NU Hoop Fan

Mason reclassified because I think he had trouble qualifying (at least that's the rumor going through some guys in the CAA and on twitter yesterday), but yes, to your points on O'Brien - he can go almost wherever he wants at the low major/mid major level.

It's a tough decision for a 22 year old to make.

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BingGrad

A lawsuit isn't useless for BU. The AE would have to spend money to defend it, not matter how frivolous it is. I think we'll see something similar to the negotiated agreement that I described a few pages back and that we have seen the last of the Terriers playing America East basketball.

ccd494

Not necessarily. Ordering a party to pay the other's legal fees is usually within the judge's discretion. I don't know how common it is in Mass., but it happens.

ball_of_rubber

That would be a very tough task to arrange this late in the process, especially for the fall sports since schedules are done.

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BingGrad

That can only happen if it goes to trial. It would never get that far and would settle almost immediately.

I think an agreement will be reached that allows Boston to participate in fall sports in the AE and be eligible for the NCAA's but move to the PL beginning with the winter 2012-13 season. There would be a contingency around Field Hockey. If you scroll back in the thread about 3 pages you'll see my suggested agreement that would suit all parties just fine.

TerrierNation

Just a few thoughts:

1) The information I have indicates BU has sort of given up on things. They accepted the PL invite as soon as it was offered and they negotiated and it didn't work out. Again, I think they thought they were doing the league a favor by giving advance notice. Otherwise, they would have sat on that invite and told them next April.

2) I don't know if they are suing, but I still like it because we have deep pockets and hope it will push any sort of negotiation. Although, even if it just makes life more difficult for the AE, that's fine with me too at this point. I think the main purpose though is to renegotiate the buyout fee.

3) The league's policy has the potential to do more harm than good in the future. Sure, this removes BU from competition for this year, but if SBU or UNH want to leave in a year, their best move is to screw the league and announce a month before that they are leaving immediately. And then the league is down to 7 teams with no time to add a replacement. This is why I don't believe BU and other schools fully understood the policy in the bylaws. Most conferences actually prefer advance notice for these kinds of things. I'll bet the AE would change the policy now in the future though because they wouldn't even be able to field a tournament with 7 teams if they decided to ban SBU or another departing school.

4) Yes, BU should look to redshirt players. If Maurice Watson is at all willing, then they should redshirt him. He won't get as many minutes as you would like anyway with DJ at the point guard anyway. Maybe Nate D is another option. You could even exaggerate/make up an injury to an upperclassmen player and let them go for a medical redshirt.

5) I was hoping we would play AE schools in OOC play after moving to the Patriot League, especially UNH...maybe UVM, Maine and Hartford. I know the other schools probably don't care, but I can't see that happening for at least a number of years.

bosiydid

One can only hope we find some way to carry on...you this was in the rules in fact you voted for it, chose to leave and the AE is playing by the rules and yet you hope to screw the AE?

GTFO!

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Aceinthehole

1) I agree, BU gambled on making the announcement early and it backfired. Sure, the advanced notice is the "right" thing to do, but BU officials had to be prepared, and were expecting the consequences - especially when the by-laws were well known to all parties.

2) Fully disagree. They have no chance of reducing the fee. The league by-laws and precedent are clear and seem non-negotiable.

3) Yes, this policy will likely do the AE even more damage in the future. We know SBU now has one foot out the door, but Fiore will never announce a move until after the basketball tourney. No school (with a realistic chance to win) will ever announce they are leaving before the league tourney. Now it is clear that it is against the school's best interests to give the league ANY advanced notice. Everyone else will now just pay the fee and leave!

TerrierNation

Really brilliant post.

I said I know the AE schools won't care at all, but it will probably kill any chance of OOC games being scheduled.

The AE is playing hardball. BU should hit back however they can. Admittedly, they don't have much, but suing them is one option.

BU left the conference. So there really isn't a great way to do that, but I believe BU tried to do it the right way agreeing to an exit fee and giving advance notice. In hindsight, they should have screwed the league and announced this next April. I think that is why BU is angry.

TerrierNation

You're probably right on all accounts. BTW, i was referring to the poster who wrote "GTFO"

Quickdraw62

Here's a brief interview from earlier tonight with the AE commissioner on SiriusXM Sports:

http://siriusxmsports.posterous.com/...uchthausen-wit

UNHFan

Well a precedent is being set by this new commish and the league.

Urban Barrister

Sorry, but how do you figure Boston made the announcement EARLY? The league's bylaws require notice two years in advance. Boston only gave one. In my mind, therein lies the problem. We'll never know what would've happened had they followed the bylaws. I assume more schools would've been open to letting them compete in the championships had they done so.

Aceinthehole

The by-laws don't REQUIRE any advance notice - it only describes the consequences for providing less than 2 years notice.

What goes around, comes around. Boston U. announced "early" enough so that the AE can get a replacement for next season, if the remaining members chose to act. That always isn't the case - see Temple, VCU, Butler, etc.

And for the record, UMBC announced they were leaving the NEC on April 22, 2003 to be effective on July 1, 2003. That last season, UMBC finished the regular season in a tie for 2nd place with Wagner and lost as the #3 seed to Quinnipiac in the NEC semifinals on March 8, 2003. As you can guess, the NEC by-laws also have a specific financial penalty ($250k)for providing less than 2 years notice of withdrawl.

Any AD would be stupid to provide notice to the league before June to be effective that July. The withdrawl fee for BU wouldn't have be any different in they announced in June 2012 or June 2013. And if If they did the latter, the AE would have been in much worse shape.

Dane96

Ace-- taking out my lawyer hat now.

By it's effect, the by-law DOES required two years notice. It isn't even debatable by the language.

The consideration--or in this instance the penalty in lieu of consideration-- of giving less than two years notice is the fine of 250,000 for damages and the possibility the school will be ineligible. For 2 year+ 1 day notice notice, you get ZERO penalty...but the possibility remains that the University could be ineligible for championships. There is a greater liquidated damage clause that is applied in lieu of the 250,000 dollars if the 2 year notice period has an adverse impact on basketball eligibility.

The acts necessary to go through a non-penalty are clear as the paper they are written on. There is a slight difference to the result dependent on the notice period hence the requirement of advance notice. You are 100% incorrect on your interpretation of the language. And if Lynch thought the same...he should be fired...immediately for not consulting lawyers. If he did consult them...then I want their jobs and am w/in a 10 minute walk from campus as they screwed the pooch...HUGE!