Colonial Athletic Association Expanding… | The Boneyard

Colonial Athletic Association Expanding…

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-> The CAA is expected to add Hampton as a member of its conference on July 1st and is also targeting both Monmouth and Stony Brook as potential members, multiple sources told College Hoops Today.

There is no timetable on an official announcement.

The Seawolves and Hawks are both currently members of the America East and MAAC respectively. <-
 
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If Stony Brook leaves + Hartford dropping to D3 ==> AE down to 8 teams
Meanwhile NEC will have 10 and MAAC 10 (after Monmouth leaves)

Gotta wonder if NEC or AE doesnt survive ... unless more D2 schools like Stonehill or Bentley go D1
Or the MEAC collapses (possible) and some of those teams go to the NEC/AE
 
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If Stony Brook leaves + Hartford dropping to D3 ==> AE down to 8 teams
Meanwhile NEC will have 10 and MAAC 10 (after Monmouth leaves)

Gotta wonder if NEC or AE doesnt survive ... unless more D2 schools like Stonehill or Bentley go D1
Or the MEAC collapses (possible) and some of those teams go to the NEC/AE

One footnote here. AE is composed of public schools (Hartford is/was the only private school in the conference), while the NEC is composed mainly of private schools (Central Connecticut is the only public school in the NEC). It will be interesting to see what happens with both conferences. I'm inclined to think if the MAAC goes looking for new schools, they would be looking primarily at NEC schools.

As for the MEAC, their schools are primarily not located in the northeast footprint of either the AE or the NEC. Of course, something like that doesn't always come into play in the conference realignment game. On the other hand, a number of the MEAC schools are located in Virginia and to the north, and they are mostly public schools, so it may not be that bad a fit with the AE. As always, we'll see what happens in the conference realignment game.
 
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One footnote here. AE is composed of public schools (Hartford is/was the only private school in the conference), while the NEC is composed mainly of private schools (Central Connecticut is the only public school in the NEC). It will be interesting to see what happens with both conferences. I'm inclined to think if the MAAC goes looking for new schools, they would be looking primarily at NEC schools.

As for the MEAC, their schools are primarily not located in the northeast footprint of either the AE or the NEC. Of course, something like that doesn't always come into play in the conference realignment game.
AmEast's UMBC and NEC's Mt St Marys are close to Howard, Del St, UMES, Morgan St, Coppin St.

Howard was rumored to be a possible addition to the NEC, and is an associate member in 6 sports in the NEC.

Point being if MAAC expands, AE/NEC have limited options.
 
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America East is down to 8 and desperately needs 2 schools. The MAAC is down to 10, but their commissioner has stated he would like to be at 12. The NEC is at 10 and is home to the likely expansion candidates for both leagues.

The last additions to the AE have been - NJIT (ASUN); UMass-Lowell (D-II), UMBC (NEC) and the SUNY-3 Albany, Binghamton, and Stony Brook (D-II). The last additions to the MAAC have been - Quinnipiac (NEC), Monmouth (NEC), Rider (NEC), and Marist (NEC). Both the AE and MAAC have lost teams to the CAA and Patriot.

Here's what I see as the top-3 candidates for each league:

America East - Central Connecticut, Bryant, Merrimack
Metro Atlantic - Wagner, Mt. St. Mary's, Sacred Heart

Problem for the NEC is if they lose a total of 4 teams to 2 conferences, they will be down to just 6 members. The only rumored candidate for the NEC is D-II New Haven, bring a total of just 7 teams.

One caveat, is the NEC sponsors FCS football with an AQ. 5 of those 6 schools ripe for expansion to other league play football and would have to find a new conference for football. Both the MAAC and AE do not sponsor FCS football. The NEC has has not let former members (Monmouth and Robert Morris) keep football as an affiliate once they left the league for all sports.

I think CCSU would be a natural and logical fit for America East, but finding a home for football is a challenge right now. Same for Bryant, Wagner, etc.

The MEAC has strong cultural bonds, and unless Howard decides to leave, they may hold on for a while. If the Bison bolt for anywhere (CAA in later years), the NEC and Big South could divide up the remaining MEAC schools.
 
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America East is down to 8 and desperately needs 2 schools. The MAAC is down to 10, but their commissioner has stated he would like to be at 12. The NEC is at 10 and is home to the likely expansion candidates for both leagues.

The last additions to the AE have been - NJIT (ASUN); UMass-Lowell (D-II), UMBC (NEC) and the SUNY-3 Albany, Binghamton, and Stony Brook (D-II). The last additions to the MAAC have been - Quinnipiac (NEC), Monmouth (NEC), Rider (NEC), and Marist (NEC). Both the AE and MAAC have lost teams to the CAA and Patriot.

