CAA or AE??

[DanesRGood]

I am for this move. 10 more years and move up again. Next thing you know, ACC!!!!! OK, I'm joking about all that but still for this move. I just hope we can do better than some of the other ex-AE teams.

[GreatDane87]

Doesn't the CAA have its own video channel??? Gotta be better then the weak and unstable feed that I am getting from the AE!

[danefan]

Doesn't the CAA have its own video channel??? Gotta be better then the weak and unstable feed that I am getting from the AE!

 

www.caa.tv

[UA_MA_2000]

Why have only 25 members voted in this thread's poll? This is an important thread and topic. :-)

[danefan]

Why have only 25 members voted in this thread's poll? This is an important thread and topic. :-)

 

Haha. I'm not even sure I knew it was a poll thread.

[UA_MA_2000]

How about this idea: UA, UVM, SBU, UNH, and Maine join the CAA to form part of a CAA 16-team super conference's North Division.

 

Would this idea ever float?

[GreatDane87]

thanks for the info.....its gotta be better then the America East website video......

[haggyland]

We nickel and dime everything now, how will we finance the move?

 

It seems everything facility wise we've done id half assed now?

 

Fallon Field incomplete (no amenities) concessions, bathrooms, storage or lockerrooms.

 

Nothing done on the Field Hockey Field

 

Subpar baseball and softball facilities.

 

SEFCU needs new scoreboard(s), more chairbacks, better concession area and improved Lobby

 

Etc.etc, etc

 

If we over extend for the CAA will we ever get the money to even complete the FB (multi purpose) Facility?

 

I think before we move we should have all our ducks in a row.

 

All this means is that we will probably make the leap to the CAA!!!

 

Without a doubt, the most hardline pessimism against a move away from status quo.

Are there other reasons why you are adamantly against this?

 

Another way to evaluate a potential change in conference would be by looking at one of the "revenue sports": men's basketball.

 

After winning the AE title last year, the men's basketball program should be one of the favorites to win the conference tournament again next year. With a solid core of players returning, and some decent recruits incoming, the team could likely win 25 or more games. By winning the NCAA autobid twice in consecutive seasons, Will Brown might attract the attention of a program from a traditionally higher rated conference such as the A10, sign a contract for five or six years at twice his current salary, and be set financially for life. If the team experiences even greater success, it is not inconceivable that a program from a high major conference looking for a change could contact him (a la Fran McCaffery and Iowa), and offer him a contract in excess of $1 million a year.

 

Change conferences to the CAA, though, and you introduce additional risks:

• Without a guarantee that the budget will be increased, you could be operating at a competitive disadvantage for years in a new conference.
  
• Although last year was a down year, the CAA is traditionally a higher rated conference for men's basketball than the AE, and wins against better opponents will be harder to get.
  
• The opponent is lesser known, so they will potentially be harder to scout. With eleven years in the AE Will Brown and the men's basketball program also have eleven years worth of data and scouting reports on their fellow conference members. If UAlbany switches conferences to the CAA they would have to learn the tendencies and styles of play for ten new conference opponents, while their new conference opponents would only have to prepare scouts for two new teams (UAlbany and Elon.)
  
• It can be argued that because of the increased successes and exposures the CAA has experienced, that the competency level of the coaches in the CAA will be higher than found in the CAA, and the athletes will be more talented and more highly regarded. This could place further strain on UAlbany's competitive chances.
  
• With a larger geographical footprint, travel and fatigue become considerations, particularly in the first year when adjustment to the new schedules and logistics is taken into account.
  
• With potentially higher expectations in the CAA, the administration might not be as accepting of down seasons (even during the transition period), and future earnings could be compromised.
  
• I can offer no guarantee here, but home court advantage might be greater for the schools in the CAA, because of larger arenas and more interest in the programs.
  

Transition to the CAA under these conditions, and you risk losing the potential of another memorable season in the AE for the possibilities of greater exposure in the CAA, with less wins. With no announced contract in place, Will Brown and the men's basketball program might prefer a more cautious course of action. After a potential season of mediocrity in the CAA the offers from programs in traditionally stronger conferences might not be had, costing the staff hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars. If the transition is longer or harder than expected, the consequences could be even more dire.

 

I say take the leap and believe you can achieve the best. If the losses mount, an eventual increase in funding is more likely to come about than a step back down to a less competitive conference. I just hope that the funding is enough so that UAlbany can enjoy the types of successes it has been able to achieve in the AE.

 

That is just one fan's look at the possible transition for a different perspective. What is has to do with facilities, I just don't know.

Edited May 23, 2013 by haggyland

[Patch]

The switch in Conferences is more about the entire Athletic Program.

 

If the funding is there for the teams and facilities I think a switch in conferences is a great idea.

