|
Post by rf1 on May 16, 2024 14:01:41 GMT -5
God Forbid the trio of UNH, URI and Maine follows their original Yankee Conference partners UMass and UConn into FBS, that's been a rough ride, or into oblivion like UVM FB. I don't think the six New England land grant flagship State universities realized how good they had it in football. They would be a strong FCS conference today if they hung together in FB and pursued their BB dreams as the saw fit in the leagues of their choice. Now they really should patch together a northern FB league or division of their own but it won't include Holy Cross. If I’m the Northern half of CAA football… Maine, UNH, URI, Albany, Stony Brook, Bryant, Monmouth - I go grab Duquesne (who is football only in the NEC) and start a new football conference. I don’t think Merrimack or Sacred Heart have the financial resources yet. The problem is only UHN, URI, Maine and Albany are football only affiliates. Stony Brook, Bryant and Monmouth are all sports CAA members and as we are hearing and reading with W&M, that’s a much trickier situation. If the 4 football only members were going to secede (no way they are going FBS IMO), then you would need Duquesne, Merrimack and Sacred Heart to form a new conference and get to 7 total teams for auto bid playoff eligibility. Not a crazy idea but definitely very low probability that happens. If Nova and W&M leave the CAA, then we might be approaching a coin toss those 4 northern football only affiliates believe they have to do SOMETHING cause at that point it looks like the CAA is on the verge of eating itself. I heard on a pod yesterday Elon and the So Con are in talks again about maybe going back to their roots in 2026. Even the MEAC smells blood and is supposedly courting Hampton and NC A&T to come home. All eyes on Villanova for now… Bryant is a full America East sports member with only its football program competing in the CAA as an affiliate member. Stony Brook is a full CAA member and cannot play just football in another conference.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 16, 2024 10:08:58 GMT -5
Reading some other message boards there is a consistent thought that UR was done with CAA football (for unspecified reasons) and had discussions with SoCon and PL. That, in fact, was the earliest print report. SoCon (a better geographic fit and a bit stronger in FCS football) insisted on all-sports while PL was willing to do football only.
Richmond did not like the direction of the CAA. It had lost several old rivals and was not happy with many of the schools that the CAA recently added. The football and academic credentials of the new adds did not meet the standards UR wanted.
The founding northern affiliate schools of the CAA (URI, UNH, Maine) are also not all that happy with the new members. The CAA automatically guarantees football membership to any of its full members. Football affiliates have no say or vote in new full member adds.
This is the presently known CAA Football conference makeup once Delaware and Richmond depart.
Albany Bryant Campbell
Elon Hampton
Maine Monmouth
New Hampshire NC A&T
Rhode Island Stony Brook Towson
Villanova William & Mary
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 16, 2024 9:10:52 GMT -5
The Holy Cross game with PC could be in a bit of jeopardy. Creighton dropped out of the Battle for Atlantis to play in a Las Vegas NIL event. The Friars have in turn taken their place in Atlantis and dropped out of the Mohegan Sun tournament. The Battle for Atlantis has far better competition - Arizona, Davidson, Gonzaga, Indiana, Louisville, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. The Mohegan tourney had UMass, BC, and Temple. As I indicated earlier in this thread, PC had concerns about its SOS and this will very much help address it. PC has to now scramble to rearrange its OOC schedule as the dates of the tournaments are different. The date that had been originally set for the game with HC might be affected.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 15, 2024 12:34:04 GMT -5
"Tobacco money has made for solid endowments across the South." I'm not sure this is true of Richmond, but there is a lot of old money in Richmond from different sources. I've read that their endowment's rate of return for 2010-2020 was 10% annually, but for the FY ending 6/30/21 the rate of return was 45%. Richmond has benefitted greatly from the generosity of the Robbins family (initial gift of $60M over 50 years ago). Their wealth is from pharmaceuticals. Robitussin and chapstick were some of their company products. Richmond's endowment is today in excess of some $3B.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 6, 2024 9:55:35 GMT -5
Won't matter as much with giving to school athletic departments on the decline and giving to NIL collectives on the rise.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 5, 2024 12:47:07 GMT -5
The Providence Bruins benefit from several factors - being in a large metro of some 1.6M (38th largest in USA), being affiliated with the nearby Boston Bruins, being a member of the top minor hockey league, and being in a large market with several varied media channels (tv/radio/print) that promote the team. The P Bruins attendance has fluctuated up and down over the years. Its high average of 9,279 was in its first year (1992-93) and its low of 6,107 was in 2007-08. It is presently at 7,713 for the 2023-24 season which is 6th best in the 32 team AHL.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 4, 2024 10:29:40 GMT -5
Good I wish they would leave and Holy Cross could play in Hockey East.
