Originally Posted by iBOsbu

You know why it makes more sense,
Just go through the top public university list

#37 Binghamton
#40 Stony Brook
#40 Vermont
#51 New Hampshire
#65 Albany
#83 Maine
#87 UMBC
#94 UMass-Lowell

Similar institutiions all in top 100 (Hartford is private).

I still hope we add Bryant but I guess they dont want to go independent with their football program.

Originally Posted by iBOsbu

We can forget about Bryant to AE.

"Word is Bryant snubbed the league" source: @onebidwonders

I guess its going to be 9 members for forseeable future

Originally Posted by LittleMike

I happen to like the city of Lowell. They have a great Red Sox farm team which draws well. I go to the hockey games vs BU and they always have good crowds. The community supports their teams and the school is improving academically. They have a very good reputation for Engineering and Biotech.

Overall, I think it makes great sense and I wish UML best of luck for a bright D1 future.

Originally Posted by NU Hoop Fan

BUT MARTY MEEHAN SAID LOWELL IS A GREAT SCHOOL.

C'mon Dane, a corrupt Mass Hack Politician heads up the place, what do you want.

Be careful what you wish for with Lowell.

As part of the UMass system, they'll have admissions policies as wide as the Grand Canyon and can take anyone with a mild academic issue. have it declared a learning disability, and get them into school.

UMass Amherst does it all the time.

Lowell isn't as big of a pit as people think, but it's still not a garden spot.

Originally Posted by GoCatsGo

When we all cry, and scream, and shout until we're red in the face when the league does absolutely nothing...we all need to at least politely golf clap when the league does *something.*

This...is something. I'm not 100% sure what it is, but it *is* something.

Originally Posted by Dane96

Could be possible...and I would think it is because of one reason: FOOTBALL. Another FU present from Boston University.

Originally Posted by NU Hoop Fan

+1

If you take the emotion away, it's not THAT bad of a move, when you consider the options.

The AE isn't beer goggling with Lowell, but it's about 11:30 pm at night, they're at Daisy Buchannan's on Newbury and the available talent just isn't there, so they went for the chick with the big guns who, with some time in the gym might not be that bad to hook up with.

Originally Posted by iBOsbu

BU really screwed up AE by not letting Football in, which in turn cause the exodus to CAA. But I guess I also have to thank them for it because it opened the door for SBU to Div 1.

Btw, in reply to your longer post, I dont think there will ever be any meltdown in CAA/A10/PL even with the arrival of Catholic 7. None of their members are ever coming to AE. We can forget that pipe dream. PL is almost as secure as it can be. A10 will again raid CAA and CAA will again raid SoCon, SoCon will probably raid BigSouth or merge.

Originally Posted by NU Hoop Fan

+1

If you take the emotion away, it's not THAT bad of a move, when you consider the options.

The AE isn't beer goggling with Lowell, but it's about 11:30 pm at night, they're at Daisy Buchannan's on Newbury and the available talent just isn't there, so they went for the chick with the big guns who, with some time in the gym might not be that bad to hook up with.

Originally Posted by Dane96

I am calling pooh-pooh on your post. And before you shoot me down, I too live here...I drive past and through Lowell every weekend on the way to Vermont...and SBU and UA are very familiar with the athletic profile as we were former conference mates. Did I mention I was a former partner in a coffee Cafe in Lowell that catered to a huge soccer crowd?!?

Lowell is a HORRIBLE academic school (and don't go throwing out US NEWS or whatnot)in any sense of the word compared to the AE brethren. NONE OF US...NOT ONE...would choose this school as a school they want to have their child attend.

As for Downtown Lowell, it is pretty because it's old...but that is it. They have some great ethnic festivals...but you are talking about a town that is mostly made up of Laotian, Vietnamese, Brazilian and some Portuguese immigrants. They are not going to support that school in a rah-rah DI way. And Lowell is still dangerous in many areas...but I am not holding that against them because that would be akin to saying Albany is dangerous because of Arbor Hill.

I am not being a snob academically or athleticly, and I do understand UA was once a DII school. However our academic profile was completely different than Lowell.

Does Lowell have potential: Sure...sure does. But they need HUGE bucks from the state for their "research" growth that they simply are not going to receive today or tomorrow.

Am I happy that I will be able to take a 45 minute drive to catch my Danes play...sure.

However, they do not add football and they do not add men's lacrosse. I'd have preferred waiting for the fallout that WILL occur with the CAA/A-Ten/Catholic 7/PL meltdown (more on that another time for me...and I believe the PL will get stronger with the pickup of W&M down the line).

Alternatively, I would have been happy with Bryant as the sole add.