Northeast Conference, a non-profit organization headquartered in the United States, was founded in 1981 and operates with approximately 30 employees. The entity, which was formerly known as Northeast Conference and is now commonly referred to by its abbreviation, NEC, functions as a collegiate athletic conference whose schools are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Teams in the NEC compete in Division I for all sports, with football competing in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Its participating schools are located principally in the Northeastern United States, from which the conference derives its name.