General 6/4/2026 12:23:00 PM NEC

It's a Three-Peat! FDU Student-Athletes Knighted Building Communities Champions

Bridgewater, NJ — Service above self.

That's the name of the game for the FDU Knights when it comes to supporting a cause, being charitable and giving back to the community.

For an unprecedented third consecutive year — and the fourth time in program history — the Knights have been crowned champion of the NEC Building Communities competition after outperforming fellow conference mates by compiling the most community service hours per student-athlete in 2025-26.

Established in 2010, the annual award was conceived by the NEC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as a means of recognizing the institution which demonstrates the highest dedication to ongoing commitment to service and community engagement.

The annual winner is calculated by totaling all service hours amassed by each NEC member during both the fall and spring semesters and dividing that figure by the total number of each institution's student-athlete population as of October 3, 2025.

During the 2025-26 academic year, student-athletes across the NEC's 10 Division I core members collectively devoted 28,230 hours of their time to community service endeavors.

The Knights made it an NEC Building Communities award hat trick in grand fashion in 2025-26. Eclipsing the 6,000-hour timestamp for the second time in as many years by racking up 6,314, FDU's student-athletes logged 17.53 hours apiece, 4.49 more than the next closest competitor (New Haven).

"We are thrilled to win the Building Communities Award for the third-straight year," said Brad Hurlbut, Senior Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics at FDU. "It speaks volumes about the character of our student-athletes and their commitment to serving the surround communities of FDU. Winning this award is as meaningful, if not more so, than winning an NEC sport championship!"

FDU's three-peat is just the second in NEC annals. Sacred Heart, which claimed the inaugural NEC Building Communities title in 2010-11, turned the trick three more times by topping the league's community service hours charts in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Most impressively, FDU has devoted a whopping 18,855 hours to local causes and organizations during its current NEC Building Communities award spree.

Selfless work in the community and devoting time to others has been a staple for the NEC's Garden State squad. In the two-year gap that the trophy did not land in Hackensack, the Knights were in contention for the award with runner-up finishes in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

"Congratulations to FDU for continuing to set the bar incredibly high with their selflessness and consistent commitment to supporting their community," exclaimed NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "NEC student-athletes never cease to amaze me with their drive in competition on the playing surface, their successes in the classroom and their desire to foster cultures of service in their campus communities. I am so proud of FDU and the entire NEC family for all they have accomplished."

With 653 student-athletes pitching in, NEC newcomer New Haven amassed a league-leading 8,517 hours of service, which amounted to 13.04 hours per student-athlete. Le Moyne and Mercyhurst also showed consistent commitment to making a difference beyond the playing field by averaging 5.26 and 5.20 hours per student-athlete, respectively.

About The NEC
Now in its 45th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of ten institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.necsports.com) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.

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