|
Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 19, 2022 10:04:11 GMT -5
If Holy Cross had any interest in making that switch they'd certainly have to look closely at Northeastern to see if it's working out for them: costs, attendance, recruiting. If it wasn't working out for Northeastern, don't you think they would've left the league sometime between 2009 and now and gone back to the America East? Or inquired about the PL? Referencing 2009 because that's when they dropped football. I think HC would be a great addition for the CAA. But guarantee our powers that be have zero interest.
|
|
|
Post by timholycross on Jan 19, 2022 10:05:31 GMT -5
I'm skeptical of Northeastern's bottom line when it comes to their CAA membership. Does anyone care about the CAA on Huntington Ave.? Maybe the Turnpike Trophy should be replaced by the Back Bay Trophy.
Only events involving Northeastern that seem to spark any interest/attendance are on ice, which has nothing to do w/the CAA.
|
|
|
Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 19, 2022 10:05:45 GMT -5
I think there is a better chance of PL expansion (ie. Fairfield) than HC leaving for the CAA. Why wouldd the PL bring in an 11th school that doesnt have football?
|
|
|
Post by rgs318 on Jan 19, 2022 10:26:05 GMT -5
There are Stag alumni who did not want football abandoned and would love to see it return. Fairfield, as another Jesuit institution and because of its proximity to NYC, would be a nice addition to the PL...but it would seem only with football might it be possible.
|
|
|
Post by hc17 on Jan 19, 2022 10:26:29 GMT -5
My day has been made!!!! ACTP and Foley find common ground! Can you believe it? A rapprochement? FWIW, I'd rather see Fairfield join the PL than us going through the gyrations of going into another league. Come on Stags, bring back football! (right!) (Disclosure: my connection to Fairfield might be coloring my perspective) With Pitino out-recruiting the rest of the conference, I wouldn't be surprised if a Fairfield or a comparable institution would be angling it's way into the PL with virtually no path to a tourney bid in the MAAC. The football issue, which has been well discussed here and on other forums, presents a unique challenge to the PL & expansion.
|
|
|
Post by sader1970 on Jan 19, 2022 10:29:54 GMT -5
Because Fairfield could bring back football and plays many PL sports and would provide a little geographical balance to the PA-centric league helping not just Holy Cross but BU (no, the "real" BU, not Bucknell) and Army. Being another Jesuit school might get buy-in not just from Holy Cross but Loyola and, for football which would have to happen, from Georgetown.
[More disclosure: My younger and son 3 of his cousins are Stag grads and one of my son's roommates played football at Fairfield including their last season and their last game against HC at Fitton. Giving up football was a bitter pill, similar to PC giving up baseball.]
|
|
|
Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 19, 2022 10:35:28 GMT -5
There are Stag alumni who did not want football abandoned and would love to see it return. Fairfield, as another Jesuit institution and because of its proximity to NYC, would be a nice addition to the PL...but it would seem only with football might it be possible. Agree on all points. And their stadium (now lax only) is actually beautiful for a small venue. Would be a charming little PL football venue. Its right down the hill from the upperclassmen townhouses. Football hashes were still there as late as 2009 or so. Saw my cousin play lax there in the CAA tournament a few years back. Great place to watch lacrosse.
|
|
|
Post by sader1970 on Jan 19, 2022 10:37:20 GMT -5
Their endowment as of 2019 was $340 million [edit: $450 million as of 2021]. Not the $1+ billion of Holy Cross but they started in the 1940's not the 1840's. Oh, and when my older son was at Holy Cross, so many of his HC friends as well as himself, had siblings at Fairfield that they called it "Holy Cross south."
|
|
|
Post by hc17 on Jan 19, 2022 10:46:33 GMT -5
Not too many programs in current form fit the PL like a glove. Ideally, you'd like Fordham to become a full member, bring Fairfield into the fold, somehow convince Nova to be a Football only member (believe this has been nixed on this forum quite a bit), and target a W&M/Richmond to become full members. Some combination of those institutions would probably make up my "Dream PL"
|
|
|
Post by hcpride on Jan 19, 2022 11:17:38 GMT -5
Not too many programs in current form fit the PL like a glove. Ideally, you'd like Fordham to become a full member, bring Fairfield into the fold, somehow convince Nova to be a Football only member (believe this has been nixed on this forum quite a bit), and target a W&M/Richmond to become full members. Some combination of those institutions would probably make up my "Dream PL" I can think of about 100 reasons I’d like to see Villanova as the 8th football team in the PL. The problem is that Villanova fans probably can’t see any.
|
|
|
Post by bison137 on Jan 19, 2022 11:37:57 GMT -5
I think there is a better chance of PL expansion (ie. Fairfield) than HC leaving for the CAA. Why wouldd the PL bring in an 11th school that doesnt have football? they wouldn’t. No chance.
