-- Colonial Athletic Association athletic directors will convene in Washington next week and discuss the league's coming football expansion.
In general, the agenda is this question: Can a 14-team football conference work?
The ADs will be together for the NCAA convention.
Old Dominion begins playing CAA football in 2011. Georgia State is scheduled for a 2012 CAA football arrival. The Colonial already has 12 football members, including the University of Richmond, William and Mary and James Madison. Starting Wednesday, CAA directors of athletics and Tom Yeager, the commissioner of the league since its creation in 1985, will explore options.
Yeager yesterday said among those options are 1) one league with a pair of seven-team divisions, and 2) a split into two leagues, based on geography. The CAA also includes Delaware, Villanova, Towson, Hofstra, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern and Rhode Island.
If the choice is a 14-team league with a pair of seven-team divisions, Yeager believes an eight-game CAA obligation would continue. Yeager hopes a consensus is reached next week, allowing the league to go forward with scheduling for 2011 and beyond. The CAA has a strong interest in reducing travel costs, if possible, while maintaining traditional conference rivalries.
Charlotte announced four months ago that it intends to launch a football program in 2013, if the school can raise sufficient funds. Yeager said he has not heard from Charlotte representatives about any interest they may have in the Colonial. -- John O'Connor
Col Hogan wrote:I love some of the rivalries we have, but a 14 team conference is just too much IMHO...
I agree about the rivalries, but why can't these be maintained with scheduling agreements?
Lets look at the biggest rivalries around: Army-Navy-Air Force CiC trophy - no conference affiliation between any of them and it still gets played. Sure, playing the rivalry on the last game of the season for a conference championship is the perfect scenario, but how often does that actually happen?
Col Hogan wrote:I love some of the rivalries we have, but a 14 team conference is just too much IMHO...
I agree about the rivalries, but why can't these be maintained with scheduling agreements?
Lets look at the biggest rivalries around: Army-Navy-Air Force CiC trophy - no conference affiliation between any of them and it still gets played. Sure, playing the rivalry on the last game of the season for a conference championship is the perfect scenario, but how often does that actually happen?
I don't think that's a good example as there are "higher authorities" who make sure those games are played...
Scheduling arrangements can be ended or short circuited for various reasons...one team wants an easier game to make the playoffs...or doesn't want to give up a home game...we've seen it happen before...
I can't think of many true rivalries that aren't conference based that continue...
“Tolerance and Apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.” Aristotle
Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem.
Perhaps they should do a survivor type think like the English Premier "football" league. The way they do it is the bottom three teams every year are relegated to a lower league. Otherwise they'll just have to split the league into different divisions similar to that of the SEC in FBS where you play every team from your division and rotate in teams from the other every other season.
JMU DJ wrote:Perhaps they should do a survivor type think like the English Premier "football" league. The way they do it is the bottom three teams every year are relegated to a lower league. Otherwise they'll just have to split the league into different divisions similar to that of the SEC in FBS where you play every team from your division and rotate in teams from the other every other season.
Ahh...that's what we do now with the 12 team conference...14 would be even worse...
“Tolerance and Apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.” Aristotle
Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem.
Thanks, I'll try to relegate my humor to the other sections of this site... I know people don't take to kindly to humor on the FCS threads at the other site. I'll throw in a cheesy smile when I'm joking...
But seriously, this conference is getting to big and will always lead to the discussion as to whether or not there is a true CAA champ or whether or not we deserve that many teams in the playoffs. Perhaps there are a few CAA teams thinking about making a jump up to the so called "big time." I've read discussions about this, what's JMU's plans with stadium that seats 40K+? In the meantime, the only thing I could see the CAA doing is further dividing of the conference into North and South or even splitting... what else can they really do?
On "another" board they are dissing people whose teams aren't in the CAA for having an opinion on this.
I've said it before (add Big XII here if you like) you should play every team in your conference to be the conference champion. If you don't, it's watered down. I hate that, "we play everyone in our division and rotate the rest." It's bogus. If the conference is too big to accomodate that, or to pad your schedule, then split.
How hard is this to figure out?
