Official - URI to NEC in 2013

[BDKJMU]

If Nova accepts BE offer, next season would likely be last in CAA.

2009: 12 teams
2010: 10 teams
2011: 11 teams
2012: 12 teams (or 11 if Nova BE)
2013: 11 teams (or 10 if Nova BE)

Now UNCC starts in 2013. Any chance they are considering the CAA over the Southern? They will likely start conference play in 2015.

[Seahawks]

Welcome to the NEC. URI is a great addition.

I like the nine conference game schedule. That leaves room for two quality OOC games. In that regard, I'd like to see us resume play with Fordham.

[BDKJMU]

Rhode Island football to join NEC
http://www.wzzm13.com/sports/ncaa_story ... yid=140828" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/11/uri-f ... nfere.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BobbyMo]

Does the NEC try to bring in a 12th team if they do get to 11 with Maine? Also, will having 9 conference games be a plus or minus for most school?

I doubt that UNH would leave the CAA.......but if they did:

Maine
UNH
URI
Bryant
Central Connecticut
Sacred Heart

Albany
Wagner
Monmouth
St. Francis
Duquesne
Robert Morris

Me likey.

That would be great, I would love for Dayton to join because of the rivalry with RMU (though it has been pretty one sided). I guess the distance would be prohibitive for just about everyone other than the PA schools though. Anyways, welcome to URI.

[UAalum72]

Does the NEC try to bring in a 12th team if they do get to 11 with Maine? Also, will having 9 conference games be a plus or minus for most school?

I doubt that UNH would leave the CAA.......but if they did:

Maine
UNH
URI
Bryant
Central Connecticut
Sacred Heart

Albany
Wagner
Monmouth
St. Francis
Duquesne
Robert Morris

Me likey.

No thanks. Albany's the only public in its division, with the maximum number of trips to Western PA. And I'd rather have more than two OOC games so we could have a chance to get at least one interesting home game.

[BDKJMU]

If Nova accepts BE offer, next season would likely be last in CAA.

2009: 12 teams
2010: 10 teams
2011: 11 teams
2012: 12 teams (or 11 if Nova BE)
2013: 11 teams (or 10 if Nova BE)

Now UNCC starts in 2013. Any chance they are considering the CAA over the Southern? They will likely start conference play in 2015.

So CAA 2013 if Nova leaves for BE is going to be:
-GA St
-ODU
-W&M
-UR
-JMU
-TU
-UD
-Mass
-UNH
-Maine

Would really be only 3 northern schools out of 10. If Nova leaves for the BE, CAA should go after Fordham to try to restore some more northern balance and get the NY market, esp when could be seeing UNCC who's starting FB in 2013 come aboard in 2015 (I heard they expressed interest in joining the CAA FB only.)

Imagine if the above did happen: would have the Atlanta, Charlotte, Norfolk, Richmond, Baltimore, and NY markets. Just wouldn't have Boston anymore since Northeastern dropped and Philly.

[mainejeff]

If Nova accepts BE offer, next season would likely be last in CAA.

2009: 12 teams
2010: 10 teams
2011: 11 teams
2012: 12 teams (or 11 if Nova BE)
2013: 11 teams (or 10 if Nova BE)

Now UNCC starts in 2013. Any chance they are considering the CAA over the Southern? They will likely start conference play in 2015.

So CAA 2013 if Nova leaves for BE is going to be:
-GA St
-ODU
-W&M
-UR
-JMU
-TU
-UD
-Mass
-UNH
-Maine

Would really be only 3 northern schools out of 10. If Nova leaves for the BE, CAA should go after Fordham to try to restore some more northern balance and get the NY market, esp when could be seeing UNCC who's starting FB in 2013 come aboard in 2015 (I heard they expressed interest in joining the CAA FB only.)

Imagine if the above did happen: would have the Atlanta, Charlotte, Norfolk, Richmond, Baltimore, and NY markets. Just wouldn't have Boston anymore since Northeastern dropped and Philly.

I don't see the 3 New England schools staying in the CAA if Villanova leaves (I think that Maine is gone regardless). So if all 3 of them left as well........then the CAA consists of:

-GA St
-ODU
-W&M
-UR
-JMU
-TU
-UD

That's a nice little 7 team regional league.

[COBBLESTONE]

http://www.gorhody.com/sports/m-footbl/ ... 10aac.html

It appears full scholarship FCS football in New England is an endangered species. Hopefully URI can continue to play their rivals like UNH and Maine out of conference.

Quite a step down for URI in the short term, but better than dropping the program.

Well said.

[COBBLESTONE]

Congratulations and good luck to the Rhode Island fans & alums. I do not believe they will dominate the NEC, but their prospects of competing for a conference title will be real. Have they ever been able to say that in the CAA?2011 - Colonial
2012 - Colonial
2013 - NEC

Any ideas how/when they will/should transition from the current 63 scholarships to meet the NEC requirements?

SumItUp lives up to his name.