|
|
|
Post by bfoley82 on Jan 19, 2022 15:37:47 GMT -5
I'm skeptical of Northeastern's bottom line when it comes to their CAA membership. Does anyone care about the CAA on Huntington Ave.? Maybe the Turnpike Trophy should be replaced by the Back Bay Trophy. Only events involving Northeastern that seem to spark any interest/attendance are on ice, which has nothing to do w/the CAA. They don't draw well on the ice either....They have four crowds this year above 4k fans and been around 2500 for the rest of their home games which have been open to the public. In 2019-2020, they averaged 2,420 which was the second worst in Hockey East behind Merrimack. Northeastern MBB's high attendance this year was against BU which they got 1699 but have been around 1k this year as they have struggled before they closed the building.
|
|
|
Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 20, 2022 0:09:08 GMT -5
Not too many programs in current form fit the PL like a glove. Ideally, you'd like Fordham to become a full member, bring Fairfield into the fold, somehow convince Nova to be a Football only member (believe this has been nixed on this forum quite a bit), and target a W&M/Richmond to become full members. Some combination of those institutions would probably make up my "Dream PL" Nobody fits the PL "like a glove" because the PL has zero interest in any of the schools that would consider joining. And any of the schools that we'd want to invite have any interest in joining. You'd have a better chance of winning thr lotto and getting struck by lightning in the same day than the PL does of getting Richmond to leave the Atlantic 10.
|
|
|
Post by longsuffering on Jan 20, 2022 3:09:25 GMT -5
Conferences that fit HC like a glove geographically are Hockey East, NESCAC and NEWMAC. But they are either above us or below us athletically. Women's Hockey is enjoying the locations of their H.E. league opponents but can't compete athletically at this point. The AHA gives us some local competition like AIC, Bentley and Sacred Heart.
It is strange that Northeastern and BU aren't in the same conference together except in hockey.
|
|
mainejeff
Climbing Mt. St. James
UMaine Sports Forum: https://umainesports.freeforums.net
Posts: 73
|
Post by mainejeff on Jan 20, 2022 5:41:55 GMT -5
Here’s a new one for you…..what about Maine, UNH, Albany and Vermont to the Patriot for all sports? Yes I know about the academics and restrictions but it’s looking like things are changing fast for everyone….how would you guys feel about that? I’m not sure that AE survives Stony Brook leaving for the CAA. I think that a move like this would benefit both sides…..10 football members….14 basketball members (2 divisions that line up pretty nicely)….
Football:
Maine UNH Holy Cross Albany Colgate Fordham Lehigh Lafayette Bucknell Georgetown
Basketball:
—East—
Maine UNH Vermont BU Holy Cross Albany Colgate
—West—
Army Lehigh Lafayette Bucknell American Loyola Navy
|
|
|
Post by longsuffering on Jan 20, 2022 7:14:42 GMT -5
Creative thinking. However the 14 team basketball configuration would make our journey to the NCAA tournament like a great classic movie: "From Here to Eternity." HC got to the M&W tournaments quite a bit out of an eight team league.
For football we would be down to two OOC games if the expanded league had each team playing each other every season. We've gotten to the FCS tournament three years in a row out of a seven team conference.
Georgetown better leave now to get to Orono by the fall.😊 That's an exaggeration but you can see how there might be cons as well as pros to this configuration.
Two thumbs down for the geniuses who broke up the Yankee Conference to begin with.
|
|
|
Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Jan 20, 2022 8:21:36 GMT -5
This discussion is pointless. No one the pL would ever consider wants to join, none of the pL schools want to leave, and other conferences aren't beating down the doors for any pL schools.
|
|
mainejeff
Climbing Mt. St. James
UMaine Sports Forum: https://umainesports.freeforums.net
Posts: 73
|
Post by mainejeff on Jan 20, 2022 8:52:57 GMT -5
This discussion is pointless. No one the pL would ever consider wants to join, none of the pL schools want to leave, and other conferences aren't beating down the doors for any pL schools. Nothing is ever "pointless" on a sports forum...the sharing of ideas and opinions makes the forums more interesting. I'm not saying the Patriot needs to make a move....and you can never make everyone happy. But a lot changes could be coming down the pike in the NCAA.....solidifying and growing your membership....especially in football....might be a good idea.
|
|
|
Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 20, 2022 8:53:20 GMT -5
Creative thinking. However the 14 team basketball configuration would make our journey to the NCAA tournament like a great classic movie: "From Here to Eternity." HC got to the M&W tournaments quite a bit out of an eight team league. For football we would be down to two OOC games if the expanded league had each team playing each other every season. We've gotten to the FCS tournament three years in a row out of a seven team conference. Georgetown better leave now to get to Orono by the fall.😊 That's an exaggeration but you can see how there might be cons as well as pros to this configuration. Two thumbs down for the geniuses who broke up the Yankee Conference to begin with. The Yankee Conference was never broken up. It still exists today. It's called the CAA Football Conference. The last year the league flew under the YanCon banner was the 1996 season. The Atlantic 10 took over stewardship of the league in 1997 and then the CAA took over the banner in 2006 or 2007.
