5-6.

"We are eager for our inaugural season in the America East," Lane added. "The competition throughout the conference is robust and our squad is preparing well to meet the challenge. We can't wait to get to Durham and face the Wildcats on opening weekend."

The Highlanders will close out 2020, welcoming Vermont after Christmas break Dec. 27-28 and ring in the New Year, hosting UMass Lowell Jan. 2-3.

NJIT will also host UAlbany (Jan. 16-17), Hartford (January 30-31), and Binghamton (Feb. 27-28).  In the last meeting between NJIT and Hartford, the Highlanders defeated the Hawks 61-52 Dec. 7.

The Highlanders will visit Maine (Jan. 9-10), Stony Brook (Jan. 23-24) and UMBC (Feb. 13-14). Last season, Stony Brook made history, producing a program-best 28-3 overall record, capturing the first America East regular-season championship while posting a 14-2 mark in conference action.

All game times and broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.  All #AEHoops home games will once air on ESPN+ or ESPN3 this season.  One of the five men's matchups on Feb. 18 will air on ESPNU.