[Ruler 79]

Now here is where it may get interesting: What happens if Albany(been rumored for 3 years) leaves the NEC? Their contract is up at the end of 2011 if I am not mistaken.

I think Rhody and Maine would be great additions to the NEC, would they raise the scholly's to 50???? I think that would keep Albany right where it is and I would imagine Stony Brook would return if it were raised tro 50 rides.

[COBBLESTONE]

From a fiscal standpoint and a competition standpoint this move makes sense for us. There has been talk around these parts for dropping the program due to the lack on our part to be competitive in the CAA over the last 10 years. Yes, we improved greatly this season but it still was not a winning season and we have not had one in the CAA since 2001. I might add that we have never made the playoffs since being in the CAA. This will also cut down on expenses of travel and scholarships.

As for recruiting, I think we'll pretty much be competing from the same pool as the other NEC schools. While I have not seen other NEC facilities (except for Bryant's which are pretty darn good) I think our facilities are much more on par with other NEC schools that with other CAA schools.

Bottom line, this move just makes good sense for us.

[danefan]

Some interesting thoughts from Tony Graham - the Monmouth beat writer and quite possibly the best media member the NEC has.

http://blogs.app.com...c-for-football/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MY thoughts on URI entering the NEC for football..

Potential clash of philosophies on expanding scholarships may loom among NEC football coaches and or schools

My opinion – I am not crazy about it if it means cutting back on non-conference games and if it squashes ideas of the NEC eventually offering the max allowed FCS scholarship number of 63 which this appears to portend… ..at least for now.

Point 1.

Perhaps the real story behind the story is this: URI is coming into the NEC for financial reasons..so it will be able to cut its football scholarships from the 63 allowed FCS schools, to the no more than 40 permitted by the NEC by 2013…

At the same time there are NEC football coaches … KC among them – who I believe would prefer the NEC boost its football scholarships, with an eye on 63, after the 2013 season..

So basically you have, within one league, a possible clash of philosophies. Schools or at least football coaches in the NEC that want to continue to increase scholarhips (I believe they are at least MU, Albany, and RMU). Then you have those schools, URI among them, that want to cap them at 40…

FYI – The vote on these issues by the way is determined by a majority decision of NEC presidents. In the event of deadlocks, the proposals fail.

Another thought – unless the NEC boosts its football scholarshiphips it will almost always be at a disadvantage going into the FCS playoffs when it will be playing ranked schools with the full boat load of 63 rides. Let's see how 2010 NEC champion RMU, a team MU could have, should have defeated this season, fares in he FCS playoffs at North Dakota State this weekend…

True, NEC schools – MU included - have defeated full ride programs (Albany defeated Delaware some years back during a rare Blue Hens off season), but certainly not on a regular basis.

MU lost at URI in the 2008 season opener, 27-24.

Point 2. BUT it also means that the 10-member NEC (including URI beginning in 2013 ) may in some years drop from three to two non-conference games. FCS schools are permitted a max of 11 regular season games.

From Ron Ratner of he NEC: "With the way the calendar works, teams can play 12 games in 2013, 2014 and 2019, which would mean three non-league games. In 2015-18, just two non-league games."

MU next season hosts Lehigh and Colgate and plays at Villanova. We know KC likes to play a demanding non-conference schedule.

Point 3: URI coming to the NEC certainly helps the league in terms of recognition

Other information:

The Rhode Island football team (5-6: 4-4 CAA) rallied past No. 19/19 Massachusetts to claim a 37-34 victory Saturday afternoon at Meade Stadium to pick up its third win in its last four games.

[BDKJMU]

Now here is where it may get interesting: What happens if Albany(been rumored for 3 years) leaves the NEC? Their contract is up at the end of 2011 if I am not mistaken.

I think Rhody and Maine would be great additions to the NEC, would they raise the scholly's to 50???? I think that would keep Albany right where it is and I would imagine Stony Brook would return if it were raised tro 50 rides.

Is it 50 rides to be a counter for I-As, or is it 55?

[danefan]

Now here is where it may get interesting: What happens if Albany(been rumored for 3 years) leaves the NEC? Their contract is up at the end of 2011 if I am not mistaken.

I think Rhody and Maine would be great additions to the NEC, would they raise the scholly's to 50???? I think that would keep Albany right where it is and I would imagine Stony Brook would return if it were raised tro 50 rides.

Is it 50 rides to be a counter for I-As, or is it 55?

Its 90% of the maximum over the two preceding years. So its an average of 57.5.

[BDKJMU]

Is it 50 rides to be a counter for I-As, or is it 55?

Its 90% of the maximum over the two preceding years. So its an average of 57.5.

Then it wouldn't make any sense to stop at 50 schollies. Just go from 50 to 58, and then could schedule a BCS payday game every year for 300-500k, while would more than pay for 8 more schollies.

Course then the arguement would be why stop at 58, just make it 63 to be fully competitive with the other full scholly conferences.

[henfan]

Good luck, Rhody. At least their administration is supporting FB at some level. The next best thing would be club FB, which seems to be picking up steam in New England.

