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Post by hcpride on Feb 20, 2022 14:40:29 GMT -5
Holy Cross will never join the CAA....though I'd love for them to. It'd be a perfect fit in football especially. For the PL fits our academic model people....can you explain how the CAA has been a detriment to William and Mary and Richmond? Thanks. No, but I can shudder when thinking of HC's W.Hockey experience in Hockey East so far. If the CAA offers upward possibilities it offers downward possibilities also. Imagine using up the remaining years of Coach Chesney's Holy Cross tenure fielding FB teams that are a little better than they would be if we were still in the PL but not getting into the FCS playoffs because we no longer have the PL auto bid and just miss an at large bid out of the CAA. Iโm assuming/hoping our team is going to be quite a bit better than the team that squeaked by SHU (at home) in the opening round.
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Post by mm67 on Feb 20, 2022 15:03:01 GMT -5
Very few know or care about the CAA. Appearances in the FCS championship game are irrelevant in the grand picture of college athletics. I think it's quite obvious most observers would think the high academic PL with smaller schools which have similar academic profiles is the perfect fit for HC. Some pro CAA folks have admitted that apparently CAA member schools would not consider admitting HC. It all seems pointless. Nothing is cooking with the CAA.
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Post by longsuffering on Feb 20, 2022 15:12:40 GMT -5
No, but I can shudder when thinking of HC's W.Hockey experience in Hockey East so far. If the CAA offers upward possibilities it offers downward possibilities also. Imagine using up the remaining years of Coach Chesney's Holy Cross tenure fielding FB teams that are a little better than they would be if we were still in the PL but not getting into the FCS playoffs because we no longer have the PL auto bid and just miss an at large bid out of the CAA. Iโm assuming/hoping our team is going to be quite a bit better than the team that squeaked by SHU (at home) in the opening round. Agree. Without moving to a 16 team CAA (15 plus us).
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Post by longsuffering on Feb 20, 2022 15:52:21 GMT -5
I find it interesting that North Carolina A&T's homecoming game vs Monmouth drew 21,500; and that 21,500 exceeded the home attendance totals for Monmouth, Bryant and Hampton (Hampton's might have equalled it, but not by very much). In other words, the CAA is replacing a school with solid attendance with another place where there is football interest; but the other 3 potential schools don't add anything to the league in that regard. Congratulations to Bryant if they move on. However unlike HC they only joined their current league in 2008, are not a founding school, and have won the Brenda Weare Cup as having the best overall men's sports results in the NEC six years in a row through 2019, the last year listed, as well as two out of the six years as best overall including women's sports. HC is a charter member of the PL, has never left and would be leaving from the bottom of our league in all sport success, not the top of the league like Bryant.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Feb 20, 2022 16:54:23 GMT -5
Geez look what I did. One piece of gossip about the CAA and the same hypothetical debate not rooted in current reality. Can we stop this...
1) HC is not leaving the PL. Only wake me up for this conversation if we lose G'Town or Fordham to another conference.
2) HC will be playing more CAA opponents over the next 5 years and some exciting FBS foes.
Both facts. Done.
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Post by trimster on Feb 20, 2022 17:13:28 GMT -5
Very few know or care about the CAA. Appearances in the FCS championship game are irrelevant in the grand picture of college athletics. I think it's quite obvious most observers would think the high academic PL with smaller schools which have similar academic profiles is the perfect fit for HC. Some pro CAA folks have admitted that apparently CAA member schools would not consider admitting HC. It all seems pointless. Nothing is cooking with the CAA. The thing is you could substitute PL for CAA in sentence one and be spot on. It has been that way for 32 years since the PL went to an all-sports league and my money says it will continue to be that way going forward. The realty is the PL is much closer to D2 in hoops and football than a mid-level D1 conference.
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Post by rgs318 on Feb 20, 2022 17:18:56 GMT -5
You seem to have a strange view of "reality."
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Post by football44 on Feb 20, 2022 17:20:53 GMT -5
Very few know or care about the CAA. Appearances in the FCS championship game are irrelevant in the grand picture of college athletics. I think it's quite obvious most observers would think the high academic PL with smaller schools which have similar academic profiles is the perfect fit for HC. Some pro CAA folks have admitted that apparently CAA member schools would not consider admitting HC. It all seems pointless. Nothing is cooking with the CAA. The thing is you could substitute PL for CAA in sentence one and be spot on. It has been that way for 32 years since the PL went to an all-sports league and my money says it will continue to be that way going forward. The realty is the PL is much closer to D2 in hoops and football than a mid-level D1 conference. Exactly why Coach Chesney, Nick Smith and Kit Hughes are working โyourโ perceptive view of our major sports. The future holds competitive money games against some very exciting D1 FBS opponents. The Patriot League needs to be viewed as a resting spot for 6 weeks out of the football year. No disrespect because we will have a big target on our backs going forward but the intent is to power through the league and to look forward to playoffs and championships.
