Division I just got bigger.
On Monday morning, the Northeast Conference announced that they will be adding a new full-time member come 2023-24: Merrimack College.
Merrimack is currently a Division II program located in Massachusetts, just north of Boston and just south of the New Hampshire border. The school had previous been a member of the NE10.
Merrimack will begin their four-year transition to Division I in the 2019-20 season, which will eventually lead to them becoming the 353rd Division I men’s basketball program. This year, both Cal Baptist and North Alabama will be competing at the Division I level for the first time, but with Savannah State leaving the Division I ranks after the 2018-19 season, Division I will remain at 353 teams.