Given the Railers owner Cliff Rucker's investment in downtown Worcester, I would not think a move is imminent. Rucker must however be concerned that his attendance has declined every season since its inception and is now close to the bottom of the 28 team ECHL. It seems to be following a similar path that the IceCats and Sharks experienced.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 3, 2024 12:11:32 GMT -5
The Worcester Railers saw their average attendance fall to 3,666 this past season, the lowest in franchise history. That placed it 23rd in the 28 team ECHL. The team’s average per-game attendance figure of 3,666 is lower than last year’s figure of 3,934 and a 16.5% decrease from the Railer’s debut season of 2017-2018, where the team drew a record high of 4,393 fans per game. The Railers have now recorded a drop in average attendance every year since their inaugural season. Since most professional sports teams draw best in their first few years in a new market or stadium, this decline should not be unexpected as it follows the industry norm. ECHL 2023-24 Average Attendancewww.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=ECHL2004&sid=2024This article concerning attendance was published back in Feb with two months remaining in the season: Railers see bigger crowds in 2024, but attendance lags behind prior seasons as team makes playoff push
Worcester Railers Average Attendance by Season
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 3, 2024 11:35:12 GMT -5
The City of Providence, unlike some other cities, will not have future budget concerns impacted by looming potential deficits related to paying off bonds in excess of $100M for a public sports stadium built to benefit millionaires.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on May 3, 2024 8:44:11 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 27, 2024 12:48:11 GMT -5
I don't think many Big East schools are worried about it when Kansas is playing at Creighton and Baylor is at UConn this upcoming season. PC last season had the 39th toughest schedule in the country. Those games are part of the Big East vs Big-12 challenge series which I previously alluded ends this upcoming season one year after the final BE-Big Ten challenge series. The loss of these challenge series (with two quality games guaranteed) are a big hit for much of the Big East. While the very top programs (UConn, Marq, Creighton, Villanova) may still be able to get marquis games versus power teams, many other members might struggle to replace what had been two quality opponent contests. I think this will much apply to schools such as Depaul, Seton Hall, and PC.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 26, 2024 11:54:58 GMT -5
It will always be the Providence Civic Centahhh to me Good news....a game that should be played nearly annually imo
I would not bet on it. PC dropped Brown for a number of years before playing last season but it remains to be seen if that will continue. PC has rarely played local Bryant. Some Friar fans are also concerned about playing URI every season. Rhody has had four consecutive losing seasons and has not helped their SOS. Friar fans are not even happy about playing BC as it has not been a strong program for many years now.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 26, 2024 11:46:31 GMT -5
It seems that Providence fans are paying a bit more attention to the the crafting of their OOC schedule and its strength this year. For many seasons the team had the benefit of automatically being in two BE conference challenges along with an MTE Tournament. They didn't worry too much about their other OOC opponents so much as they only wanted them for easy wins to pad their record. The BE had recently been so strong that the quality of OOC opponents did not matter as much. That may now be changing. BE teams did not provide the big SOS NET numbers LY it had typically done in recent seasons. There were big gaps in the league's NET rankings last year. Three teams were rated in the top 15 but the next six fell in the 32-68 range with half of them hovering near .500 records. The bottom two members (min 4 games) dragged down everyone else being ranked #205 & #320. This very much factored in the league only getting three NCAA bids, its lowest total since it was reformed back in 2013. The conference challenge with the Big Ten ended last year and the similar series with the Big12 ends this upcoming season as a result of these power leagues increasing members and adding more conference games. The quality of OOC games may now have more importance for BE members, especially for teams such as a PC or SHU.
Friar fans are already a bit antsy about the 2024-25 schedule as it looks like something the program might have had some 50 years. Supposed opponents at this time for Providence are thought to be Central Ct, Holy Cross, @uri, BC & UMass at Mohegan Sun, and BYU (Conference Challenge). Some of their fans fear this may again not be strong enough. It is getting particularly hard to even now gauge the possible future strength of opponents as rosters are in such a state of flux.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 26, 2024 11:24:33 GMT -5
Saw something on the PC Friars Fan Forum that many here may like. A PC fan has posted that Providence College will host Holy Cross at the AMP in late November. Assumed to be a one off buy game. Nothing official confirmed but thought I would pass it along. AMP is the Dunk?
