Quinnipiac to America East?

[purplehaze]

I have heard that Quinnipiac has approached America East about possible membership

[UAalum72]

I have heard that Quinnipiac has approached America East about possible membership

Probably not for the first time. They just don't look like a fit with the rest of the AEast, except maybe Hartford - small, private schools. Comment on the AE board also mentioned their academics don't measure up either.

 

Unless AEast is going for a hockey league.

[purplehaze]

I have heard that Quinnipiac has approached America East about possible membership

Probably not for the first time. They just don't look like a fit with the rest of the AEast, except maybe Hartford - small, private schools. Comment on the AE board also mentioned their academics don't measure up either.

 

Unless AEast is going for a hockey league.

speaking of Hockey----I dream of the day when UAlbany has a Scholarship Hockey program and an on campus ice arena.

I know it will never happen. but it's nice to dream about

[UA_MA_2000]

I have heard that Quinnipiac has approached America East about possible membership

Probably not for the first time. They just don't look like a fit with the rest of the AEast, except maybe Hartford - small, private schools. Comment on the AE board also mentioned their academics don't measure up either.

 

Unless AEast is going for a hockey league.

speaking of Hockey----I dream of the day when UAlbany has a Scholarship Hockey program and an on campus ice arena.

I know it will never happen. but it's nice to dream about

 

Do we have any kind of informal hockey team on campus? I didn't think we even had that ... . Like I was saying in another thread, can you imagine if the America East adopted hockey? UNH, Vermont, Maine, B.U. to start with! Wow. Btw, all four of those teams are top 10 or so right now, and I believe UNH is #1 in the country right now.

[UAalum72]

Do we have any kind of informal hockey team on campus? I didn't think we even had that ... . Like I was saying in another thread, can you imagine if the America East adopted hockey? UNH, Vermont, Maine, B.U. to start with! Wow. Btw, all four of those teams are top 10 or so right now, and I believe UNH is #1 in the country right now.

There's a club hockey team that plays in the Division 3 Metro Collegiate Hockey Conference. Albany Academy is the home barn.

 

I haven't thought of them in a couple of years, but we're doing pretty good this season, ranked second in the ACHA Atlantic Region Team site

[UA_MA_2000]

I hope they don't join our conference. They don't fit our profile, as was stated above I believe: I kinda like the fact that are conference is, for the most part, made up of public learning institutions ("state schools"), save Hartford and Boston University (though I think B.U.'s membership helps us as it is nationally recognized --- arguably more so than any other school in the A.E. --- for its academics). I also like how several of the schools in our conference are the "flagship" schools for their respective states (or in NYS's case, 3 of our 4 university centers are in this conference). I think for these reasons, alumni numbers will always be high from schools in our conference, and enrollments will hopefully, overtime, increase with most of the schools in the A.E. I just don't think conferences like the MAAC can keep us with us in the long run!

 

If I ran the world: ditch Hartford and pick up Rhode Island, who defects from the A-10. Somehow also convince UMASS to do the same. UMASS is only an hour or so from Albany, right? That would be a fun border rivalry!

 

I like keeping Buffalo in the MAC. Buffalo is more a midwest city than an eastern city or campus. Spreads SUNY influence throughout the midwest as well.

 

UMASS, UCONN (yeah, right, though the Big East has gotten really large), and Rhode Island would complete the New England and eastern New York state school makeup! I think that would be cool at least ... . And UMBC gives us a little mid-atlantic state-school flavor.

[sainttj]

I hope they don't join our conference. They don't fit our profile, as was stated above I believe: I kinda like the fact that are conference is, for the most part, made up of public learning institutions ("state schools"), save Hartford and Boston University (though I think B.U.'s membership helps us as it is nationally recognized --- arguably more so than any other school in the A.E. --- for its academics). I also like how several of the schools in our conference are the "flagship" schools for their respective states (or in NYS's case, 3 of our 4 university centers are in this conference). I think for these reasons, alumni numbers will always be high from schools in our conference, and enrollments will hopefully, overtime, increase with most of the schools in the A.E. I just don't think conferences like the MAAC can keep us with us in the long run!

 

If I ran the world: ditch Hartford and pick up Rhode Island, who defects from the A-10. Somehow also convince UMASS to do the same. UMASS is only an hour or so from Albany, right? That would be a fun border rivalry!

 

I like keeping Buffalo in the MAC. Buffalo is more a midwest city than an eastern city or campus. Spreads SUNY influence throughout the midwest as well.

 

UMASS, UCONN (yeah, right, though the Big East has gotten really large), and Rhode Island would complete the New England and eastern New York state school makeup! I think that would be cool at least ... . And UMBC gives us a little mid-atlantic state-school flavor.

 

It's great to always strive for something better - in this case improving the AE. Theoretically, you make good points. But let's be realistic. Why would any A-10 team join the AE. That's like the Knicks joining the CBA (which is probably where they belong). If you remember, Isiaih (?) Thomas took the reigns and bankrupt the CBA not too long ago so I guess there could be a "conflict of disinterest" there. Anyway, I don't have the stats, but I think the AE's RPI is higher (20) this year than usual. The MAAC is perenially a higher rated conference (right now, #23, I believe). They're both subpar leagues nationally. I think a better conversation would be the Danes or Saints potentially joining the A-10. It may never happen, but I've heard it on the Siena end for some time now.