Here's what I see as the top-3 candidates for each league:

America East - Central Connecticut, Bryant, Merrimack
Metro Atlantic - Wagner, Mt. St. Mary's, Sacred Heart

Problem for the NEC is if they lose a total of 4 teams to 2 conferences, they will be down to just 6 members. The only rumored candidate for the NEC is D-II New Haven, bring a total of just 7 teams.

One caveat, is the NEC sponsors FCS football with an AQ. 5 of those 6 schools ripe for expansion to other league play football and would have to find a new conference for football. Both the MAAC and AE do not sponsor FCS football. The NEC has has not let former members (Monmouth and Robert Morris) keep football as an affiliate once they left the league for all sports.

I think CCSU would be a natural and logical fit for America East, but finding a home for football is a challenge right now. Same for Bryant, Wagner, etc.

The MEAC has strong cultural bonds, and unless Howard decides to leave, they may hold on for a while. If the Bison bolt for anywhere (CAA in later years), the NEC and Big South could divide up the remaining MEAC schools.
i can't see why CCSU wouldn't fit into the CAA
 
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If Stony Brook leaves + Hartford dropping to D3 ==> AE down to 8 teams
Meanwhile NEC will have 10 and MAAC 10 (after Monmouth leaves)

Gotta wonder if NEC or AE doesnt survive ... unless more D2 schools like Stonehill or Bentley go D1
Or the MEAC collapses (possible) and some of those teams go to the NEC/AE
New Haven been looking to go fcs no?
 
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i can't see why CCSU wouldn't fit into the CAA

Simple - we don't have the budget for it. We have one of the smallest budgets in the NEC and couldn't fund sports at the CAA level.

The entire CCSU athletic budget is smaller than the UConn football budget. Unless politicians in the State Capitol want to support Central as a premier D-I regional comprehensive university that it strives to be, instead of small liberal arts college as it was in the 1950s, we are stuck.

America East is likely our celling. I'd be ecstatic to get out of the NEC and join Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine in the AE :)
 
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I think that would be a great idea. Lamont needs to get the cash for this. Then, maybe CCSU can use the Rent, too. If UConn ever wanted an on campus stadium Central can take the Rent over.

Our #1 athletics infrastructure need is a new on-campus basketball facility not an oversized off-campus football stadium.

The Blue Devils’ historic home court currently ranks as the oldest in the Northeast Conference and is the 5th oldest NCAA Division I home venue in New England.

1. Matthews Arena, Northeastern (1910)
2. Payne Whitney Gymnasium, Yale (1932)
3. Lundholm Gymnasium, New Hampshire (1938)
4. Patrick Gymnasium, Vermont (1963)
5. Detrick Gymnasium, Central Connecticut (1965)

UVM has completed plans for a new facility, but is lacking full funding (University of Vermont's new basketball arena delayed again | AP News)
 

CL82

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Our #1 athletics infrastructure need is a new on-campus basketball facility not an oversized off-campus football stadium.
Geesh, you try to you somebody a 40,000 seat football stadium and they complain about it. You can’t please some people.
 
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America East is down to 8 and desperately needs 2 schools. The MAAC is down to 10, but their commissioner has stated he would like to be at 12. The NEC is at 10 and is home to the likely expansion candidates for both leagues.

The last additions to the AE have been - NJIT (ASUN); UMass-Lowell (D-II), UMBC (NEC) and the SUNY-3 Albany, Binghamton, and Stony Brook (D-II). The last additions to the MAAC have been - Quinnipiac (NEC), Monmouth (NEC), Rider (NEC), and Marist (NEC). Both the AE and MAAC have lost teams to the CAA and Patriot.

Here's what I see as the top-3 candidates for each league:

America East - Central Connecticut, Bryant, Merrimack
Metro Atlantic - Wagner, Mt. St. Mary's, Sacred Heart

Problem for the NEC is if they lose a total of 4 teams to 2 conferences, they will be down to just 6 members. The only rumored candidate for the NEC is D-II New Haven, bring a total of just 7 teams.

One caveat, is the NEC sponsors FCS football with an AQ. 5 of those 6 schools ripe for expansion to other league play football and would have to find a new conference for football. Both the MAAC and AE do not sponsor FCS football. The NEC has has not let former members (Monmouth and Robert Morris) keep football as an affiliate once they left the league for all sports.

I think CCSU would be a natural and logical fit for America East, but finding a home for football is a challenge right now. Same for Bryant, Wagner, etc.

The MEAC has strong cultural bonds, and unless Howard decides to leave, they may hold on for a while. If the Bison bolt for anywhere (CAA in later years), the NEC and Big South could divide up the remaining MEAC schools.

Rowan. The clear number 2 in New Jersey. Has grown from 9500 to 19000 enrollment in the last 12 years; with an excellent Engineering school. And with the forced merger with Cooper Hospital + picking up some of the Rutgers-Camden health science programs, this has been an extraordinary mover for quite some time.