 

Football is already committed,

 

Women's and Men's Lacrosse with the Thompson's returning should be fine

 

Men's and Women's Basketball should be competive

 

Softball and Volleyball will be fine

 

Baseball may struggle (Southern teams will have a big early season advantage.)

 

Track will do its thing

 

Field Hockey will be right there

 

Both soccers will continue to struggle

 

I don't know what I left out but if the financing is there the move looks OK, but financing has always been a big question mark.

 

If the losses mount, an eventual increase in funding is more likely to come about than a step back down to a less competitive conference. I just hope that the funding is enough so that UAlbany can enjoy the types of successes it has been able to achieve in the AE. - Haggyland

 

My question is why do you think funding will increase if losses mount? Where will the money come from?

 

I think some ancillary sports may be cut or even a major sport like Footbal could be endangered ( see Hofstra) they built a pretty decent facility for Football and now it's a FH & Lax stadium. When Hofstra went to the CAA even in their worst nightmare situation no one would have imagined them dropping Football!

[haggyland]

If the losses mount, an eventual increase in funding is more likely to come about than a step back down to a less competitive conference. I just hope that the funding is enough so that UAlbany can enjoy the types of successes it has been able to achieve in the AE. - Haggyland

 

My question is why do you think funding will increase if losses mount? Where will the money come from?

 

I think some ancillary sports may be cut or even a major sport like Footbal could be endangered ( see Hofstra) they built a pretty decent facility for Football and now it's a FH & Lax stadium. When Hofstra went to the CAA even in their worst nightmare situation no one would have imagined them dropping Football!

 

You know, it might just be blind faith. I want to believe that one of the largest and most powerful states in the union could muster up some additional funding to stop one of its university centers from becoming a laughingstock, if it came to that.

 

If not, maybe the Capital Region starts showing up and supporting the quality programs that the region has been lucky to have.

 

There are plenty of risks, and I would hate to lose any program, especially one that has enjoyed success through respected leadership. Still, I never thought the football stadium was going to be a reality, but that is coming to fruition, albeit in a slightly watered-down version.

 

Again: blind faith (with a touch of naivety)...that's all I can believe in at this point. (It's not like the athletic's department as a whole has maintained an aggressive and vocal presence that I can rally behind.)

Edited May 23, 2013 by haggyland

[Patch]

Haggy I think we're in the same mindset on this issue - blind faith is all we came have because their is nothing of substance to give us true faith.

 

MsGDG put a further scare in me....

 

No Taxes in New Zones

http://www.timesunio...nes-4538569.php

 

 

As someone who works in state finances and knows how strapped we are for cash.. I don't see how this will work...it's a nice thought but if we can't pay our current bills because we have no cash...I dunno. The things this Gov comes up with.. anything for positive ratings. But the reality of paying actual bills vs. his gimicks will eventually catch up to him.

Edited May 23, 2013 by Patch

[haggyland]

Haggy I think we're in the same mindset on this issue - blind faith is all we came have because their is nothing of substance to give us true faith.

 

MsGDG put a further scare in me....

 

No Taxes in New Zones

http://www.timesunio...nes-4538569.php

 

 

As someone who works in state finances and knows how strapped we are for cash.. I don't see how this will work...it's a nice thought but if we can't pay our current bills because we have no cash...I dunno. The things this Gov comes up with.. anything for positive ratings. But the reality of paying actual bills vs. his gimicks will eventually catch up to him.

 

I am just tired of all this fiscal doom and gloom (even if it is the reality.)

 

I want to be more like Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams, and just have an overpowering vision that things will work out.

 

Darn reality!

[uofalbany]

Time to slip off the little pink panties, and slip on the big boy's briefs?

If we took the coward's approach, we wouldn't have even stepped into the D1 arena.

Let's not be cowards now. If we want to continue our rise, we need to seize the opportunities presented.

If the CAA is interested, which they'd be foolish not to be, then we should not hesitate. There are very few stepping stones,

and this is one of a very few that exist for our university.

[danefan]

Time to slip off the little pink panties, and slip on the big boy's briefs?

If we took the coward's approach, we wouldn't have even stepped into the D1 arena.

Let's not be cowards now. If we want to continue our rise, we need to seize the opportunities presented.

If the CAA is interested, which they'd be foolish not to be, then we should not hesitate. There are very few stepping stones,

and this is one of a very few that exist for our university.

 

I'd go even further to say there are ZERO other stepping stones available to us. And there won't be for a very long time if we pass this up.

 

Is the University (not just the athletic dept, but the entire university) ready to step up?

[Underpar]

This is still confusing. Can someone explain why the CAA is better than the AE? Both conferences have highly regarded institutions. The "experts" seem to think the CAA has better atheletic competition and that appears to be true but the differences are not that great. Competing in a conference with mid Atlantic and Southern teams will bring more exposure to UA and that is a positive. If the member institutions of the AE committed to spending more resources on its atheletic teams wouldn't that be something worth considering before a move is made?