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Post by efg72 on Feb 20, 2022 17:25:41 GMT -5
Football and hoops have a simple formula. Stay in the league, but play the best OOC schedule possible and it may or may not include traditional games we older folks played when it was a different game๐ค๐๐
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Post by mm67 on Feb 20, 2022 17:33:44 GMT -5
Haven't there been other dominating teams in the PL? I believe at one time Colgate, Lehigh, FU all dominated PL football. These great institutions have remained in the PL. No doubt one or more of them could have left the PL. Why did they stay in the PL? The decision whether to stay or leave rests on factors other than short term success in the PL. Expect most fans of HC sports, as we all are, but most fans are quite happy & proud of our membership in the PL. The PL along with the IL is the highest rated academic athletics conference in the nation. Isn't that something for HC fans to be proud of? Isn't that what it's all about?
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Post by trimster on Feb 20, 2022 17:36:38 GMT -5
Football and hoops have a simple formula. Stay in the league, but play the best OOC schedule possible and it may or may not include traditional games we older folks played when it was a different game๐ค๐๐ It seems to be very difficult in hoops to get OOC games against teams in the top 150. The result are schedules even some of us hardcore fans look at and say "meh".
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Post by trimster on Feb 20, 2022 17:38:36 GMT -5
Haven't there been other dominating teams in the PL? I believe at one time Colgate, Lehigh, FU all dominated PL football. These great institutions have remained in the PL. No doubt one or more of them could have left the PL. Why did they stay in the PL? The decision whether to stay or leave rests on factors other than short term success in the PL. Expect most fans of HC sports, as we all are, but most fans are quite happy & proud of our membership in the PL. The PL along with the IL is the highest rated academic athletics conference in the nation. Isn't that something for HC fans to be proud of? Isn't that what it's all about? I'd like HC to be like Davidson.
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Post by efg72 on Feb 20, 2022 17:48:49 GMT -5
Haven't there been other dominating teams in the PL? I believe at one time Colgate, Lehigh, FU all dominated PL football. These great institutions have remained in the PL. No doubt one or more of them could have left the PL. Why did they stay in the PL? The decision whether to stay or leave rests on factors other than short term success in the PL. Expect most fans of HC sports, as we all are, but most fans are quite happy & proud of our membership in the PL. The PL along with the IL is the highest rated academic athletics conference in the nation. Isn't that something for HC fans to be proud of? Isn't that what it's all about? Certainly proud of those we are connected to, but OOC games build a sustainable recruiting tool. So Ivies, while desired to make us feel better, arenโt required. Our league is message enough to our alums. if we would ever leave the PL then a couple of ivies each year would be both desirable and required. the days of Kemp, Gatto, Dowling, Hill and so many other Ivy greats is ancient history in football as are Bradley,McMillan, Allen, Hill, and many others in hoops times have changed, but the future can be bright and enjoyable
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Feb 20, 2022 17:50:09 GMT -5
Football and hoops have a simple formula. Stay in the league, but play the best OOC schedule possible and it may or may not include traditional games we older folks played when it was a different game๐ค๐๐ Gonzaga makes it work for hoops.
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Post by longsuffering on Feb 20, 2022 18:17:13 GMT -5
Football and hoops have a simple formula. Stay in the league, but play the best OOC schedule possible and it may or may not include traditional games we older folks played when it was a different game๐ค๐๐ Gonzaga makes it work for hoops. They have remained loyal to the WCC which enjoys more shared interests among members as most leagues and still have been a few bounces away from a national championship. There's no league they could have joined that would have guaranteed them a national championship.
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Post by longsuffering on Feb 20, 2022 18:18:10 GMT -5
I wonder if the Bucknell board was hopping with conference upgrade chatter when they were good?
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Post by mm67 on Feb 20, 2022 19:36:24 GMT -5
HC is able to schedule a variety OOC games due to the small number of PL teams and it works to the advantage of all the PL schools. . Why not 6 PL, maybe 7 some day, 2/3 Ivies, possibly add a Merrimack type. And play a rotating mix of upper level FCS teams across the nation including CAA and a couple of FBS teams, service academies including a return match with AF, Tulane, Northwestern BC & other eastern FBS teams (not Penn State). Wouldn't that be a fine mix? Don't see the sense of quibbling over a game here or there. This is another golden era for HC football. Let's enjoy the ride while it lasts. Peace & good will.
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Post by longsuffering on Feb 20, 2022 20:54:26 GMT -5
HC is able to schedule a variety OOC games due to the small number of PL teams and it works to the advantage of all the PL schools. . Why not 6 PL, maybe 7 some day, 2/3 Ivies, possibly add a Merrimack type. And play a rotating mix of upper level FCS teams across the nation including CAA and a couple of FBS teams, service academies including a return match with AF, Tulane, Northwestern BC & other eastern FBS teams (not Penn State). Wouldn't that be a fine mix? Don't see the sense of quibbling over a game here or there. This is another golden era for HC football. Let's enjoy the ride while it lasts. Peace & good will. Enjoying the heck out of it. Now M&W BB are perking up. Something is cooking.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Feb 21, 2022 7:04:15 GMT -5
If the CAA has 16 football schools, split into two divisions, that's seven division opponents, and probably two opponents from the other division every year. Rotate through the other division's eight opponents on a four year cycle, two games per year. (Because of the FCS championship schedule, there's almost no opportunity to schedule a conference championship game.) Which would leave CAA football schools with two open dates for OOC games annually (maybe three in those years when 12 games are allowed). Under these circumstances, HC would be fortunate to get one CAA opponent every year.
A 16-school football conference would also seem to close the door to UMass dropping down and joining.
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