CAA Footbal Future

[mainejeff]

Oh i know. but the big south will. and i'll be money that the CAA would love to take Liberty if they needed an extra team. and if Kennesaw went to the Big south they could lose a team and still get the auto bid. especilly if campbell moves to scholly football

Liberty??? I doubt that.

[mainejeff]

I just wanna get rid of Hofstra already. Too bad conferences never kick out members. Go Hofstra, just leave already. All they do is openly bitch about the CAA in every sport...give me Charlotte as an all-sport member.

I think that Hofstra would have no problem joining America East as a lacrosse affiliate.

[GannonFan]

Oh i know. but the big south will. and i'll be money that the CAA would love to take Liberty if they needed an extra team. and if Kennesaw went to the Big south they could lose a team and still get the auto bid. especilly if campbell moves to scholly football

Liberty??? I doubt that.

I agree with MJ - Liberty is so far from the type of schools that make up the CAA that it wouldn't make any sense.

[49RFootballNow]

I just wanna get rid of Hofstra already. Too bad conferences never kick out members. Go Hofstra, just leave already. All they do is openly bitch about the CAA in every sport...give me Charlotte as an all-sport member.

Thanks for the love, but if you want us for all-sports, you better get Xavier, Dayton, St. Joes, Temple and UMass to come on over first.

[∞∞∞]

I'd take UMass, but I'm not into the private schools...too many variables involved. Conferences are always changin' and the CAA is one of the risin' stars...can't be lookin' short-term all the time...the Big East was not who it was years ago...hop on the CAA train while you can...invest into it, and let's make it the best mid-major train in all the land! Come on guys, ya know you wanna!

[Col Hogan]

IMHO, UMass to the CAA all sports would be a big step down, especially in Basketball...and that will not happen...

Now for those who talk about an A-10 football conference, remember that all the current CAA football members were A-10...that conference is basically a basketball-centric conference and did not give a damn about promoting football....that's why everyone left en masse...I, for one, do not want UMass to go back to the A-10 in football...ever...

[49RFootballNow]

I'd take UMass, but I'm not into the private schools...too many variables involved. Conferences are always changin' and the CAA is one of the risin' stars...can't be lookin' short-term all the time...the Big East was not who it was years ago...hop on the CAA train while you can...invest into it, and let's make it the best mid-major train in all the land! Come on guys, ya know you wanna!

For football! HE77 YEAH!

For basketball.........................................um
.......................................well
.................................um
............................what were we talking about again?

IMHO, UMass to the CAA all sports would be a big step down, especially in Basketball...and that will not happen...

Now for those who talk about an A-10 football conference, remember that all the current CAA football members were A-10...that conference is basically a basketball-centric conference and did not give a damn about promoting football....that's why everyone left en masse...I, for one, do not want UMass to go back to the A-10 in football...ever...

In our brief time so far in the A-10 the conference management has NOT inspired confidence. The TV contract is HORRIBLE and very constricting for those without grandfathered contracts with other broadcasters, so you see teams like X get all over the Ohio market thanks to previously existing contracts with FS Ohio; and schools like Charlotte can't even get the rights to broadcast some of our games on the UNIVERSITY CHANNEL!

I do think Mr. Yeager is smart enough to realize that 4 or 5 A-10 schools with scholarships (assuming Fordham goes that route) should be in his hen house and not having any reason to think about a new A-10 football conference. That's why I think Charlotte (and Fordham) will get football-only invites to the CAA.

[LastMinuteman]

There isn't going to be a CAA Football split under the current conditions. For it to make sense to walk away from the CAA, the northern teams would need to be able to start a new conference with 9 reliable members, so that we're guaranteed 4 conference home games per season. There are only 5 reliable teams up here: UMass, UNH, Maine, Stony Brook and Albany. Rhode Island isn't reliable because we can't trust them to keep playing or to maintain full scholarship status. Fordham isn't reliable because they'll go back to the Patriot League if the PL ever goes full scholarship. Even if we pretend they're both reliable, that's only 7. How do we get to 9? Bryant, CCSU, Wagner and Monmouth are all full NEC members. Even if they showed the financial commitment to play at our level, they can't just walk away from the NEC like Albany can. It'd create a huge crisis for their conference. And why would those teams take the risk of burning bridges with their conference to join a single-sport league where none of the members can be relied upon to stick around?