|
|
|
Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 20, 2022 8:57:38 GMT -5
This discussion is pointless. No one the pL would ever consider wants to join, none of the pL schools want to leave, and other conferences aren't beating down the doors for any pL schools. Nothing is every "pointless" on a sports forum...the sharing of ideas and opinions makes the forums more interesting. I'm not saying the Patriot needs to make a move....and you can never make everyone happy. But a lot changes could be coming down the pike in the NCAA.....solidifying and growing your membership....especially in football....might be a good idea.If the Patriot League does add membership in the near future, I believe it would have to a school that has football. We have 10 all-sports members (Army/Navy being "all sports" except football), 5 full football-playing members and 2 football-only affiliates. Our league bylaws also stipulate that the PL will only continue to sponsor a football conference with 5 or more full members playing the sport.
|
|
|
Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 20, 2022 9:07:20 GMT -5
Conferences that fit HC like a glove geographically are Hockey East, NESCAC and NEWMAC. But they are either above us or below us athletically. Women's Hockey is enjoying the locations of their H.E. league opponents but can't compete athletically at this point. The AHA gives us some local competition like AIC, Bentley and Sacred Heart. It is strange that Northeastern and BU aren't in the same conference together except in hockey. They were for years before Northeastern moved to the CAA for all sports in 2002. But totally agree that they both belong in the same league. As a few of pointed out, it's strange that Northeastern has stayed in a league that stretches up and down the eastern seaboard when they could put all their teams in a local New England-based conference. Early on, the move made sense. They were playing football in the A-10 alongside the CAA schools already, and back then the CAA was frequently a two-bid league in Men's Basketball. It even produced two Final Four teams in a span of 7 years. But now, in the grand scheme of things, CAA basketball is trivially a better conference than the PL, MAAC or America East. I also have no idea what was behind the rationale behind BU leaving the America East for the PL. And with regards to Northeastern, I guess at this point if they weren't happy with the travel associated with being in the CAA, they would've left by now. It's been 12 years since they dropped football.
|
|
|
Post by HC92 on Jan 20, 2022 9:15:53 GMT -5
Here’s a new one for you…..what about Maine, UNH, Albany and Vermont to the Patriot for all sports? Yes I know about the academics and restrictions but it’s looking like things are changing fast for everyone….how would you guys feel about that? I’m not sure that AE survives Stony Brook leaving for the CAA. I think that a move like this would benefit both sides…..10 football members….14 basketball members (2 divisions that line up pretty nicely)…. Football: Maine UNH Holy Cross Albany Colgate Fordham Lehigh Lafayette Bucknell Georgetown Basketball: —East— Maine UNH Vermont BU Holy Cross Albany Colgate —West— Army Lehigh Lafayette Bucknell American Loyola Navy I like the creative thinking. One thing I wouldn’t do under this scenario is keep Georgetown around for football. They don’t add much and I’d rather have an extra OOC game. I don’t see it ever happening for a number of reasons, with the most important being that a 14-team, one-bid hoop conference is rough.
|
|
|
Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 20, 2022 9:19:13 GMT -5
Here’s a new one for you…..what about Maine, UNH, Albany and Vermont to the Patriot for all sports? Yes I know about the academics and restrictions but it’s looking like things are changing fast for everyone….how would you guys feel about that? I’m not sure that AE survives Stony Brook leaving for the CAA. I think that a move like this would benefit both sides…..10 football members….14 basketball members (2 divisions that line up pretty nicely)…. Football: Maine UNH Holy Cross Albany Colgate Fordham Lehigh Lafayette Bucknell Georgetown Basketball: —East— Maine UNH Vermont BU Holy Cross Albany Colgate —West— Army Lehigh Lafayette Bucknell American Loyola Navy I like the creative thinking. One thing I wouldn’t do under this scenario is keep Georgetown around for football. They don’t add much and I’d rather have an extra OOC game. I don’t see it ever happening for a number of reasons, with the most important being that a 14-team, one-bid hoop conference is rough. Let's keep Georgetown so that DFW doesn't come on here in an hour and go totally ape. I actually like having them in the league. And typically the way it would work with a 10-team conference is you would play 8 conference games and each school would play 8 of the other 9, missing one.
|
|
|
Post by hc17 on Jan 20, 2022 9:27:06 GMT -5
On the topic of expansion, does anyone recall why the PL added Loyola & BU? In retrospect, was this a good decision?
|
|
mainejeff
Climbing Mt. St. James
UMaine Sports Forum: https://umainesports.freeforums.net
Posts: 73
|
Post by mainejeff on Jan 20, 2022 9:42:03 GMT -5
On the topic of expansion, does anyone recall why the PL added Loyola & BU? In retrospect, was this a good decision? In retrospect.....maybe not. Who made a push for non-football playing members? While BU is a great academic school in a vibrant cultural location....their sports program is very thin. They don't have football or baseball and the fan community only cares about hockey. I don't know enough about Loyola other than their location.
|
|