UMass to FBS (MAC) - another spot in the CAA?

[Clickclack]

If the NEC were smart...they would stop dicking around and raise the limit to 56.7. Land UNH and Maine...be competitive on a national level.

 

Win-win.

 

Agreed! Also invite SB back to a North East based league. Could be interesting with the football rivalries renewing in addition to the basketball rivalries.

 

Would be a total of 12 teams, nice and tidy.

i just cant see the NEC being successful. that name is just disgusting and there is no tradition in the NEC. When i hear NEC is just think of a terrible conference with small schools. I would take those teams but I'd like to see the conference name changed.

 

I agree to a certain extant but there is no other option for a regional conference. For the AE to administer there isn't enough schools that play football even if SB somehow came back into the fold (NE football).

[Dane96]

UA '08...stick to talking $iena about basketball; at least there you would have a fighting chance.

 

I am not going to take you task...yet...for your NEC football comments. But fact is, if they did up the rides to 56.7...it is a league I would be happy to stay in with the addition of UNH, Maine, and Stony Brook (and maybe Fordham, though I heard they have aspirations of FBS).

[danefan]

A rebranding of the NEC wouldn't be a terrible idea. What I don't understand is why the AEast and NEC don't join together and form an entirely new league with all members on equal standing (like the CAA and A10 did). Shoot even call it the America NorthEast Conference. I bet that would go a long way to getting UNH, Maine and SBU into the conference and I think Fordham would jump at that as well.

[Dane96]

Agreed!

 

Rumor mill has it that Fordham has been talking to the MAC through alumni. That said, I think the idea being floated is good and bad. One, Fordham's academic standing (whether you agree with the status or not) would be brought down a bit.

 

Second, playing football in Yankee Stadium and the Meadowlands is a slam dunk. But playing hoops in Newark...please. The rumor also has them playing in the Barclay Center in Brooklyn once it is complete...which would be a big winner in my eyes.

 

Albany's administration needs to sac up and make the leap to full rides and position ourselves to what is going to be a monster shift soon. FBS would be the major ball sac move, but I would be happy with top FCS.

 

I just think that Army won't regain the luster they once had...but even if they did, having FBS football across I-90 (Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, UMASS) would be amazing for rivalry building. Obviously Syracuse would be the big dog. Even if we went FCS full-ride however think about the pay day the school would receive (600k or so from Syracuse...200-275k from Buffalo or UMASS) to play a game that would get a huge home following...and would cost nothing to get the team to. Toss in games against Army, Rutgers, UCONN and even Maryland...and you have day trips that could build up the scholarship coffers. In ten years, you could endow 15-20 rides...and filter that money elsewhere.

[UA'08]

UA '08...stick to talking $iena about basketball; at least there you would have a fighting chance.

 

I am not going to take you task...yet...for your NEC football comments. But fact is, if they did up the rides to 56.7...it is a league I would be happy to stay in with the addition of UNH, Maine, and Stony Brook (and maybe Fordham, though I heard they have aspirations of FBS).

 

yes i talk sooooooooo much $iena about the basketball team. if you want to argue with me that the NEC has tradition please let me know where because there has never been an NEC team in the playoffs until this year and thats only due to the auto bid. i stand by what i said and the conference name has to be changed. if you asked someone what they think of the NEC they'll tell you isnt that the company that made old crt monitors. i never said i wouldnt stay in the league. i even said id take on the teams and would change teh name of the conference.

[Dane96]

Again, it is clear you know little about football, Albany football and the NEC, irrespective of marketing. As much as I hate the marriage of convenience...the NEC is building a brand that much, if not all, of those in the FCS world now know about. A re-brand would have to be re-built. The only way you REBRAND is it is to appease full scholly members such as UNH and Maine. That said, if you bring those two into the fold and the league is going to full schollys...it doesnt matter WHAT THE NAME OF THE LEAGUE IS.

 

DaneFan...I am working on my e-mail now. I am too lazy to do real work until lunch. I am directing to the big man and our other contact.

[UA'08]

Again, it is clear you know little about football, Albany football and the NEC.

 

DaneFan...I am working on my e-mail now. I am too lazy to do real work until lunch. I am directing to the big man and our other contact.

 

I may not know a lot about Albany football and the NEC, but don't tell me i know little about football. I'll admit i am not an avid follower of Albany football, but if I was an outsider with no affiliation to the school that is what i would think, and i don't think that's too far off of what others outside of albany would think.

 

FBS football struggles up in the northeast as it is. I can only imagine how it is for FCS teams.

[Dane96]

If you aren't a follower of Albany football...or the NEC...or FCS...how can you say, "there is no tradition in the NEC."

 

I suggest that you hang out on the football boards for awhile prior to making comments like, "but if I was an outsider with no affiliation to the school that is what i would think, and i don't think that's too far off of what others outside of albany would think."