[UA_MA_2000]

I hope they don't join our conference. They don't fit our profile, as was stated above I believe: I kinda like the fact that are conference is, for the most part, made up of public learning institutions ("state schools"), save Hartford and Boston University (though I think B.U.'s membership helps us as it is nationally recognized --- arguably more so than any other school in the A.E. --- for its academics). I also like how several of the schools in our conference are the "flagship" schools for their respective states (or in NYS's case, 3 of our 4 university centers are in this conference). I think for these reasons, alumni numbers will always be high from schools in our conference, and enrollments will hopefully, overtime, increase with most of the schools in the A.E. I just don't think conferences like the MAAC can keep us with us in the long run!

 

If I ran the world: ditch Hartford and pick up Rhode Island, who defects from the A-10. Somehow also convince UMASS to do the same. UMASS is only an hour or so from Albany, right? That would be a fun border rivalry!

 

I like keeping Buffalo in the MAC. Buffalo is more a midwest city than an eastern city or campus. Spreads SUNY influence throughout the midwest as well.

 

UMASS, UCONN (yeah, right, though the Big East has gotten really large), and Rhode Island would complete the New England and eastern New York state school makeup! I think that would be cool at least ... . And UMBC gives us a little mid-atlantic state-school flavor.

 

It's great to always strive for something better - in this case improving the AE. Theoretically, you make good points. But let's be realistic. Why would any A-10 team join the AE. That's like the Knicks joining the CBA (which is probably where they belong). If you remember, Isiaih (?) Thomas took the reigns and bankrupt the CBA not too long ago so I guess there could be a "conflict of disinterest" there. Anyway, I don't have the stats, but I think the AE's RPI is higher (20) this year than usual. The MAAC is perenially a higher rated conference (right now, #23, I believe). They're both subpar leagues nationally. I think a better conversation would be the Danes or Saints potentially joining the A-10. It may never happen, but I've heard it on the Siena end for some time now.

 

 

Sainttj:

 

1. I am being realistic in my remarks: that is why I prefaced my not-so-realistic remarks about certain A-10 teams joining the A.E. with: "If I ran the world." My comments about the A-10 teams were not to be taken any more seriously than the preceding opening remark about me ruling the NCAA or some other fictional larger-than-life world. Surely the colon following the introductory phrase, "If I ran the world," provided the reader with the understanding that what followed was only a remark intended for fun and not to be analyzed as a possibility, as you have done. My agreement with your critical remarks set forth in your post was either explicit from my previous post, or, at a minimum, certainly implied by the use of the introductory phrase, "If I ran the world." To clarify, for those who need clarification, I understand that certain teams from the A-10 will most likely not join the A.E. anytime soon, if ever, absent a good reason to do so, such as (1) greater revenue potential from the A.E. or (2) me ruling the world.

 

2. I'm not sure what you mean about the CBA, Isiah, and the Knicks and how that relates to your position, but feel free to explain.

 

3. With reference to the MAAC and A.E. being "subpar," as you put it, you, of course, are entitled to that view; however, I share only my view on the A.E. herein; to wit, that the league is getting stronger every year, pulling off better wins every year, and getting stronger recruiting classes from top to bottom in the conferece. Moreover, the A.E. is not a conference that inundates the fan (and student for that matter) with a homogeneous presence of small private schools that jack up tuition to stay afloat. The A.E. has caught up and will be, if not already, considered a mid-major conference shortly. The A.E. has the academics and, inter alia, the support of state government (i.e., state/public schools). Indeed, the numbers/stats demonstrate that the conference will hopefully soon justify such a label, though I will not set out the basis for my opinion here. Also, I do not believe that RPI #20 for the conference is its highest, though the others on this board would be more apt to have the precise number on the conference's highest RPI ranking.

 

4. Our conference also finds its genesis of strength in the not-so-obvious fact that most of the mascots in our conference are either cats or dogs of some variety, save Hartford (Hawks), Maine (Blackbears), and I suppose Stonybrook (though a seawolf might be somewhat like a cat or dog; I'm not sure yet). This is also cool. Perhaps Siena (Saint Bernards: dogs) may also want to join the America East for the second time in the not-so-distant future (formerly a member of the ECAC North; Siena left in the late 1980s).

[Patch]

sainttj - first off the AE is still in a rebuilding mode after the defection of a # of teams to the CAA. With the birth of the 3 SUNY teams as DI programs and their admission to the AE the conference is still a work in progress.

 

The indisputable difference between UA and Siena as far as attractiveness to higher conferences is the fact that UA has an Athletic Program, it isn't a "One trick pony" like Siena.

 

That's not a slap at Siena that's a fact. Siena has chosen to do it that way and has had decent success but it also has made them an ugly duckling to higher conferences.

 

I have no clue if UA's Administration even desires to move to a higher conference but I do know the foundation is in place to build on.