CAA Expansion

[Dane Pound]

If we go...

 

CAA football only, with SBU

Very happy with no reservations. A chance to be in the best FCS conference in the country, raise our profile and be a candidate for an all-sports conference that's the right fit.

 

CAA football only, with SBU joining CAA for all-sports

Happy for football but generally confused and annoyed.

 

CAA for all sports, with or without SBU

Very happy with reservations. A huge leap up in just about everything. Still concerned that it's a very southern conference and expenses for all sports would limit being competitive.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Dane Pound

[Clickclack]

If we go...

 

CAA football only, with SBU

Very happy with no reservations. A chance to be in the best FCS conference in the country, raise our profile and be a candidate for an all-sports conference that's the right fit.

 

CAA football only, with SBU joining CAA for all-sports

Happy for football but generally confused and annoyed.

 

CAA for all sports, with or without SBU

Very happy with reservations. A huge leap up in just about everything. Still concerned that it's a very southern conference and expenses for all sports would limit being competitive.

 

Took the words out of my mouth...+1

[danefan]

Lots of press today post-CAA Media Day. Nothing really new though.

 

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/sport/2012/jul/26/tdsport01-caa-football-schools-waiting-for-stabili-ar-2084727/

 

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/college-sports/2012/jul/25/tdsport01-caa-stays-silent-on-expansion-details-as-ar-2081393/

 

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/colleges/dp-spt-caa-football-media-day-20120725,0,3097506.story

 

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/07/25/in-fcs-huddle-caa-hopes-it-drawing-toward-stability/

 

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120725/SPORTS/707269957

 

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120726/SPORTS07/307260056/Hens-not-considering-switching-conferences?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSports%7Cs

Edited July 26, 2012 by danefan

[Phoenix]

Heard that the UNH coaching staff has been saying that UA will be joining the CAA for football. Heard that they are/were concerned about the lack of northern schools in the conference.

[danefan]

There is some interesting thoughts that could effect what the CAA would look like.

 

Rumor mill is stirring that Delaware, James Madison, Liberty, Jacksonville State, Georgia Southern, and Appalachian State may join the dying WAC to form an East Coast FBS conference and piggyback off the WAC's FBS status. The WAC has to find 6 schools before May 2013 or it's dead.

 

That will obviously diminish the Southern tier of the CAA, but it will still be a great FCS league. In my opinion, JMU and UD are going to move up within the next 5 years anyway.

[mainejeff]

There is some interesting thoughts that could effect what the CAA would look like.

 

Rumor mill is stirring that Delaware, James Madison, Liberty, Jacksonville State, Georgia Southern, and Appalachian State may join the dying WAC to form an East Coast FBS conference and piggyback off the WAC's FBS status. The WAC has to find 6 schools before May 2013 or it's dead.

 

That will obviously diminish the Southern tier of the CAA, but it will still be a great FCS league. In my opinion, JMU and UD are going to move up within the next 5 years anyway.

 

"Moving up" requires more than message board yearning to be "big time". SERIOUSLY doubt that Delaware will be moving up now or in the future. JMU is another story........but there is nowhere for them to go right now and there are still other programs ahead of them waiting for an FBS invite.

[Michigan_Dane]

The WAC idea is very interesting but the travel costs have to be huge. Can the WAC drop Idaho and New Mexico and rebrand itself as an east coast conference? It has what JMU, GSU, Liberty and others on the east coast want in that it is a FBS league. Drop the 'W' in WAC and add an 'E' to EAC and invite those FCS wannabe FBS colleges. Done.

[UBBulls]

I can't see why JMU and the Hens would be included with the WAC rumors. The MAC engaged in talks with both examining the potention for at least 1 to get the league to 14 but both had leadership say they were staying CAA. Unless they merely want to be in a WAC where they could have more control over setting their own exit fees IF they ever get CUSA2.0 invites, the MAC would clearly be the wiser move just on the stabilty of tv and bowl deals alone:

 

Bowls:

-The WAC has only 1 tie-in for 2012 with the Boice Bowl, no deal past that and no secondary tie-ins.

-The MAC’s three primary bowl agreements are with the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, GoDaddy.com Bowl, and Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The MAC has secured secondary agreements through the 2013 football season with the BBVA Compass Bowl, Gildan New Mexico Bowl, Beef O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl, TicketCity Bowl and Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. The MAC’s No. 4 selection could play in any of the following games through 2013 – Birmingham, New Mexico or St. Petersburg, and Dallas in 2012 (vs. the Big Ten or Big 12).

 

TV:

 

-The Western Athletic Conference announced today that a minimum of 13 football games will be televised on multiple ESPN platforms this fall.

-The MAC announced an updated version of its 2012 football schedule and already 56 games are slated for either a national or regional television network. With more games to be selected by national and regional outlets throughout the summer and early in the 2012 football calendar, the MAC will surpass last year's record number of televised games.

Edited July 28, 2012 by UBBulls

[Dane96]

A VERY GOOD POSTER on AGS (a Delaware fan) just posted that he had it "confirmed" that SBU, URI and UA were on board for CAA Football for 2013. No news on the Southern Conference teams.

[uofalbany]

All things point that way... good times a comin!

[Dane96]

He just posted the same on the CAAZone...and said he heard it from the horses mouth; that mouth would be K.C. Keeler. Announcement could be coming shortly.

 

A very good connection of mine at UNH stated during their football function the other day, the same was also announced by a high-level official.

 

AWESOME TIMES!!!

Edited August 2, 2012 by Dane96

[Dane96]

Other reports, by Jeff Harstell out of Charleston's Post and Courier, indicate that the CofC BOT has an agenda item of "potential contract negotiations" with athletic conferences. The BOT meets today!

Edited August 2, 2012 by Dane96

[alexfamous]

IMO, this is a great move. I like the conference change because I think our recruiting will improve. Athletes will know that this program will continue to succeed and stay. Plus i want to see us on NBC Sports.

[Clickclack]

With coaching armed with this news and the construction of the new stadium...I wonder how much of an improvement we'll see in the quality of football players not to mention everyone will get a scholarship and no partials.

 

I suspect it will take 2 or 3 years at least to start seeing some of the impact of these moves.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Clickclack

[Dane96]

Actually...some kids could still get partials...and I like it like that.

 

You are allowed to give out 63 rides to 85 players from my understanding of the rules. I think a certain proportion must be full scholly.

 

It builds great depth...