oldvmter

my first question -
will the patriot allow them to give out total athletic scholarships in all the sports?
they have not been know for their grant generosity toward low income kids even with very high academic records.
not surprised they are leaving. but the patriot seems like a bit odd fit.

gocats10

Well I think the writing is on the wall. It is time for UVM to do everything in its power to get out. Stony Brook is probably leaving too so that leaves Albany as the only real basketball threat. Any ideas where UVM could go? Maybe also to the Patriot to make an even number of teams?

BU Fan 84

Well, I looked around a bit. There doesn't seem to be a Patriot League message board. As a result, I am against this move by BU. But seriously, it's going to be tough to get used to new rivals and new teams and even tougher if there's no community so I can learn about the new teams and get differing opinions on all the sports. Furthermore, no one in the Patriot League sucks as much as Vermont does. And it doesn't seem like I will have as much fun pissing off a fan base writing out the full name of the school, like the State Universities of New York at Stony Brook, Albany and Binghamton. The United State Naval Academy? The United States Military Academy? Whatever. And I'm seriously doubting the debate over whether BU is BU or Bucknell is BU is going to be anywhere near as invigorating as the debate with The State University of New York at Binghamton's fans. But again, the worst is that I won't even have a chance to have these arguments or make these offensive statements if there's no message board.

VT Cats Fan

Why? Assuming the AE retains its auto bid, it seems as though UVM's path to the NCAAs just got easier,

NU Hoop Fan

To the UVM fans...Where the hell do you think you're going? (to quote my dad, circa 1984)

What conference are you going to? Let's start lining up the names...

MAYBE the PL, and that's it.

__________________
Today is the first day of the next 86 years!

Blakely4Prez

Why don't you just start a message board for the PL on basketball forums?

dnapolit

According to Ted Ryan of the Burlington Free Press and Bob Corran UVM Athletic Director "Corran said BU will be required to pay a $250,000 exit fee and will be ineligible for America East for the 2012-13 sports seasons. In addition Corran goes on to state "With regard to the possibility of Stonybrook also leaving America East, Corran said that to his understanding the university is exploring joining the Colonial Athletic Association as an affliate member for football."

This was in the Burlington Free Press article this morning. If the Terriers are truly ineligible to participate in America East athletics next season what does the basketball team do. Do they put together a random schedule and play anybody and everybody with no hope of making the tourney? I wonder how this affects incoming recruits?

mainejeff

This is key........this isn't the first time that I've read this. If Stony Brook can get where it wants to be in the next 5-10 years (which is an FBS Eastern based league with other Eastern publics......UMass, Delaware, etc) then AE is probably fine with them as long as they can wield more power than they have in the past (not a problem now that BU is gone) and play CAA Football. Fortunately for them, CAA Football is in panic mode now that they are down to 8 members and Stony Brook seems like numero uno when it comes to prospective candidates. Heck, there's even talk of URI re-joining the league........that pretty much shows you where they are at in trying to attract new members.

dnapolit

Corran also pointed out the irony of one of Lynch's stated reasons (academics) for joining Patriot League's. The APR (Academic Progress Report) was just released and the America East ranks third nationally. I'm not sure where the Patriot League stands but it's not a convincing argument to move leagues because the academic upgrade is not significant.

mainejeff

Image is everything.

I feel like there is something else at work here.........not sure what it is, but could it be that the CAA wanted to "move South" with their all-sports additions.......and Boston U. saw this as the perfect opportunity of join a league of private schools since the A-10 dream appears dead.....????

danefan

Now you're just being delusional.

The Patriot League is leaps and bounds ahead of the AEaat on the academic side of things.

The APR is a joke measurement.

TerrierNation

Exit fee sounds perfectly reasonable. If the AE isn't allowing our sports to compete, I would refuse to pay an exit fee and force AE to go to court.

There's just no precedent for that in the Big East or any other league. Unless he just means the tournament? Even that would be bullshit. Curious to hear how this all shakes out.

danefan

Anyone have the league by laws?

Precedent-schmecedent if BU agreed to it in the by laws.

TerrierNation

I think you're partly right. Lynch realized we aren't getting in the A10 (as currently configured). However, post Big East breakup, which still seems inevitable, I still see us in a league with a mix of CAA/A10 types in the next 10 years. But the PL offers as good a location until that happens.

BUmbles

Agreed- have never seen a conference be so strict to the point of voiding competition for the exiting team for the entire season. That would just be insane....