One of the points being made is about auto bids and at larges. Yeah, they get all those because of the way they are set up. Oh XXX has the best record in the north and the best record in the conference but we can't leave out YYY because they have the best record in the south and beat XXX and then there's ZZZ in one who has the same record as ZZZZ in the other; and they didn't play each other so let's let them both in.
As I said, I don't like the not playing all the other teams at any level, but it really rears ugly for the playoffs. Split the damn thing up.
I wonder what the powers that be will do after 2010 when the NEC and PFL get autos. It would be interesting to see the scenarios if the CAA decides to become 2 conferences as they would, even split up, be top conferences right away and one without an auto.
"Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules. That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and particular." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Hugh White, 1801
putter wrote:I wonder what the powers that be will do after 2010 when the NEC and PFL get autos. It would be interesting to see the scenarios if the CAA decides to become 2 conferences as they would, even split up, be top conferences right away and one without an auto.
Just to clear it up - the NEC and Big South are getting AQ in 2010, not the PFL.
And if somehow the CAA splits and picks up Stony Brook then the new conference would effectively steal the Big South's AQ, as the Big South without Stony Brook does not have the necessary conference members having played together for enough time.
And, I don't think that new league would be out of an AQ. There is no logistical differnece between a 20 team playoff and a 22 or 24 team playoffs. Just move 1 or 2 more games to the opening round. Expansion would be easy and likely.
putter wrote:I wonder what the powers that be will do after 2010 when the NEC and PFL get autos. It would be interesting to see the scenarios if the CAA decides to become 2 conferences as they would, even split up, be top conferences right away and one without an auto.
Just to clear it up - the NEC and Big South are getting AQ in 2010, not the PFL.
And if somehow the CAA splits and picks up Stony Brook then the new conference would effectively steal the Big South's AQ, as the Big South without Stony Brook does not have the necessary conference members having played together for enough time.
And, I don't think that new league would be out of an AQ. There is no logistical differnece between a 20 team playoff and a 22 or 24 team playoffs. Just move 1 or 2 more games to the opening round. Expansion would be easy and likely.
Excellent! Thanks danefan and sorry for the mixup.
"Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules. That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and particular." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Hugh White, 1801
putter wrote:I wonder what the powers that be will do after 2010 when the NEC and PFL get autos. It would be interesting to see the scenarios if the CAA decides to become 2 conferences as they would, even split up, be top conferences right away and one without an auto.
Just to clear it up - the NEC and Big South are getting AQ in 2010, not the PFL.
And if somehow the CAA splits and picks up Stony Brook then the new conference would effectively steal the Big South's AQ, as the Big South without Stony Brook does not have the necessary conference members having played together for enough time.
And, I don't think that new league would be out of an AQ. There is no logistical differnece between a 20 team playoff and a 22 or 24 team playoffs. Just move 1 or 2 more games to the opening round. Expansion would be easy and likely.
Plus, there's no WAY the conference splits up without a guarantee of two autobids (one for each conference).
"Ah fuck. You are right." KYJelly, 11/6/12
"The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam." Barack Obama, 9/25/12
And no dissing allowed here - since what the CAA does effects all of our playoffs, everyone has a valid opinion.
Besides, eventually every FCS team will be in the CAA. We won't be able to play everyone else in the conference, but we will have all 16 playoff spots.
And no dissing allowed here - since what the CAA does effects all of our playoffs, everyone has a valid opinion.
Besides, eventually every FCS team will be in the CAA. We won't be able to play everyone else in the conference, but we will have all 16 playoff spots.
That's it!! It is a conspiracy of the highest order....
"Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules. That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and particular." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Hugh White, 1801
I've figured out what should be done about the 14 teams in the CAA. Since the CAA gets the most teams in the playoffs, one half of the bracket should be used to determine the CAA champ. That way, a team in the CAA could play every other team in the CAA. This wouldn't be an elimination playoff bracket, that gives every team the chance to play everybody else. After which, the CAA champ can be determined and receive an "automatic" bid to the National Championship game. They could even have the champs from the CAA north and south face off for the automatic bid. That way there is no bias.
Otherwise they'll just have to split the league into different divisions similar to that of the SEC in FBS where you play every team from your division and rotate in teams from the other every other season.
