Sporting news & The NEC

[Ruler]

Here is the article from College sporting News this week on the FCS playoffs expanding to 18 members. The NEC is the front runner for the one Automatic Qualifier for the expanded format.

 

http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article...articleid=87791

 

A highlight from the article which I'd like to put out there as a discussion topic is the comment about the NEC being the first expanded AQ to be awarded to a conference that has never had a member be chosen as an at-large bid, and obviously never one a I-AA (FCS) post season game.

 

Although the NEC has done what it needs to be considered for an AQ (6 teams playing together for 2 years as a group), in my opinion that is sneaking in with the bare minimun. The NEC has made a move towards scholarship football in a limited scholarship format, currently allowing it's members a cap of 30 scholly's per school. Currently the NEC programs are at 20 schollys's, but is this enough to be consistantly competitive?

 

In my opinion, on October 17, 2007 (NEC Board Meeting) one big issue needs to be discussed beyond expansion. This issue is the NEC's membership's commitment to football.

 

The NEC has a nice football conference, that is "making progress", but this conference will never be "competitive" on a consistant basis in the full scholly world of the FCS playoffs. NEC members MUST make a commitment to full scholy football or the NEC representative to he FCS playoffs will alwys be a "one and out" team.

 

I want the NEC to statnd for Northeast Conference and stand tall with pride. I do not want the NEC to stand for "Not Even Close"

 

Football is the NECSs' key to respect. With the average cost of tuition at an NEC institution, full scholly football would cost approximatly $900K - $1.2M for it's members (depending on the respective schools tuition). To me, thisis an investmetn that is well worth it, and an investment made by all other FCS playoff members with an AQ and all FCS Playoff eligible members.

 

It's time for NEC members and the conference as a whole to make some tough decisions on whether they want to be competitive or not. The NEC has a quality geographic and demographic market, many fine institutions, great fans, and fairly decent peer equity in athletics.

 

It's time for the NEC to move forward. The NEC needs to make some bold decisions and move into the future.

 

 

Last edited by bigbluefan1965 on Oct 02, 2007 - 02:34 AM; edited 2 times in total

 

 

I TOOK THIS OFF THE CCSU BOARD. 50 scholarships or bust. It is time the NEC step up! This way we do not need to wait for another conference to form, in fact I could see RI and Bryant fitting in with the rest if SF or SHU bow out.. If they decide 50 rides is sufficient then they should just go to 63 IMHO!

[uofalbany]

Here's what I know and understand:

 

NEC - allows 30 full football scholarships per team

 

UAlbany - has 23 full football scholarships

 

Division IAA - allows 63 full football scholarships per team

 

Division IA - allows 85 full football scholarships per team

 

Questions:

 

1. If the NEC allows 30 per school, why does Albany only utilize 23?

 

2. What is the financial impact by these scholarships on:

A. the university at Albany

B. the northeast conference

 

3. When did the NEC first start allowing football scholarships?

 

4. Why would the northeast conference determine that 30 scholarships was appropriate, and not the full 63 allowed under FCS rules?

 

5. What is necessary to increase the NEC football scholarship maximum to 63?

 

6. What NEC football schools support the increase of scholarships?

 

7. What FCS conferences allow the maximum 63 scholarships?

[danefan]

NEC - allows 30 full football scholarships per team

 

UAlbany - has 23 full football scholarships

 

Division IAA - allows 63 full football scholarships per team

 

Division IA - allows 85 full football scholarships per team

 

Questions:

 

1. If the NEC allows 30 per school, why does Albany only utilize 23?

- Because its a transitional thing. There are many factors in play (e.g. Title IX, recruiting strategy, etc..) I think we will use all 30 effective next year.

 

2. What is the financial impact by these scholarships on:

A. the university at Albany

- We have been told for years that the money for 63 scholarships has been earmarked and set aside. However, there will be an increase in the athletic budget in general because the additional of 63 scholarships for football requires necessary Title IX spending.

B. the northeast conference

- nothing on the conference itself, but great impacts on the other teams. namely, those small private schools (wagner, St. Francis, Sacred Heart, etc...)

 

3. Why would the northeast conference determine that 30 scholarships was appropriate, and not the full 63 allowed under FCS rules?

- I think it was a compromise for those schools who financially could not handle the full allotment.

 

4. What is necessary to increase the NEC football scholarship maximum to 63?

- A vote by the all-sport members of the NEC. Albany does not get a vote, as we are just an associate member.

 

5. What NEC football schools support the increase of scholarships?

- Seems like Central Conn., Monmouth, Robert Morris and that's about it.

 

6. What FCS conferences allow the maximum 63 scholarships?

- All other conferences except the following: Pioneer Football League (no scholarships, no athletic grants, nothing); Ivy (no scholarships, but academic/athletic grant); MAAC (nothing); Patriot League (no scholarships, but up to 63 grant-in-aid packages, which are the equivalent of scholarships, but take financial status of parents into account).

 

7. When did the NEC first start allowing football scholarships?

- This is the second season with scholarship players on the roster. however, this is the first season where scholarships kids are seeing substantial playing time.