 

It is speculation, dramatic...and far from the truth. Go on and hang out on the boards for a year. You will hear things like, "the league is not ready for the playoffs", the "league needs to go to full rides", and "the top teams in the league can compete." However you will not hear there is "no tradition", the "league name is disgusting" or anything else intimating people don't know what or who the league is or is about.

 

Statements like that is why I have trouble taking you seriously; there made with absolutely no factual basis other than your personal opinion. Personal opinion is fine...but don't lump together those with what you speculate others to think; it is dangerous to do so especially when the reality is far from your speculations.

[Clickclack]

The NEC isn'g gonna raise scholarships, to many small schools that can't afford it.

[Dane96]

Not so fast...with RMU on board, the equation may have change and you may see addition by subtraction. From what we know (and who really knows if this is true based on our administration's seemingly lack of motivation):

 

On Board with Full Rides:

 

Albany

RMU (game changer to me)

Monmouth

CCSU

 

Likely on Board:

 

Bryant

Duquense

 

Possibly on Board with Cost Containment based on travel:

URI (but I am not sold)

 

Likely not on board:

Sacred Heart

 

Unknown:

Wagner (I think they lean towards yes)

St. Francis

 

You add UNH and Maine to the mix...and the fact that after a few years, we will see our teams maybe win one or two in the playoffs...and you will see coaches saying they need at least 56.7 to compete.

 

Add in that the PL will likely go to 56.7...and you almost HAVE to match them.

[Dane Pound]

I never thought the NEC was a bad name. SEC - Southeast Conference, NEC - Northeast Conference. We're like the SEC of the north but without the Cam Newton investigation.

[Clickclack]

I never thought the NEC was a bad name. SEC - Southeast Conference, NEC - Northeast Conference. We're like the SEC of the north but without the Cam Newton investigation.

 

I could think a few more things we are "without"

[uofalbany]

Football programs in the NEC have a respected, nice tradition of football.

Unfortunately, most of the fcs football world has made more of a committment.

Look at Stony Brook. They made a bold move and it is paying off. They are full scholarship

and the casual observer can see the huge strides they have made since the days when UA whipped their

arse, only a few short years ago.

 

The situation calls for decisions to be made now, and for someone to lead and spearhead the effort.

Full rides needs to happen NOW... whether its in the CAA, the NEC, or a new YANKEE league.

 

But, waiting another 4-6 years to do anything is total BS. We've wasted a good portion of the decade already, and we sit at ( 36 rides? ) with a century old football field. Where's the quality leadership?

 

 

URI, UMass, Villinova, Hofstra & Northeastern gone.... they'd have to replace all of them to make a quality 'northeastern' division of the CAA. Who they heck wants to travel and play the CAA teams from the South? To be honest, I have no interest in those teams, regardless if they are in the CAA or not. Now that the CAA north is gutted, it may be the perfect time to shuffle things.

 

For the schools that don't want to increase scholarships, they should probably head down to division II or III.

It's kind of silly to play in the fcs if you can't commit to equal footing.

[UA'08]

If you aren't a follower of Albany football...or the NEC...or FCS...how can you say, "there is no tradition in the NEC."

 

I suggest that you hang out on the football boards for awhile prior to making comments like, "but if I was an outsider with no affiliation to the school that is what i would think, and i don't think that's too far off of what others outside of albany would think."

 

It is speculation, dramatic...and far from the truth. Go on and hang out on the boards for a year. You will hear things like, "the league is not ready for the playoffs", the "league needs to go to full rides", and "the top teams in the league can compete." However you will not hear there is "no tradition", the "league name is disgusting" or anything else intimating people don't know what or who the league is or is about.

 

Statements like that is why I have trouble taking you seriously; there made with absolutely no factual basis other than your personal opinion. Personal opinion is fine...but don't lump together those with what you speculate others to think; it is dangerous to do so especially when the reality is far from your speculations.

 

First of all if anyone was offended by my comments about the NEC I apologize. Telling me to read a FCS message board for a year does not mean anything. Message boards are for fanatics first off and everyone on an FCS msg board will obviously have good things to say about FCS football. How large is that sample on the boards? A couple thousand maybe?

 

The fact is college football is not big in the northeast period. FCS in the northeast in my opinion has no chance to become the next big thing. FCS may be big in the south but that's a completely different story because they eat sleep and breathe college fball.

 

If I were to go to a sports bar and asked everyone there what the top 3 FCS teams in the sports network poll 99 percent of the people would have no idea.

 

Don't get me wrong I want to see Albany succeed in football.

 

96 you are correct in calling me out in saying how do I know if there is tradition in the nec when I said I do not follow the nec. I admit I was wrong there.

[Dane96]

As an FYI, the AGS and CS boards are not fanatics only; they are former players, coaches, etc. In fact, they are probably two of the most informative boards I have ever been on. The AGS board has nearly 7,000 members...and at one point had 2500 on line at the same time.

 

So much so, that the AGS board polls are loosely used by the selection committee...and the polls have generally been spot on with the teams that make the playoffs.

 

You would enjoy them...and you would learn alot about the landscape.