[VCat_2015]

This seems noteworthy:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1521467108986691586

I guess you can take "we're open to it" for whatever its worth. Open to a school falling into their lap, but what criteria are they looking for is the question as there will surely be a long list of suitors knocking on their door.

My two questions to ponder would be:
1) Are any FCS football schools (ie, Delaware) hamstrung by their football conference and unable to move to a non-football conference?
2) It seems like a lot of people in the replies want Iona; is that really possible for a school with such poor resources and funding?

Just a hunch, but I also think its only a matter of time before Dayton gets an invite to the Big East. They have the fan support and facilities to rival most BE programs and if you talk to their fans they seem very dissatisfied with the current A10 conference. I've even heard them say "we're a high major program stuck in a mid-major conference." So hypothetically there could be two openings in the A10 soon.

 

[ccd494]

I read that completely differently. If someone achieves what Loyola has (basically, turn yourself into a consistent top 40 program) there is space in the A-10. No one is there presently. They aren't going to bring someone in on spec.

 

[GoCatsGo]

"A-10 should get Iona" means "I only watch basketball, hadn't heard of Iona before Rick Pitino, and can't name more than half the MAAC schools."

1-10, how right am I?

 

[RF1]

If Dayton were not so close (50 miles) to Xavier, the Flyers would already be in the new Big East. Xavier however has and will continue to do all it can to protect its market and keep Dayton out. The Musketeers will not even play OOC games anymore with their historic rivals. Xavier has not once scheduled an OOC game with Dayton since its move to the BE some ten years ago.

The thinking has been the more logical A-10 target, if any, would be St Louis which would add a new big market and not infringe on other members' turf. It, unlike Dayton (Marianist), is also Jesuit as are four present BE members (Marq, Creighton, GU, and Xavier. There are no BE members that are affiliated with Dayton's order.

At any rate, I don't think the BE is really looking at adding any A-10 teams in the near term. If they wanted them, they would have already taken them. Furthermore, they know any A-10 member will always be available should they ever NEED them.

As for the A-10, I do not think they are pursuing any specific target or have an expansion goal date. I just think the league is keeping its options open. As for A-10 fans, check out the various member fan forums. More fans probably favor a contraction over expansion.

 

[mainejeff]

I'd LOVE it if Delaware beat feet for the A-10! 😂

 

[mainejeff]

Best case scenario for AE in regards to the A-10 would be for St. Louis to go to the Big East and the A-10 to swipe 2 from the CAA. Unfortunately Charleston leaving wouldn't do much for AE....however if Delaware and Hofstra or Towson left.....that would make things interesting. If the CAA lost 2 of their "Northern" members......how would that play out? Would Albany still want to join a Delaware-less CAA? Or would CAA members like Drexel & Northeastern start looking at AE or the MAAC?

For shits and giggles....let's say that Delaware and Towson left for the A-10. First question is what happens to CAA Football.....if anything? Secondly....what does Northeastern, Drexel, Hofstra, Stony Brook & Monmouth do?

Northeastern - AE, Patriot, MAAC
Drexel - AE, MAAC
Hofstra - MAAC
Stony Brook - 😂
Monmouth - AE

If AE had the current 9 members.....who do they go after? I think that Stony Brook would have to stay in the CAA.....right? That seems like a bridge burned on both ends. It would seem to me like Northeastern, Drexel and Monmouth would be the top 3 targets to get to 12.

Thank-you to the A-10 for giving this thread new life and more juice. 😃

 

[Wildcat18]

Best case scenario for AE in regards to the A-10 would be for St. Louis to go to the Big East and the A-10 to swipe 2 from the CAA. Unfortunately Charleston leaving wouldn't do much for AE....however if Delaware and Hofstra or Towson left.....that would make things interesting. If the CAA lost 2 of their "Northern" members......how would that play out? Would Albany still want to join a Delaware-less CAA? Or would CAA members like Drexel & Northeastern start looking at AE or the MAAC?

For shits and giggles....let's say that Delaware and Towson left for the A-10. First question is what happens to CAA Football.....if anything? Secondly....what does Northeastern, Drexel, Hofstra, Stony Brook & Monmouth do?

Northeastern - AE, Patriot, MAAC
Drexel - AE, MAAC
Hofstra - MAAC
Stony Brook - 😂
Monmouth - AE

If AE had the current 9 members.....who do they go after? I think that Stony Brook would have to stay in the CAA.....right? That seems like a bridge burned on both ends. It would seem to me like Northeastern, Drexel and Monmouth would be the top 3 targets to get to 12.

Thank-you to the A-10 for giving this thread new life and more juice. 😃

Personally I think if Dayton or St. Louis goes to the Big East, the A-10 is going to look at schools like Belmont, Wichita state, Murray State. I think only Belmont is a realistic option. Murray is off to the MVC and Wichita has larger and not as far east aspirations IMO. So if no one leaves Belmont could get the nod. If one leaves Belmont could still get the nod.
That being said if they have to look lower than those teams in terms of basketball prowess..... UD by far has the most money into facilities compared to the other CAA teams.

