Conference Realignment- With NCAA comments

[DanesRGood]

Put me in the Ualbany should move to the CAA for all sports column.  Thanks.  Eff Benson!

[Dane96]

13 hours ago, cwdickens said:

Time to recruit Bryant University has a full member of the America East Conference and Hobart as an associated member for lacrosse....Bryant can join CAA Football, as my understanding, the NEC does not allow associated members for one sport.....

Good idea, just not happening on the football front.  If anything, Bryant would have to go Big South, which is likely to merge with another league for football.

The CAA is likely going to bring in all-sport football school to get to 14 football teams, and another team to fill out 14 total all sport.  Conventional wisdom would be that Albany gets the "other team spot" since football is in the league however, this does nothing to help the southern teams.  Additionally, Towson is currently in the South and wants to go to the North for all sports...so that factors in.

Right now the All-Sport setup is going to be:

North: NU, SBU, Hofstra, Monmouth, Drexel, and Delaware

South: Towson, W&M, Charleston, ELON, UNCW, and Hampton

So, if you add an all-sport football school it will need to be from the South.  That moves Towson to the North, but also means you only have 6 in the South, so you need one more non-football school in the South.

Then you are down to...will the CAA go to 16, which is the strong rumor.  If so, you are going to add one and one (North and South).  If they want to keep football at 14, we have a good shot at being the north.  If they want to go to 16 in football, then you would have to move W&M up to the North, which makes zero sense because of Hampton.

This will change time and time again, conferences will shift regularly over the next four years.  I honestly believe that ultimately, the CAA will split along N/S lines when the NCAA tourney goes to 96 (it will).  I also believe that the PL may get off their collective you know what and invite W&M and NU...and at least NU is likely to accept.

In the end, I think you will see Albany with some formation of the Northern teams (plus TowsoN) in the future.

My .02.

[Dane96]

As I typed the above, a major announcement occurred.  The Southern Conference unanimously passed a vote raising the exit fees to $2 million...a huge number for a small conference.

This is a MASSIVE move.  It literally just shrank the CAA pool by a large amount.  I was just typing a post on the football boards about this because it took off some big targets of the CAA (Furman, Wofford, VMI, and UNCG.  

The pool is likely: Winthrop, Quinnipiac, Howard, NC AT&T, Norfolk St, and Albany.   Here are a few scenarios...and NO, I am not advocating Albany to leave...just posting what I think could occur in a 14 and 16 team CAA.

My prediction has always been NC AT&T as the 14th football school and the 13th all sport school. Helps the southern flank of the CAA. Now you would need to add a non-football school. Theoretically, Albany could be the add since already have football. However, rumor mill has it that Towson wants to be out of the South...so the next school might also come from the South. So Winthrop would fit the bill.

That being said, if Howard approached the CAA, they'd be the team over NC AT&T...not even a question. Howard has been a main CAA target for years.

However, and I love this game of realignment while at the same time hating it, if the CAA goes to 16 teams as has been rumored, you could bring in a Howard, NC AT&T, Norfolk St, and Albany (since football is already in) and have a very clear 16 team North/South alignment All Sports

North:

NU

Albany

SBU

Hofstra

Monmouth

Drexel

Delaware

Towson

 

South:

Howard

Norfolk St

Hampton

W&M

NC AT&T

Elon

Charleston

UNCW

 

Football Only:

North: Maine, UNH, Albany, URI, Stony Brook, Monmouth, Villanova, Delaware

South: Towson, Howard, Richmond, W&M, Norfolk St, Hampton, Elon, NC AT&T

That means you'd have Richmond, Maine, UNH, and URI as affiliates, with 12 football teams as all sport members.

If, as many are predicating, the CAA is insuring itself against A) attrition in the southern flank; and / or the thought the NCAA goes to 96 team hoop tourney, then this model works.

Obviously there are many ideas out there...this is just another one. I also believe that the minute the PL wakes up and invites NU and W&M...at least NU would leave in a heartbeat. Wouldn't even shock me if W&M said they wanted to go, that Richmond would park football in the PL, if asked. 

 

[BestDaneSinceHamlet]

NCA&T to CAA

[Dane96]

Multiple sources that the AE locked in with three schools.  If the schools I'm hearing are the ones, i like the way the AE looks.  Solid lacrosse amd baseball additions.  Solid facilities.  Will push the AE

[UA1882]

7 hours ago, Dane96 said:

Multiple sources that the AE locked in with three schools.  If the schools I'm hearing are the ones, i like the way the AE looks.  Solid lacrosse amd baseball additions.  Solid facilities.  Will push the AE

Thank for the update.  Very interesting. MACC schools have allowed their schools to participate in Championships so there would be no reason to wait on announcing them, if it is some of them.  

Look forward to seeing how it plays out.  

Edited March 7, 2022 by UA1882

[B9j2j6s]

How many football members does the NEC need to keep an AQ?

[UAalum72]

27 minutes ago, B9j2j6s said:

How many football members does the NEC need to keep an AQ?

Six, but that would mean they'd have a lot of non-conference games to schedule

[Dane96]

8 minutes ago, UAalum72 said:

Six, but that would mean they'd have a lot of non-conference games to schedule

Maybe I'm wrong but if they lose bryant and wagner, they are in serious trouble and would need a waiver from the ncaa.   Reason is that liu and merrimack are still in transition so they don't count for the x schools together for y years rule.  I thought Ace mentioned that to me.  

[Dane96]

Clarification- Because of basketball having the 7 and 5 (7 years and 5 schools) then the NEC football would be fine because they have the 6 teams. 

[cwdickens]

Does anyone have an update on any potential new members to the America East?

[B9j2j6s]

So are the MAAC and AE about to decimate the NEC?  Seems like the NEC is the only league to pull from. The MAAC commissioner is on record saying they want 12 teams and currently they are at 10 members.  It seems like Wagner and MSM make the most sense.  The AE is interested in 11 so Bryant, Sacred Heart and CCSU or LIU.  QU is already in the MAAC and I don't ever remember a MAAC school leaving for the AE. Only other school I can think off is Northeastern no longer loving the CAA and moving back. If I had to guess the 3 schools coming in would be Bryant, SH and CCSU in that order.  But I know nothing.

Edited March 7, 2022 by B9j2j6s

[UA1882]

19 hours ago, Dane96 said:

Multiple sources that the AE locked in with three schools.  If the schools I'm hearing are the ones, i like the way the AE looks.  Solid lacrosse amd baseball additions.  Solid facilities.  Will push the AE

Is it multiple public sources or private sources? 

[GreatDanes06]

Bryant joining the AE

https://twitter.com/BryantAthletics/status/1508928913606680576?s=20&t=i1Ok1CcSjV6ox5cbgvEweQ

[cwdickens]

15 hours ago, GreatDanes06 said:

Bryant joining the AE

https://twitter.com/BryantAthletics/status/1508928913606680576?s=20&t=i1Ok1CcSjV6ox5cbgvEweQ

From the Providence Journal:

https://www.providencejournal.com/story/sports/college/2022/03/29/bryant-university-sports-switching-conferences-america-east-big-south-football/7210965001/

The Bryant University news release:

https://www.bryantbulldogs.com/general/2021-22/releases/20220329qsgsm

From the Times - Union:

https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/America-East-adds-Bryant-University-17037505.php?IPID=Times-Union-HP-sports-package

Edited March 30, 2022 by cwdickens
update