The Amica Mutual Pavilion (AMP) was originally built as the Providence Civic Center and operated as such for 29 years. It was then renamed the Dunkin Donuts Center for the next 21 years before the naming rights were purchased in 2022 by the local Amica Insurance which had originated in Providence but relocated some two plus decades ago to the intersection of Rtes 295 & 146 in Lincoln (visible from the highways - the large red brick building with green roof) for all that travel down from Worcester.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 26, 2024 10:12:33 GMT -5
Saw something on the PC Friars Fan Forum that many here may like. A PC fan has posted that Providence College will host Holy Cross at the AMP in late November. Assumed to be a one off buy game. Nothing official confirmed but thought I would pass it along.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 17, 2024 9:21:50 GMT -5
First Mike Gorman with the Celtics and then days later Jack Edwards with the Bruins. There will be several new voices in the Garden broadcast booth next year.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 15, 2024 9:17:14 GMT -5
The Nichols coach is leaving Dudley to go to UTRGV to become associate head coach. I had not realized that he had played at URI for two years before later transferring to Assumption in the mid 1990's.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 14, 2024 21:03:34 GMT -5
When he did sports at WPRI tv in RI, he also did radio play by play for URI men's basketball games on WPRO. Would have been late 1970's to about 1980.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 12, 2024 9:26:02 GMT -5
This is one of my favorite Sports trivia questions that I often stump people with. Or the similar one. Name the four New England schools to make the men's Final Four according to the official record book
The closest Rhode Island got to the NCAA Final-4 was in 1998 when it had a six point lead over Standford with about a minute remaining in the Elite-8. It unfortunately lost that lead and just missed the Final-4 losing 79-77. Rhody however did make it the NIT Championship game back in 1946 when it was considered the more prestigious tournament. Lost to Kentucky 46-45 in the final which pitted two HOF coaches with Frank Keaney (credited by many with the invention of the fast break) and Adolph Rupp.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 12, 2024 9:17:44 GMT -5
It has already been done in the NIT.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 11, 2024 11:45:28 GMT -5
The higher ratings for the women's game is very much tied into the network, day, and time. It was on ABC/ESPN on a Sunday at 3pm. The men's game was on TBS/TNT/Trutv on a Monday at 9:20pm. Traditional free network platforms always get more viewers. The time-slot of the men's game at 9:20pm also hurts ratings in the east.
These same factors are why the A-10 Men's Championship on CBS on a Sunday afternoon always far outperforms the viewership for the Big East Men's Championship the previous Saturday on ESPN at 6:30pm.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 11, 2024 10:29:40 GMT -5
If he did do the crime, he will now forever do his time
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 10, 2024 10:28:41 GMT -5
While hosting the NCAA Hockey regionals has a positive economic impact for cities, it is not as large as one might suspect. In New England for the 2024 tournament, it is estimated that Providence saw a $1.9M impact and Springfield-MA a $1.1M impact. According to the NCAA, the total combined two-day attendance was 10,172 at the MassMutual Center and 12,823 for the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Hotel revenues were below expectations in Providence. Two fairly close by schools (Boston College and Quinnipiac) making the Providence regional final likely contributed to this as their fans probably just drove in on the two game days and not stayed overnight. PROVIDENCE NCAA hockey tourney, despite challenges, brought in $1.9M in economic impact pbn.com/ncaa-hockey-tourney-despite-challenges-brought-in-1-9m-in-economic-impact/SPRINGFIELD-MA Hockey regional ‘a win, hands down’ for Springfield economywww.thereminder.com/localnews/springfield/hockey-regional-a-win-hands-down-for-springfield-e/
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 10, 2024 9:21:27 GMT -5
Correcting myself: Thornton Mellon was on the diving team, not the swim team. Known for the Triple Lindy Dive.
|
|
|
Post by rf1 on Apr 10, 2024 8:48:23 GMT -5
I have been tracking portal transfers progression:
As of 5:45pm on 04/09/2024, the portal is now up to 1,537.
|
|