If in this scenario UD leaves for the A-10, they should be able to transition into a CAAFB affiliate as they are a charter member. The CAA would have to ensure this happens. Without it, UD would have no problem getting UNH,Maine, Albany, URI, Richmond, VIllanova, and yes Bryant to form a league under the AE. That's 8 members. Again not that any AE or Original CAAFB member wants to separate from Towson or W&M, at what point do the 8 schools I just mentioned go okay 16 members, this is ridiculous.

To finish off if the AE at this point had ten members (QU hopefully in this scenario)
I think they add two more that would be football members to solidify membership. Id say push hard for
1. Towson has a good relationship with UD, adds a good football program, good travel partner/future rival for UMBC. Hell even adds a good geographical add for the southern end of the league.
2. ........................(Sigh) IMHO we take back SBU....... out of the remaining football schools its a no brainer.
AE Conference North/South "Split" Not really needed but just in terms of helping out travel costs in this dream
1.UNH N
2.Maine N
3. Albany N
4. SBU S
5. Binghamton S
6. Quinnipiac S
7. Bryant N
8. Vermont N
9. UMBC S
10. Towson S
11. NJIT S
12. UML N

AE Football 6 core, 4 affiliate
1. UNH
2. Maine
3. Albany
4. URI
5. Bryant
6. Villanova
7. Richmond
8. Delaware
9. Towson
10. SBU


I know its a dream, but still so fun to talk about, I mean come on. look at that set up. TALK ABOUT STABILITY!

 

[ccd494]

Howard staying in the MEAC?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1521891729456181248

 

[Aceinthehole]

Howard staying in the MEAC?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1521891729456181248

Taken at their word, if Howard plans to remain and strengthen the MEAC, the only possible reason is because they fear/know they would be uncompetitive in the CAA.

With the CAA adding 2 former MEAC teams, it is clear Howard just isn't prepared or willing to join a more expensive and competitive league.

I think the NEC still holds pat for a while, as the league can survive fine with 9 members and no real immediate threats of further departures.

 

[Dane96]

Howard is happening. Book it. Look for an announcement in mid June. I would be shocked if it doesn’t happen and would be the ultimate catch a canary ruse. Multiple folks at numerous levels have indicated the June date.

 

[catpower]

I honestly think Howard is saying this because they want to deflect any blame for basically ending the MEAC as a conference, which given their stature as an institution, is a bad look for them in many circles...also probably are hoping the remaining schools secure invites by this time next year so the framing is "we all mutually agreed we must seek other avenues athletically" or something to that effect which makes it seem as though they couldn't stay together as it is.

 

[MileHiCat]

With the Spring sports schedule now in full-blown conference tournament mode, can we expect more conference moves as this wraps up? I assume the other conferences (MAAC, NEC, etc) have similar schedules, and schools will be announcing moves after they are done with Spring sports.

 

[mainejeff]

Will definitely be keeping an eye on Albany, Howard, Quinnipiac and Fairfield.

 

[MileHiCat]

I really don't want to lose Albany. Maybe it's because I grew up there, or maybe its the great rivalry UVM had with them, but for whatever reason, I like them in the AE.

 

[Dane96]

I really don't want to lose Albany. Maybe it's because I grew up there, or maybe its the great rivalry UVM had with them, but for whatever reason, I like them in the AE.

Right now, I would not expect Albany to be going anywhere

 

[ccd494]

I'd echo that. Stony Brook always seemed resentful to be here. So did BU near the end. Northeastern was, by the end of their tenure in the conference, clearly transforming their school into something new so it made some sense to leave.

Albany would be a loss. They've always seemed nothing but committed to the league, they fit nicely into the upper half of the league in resources and spending, and I don't think there is a school out there that can replace them.

 

[catpower]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1522659986907799552

Queens to the ASun is official.

 

[umainealum]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1522659986907799552

Queens to the ASun is official.

A Saturday morning tweet? Were they trying to sneak it by people? I mean, is there a worse time for this to get lost in the shuffle than a Saturday in May when you have the Kentucky Derby, NHL playoffs, NBA playoffs, MLB games, Premier League (including Man United) all going on? I get there will be more on Tuesday but geez, I'm a sports nut and I wouldn't have seen that had you not posted it here.

 

[catpower]

A Saturday morning tweet? Were they trying to sneak it by people? I mean, is there a worse time for this to get lost in the shuffle than a Saturday in May when you have the Kentucky Derby, NHL playoffs, NBA playoffs, MLB games, Premier League (including Man United) all going on? I get there will be more on Tuesday but geez, I'm a sports nut and I wouldn't have seen that had you not posted it here.

Nah it came out yesterday, I'm shocked nobody else posted it!

 

[umainealum]

Nah it came out yesterday, I'm shocked nobody else posted it!

My bad. But maybe there was too much going on haha.

* Edit - yeah, I see it came out at 3:30 Friday afternoon. Not great timing...