The only way a new northern conference is going to pop up is if things get so bad in the Patriot League that they decide they have to disband the whole football conference. Without some Patriot Leaguers involved, we don't have the critical mass to pull this off. Much safer and smarter to stay in the CAA and fly 1 or 2 times per year.

[UAalum72]

How do we get to 9? Bryant, CCSU, Wagner and Monmouth are all full NEC members. Even if they showed the financial commitment to play at our level, they can't just walk away from the NEC like Albany can. It'd create a huge crisis for their conference. And why would those teams take the risk of burning bridges with their conference to join a single-sport league where none of the members can be relied upon to stick around?

It might not be a crisis if the smaller NEC schools - and I'd include Wagner with them - insisted on staying at a limited level while CCSU and another wanted to go full-bore. Affiliate Duquesne is also well behind the league limit and doesn't plan to be over 24 until at least 2012. That would be a situation similar to Loyola and Fairfield in ECAC rather than MAAC lacrosse.

[SpiderFan5]

Question #1


North South
Maine Towson
New Hampshire Richmond
UMass William & Mary
Rhode Island JMU
Villanova Old Dominion (joins 2011)
Delaware Georgia State (joins 2012)

I agree with Delaware and Nova to the North

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

Question #1


North South
Maine Towson
New Hampshire Richmond
UMass William & Mary
Rhode Island JMU
Villanova Old Dominion (joins 2011)
Delaware Georgia State (joins 2012)

I agree with Delaware and Nova to the North

We just need Delaware and Nove to agree

[89Hen]

I agree with Delaware and Nova to the North

We just need Delaware and Nove to agree

No offense to the northern teams, but NO THANKS. I'd rather stick with programs that are spending money on their facilities (and also happen to be a LOT closer to me ).

[danefan]

We just need Delaware and Nove to agree

No offense to the northern teams, but NO THANKS. I'd rather stick with programs that are spending money on their facilities (and also happen to be a LOT closer to me ).

I believe that is probably what the Delaware and Nova admins think also.

But do you think they'll make a concession to keep the NE 4 in the league? (If it ever comes to that?)

[89Hen]

But do you think they'll make a concession to keep the NE 4 in the league? (If it ever comes to that?)

Hard to say. I think they'd be happy to sacrifice Townson to the north to appease them.

[henfan]

In general, when expanding, it's best for conferences to seek potential partners who commit all of their sports to league competition. Those affiliations make if easier to sell a more seemless conference brand to regional advertisers and help foster rivalries that have more of a chance of standing the test of time. Tying all sports to one conference also makes it a little more difficult for partners to go elsewhere, which can be a good thing for conference stability.

CAA Football is and isn't a separate entity from the Colonial Athletic Association. On one hand, the two are separate legal identities; on the other, the CAA brand and image are shared by both. The fact that Colonial Olympic sport members have voting input on new FB league members demonstrates that you can't easily distinguish between the entities.

Alas, we don't live in a perfect world.

[89Hen]

Cripes henfan, you almost sound like me on the CAA issue. Careful.

[collegesportsinfo]

There isn't going to be a CAA Football split under the current conditions. For it to make sense to walk away from the CAA, the northern teams would need to be able to start a new conference with 9 reliable members, so that we're guaranteed 4 conference home games per season. There are only 5 reliable teams up here: UMass, UNH, Maine, Stony Brook and Albany. Rhode Island isn't reliable because we can't trust them to keep playing or to maintain full scholarship status. Fordham isn't reliable because they'll go back to the Patriot League if the PL ever goes full scholarship. Even if we pretend they're both reliable, that's only 7. How do we get to 9? Bryant, CCSU, Wagner and Monmouth are all full NEC members. Even if they showed the financial commitment to play at our level, they can't just walk away from the NEC like Albany can. It'd create a huge crisis for their conference. And why would those teams take the risk of burning bridges with their conference to join a single-sport league where none of the members can be relied upon to stick around?

The only way a new northern conference is going to pop up is if things get so bad in the Patriot League that they decide they have to disband the whole football conference. Without some Patriot Leaguers involved, we don't have the critical mass to pull this off. Much safer and smarter to stay in the CAA and fly 1 or 2 times per year.

