Aceinthehole

I started a new thread, because this finally looks like it is trickling down to the CAA (and most likely America East).

The most recent scoop is that ODU will now join C-USA and George Mason and VCU are still in discussions with the A-10. If these changes become official, the CAA would be down to 8 members for olympic sports and football on July 1, 2013.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoot...ding-6-schools

CAA
Northeastern
Hofstra
Drexel
Delaware (FB)
Towson (FB)
William & Mary (FB)
James Madison (FB)
UNC-Wilimngton

+ CAA Football
New Hampshire
Maine
Villanova
Richmond

BingGrad

The discussion seems to center around who the CAA might add -- but I tend to wonder whether or not the CAA is headed in the direction of the WAC. If you look at the core membership, it is a one-bid basketball league with fairly extensive travel required and nothing holding the thing together.

Aceinthehole

The CAA is still in the driver's seat compared to the other regional mid-major leagues.

The departing schools from the CAA will be leaving a lot of $$$ in the league office from NCAA revenue and exit fees. They also have the NBC Sports TV deal and the foootball AQ. It's not compact footprint, but it is not a huge footprint either (Boston, NYC, Phila, Balt, DC, NoVA with UNCW as an outlier).

The 9-member America East just doesn't have any leverage to pick off the remaining schools. It is 100% more likely AE schools will continue the trend set off by Delaware, Hofstra, Drexel, Towson, and Northeastern.

TerrierNation

Here is what I don't understand. How does that NBC deal stand up if they lose 25-33% of their membership when said contract was negotiated? NBC cannot be that stupid, particularly if the conference loses its best three basketball programs, which seems likely at this point.

UVM Hoop Cat

I would highly doubt the NBC Deal stands if VCU/GM/ODU all departed. That would be crazy if there wasn't language in there specifying the league- or certain core of the league- had to remain intact. I would also have to guess that's standard operating procedure.

I would also doubt that if those southern schools leave, UNCW, James Madison, and William & Mary will want to stick around either.

We see how ODU is reacting to the news...................

__________________
"Let's win this game for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here"
- Hoosiers,
& UVM mens basketball NCAA's 2005

UVM Hoop Cat

I don't think anyone is arguing that the AE has any leverage- ever-to attract schools, but if those three schools do leave that decimates the CAA as a basketball conference.

It goes from a premier mid-major and media darling to NEC/MAAC status (or worse) immediately.

__________________
"Let's win this game for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here"
- Hoosiers,
& UVM mens basketball NCAA's 2005

Aceinthehole

Yes, I agree 100%.

All the leagues in the East (AE, NEC, Ivy, PL, MAAC, CAA, SoCon, Big South) would basically be "peer" 1-bid leagues in terms of basketball talent and league depth.

I just think that the remaining CAA schools are sitting on a lot of money earned by GMU and VCU and I really don't see any better conference options for most of those schools (although JMU is likely looking for a FBS opportunity), so they are most likely to add memebers.

UVM Hoop Cat

Also Agreed.

The answer is simple, each school needs to figure out how long Mason/VCU/ODU NCAA Tourney win share $ keep rolling in before it stops- then calculate what a new 1-bid, perennial 15 seed league (which is what CAA will become) is going to do for revenues moving forward, realize that there are no increased ticket sales because nobody in New York, Philly or Boston could or will ever care about going out to see UNCW and James Madison come to town, that there will be no nice TV deals, and compare it against all the expenses.

If it makes sense to still stay in the CAA, for football programs an everything, then just stay in the CAA- because it's going to look exactly like all the conferences you described above.

Done.

__________________
"Let's win this game for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here"
- Hoosiers,
& UVM mens basketball NCAA's 2005

Aceinthehole

I do think this really opens the door for both Stony Brook and Albany to CAA Football at a minimum. This would be a no-brainer for them. It would join them with UNH and Maine in one of the most successful full-scholarship FCS leagues.

Then the next question becomes, does it make sense for SBU & UA to put the rest of its sports in the CAA? And if so, would then UNH and Maine want to do the same?

While none of these teams would be 'upgrading' basketball at all (they would be making a lateral move to another 1-bid conference), they would have all of their sports under one conference banner and would open up their footprint/recruiting to the Mid-Atlantic region. Are there some instiutional advantages to that set-up? The answer is most likely, yes.

Dane96

Completely disagree, with all due respect. THE CAA IS MAJORLY F'D.

If ODU leaves...bet your but that GMU and VCU are gone gone gone...and football will be DOA at those schools. If this occurs, I would not be surprised at all if W&M look at full Patriot membership...it makes sense. 'Nova will be left in a status quo or shit or get off the football pot mode in relation to FBS.

Only three choices in my opinion: Merge with the Southern Conference (highly unlikely b/c I dont see UD wanting to be in the same academic realm as some of the Southern schools. Invite Stony Brook, Albany, and some others.

Or...merge with the AE. If I am the AE Commish...i am on the horn with the conference presidents and saying, guess what BU...you are not in the driver's seat anymore. You aren't on the radar of the A-Ten...so work with your sister schools. Let's invite back the kids...and start a football and hockey conference.

Bang done. JMU will likely push for Sun Belt or C-USA membership. UD has shown no signs of wanting to move up.

The CAA has no more leverage...done...done...done. All dependent of course on all three leaving. Either way, NBC will look to cancel or fix their deal with whatever is left in CAA land. The AE can say look...merge...and now we have some of the top markets in the US; NEW YORK; Philly; Boston; Baltimore; No. VA; etc.

Dane96

This...it doesn't. Any lawyer worth their salt would put an out-clause in that deal. I am somewhat familiar with such clauses, but Urban can chime in as this is his bread and butter.

I cannot see how NBC wont sink the deal the minute 2 of 3 of those teams leave. You are talking the entire top of the hoops conference for the past decade. Done deal...dead.

Dane96

The money isn't as big as you think. 6 million among all those schools. Exit fee...next to nothing. That's why the vote was cancelled. Yeager ****ed the pooch on this one...badly.

Dane96

Agree...this is one of the potential scenarios. But I think it will be larger than this...much larger.

UNHFan

After so much talk it seems we are on the verge of sometype of shift in the Aeast. I don't know what that will be but I hope that whatever happens is best for all of our schools! It would be interesting to see the former Aeast schools come back.

Urban Barrister

Not my primary area of expertise by any means, but I'd bet the farm that NBC has an out to walk or renegotiate.

This is gonna get fun, fast!