Unlike most all NJ publics, there's plenty of land - 35 miles from Philadelphia.

They have some successful playoff history at DII. But you have to believe the OTHER school playing Football in the Garden State is a great position. They have a nice on-campus stadium. Got to have some higher sports profile.
 

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If/when this comes to fruition,
the MEAC has 8 schools still
the NEC has 10 schools still
the AEC is down to 8 schools
the MAAC is down to 10 schools

I think the MAAC will raid the NEC for Wagner and Mt. St. Mary's (arguably the two best basketball schools in the NEC).

The trend is to move to 12 schools, so I feel the AEC will move in that direction as well.

They add Merrimack, Sacred Heart, CCSU, and Bryant to get to 12.

The 8 schools of the MEAC merge with the 4 remaining schools in the NEC to form a 12-team league (name unknown).
 

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The other thing that popped in my head is what if the Patriot gets involved and tries to snap up UVM, UNH, and Maine (assuming the last two stay in the CAA for football)?
 
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The other thing that popped in my head is what if the Patriot gets involved and tries to snap up UVM, UNH, and Maine (assuming the last two stay in the CAA for football)?
Doubtful.

The Patriot has tried to be Ivy Jr -- good quality schools with a focus more on academics than athletics. Even restricted scholarships for awhile.

A bunch of state schools don't mesh well with that mission.
 
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Rowan. The clear number 2 in New Jersey. Has grown from 9500 to 19000 enrollment in the last 12 years; with an excellent Engineering school. And with the forced merger with Cooper Hospital + picking up some of the Rutgers-Camden health science programs, this has been an extraordinary mover for quite some time.

Unlike most all NJ publics, there's plenty of land - 35 miles from Philadelphia.

They have some successful playoff history at DII. But you have to believe the OTHER school playing Football in the Garden State is a great position. They have a nice on-campus stadium. Got to have some higher sports profile.
Rowan is D3.
 
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Rowan is D3.

Contrast that school's growth and assets to CCSU. Or Monmouth. Who would you choose if your a CAA commissioner? Which school has a far better future and more resources? Yeah Football. But this is about something far more expansive when you get to the core of realignment. Then ... UTSA + Charlotte + Coastal Carolina went from nothing to something in a few years.
 
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Contrast that school's growth and assets to CCSU. Or Monmouth. Who would you choose if your a CAA commissioner? Which school has a far better future and more resources? Yeah Football. But this is about something far more expansive when you get to the core of realignment. Then ... UTSA + Charlotte + Coastal Carolina went from nothing to something in a few years.
Exactly. The State of Connecticut has put all its eggs in one basket (UConn) at the expense of any other school (Central). It doesn't help that UConn alumni and supporters in the legislature and State Government have done everything to keep the State University system as the underfunded, weak stepchild.

Yet other States are able to see the benefit of building multiple strong, public educations systems. New Jersey has Rowan as a alternative to Rutgers; Maryland has Towson and UMBC, as alternatives to UMd at College Park.

UConn would always remain the flagship research university, with medical and law schools - but why isn't there room for another quality university in this state?

It is disappointing, but not surprising, that Connecticut has never invested properly in a PREMIRE, regional, comprehensive university for fear of taking anything away from UConn.

Oh well .. that ship sailed years ago and their is no indications that the State will ever invest in higher education outside of UConn.
 

CL82

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But you have to believe the OTHER school playing Football in the Garden State is a great position. They have a nice on-campus stadium. Got to have some higher sports profile
Princeton?
 
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Exactly. The State of Connecticut has put all its eggs in one basket (UConn) at the expense of any other school (Central). It doesn't help that UConn alumni and supporters in the legislature and State Government have done everything to keep the State University system as the underfunded, weak stepchild.

Yet other States are able to see the benefit of building multiple strong, public educations systems. New Jersey has Rowan as a alternative to Rutgers; Maryland has Towson and UMBC, as alternatives to UMd at College Park.

UConn would always remain the flagship research university, with medical and law schools - but why isn't there room for another quality university in this state?

It is disappointing, but not surprising, that Connecticut has never invested properly in a PREMIRE, regional, comprehensive university for fear of taking anything away from UConn.

Oh well .. that ship sailed years ago and their is no indications that the State will ever invest in higher education outside of UConn.

Connecticut also has half the population of Maryland without the nearby boost of the federal government, and about 1/3 of New Jersey's population. Not saying its the sole reason why Connecticut hasn't deversified, but it may help explain . The smaller population the less resources a state has. So maybe Connecticut has opted to fund and built one STRONG national research university as it has limited resources, and serve as a public alternative to Ivy league Yale.

Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire all have one major state school and that's it. Population matters
 

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