Agreed. I've said it before on some sites, but the ONLY way I would ever see any big change happening would be if the Patriot League added scholarships and invited Maine, UNH, URI and UMass and even Stonybrook.

You'd then have:
NORTH:
Maine
UNH
URI
UMass
Holy Cross
Colgate

SOUTH:
Fordham
Stonybrook
Bucknell
Lehigh
Lafayette
Georgetown




The other options for a change are just too drastic:
Do you have an A10 football league and force Richmond and Charlotte in while giving associate memberships to Maine, UNH, Stonybrook and Albany?

Maine
UNH
URI
UMass
Albany
Fordham
Stonybrook
Richmond
Charlotte


No, it makes no sense since Richmond and Charlotte just don't fit the bill.



Do you go with a 7 team northeast conference with...

Maine
UNH
URI
UMass
Albany
Fordham
Stonybrook

No. Because if 2 teams fold, you're out of business.

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

Do you go with a 7 team northeast conference with...

Maine
UNH
URI
UMass
Albany
Fordham
Stonybrook

No. Because if 2 teams fold, you're out of business.

Also no because,

5 OOC games... find me 4 teams willing to come to Durham NH every other year.

[danefan]

The only thing I can see realistically happening in the CAA is adding teams for expansion or because current teams go to FBS or downgrade (e.g. URI).

I think its a very realistic possibility that we could have the following league in 2012:

North
UMass
UNH
Maine
Delaware
Nova
Albany*

South
W&M
JMU
Towson
ODU
Ga. State.
Richmond

*Albany and URI swap conferences.

When (if) the league wants to add Charlotte, you could add Stony Brook to the North to balance it out.

If you lose southern teams to FBS (JMU, Ga.Sate, ODU, Charlotte, etc....) it won't be for 4 or 5 years after the moratorium probably and by that time I wouldn't at all be surprised to see VCU or George Mason with programs.

[henfan]

89, my comments were mostly directed towards potential expansion partners.

I've always been a big proponent of favoring 'all sport' members over 'affiliates' (though, technically, that's not what they are in CAA FB.) I just don't support shedding long-standing FB rivals simply because they aren't Olympic sport conference members.

[BlueHen86]

No offense to the northern teams, but NO THANKS. I'd rather stick with programs that are spending money on their facilities (and also happen to be a LOT closer to me ).

I believe that is probably what the Delaware and Nova admins think also.

But do you think they'll make a concession to keep the NE 4 in the league? (If it ever comes to that?)

I think a better option would be to scrap the two division format and rotate games amoung all members. Everyone plays 8 conference games a year, but the 8 opponents change each year. You could allow certain teams to play each other every year for the sake of rivalries. It would be similiar to what the Big 10 does and would allow all the southern teams to share the burden of traveling north.

[henfan]

I think a better option would be to scrap the two division format and rotate games amoung all members. Everyone plays 8 conference games a year, but the 8 opponents change each year. You could allow certain teams to play each other every year for the sake of rivalries. It would be similiar to what the Big 10 does and would allow all the southern teams to share the burden of traveling north.

Yup, what he said. No real downside to that.

[49RFootballNow]

Always hear a lot of talk about the CAA moving to FBS as a conference, but everyone knows certain schools in the conference will never even consider such a move. I'm not as up to date on the CAA's schools' football ambitions; but it seems like it would make sense that if there was a split, it wouldn't be geographic in nature, but ambitions/budgets that would cause it and might even be for the best.

[ur2K]

Always hear a lot of talk about the CAA moving to FBS as a conference, but everyone knows certain schools in the conference will never even consider such a move. I'm not as up to date on the CAA's schools' football ambitions; but it seems like it would make sense that if there was a split, it wouldn't be geographic in nature, but ambitions/budgets that would cause it and might even be for the best.

I don't see a conference move up - it would fall in line below the Sunbelt and the MAAC, etc and what's the point of that? If it happens it will be individual schools doing what's best for their situation. UR's not moving up, W&M is not moving up. JMU is leaning that way. And the rest, who knows?

[mainejeff]

We just need Delaware and Nove to agree

No offense to the northern teams, but NO THANKS. I'd rather stick with programs that are spending money on their facilities (and also happen to be a LOT closer to me ).

Thankfully, you are not in charge.