 

 

Feel free to correct me guys if I'm wrong on these assumptions.

[uofalbany]

Excellent response.. Thanks.

 

It would seem to me that increasing the scholarship numbers might be in jeapardy if only three schools support the idea, and that they just implemented scholarships 2 years ago.

 

Has there been talk within the NEC of increasing football scholarships in the near future?

 

Has there been talk about UAlbany moving to a conference that allowed the max 63 scholarships? If so, any ideas of which conferences would be suitable?

[danefan]

nm

can you delete posts on this board? i can't figure it out.

[danefan]

It would seem to me that increasing the scholarship numbers might be in jeapardy if only three schools support the idea, and that they just implemented scholarships 2 years ago.

 

Has there been talk within the NEC of increasing football scholarships in the near future?

Yes. There has been some talk of increasing to 45 rides. The general consensus seems to be that the conference will probably wait and see if a minimum is set by the NCAA for playoff consideration. And then, I think the limit will be increased in an effort to keep Albany, Central and Monmouth in the NEC. The proposal that was given to the NCAA and then removed required an average number of teams in the conference to offer at least 50 rides or spend in excess of $1.5mm on football

 

Has there been talk about UAlbany moving to a conference that allowed the max 63 scholarships? If so, any ideas of which conferences would be suitable?

There has been a lot of talk of Albany moving for some time now. There are really three possibilities ranked in order of liklihood:

1. - The CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) - in 2010 or 11 the CAA will have a new team (Old Dominion). People speculate that when that happens the CAA will split because it will be too big (12 teams I think). Right now the CAA teams don't play each other as league opponents on a yearly basis. They rotate each year and play a different league schedule each year.

The CAA may look something like this:

North Division:

Albany

UMass

New Hampshire

Northeastern

Maine

Rhode Island

Stony Brook

Hofstra

 

South Division:

Delaware

James Madison

Old Dominion

Richmond

Villanova

Towson

William & Mary

Georgia State (possibly)

 

2. - An America East Football Conference - much talk about this in the past as the proposal was actually presented to the America East schools. Well it was rejected and most America East football playing schools are in the CAA.

 

3. - The Big South - Stony Brook will be joining the Big South next year. It was speculated that we would go with them, but it doesn't really make sense and that's probably why we didn't. The Big South will not be eligible for an auto-bid to the FCS playoffs untill 2010 or 2011

 

And I probably forgot a team or two in the CAA breakdown.

[UAalum72]

7. When did the NEC first start allowing football scholarships?

 

This is the second season with scholarship players on the roster. however, this is the first season where scholarships kids are seeing substantial playing time.

 

Correct, but about three years before that the NEC began allowing need-based athletic aid to up to 30 counters; the first step in separating the league from the MAAC/PFL model.

 

The CAA is really the only suitable existing league right now, and it's getting too big already. The Patriot League just got rid of Towson and they don't want football-only members, or medium-sized public universities for all-sport members.

 

All the other leagues are too far away or undistinguished, which is why most think Stony Brook made a mistake joining the Big South. The Ohio Valley? - lousy football in the Upper South. The Gateway? - Youngstown is the closest member. We either need the NEC to upgrade, or better hope the CAA splits up and we join a reconstituted Yankee Conference.

[danefan]

But I see Dane96 is reading this so I'm sure he'll correct me......

[uofalbany]

Excellent stuff gentlemen.

 

After reading the article, and previous stuff, I'm trying to decipher if the NEC has officially been awarded an Auto Qualifier for next season ('08) and beyond?

 

Is it official or what?

 

 

Also, if the CAA was divided into 2 divisions, 8 teams each..... would there be one AQ out of the 16 teams? Or two total, one from each division?

 

That would be much better competition with full Scholarship programs...... in the CA conference.

 

Which scenerio is favored?

 

A full scholarship NEC football program participant........ or a CAA participant.......

[UAalum72]

Not official yet. The NCAA Championship/Competition Committee recommended $250K for expanding the playoffs to 18 teams. Board of Directors meet in November, NCAA convention in January, Budget Committee final recommendation in March, then the BoD and Management Council.

 

The NEC is the only eligible conference that has applied, but it's expected there will be more in the future, and 18 teams is recognized as a stopgap.

 

I don't think you can officially give two autobids to one league, even if it's in divisions. I personally would rather we be playing against regional teams at the CAA level, even if the NEC goes unlimited, but not in a 16-team league with only one autobid.

[danefan]

16 teams IMO is too big. Granted a power conference like that would most likely get at least two bids a year. It is likely that the winners of both divisions will always make the playoffs, but the uncertaintly is still there. I'd rather see the Northern division as its own league, but you'd lose Northeastern and Hofstra who are full CAA members, leaving with:

 

Albany

UMass

New Hampshire

Maine

Rhode Island

Stony Brook

 

And possibly then adding Central Conn, Monmouth or Bryant (who is currently transitioning to DI).

 

That would be a very strong regional conference whose winner would compete for national championships right away.