iBOsbu

+3 agree that commitment to upping the AD budget is important.

Rhett1

I'm hanging around because I pull for another AEC team (UNH) in several sports, but losing BU is more than "eh" because the conference hasn't been proactive enough to add suitable replacements. There is no conference in the country with enrollment like AEC, academics like AEC, or market penetration like AEC (although the markets are regarded as smaller), that is regarded as being as weak as AEC. The potential is big but the future is bleak. The only thing going for the conference, and this is sort of bizarre, is that the conference offers few expansion targets for other conferences. It gets to maintain a strong core by default, despite weak leadership. No other conference is in an analogous position.

UNHFan

Any word on when this possible expansion may happen? Will it be this month or at the end of the basketball season? Has anyone figured out the identity of the 4th possible team?

Rhett1

I think we're in for a wait. If the AEC was going to be proactive, they would have made a move already... and may have beaten the MAAC to the punch on some of their recent adds. The fact that they've done nothing so far likely means that they are waiting for more Big East/A-10/CAA expansion trickle-down fallout. They are probably hoping the A-10 or CAA will be weakened enough that they can poach more attractive membersfrom those leagues. I think that, in the end, the AEC will pick from the same group of NEC schools (minus those that get poached while the AEC waits) that we've talked about ad nauseum, sometime in the spring/summer.

ccd494

I think the waiting game is the right move. We can argue semantics about Monmouth and Quinnipiac versus Central Connecticut and Bryant versus NJIT and UMass-Lowell all we want, but honestly none move the needle in a huge way. Some combination of similar schools will be there in the summer.

Blakely4Prez

I was listening to the UVM vs UNH game on ESPN 101.3 and at halftime, Villani had Commissioner Amy on. He asked about expansion and she said that they were wanting to add teams. When she mentioned that Villani asked something to the effect of if the AE would go to 9-10 or 12 teams. She pussyfooted around that and didn't answer that one, but she did say that they were going to wait til the fallout of the Catholic 7 to make any final decisions, but definitely want to add fwiw.

uvm4life20

I think this has been their plan all along. The plan is not proactive though. They are waiting to see what happens with the Big East fall out. They have been waiting for this for awhile. The AE's plans are going to be one of the last ripples of the Big East Breakup. Some teams might get poached or we might be able to do some poaching. The AE is waiting to see if the some bigger schools fall in our lap.

I agree with the plan. We can get these schools that have been mentioned anytime. Our waiting has us losing out on Qpac. Not a big deal. I dont think the AE wants a diploma mill.

UVM Hoop Cat

If they would add anyone now, I'd like it to be Bryant. Just seems like that's going to be one of the teams we're going to invite, so no reason to wait. Bryant is having a decent year thus far in hoops as well so would be good timing for an announcement.

Can wait for A10 fall out for everything else. I'm not sure waiting for ex-AE CAA teams to come back, I think many actually have a chance to win in CAA now with VCU/Mason/ODU trio blown up.

__________________
"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

NotDeadYet

+1 Bryant would be a high end team in AE MBB this year, and they kill it in lax.

mainejeff

The smart thing to do right now is for AE to wait.........Q going to the MAAC was VERY telling IMO..........and I think that signals some pretty positive possibilities for the league. Now that Boston U. is leaving, we'll see some other schools (administrators) in charge of the league's direction. Stony Brook and Albany have all of the power right now and I cam comfortable with them in charge. One thing that people lose sight of is the fact that every school in the league (excluding Hartford) is a Northeast mid-size public........that along with solid academics makes this a pretty attractive league despite athletic shortcomings by many of our members. With the way things are going across the collegiate landscape, I think that AE is pretty well positioned. The future of AE expansion lies with 2 schools.........George Mason and James Madison.......what they ultimately decide to do will determine the fate of the CAA.

TerrierNation

Seems pretty clear GMU should go to the reconstituted A10 to be play hoops against Richmond and VCU. Assuming the A10 loses Dayton, X, St. Louis and Butler, their mid-western experiment is done, making it a mid-Atlantic league with very good basketball. George Mason, Fairfield, Drexel, NU would seem to be candidates for expansion. I don't see how GMU would be a position to turn that offer down.

mainejeff

Delaware fired football coach KC Keeler yesterday..........not sure of the exact reasons, but he was a pretty strong proponent of Delaware "moving up" in football. This may give us a clue (or not) about where Delaware's thoughts are regarding the future of its athletic dept. If they are not moving to an FBS conference (like JMU appears to be heading), then AE will definitely have "a shot" at them. There are rumblings that they could be headed to the Patriot however. I see the Patriot bending their "profile" of no large state schools to get Delaware in the fold.........they along with W&M would be quite a coup for the Patriot.

ccd494

The Delaware fans always portrayed Keller as an OPPONENT of moving up. The way I read what their fans are saying is that the new AD wants to "make a splash." The Patriot League against tiny private schools isn't a splash, more of a belly flop.

TerrierNation

If the CAA disintegrates, than Villanova and Richmond as football affiliates could make a whole lot of sense too. I'd rather have them then Delaware. Patriot League is sitting pretty regardless.

umainealum

I cannot imagine Delaware in the Patriot...course, I couldn't foresee Maryland in the Big Ten or Tulane in the Big East and a bunch of other stuff that has happened.

I do wish the conference would just go ahead and get Bryant done now rather than continuing to wait.

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