The NEPSAC executive board has ruled that its member schools that participate in the New England Basketball League (NEBL) will be ineligible for the NEPSAC boys basketball postseason effective immediately for the 2026-27 season. The teams now ineligible for the NEPSAC postseason are Newman, the two-time defending Class AAA champions, and Cushing, the reigning Class...
The NEPSAC executive board has ruled that its member schools that participate in the New England Basketball League (NEBL) will be ineligible for the NEPSAC boys basketball postseason effective immediately for the 2026-27 season.
The teams now ineligible for the NEPSAC postseason are Newman, the two-time defending Class AAA champions, and Cushing, the reigning Class AA champion, in addition to Darrow (AAA), South Kent (AAA), Hoosac (AAA), CATS Academy (AAA), Tilton (AA) and Brimmer & May (AA).
The NEPSAC executive board, following a meeting on Sept. 15, had issued an ultimatum to the NEBL schools: If they elected to continue to participate in the NEBL, they would forfeit eligibility for NEPSAC playoffs.
NEPSAC said it does not recognize the NEBL as a NEPSAC-sanctioned league because it includes non-NEPSAC member schools, which are Woodstock Academy and Masters Academy International.
Woodstock (formerly Putnam Science), Newman, Cushing, South Kent, Brimmer & May and CATS have each participated for several seasons in the NEBL, which was founded in 2019. Newman won last year's league title, while Cushing won in 2024-25. Hoosac, Tilton and Masters Academy are debuting as new league members this season.
The NEBL teams were initially given a deadline that was extended to Oct. 19 to make a decision. The schools’ athletic directors each sent emails to NEPSAC on Monday to announce intentions that they were staying in the NEBL and thus forfeiting their eligibility for the NEPSAC postseason.
The NEBL teams will maintain full NEPSAC membership — and will be allowed to play a regular-season schedule — despite being ineligible for the postseason.
The NEBL has operated as a showcase league that promotes top competition and exposure for some of the top prep schools in the region, and its schedule has been played concurrently with the NEPSAC in each year of its existence. The league has grown to 10 members this season.
