Charlotte declines full CAA membership, wants football-only

[T-Dog]

Per Brian Mull, UNCW's beat writer.

-Multiple sources confirm that Charlotte was offered full membership to the #CAA but declined, wanting to be a football-only member.

-#CAA not interested in Charlotte as a football-only member.

-The CAA makes sense for Charlotte, and would give UNCW a rival in the Carolinas. Not sure why Judy Rose thinks the A-10 is superior.

[89Hen]

-#CAA not interested in Charlotte as a football-only member.

Hold firm.

[SuperHornet]

Per Brian Mull, UNCW's beat writer.

-Multiple sources confirm that Charlotte was offered full membership to the #CAA but declined, wanting to be a football-only member.

-#CAA not interested in Charlotte as a football-only member.

-The CAA makes sense for Charlotte, and would give UNCW a rival in the Carolinas. Not sure why Judy Rose thinks the A-10 is superior.

Probably looking at hoops, where in the region the A-10 is third banana only to the Big East and the ACC.

[jcmanson]

Hopefully the Big South's commish will jump all over this.

[GA St. MBB Fan]

What makes everyone so certain that the CAA wants to expand?

If UMass leaves, 'Nova leaves, and after URI leaves in 2013, the CAA will be at 9 football members. Then the CAA could schedule just like the SoCon does.

How do we know that the CAA didn't just offer Charlotte full membership, knowing they'll refuse it, just so they could get Charlotte out of the CAA's hair?

Personally, I wouldn't mind Charlotte in the CAA. It would be a true road trip for GA State and our fans. But I'm just thinking that the CAA's offer to Charlotte was calculated to simply let Charlotte formally know where the CAA stands, and allow the CAA get past the "Charlotte question."

Also to add...with 9 FB members...it leaves the door open for GMU/VCU/UNCW to join CAA FB in the future. Whereas adding another member...then GMU/VCU/UNCW joining...could cause quite a clog.

[Sly Fox]

In a nutshell, the CAA needs to prepare itself for the eventual departure of several key members to the FBS. Staying at nine doesn't give much breathing room. And I don't think many folks are holding their breath for GMU/VCU/UNCW to step up to the plate financially for football.

The Charlotte/Big South partnership makes too much sense. But I wouldn't put it past Kyle to screw this up.

[Franks Tanks]

In a nutshell, the CAA needs to prepare itself for the eventual departure of several key members to the FBS. Staying at nine doesn't give much breathing room. And I don't think many folks are holding their breath for GMU/VCU/UNCW to step up to the plate financially for football.

The Charlotte/Big South partnership makes too much sense. But I wouldn't put it past Kyle to screw this up.

Several school would most likley jump at the chance of being a CAA football only member-- Albany, Fordham, and SBU to name a few. I think the CAA is doing the right thing here. If they need a football only member at a later date they can bring a few on board.

[GannonFan]

In a nutshell, the CAA needs to prepare itself for the eventual departure of several key members to the FBS. Staying at nine doesn't give much breathing room. And I don't think many folks are holding their breath for GMU/VCU/UNCW to step up to the plate financially for football.

The Charlotte/Big South partnership makes too much sense. But I wouldn't put it past Kyle to screw this up.

Several school would most likley jump at the chance of being a CAA football only member-- Albany, Fordham, and SBU to name a few. I think the CAA is doing the right thing here. If they need a football only member at a later date they can bring a few on board.

Agree - the CAA isn't desperate to add anyone at this point in time, especially just to add a team like Charlotte that has already made it clear it isn't in it for the long term (before moving to FBS). So if the CAA doesn't add anyone, then by 2013 they'll be at 9. No biggie. Fits the schedule perfectly. And if the CAA had to, like Frank says, there's a pretty decent list of schools they could add as football only teams, and they would be teams that aren't planning a jump to FBS in a few years. Maybe the CAA will become desperate for teams if ODU and JMU jump, but that doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon right now.

[GA St. MBB Fan]

I just don't see any reason for CAA FB to want to expand until the deadline for the non-FB schools to get automatic admission passes (or at least it becomes pretty clear which schools are going to take up the offer, and which schools aren't).

[elcid83]

Hopefully the Big South's commish will jump all over this.

I second this.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

[CAA Flagship]

Yes, the CAA is not necessarily looking to expand for football. The CAA is looking at Charlotte for all sports rather than just looking to expand for football. There may soon be a need to "replace" a non-football playing member with another school and with Charlotte being public, they become option #1. Coastal Carolina is not too far down the list by the way.

[SuperHornet]

Yes, the CAA is not necessarily looking to expand for football. The CAA is looking at Charlotte for all sports rather than just looking to expand for football. There may soon be a need to "replace" a non-football playing member with another school and with Charlotte being public, they become option #1. Coastal Carolina is not too far down the list by the way.

In this era of conferences not wanting associate members, a chance to join a stable, name league is nothing to be sniffed at. Given the other choices out there (i.e. not many), I think Charlotte may have made a mistake....

[49RFootballNow]

Apparently Brian Mull's reliable sources are wrong:

http://gmine.blogspot.com/2011/03/49ers ... onors.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SuperHornet]

Apparently Brian Mull's reliable sources are wrong:

http://gmine.blogspot.com/2011/03/49ers ... onors.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At least one guy who commented on the article says, essentially, "Who care's? We're about to blow this joint into FBS City."

[jmufan]

I have come to the conclusion that many UNCC fans are just plain naive. To think that your football team is already superior to those in the FCS before you ever play a game is just pure blindness. Some of these fans arrogance is just sad and one has to think--do you really want that kind of arrogance within your conference anyway?

[49RFootballNow]

I have come to the conclusion that many UNCC fans are just plain naive. To think that your football team is already superior to those in the FCS before you ever play a game is just pure blindness. Some of these fans arrogance is just sad and one has to think--do you really want that kind of arrogance within your conference anyway?

So wanting the best possible for your University and it's athletics program is arrogant?

[jmufan]

I have come to the conclusion that many UNCC fans are just plain naive. To think that your football team is already superior to those in the FCS before you ever play a game is just pure blindness. Some of these fans arrogance is just sad and one has to think--do you really want that kind of arrogance within your conference anyway?

So wanting the best possible for your University and it's athletics program is arrogant?

No, but saying that everyone else is beneath you is (or that is how I perceive it). Maybe my perception from your boards and other places is a bit misguided, but some of your fans comments come off as arrogant.

It's like your presidents comments from a month or so ago, when she made some boneheaded comments angering a lot of people. Why burn bridges when you can build them together.

[Fresno St. Alum]

Yes, the CAA is not necessarily looking to expand for football. The CAA is looking at Charlotte for all sports rather than just looking to expand for football. There may soon be a need to "replace" a non-football playing member with another school and with Charlotte being public, they become option #1. Coastal Carolina is not too far down the list by the way.

Who's leaving? Hofstra? Northeastern? to the AEC. The CAA is a far better conference so why would they leave unless they save a lot of money by going back to the AEC.

[Fresno St. Alum]

I don't really follow the tone of the UNCC fans but some schools just have the mentality that they want to play with the big boys from the get go. FIU, FAU, UTSA, USF, UAB. I think a big part of UNCC wanting FBS so bad is that they were a former CUSA member, and they know they would still be in CUSA if they had football back when the BE was raided. Hell if they had a good fb team back then, they could/might have been in the BE.

[TheDancinMonarch]

I have come to the conclusion that many UNCC fans are just plain naive. To think that your football team is already superior to those in the FCS before you ever play a game is just pure blindness. Some of these fans arrogance is just sad and one has to think--do you really want that kind of arrogance within your conference anyway?

I heard a rumor that they, UNCC, went to the Final Four in hoops in ...... 1977 ......, and are anticipating a return trip any time now. So is it arrogance to assume that your football program will be equally as successful?

[49RFootballNow]

The simple answer to why Charlotte won't join the CAA as a full member is money. Even in the A10's worst season we are gauranteed to get at least 2 and possibly 3 teams into the NCAA Tournament. That means that every school in the A10 gets to split 2 or 3 shares of NCAA Tournament revenue, and if one of those teams makes a 2nd or 3rd round appearance that's even more. That means most years we're getting 3 times more NCAA Tournament money then we would in the CAA.

Now will Charlotte be bringing one of the A10's at-large bids with it to the CAA? No, so we'd be taking a 2/3rds pay cut to join a conference that is statisically harder to get to the tournament from if we did join.

Now let's look at football. The NCAA has to pay ESPN to broadcast the FCS Championship game. The only ways schools make money off that is to host playoff games which schools have to bid for (read bribe the NCAA for) so if you can break even in the FCS Playoff you've pulled off a major coup.

So Charlotte is supposed to give up 2/3rds of its tournament revenue for no offsetting FCS Playoff revenue, move to our third basketball conference in less than 10 years (and all the requiste disturbance that causes in fan interest, recruiting and revenue); just to get 8 regular season FCS games scheduled yearly for the 5 to 10 years we'd be playing FCS football?

[TwinTownBisonFan]

The simple answer to why Charlotte won't join the CAA as a full member is money. Even in the A10's worst season we are gauranteed to get at least 2 and possibly 3 teams into the NCAA Tournament. That means that every school in the A10 gets to split 2 or 3 shares of NCAA Tournament revenue, and if one of those teams makes a 2nd or 3rd round appearance that's even more. That means most years we're getting 3 times more NCAA Tournament money then we would in the CAA.

Now will Charlotte be bringing one of the A10's at-large bids with it to the CAA? No, so we'd be taking a 2/3rds pay cut to join a conference that is statisically harder to get to the tournament from if we did join.

Now let's look at football. The NCAA has to pay ESPN to broadcast the FCS Championship game. The only ways schools make money off that is to host playoff games which schools have to bid for (read bribe the NCAA for) so if you can break even in the FCS Playoff you've pulled off a major coup.

So Charlotte is supposed to give up 2/3rds of its tournament revenue for no offsetting FCS Playoff revenue, move to our third basketball conference in less than 10 years (and all the requiste disturbance that causes in fan interest, recruiting and revenue); just to get 8 regular season FCS games scheduled yearly for the 5 to 10 years we'd be playing FCS football?

except that the CAA has two bids this year, could have been three with VCU... bringing up the overall quality of the conference in terms of basketball long term is a solid bet...

plus, with Charlotte, there would be 13 teams in the CAA-all sports conference... 14 in the A-10... one less person to share with... plus, with Georgia St likely heading out of the conference soon - it'll be down to twelve.

would seem to me that the long-term strategy would be to legitimately invest in the future of the CAA - and give up the long past days of thinking "maybe, someday" about a Big East bid... (which sure seems like what you could call the entirety of the A-10)

[89Hen]

That means most years we're getting 3 times more NCAA Tournament money then we would in the CAA.

Not quite 3x. Last year's pool was $6.4M for the A10 (14 teams = $457k per) and $2.9M for the CAA (12 teams = $242k per).

[49RFootballNow]

That means most years we're getting 3 times more NCAA Tournament money then we would in the CAA.

Not quite 3x. Last year's pool was $6.4M for the A10 (14 teams = $457k per) and $2.9M for the CAA (12 teams = $242k per).

Still a pretty good chunk of change, and the amount changes with the depth a school from either conference runs into the tourney.

except that the CAA has two bids this year, could have been three with VCU... bringing up the overall quality of the conference in terms of basketball long term is a solid bet...

plus, with Charlotte, there would be 13 teams in the CAA-all sports conference... 14 in the A-10... one less person to share with... plus, with Georgia St likely heading out of the conference soon - it'll be down to twelve.

would seem to me that the long-term strategy would be to legitimately invest in the future of the CAA - and give up the long past days of thinking "maybe, someday" about a Big East bid... (which sure seems like what you could call the entirety of the A-10)

Where's Georgia St. going? As for us, we're not current CAA members and we don't intend to stay in FCS longer than we can afford to. I completly understand if the CAA wants no part of us. It would actually help push us faster toward FBS. Yet there are a few schools in the CAA with varying degrees of semi-secret FBS intentions and having an FBS bound Charlotte in the same football conference with them could help move things along.

[89Hen]

Not quite 3x. Last year's pool was $6.4M for the A10 (14 teams = $457k per) and $2.9M for the CAA (12 teams = $242k per).

Still a pretty good chunk of change, and the amount changes with the depth a school from either conference runs into the tourney.

Yes good money. That said, where will the 49ers put their football?