Merrimack new Associate Member for Men's Lacrosse

[GreatDanes06]

https://twitter.com/AmericaEast/status/1549816789747601410?s=20&t=bCsVIWfuWImIezuD1FsrMA

[Dane96]

Not unexpected.  I do wonder why they didn't go to the MAAC as well, with the other NEC teams. 

[dslyank]

21 hours ago, Dane96 said:

Not unexpected.  I do wonder why they didn't go to the MAAC as well, with the other NEC teams. 

Probably because the Maac is and has been for years the lowest lacrosse conference in the country. Where at least until the last couple of years the AmEast in lacrosse has been an upper echelon conference; just below the power conference; and has historically had its fair share of "at large" bids.

[Dane96]

1 hour ago, dslyank said:

Probably because the Maac is and has been for years the lowest lacrosse conference in the country. Where at least until the last couple of years the AmEast in lacrosse has been an upper echelon conference; just below the power conference; and has historically had its fair share of "at large" bids.

Maybe I wasn’t making my point clear.  Every NEC lax school that did not go to the A-10, MAAC, or the America East because the school upped and moved conferences in entirety, went to the MAAC with the sole exceptions of Hobart and Merrimack.  Hobart is not an NEC member and based on location, makes sense for the A-10.  
 

LIU, Wagner, Sacred Heart, and Merrimack form the core of the NEC lax group that hopes to restart in the league in 2025. Presumably Stonehill brings them to five and they get some MEAC schools to get them to six or over.  
 

The MAAC is most certainly in Merrimack’s geography.  So it’s odd that three of the four member schools go to the MAAC and the fourth goes to the AE.  Even odder is the fact that Merrimack isn’t eligible for any post season, including the NCAA until 2024…the last year of this partnership. 
 

Betting money is that Merrimack is looking for that AE invite.   Remember, they are also a member of Hockey East.  

Edited July 21, 2022 by Dane96

[dslyank]

Don't want to put words in your mouth; but it appears you are saying Merrimack is NOT looking to reform/rejoin the NEC, if and when it reforms? Also, sounds like you think Merrimack is looking to permanently join the AmEast for all sports? 

Maybe I missed your point; but I was only commenting that IMHO the AmEast overall is a better league than Maac; especially but not exclusively lacrosse.

One thing I am not up on and perhaps you can enlighten me? Is the NEC dead or dieing in your opinion. I assume NEC football and basketball still exist?? Are other "minor" sports besides lacrosse [volleyball, softball, baseball....] in danger of losing auto qualifier status??

[Dane96]

52 minutes ago, dslyank said:

Don't want to put words in your mouth; but it appears you are saying Merrimack is NOT looking to reform/rejoin the NEC, if and when it reforms? Also, sounds like you think Merrimack is looking to permanently join the AmEast for all sports? 

Maybe I missed your point; but I was only commenting that IMHO the AmEast overall is a better league than Maac; especially but not exclusively lacrosse.

One thing I am not up on and perhaps you can enlighten me? Is the NEC dead or dieing in your opinion. I assume NEC football and basketball still exist?? Are other "minor" sports besides lacrosse [volleyball, softball, baseball....] in danger of losing auto qualifier status??

Not putting words in my mouth at all 

Honestly, this is so freaking bizarre that they didn't go to the MAAC.  The MAAC is 10 schools for 2023, with the addition of full-time member Mt. Saint Mary's, and associate members LIU, Wagner, Sacred Heart, and VMI.   I just don't see why the MAAC would have had an issue going to 11 for two years, especially considering that Merrimack is not eligible for the post-season.  

Sure, from Merrimack's perspective, they may have said to the NEC that from a cost-containment perspective, I'd rather play UVM, Albany, Lowell, Bryant, UMBC, Bing, NJIT and Lowell...but honestly, that's a bit of a wash distance wise.  

From my perspective, it is irrelevant that the AE is light years ahead of the MAAC in lax because Merrimack can't get an at-large in 2023 due to their transition.

So yep, considering they are in the AE footprint, considering the AE is likely to add a 10th at some point, considering the rumors that Albany is being courted by the CAA (I don't think we are going), and considering that a 1/3 of Hockey East schools are AE members (and Merrimack plays in the HE)...I do think they are "trying out"--at least in their minds--for the AE.  It would have been a non-starter years ago...but Bryant changed that calculus.  If they can do something with their gym...and can build out the football stadium and go into the Big South, I wouldn't be shocked to see them invited in 3-4 years. 

As for NEC, I don't think they are dead or dying...in fact I think they will merge with the MEAC at some point.