IMO, UMass & UNH, both of whom have no trouble with attendance, will stay in the CAA long term. OTOH, the CAA will not be in any rush to add 'affiliates', especially with George Mason & VCU investigating the possibility of adding FB.

[89Hen]

IMO, UMass & UNH, both of whom have no trouble with attendance, will stay in the CAA long term.

Cue mainejeff in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

[aceinthehole]

IMO, UMass & UNH, both of whom have no trouble with attendance, will stay in the CAA long term. OTOH, the CAA will not be in any rush to add 'affiliates', especially with George Mason & VCU investigating the possibility of adding FB.

Yep, which is why I think any talk about Fordham or the SUNYs to 'replace' URI as an affiliate is a longshot at best. And if the CAA is looking for all sports memebers w/football the firts choice will be programs from the South (App St., Charlotte, etc).

UMass, UNH, and Maine must accept being the Northern outposts of CAA football. If they do, I see them in the CAA for the long term as well.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

IMO, UMass & UNH, both of whom have no trouble with attendance, will stay in the CAA long term. OTOH, the CAA will not be in any rush to add 'affiliates', especially with George Mason & VCU investigating the possibility of adding FB.

Yep, which is why I think any talk about Fordham or the SUNYs to 'replace' URI as an affiliate is a longshot at best. And if the CAA is looking for all sports memebers w/football the firts choice will be programs from the South (App St., Charlotte, etc).

UMass, UNH, and Maine must accept being the Northern outposts of CAA football. If they do, I see them in the CAA for the long term as well.

I'm admittedly not as familiar with this as some of you - but why wouldn't Stony Brook look at it? the Big South is a messy travel problem for them or is it a question of the CAA not wanting them?

[danefan]

Yep, which is why I think any talk about Fordham or the SUNYs to 'replace' URI as an affiliate is a longshot at best. And if the CAA is looking for all sports memebers w/football the firts choice will be programs from the South (App St., Charlotte, etc).

UMass, UNH, and Maine must accept being the Northern outposts of CAA football. If they do, I see them in the CAA for the long term as well.

I'm admittedly not as familiar with this as some of you - but why wouldn't Stony Brook look at it? the Big South is a messy travel problem for them or is it a question of the CAA not wanting them?

Its all about the CAA not needing anyone right now. They've got natural expansion within the CAA Olympic Sport conference to offset the loses from URI, Northeastern and Hofstra.

[DSUrocks07]

Isn;t it obvious? The NEC is trying to shut DSU out of its conference.

A little surprised seeing that the abundance of private schools in the conference that URI would join. Could this be considered a temporary solution? New Yankee Conference (public) and Northeast Conference (private)...

[LastMinuteman]

The move does NOTHING for URI fiscally. It's purely about them thinking that they can't compete unless they improve their facilities, which they don't want to do. That's the only fiscal angle. Travel/scholarship costs are a wash or worse.

[danefan]

The move does NOTHING for URI fiscally. It's purely about them thinking that they can't compete unless they improve their facilities, which they don't want to do. That's the only fiscal angle. Travel/scholarship costs are a wash or worse.

URI is spending about $3.7 million per year in the CAA.

They could and likely will cut the budget by $1.4 million and still be at the top of the NEC in terms of spending.

Bryant $1.8 mil
CCSU $1.8
Duquesne $1.6
Monmouth $2.3
RMU - $1.7
SHU - $1.4
St. Francis - $1.4
Albany - $2.0
Wagner - $1.9

That's a huge cut in terms of %.

[LastMinuteman]

Where is that $1.4 million going to come from?? 19 URI scholarships aren't worth $1.4 million, not in real world money. If you replace 19 URI football players with 19 students paying full tuition, most of them are going to pay the in-state rate of $9014, and half the remainder are going to pay the reduced New England Regional rate of $15,776 rather than the out-of-state rate of $25,720. Add $6000 each for room and board, and that's about $385,900. The typical guarantee paid by a FBS opponent for a CAA team is $400,000, but URI won't be able to get those guarantees anymore when they drop below 56.7 scholarships because they'll no longer qualify as a win towards bowl eligibility for the FBS team. So at this point in the analysis they're actually behind.

What URI is going to have to do to get any money out of this is chase out CAA Coach of the Year Joe Trainer and replace him with a cheaper staff that's forced to do all their recruiting via chat roulette. Then they need to cut women's sports and pray they survive the Title IX rectal exam without generating too large a legal bill. Keeping football at any level while cutting a women's sport is guaranteed to bring the knives out. Meanwhile ticket revenue, donations and advertising revenue can all be expected to go down, so they need to find cuts that overcome that loss as well just to get back where they started.

It all really comes down to cutting women's sports. If they can't do that, they'll get nothing out of this financially.

[ttgwm02]

If anyone joins the CAA, i'd love it to be Holy Cross. It would revitalize their program beyond where it is now, their alumni would love it and they have good facilities already in place.