BucBisonAtLarge

The suggestion of Hampton was interesting. The Pirates would be interesting or Howard, for that matter. Howard's recent secondary NCAA violations might have exposed some deeper issues at their athletic department that would render them at least momentarily untenable.

Gate alum

William & Mary is out.They rely on red-shirting, i.e. a regular cycle of 5 year players. The P.L. only allows medical red-shirting.
Rather than making a wish-list, posters should do a little homework and a little strategic thinking. What determines "success" for P.L. expansion, from a variety of perspectives ?

usslider

Is that true? No non-medical redshirts even for basketball?

I agree with you that academics need to be prioritized in any further expansion. Which to me rules out any candidate mentioned here so far below Richmond, W&M and Fordham.

__________________
~v^v~GO TERRIERS~v^v~
BU Hoops Blog

BucBisonAtLarge

In football, W&M makes extensive use of non-medical redshirting...

Sons of Vaval

Fairfield fits in just fine from an academic standpoint (probably a better school than American and on par with BU). The two issues with the Stags are having no football program, and an endowment south of $250 million.

Gate alum

Fairfield is a "Regional University" according to US News & World Report College Evaluations.
All existing P.L. institutions are National institutions: either research universities or liberal arts colleges. Even American.
It's not clear if the P.L. leadershiip would go for this unless they brought some other great benefits ( like a great football team and other really distinguishing characteristics. )

I reiterate what I said above. " Rather than making a wish-list, posters should do a little homework and a little strategic thinking. What determines "success" for P.L. expansion, from a variety of perspectives ? "

Like most people,I would never have guessed B.U.. But, the more I think about it, the more it represents a great strategic move for the P.L.
Try to get into the heads of the other P.L. decision makers and out of your own subjective world-view.

TerrierNation

I hear you.

The basic question with all conference realignment especially at this level is which schools would even move? I'm sure a number of schools we have mentioned (perhaps Fordham, VU, Richmond football programs, and maybe even W&M) aren't even interested so the discussion is irrelevant. This narrows the list. The next question they are probably grappling is how bad do they want a 10th all sports member or a football affiliate?

If they really want one, they may have "sacrifice" some of the academic standards and get a Fairfield or a Loyola (do they even want to come?). FWIW, I think Fairfield is a good school and would fit in fine and I don't think it should matter that they aren't considered a national university. There are a lot of "regional" universities that are very good. That said, the Presidents vote on this so it all matters. I think Fairfield has an excellent basketball program that is still taking off and their location is ideal for the PL. Their facility is also great.

I would hope the league stays at 9 unless it can add a solid program. Some have suggested southern schools, but I think American should remain the southern outpost of the league to contain travel costs.

Rhett1

Gate alum,

This is a new sub-board and the largest alumni group involved in the present discussion, Boston University, is entirely new to the Patriot League and its rules, standards and traditions.

You've complained twice about the level of thought going into expansion suggestions. I've found people's thoughts on this thread to be generally intelligent, even if, at times, flawed. Please tone down the condescention until everyone gets used to the new world they've been thrust into.

Thanks.

TerrierNation

I know that academics are the priority, but here's why I would love to see Fairfield added if they are actually interested:

IMO, taking Fairfield does little to harm the academic reputation of the league. It's not like some other conference is going to surpass the Patriot League because of it. And it is considered a good school by most (maybe not a great school).

However, adding a Fairfield pushes Patriot League athletics clearly past the AE, MAAC and NEC without any sacrifice to travel costs or geography. The league is still behind the CAA (although not by leaps and bounds either), but it retains identity, rivalry and some sense of geography. The CAA hasn't been able to do that and is huge, messy and possibly on the verge of collapse.

This is all spoken from a BU perspective without regard to football. I think a good approach from the football side of things may be to wait and see if the CAA implodes and the league can get Richmond and Villanova as affiliates.

Gate alum

Truly sorry.
It's not condescension; it's wanting to share what I've picked up throiugh the process of elimination of candidates. I'm trying to share what I've picked up from others who have had this same conversation regarding expansion.
Potential expansion was announced with the announcement of football schollies back in Feb. of this year. The names brought up here are logical on the face of it and have been mentioned elsewhere. Like the W & M red-shirting, flaws have been pointed out elsewhere for other candidates. Not only is this a difficult decision, but the P.L. is not of one mind on anything, except keeping the League together. ( Look at how long it took to make the decision on schollies with a gun to the League's head ! )

BucBisonAtLarge

Loyola and Fairfield are both great schools for all sports but it would seem that the 'core five's' (Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh) recent commitment to scholarship football, to be implemented starting next season, would call for some action to keep the interests of non (FCS) fb schools in balance. Adding Duquesne football might fit that bill, but, unlike Fordham, the Dukes have been able to make some noise in A-10 hoops, therefore an all-sports membership would be less likely than the Rams.

I do think this a brave exercise, starting a board in summer. Let's keep the introductions going.

TerrierNation

I would be shocked if any A10 school (Fordham, Duquesne) left the league in the near term for the Patriot League. While those schools aren't going to get rich in the league, they should get a modest television contract to fund their programs. I just can't see how an AD could justify that move to fans, alumni, etc.

Gate alum

BucBisonAtLarge, your assessment is corroborated by what I've been reading. As long as Georgetown hangs in there on the fb side, time is on the P.L. side to transform itself into an attractive fcs fb niche. It will take several years for the impact to be felt as the implementation unfolds of 15 schollies/year beginning in 2013.
The addition of Fordham in all sports has an additional kicker: the New York media market and access for P.L. alumni to games. Coupled with this same effect with the addition of the B.U./Boston-NE market, this could bump up the CBS Sports package over time. Visibility accrues to the benefit of all of the institutions.

The P.L. has put itself in a great position as re-alignment/re-assessment plays out over the next couple of years.

El Shaqtus

As an Atlantic 10 fan, I'll give this piece of advice:

YOU DO NOT WANT FORDHAM.

__________________
Mom, thanks for everything.

RIP Coach Rick Majerus 12/1/12. You were the one that said it was OK to think big at SLU. You were right.

KVBL Lexington Kings

ericatbucknell

i havent checked on the other two, but unh enrolls statistically weaker students from out of state than in state. im not sure where the in-state/out-of-state standards myth began... but its time to put it to bed.