On Tuesday, the Northeast Conference announced that Robert Morris will rejoin the NEC as a football associate member for the 2024 season.

Robert Morris had joined the conference as a men’s lacrosse associate earlier this month.

NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris made the announcement in a press release.

“We’re pleased to welcome Robert Morris back to the NEC football community,” said Morris. “Their return not only strengthens our football profile but also will reignite longtime rivalries and create new ones. Given RMU’s rich football tradition within the NEC, we anticipate more exciting moments to come.”

Robert Morris was a founding conference member as a football affiliate in 1996 before moving to the Horizon League in 2020 as a full-time member and the Big South Conference, now renamed Big South-OVC Football Association, as a football member.

The Colonials also represented the NEC in the FCS Playoffs in 2010, along with six conference championships.

With this move, Robert Morris will renew rivalries against closer schools geographically, specifically against Duquesne and St. Francis.

“We want to thank Commissioners Sherika Montgomery and Beth DeBauche, and former Commissioner Kyle Kallander, for providing RMU football an opportunity for membership and their support over the previous three years,” RMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris King said. “The move to rejoin the NEC as an associate member in football restores longtime local rivalries with Duquesne and Saint Francis as well as the NEC football playing members within our geographic footprint, which will have a positive impact on our scheduling and travel. For our long-term growth, the NEC is certainly the right move for our football program. We are excited about this next chapter and continuing the forward momentum of RMU football.”

RMU will be immediately eligible to secure the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs.