Mid Major Football

[reeder]

1 - The MAAC will probably lose more teams (St. Peter's is awful) and probably cease operations .

2 - Maybe they combine the MAAC and NEC and create two divisions like the Pioneer league and have a championship.

3 - At some point the top 10 on DOn Hansen's site, Dopke or the Sports Network will make no sense as they are now ranking 1/2 the teams in mid major football.

4 - How long will Albany stay as a mid major. Looking at the costs of scholarships alone - figure $20k per student - tuition, room and board and other misc costs - times 60 kids - $1.2 million. Would also need additional coaches... - figure $1.5 million incremental costs. That's a lot of cash.

[Patch]

reeder

 

I'm basically a hoop guy by I attend most home FB games and enjoy following the team. Please help me with a few of my thoughts.

 

I may be wrong but aren't some of our Football players on scholarship now?

 

If so are you talking and additional 60 or should that 60 be minus the 12 or so scholarships we give out now. Which if the #12 is in the ball park you cut your estimate by abour 1/4 of a mill.

 

Also at the mid major level might scholarships be split and combined with need based and academic financial add?

 

As stupid as this may sound please clarify why you anticipate a need for more coaches if the number of athletes basically stay the same - it's just that they are now on scholarship?

 

Am I wrong in thinking that a combination of a dwindling MAAC and a weak NEC isn't really an upgrade?

 

Please clarify any of my misconceptions. Thanks

[UAalum72]

Word on Don Hansen's board is that Marist will announce dropping football next week. If St. Pete quits too, Duquesne might go to the PFL, leaving only Iona and LaSalle, and I doubt they'd be competitive in the NEC either.

 

Hansen had a top 20 this year, out of 23 teams.

[reeder]

Patch, you're correct, some of the players receive need based aid today. Not sure of the number - two years ago there were 10 that were either receiving need based aid scholarships or scholarships in other sports. 60 is a round number ( I think the scholarship limit is actually 63), maybe it's 50. The restriction is 63 scholarships - so while some athletes may receive financial aid, that is not included in the scholarship number. You may end up with 80 kids on the team - 63 scholarship and 17 walk ons with some kind of aid.

 

In terms of coaches, you would need a recruiting coordinator to be competitive. You would also need additional full time coaches as many of the UA coaches are grad assistants - I believe the only full time positions are Ford, and the the offensive and defensive coordinators (I don't think that Rossomando and Mion are full time employees) and the position coaches are usually grad assistants that turn over every couple of years.

 

While the numbers are round, 1AA programs generally have budgets in the $1.5 million dollar range - about $1 million more that UA currently spends. This is what schools like Furman and Georgia Southern spend annually ( I live in the south and those are programs that I am most familiar with). THese schools also have pretty good attendance so they have some revenues to offset some of the expenses.

 

I don't think a dwindling MAAC is an upgrade. I think it will force Albany to make some tough decisions pretty soon. They have a committment to the NEC through 2006 - I think creating a Pioneer league set up may be the only way to continue to have some sort of Championship game - like the ECAC bowl.

[Patch]

reeder

 

Thanks for the info!!!!

[Dane Pound]

Just curious but does the Pioneer League have a bowl-game thing like the ECAC? It might be interesting to see a NEC-Pioneer league bowl if MAAC football folds.

[Dane96]

Pioneer does not. They play a conference championship. With the 'Aints gone, Marist and St. Peter's likely to be next....followed by IONA...MID MAJOR FOOTBALL IS DEAD. It is two confernces and like 18 teams. I think most of these schools left will have to make serious choices about dropping football or moving up. Dukes are already talking Patriot. I think you will see the end of mid-major football by 2007 or 2008.

 

It is a useless designation. The "DAYTON RULE" will cause a lot of teams to drop out. (THAT WAS THE RULE SAYING DIII must BE DIII and IA must be IA or IAA in football)