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Post by Sons of Vaval on Aug 3, 2022 9:11:02 GMT -5
I can't imagine, for football at least, schools like UNH, Maine, URI, and Albany love this. It's becoming a pretty weird conference. With the recent addition of Hampton and now Campbell (plus NC A&T), the CAA is moving farther and farther south.
Beyond the four aforementioned schools, if I'm a school like Villanova, why would I have any interest playing these new schools?
Sure would be nice for the PL to expand for football and bring in some of these schools...
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Post by dharry13 on Aug 3, 2022 9:12:33 GMT -5
I'm with you SOV. Campbell has exploded on the scene recently too with their recruiting classes over the last two years and so far this year.
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Aug 3, 2022 9:19:28 GMT -5
I'm with you SOV. Campbell has exploded on the scene recently too with their recruiting classes over the last two years and so far this year. Yeah, they're getting good and doing it quickly, I think. Kind of similar to a Kennesaw State who, up until 2014, didn't have a program...but now are a top ten program.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Aug 3, 2022 9:34:50 GMT -5
I’m VERY CURIOUS to see what Campbell does this year. The recruiting prowess hasn’t translated to Wins yet. This is the year it should so will be very telling.
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Post by timholycross on Aug 3, 2022 10:47:57 GMT -5
Maine still the furthest for VU. But this is another in excess of 400 mile trip piled on to the ones to Elon and NC A&T.
When it comes to winter sports, another long trip for Northeastern and the two NY schools.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Aug 3, 2022 10:54:40 GMT -5
Pretty sure if all the northeast CAA schools didn't want Campbell, they collectively could have shot it down.
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Post by mm67 on Aug 3, 2022 11:04:06 GMT -5
Money talks?
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Aug 3, 2022 11:10:26 GMT -5
Pretty sure if all the northeast CAA schools didn't want Campbell, they collectively could have shot it down. I wonder how much input associate CAA members had into the discussion.
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Post by bfoley82 on Aug 3, 2022 11:31:25 GMT -5
I can't imagine, for football at least, schools like UNH, Maine, URI, and Albany love this. It's becoming a pretty weird conference. With the recent addition of Hampton and now Campbell (plus NC A&T), the CAA is moving farther and farther south. Beyond the four aforementioned schools, if I'm a school like Villanova, why would I have any interest playing these new schools? Sure would be nice for the PL to expand for football and bring in some of these schools... How about Northeastern having these guys in their conference??? I would worry more if it I was NU than UNH who is already flying anyways.
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Post by HC92 on Aug 3, 2022 11:43:43 GMT -5
I’m generally not super interested in conference realignment talk as I’ve always had my doubts as to whether we’d be willing to leave the PL. But there are some interesting schools out there who might be willing to join a Northeast conference, many of whom are in the CAA. As a start, Hofstra, Bryant, Stony Brook, Monmouth, Northeastern, HC, BU, Albany, Fairfield, UNH. At some point, the idea of playing schools near you is going to become attractive again to everyone who is not one of the big dogs in a super conference. As discussed in the past, we’d have to change our mindset re: fielding competitive athletic teams in any new conference sans AI and other self-imposed impediments to on-field success.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Aug 3, 2022 11:49:22 GMT -5
For those wondering why CAA would be willing to add another southern school, the member with the most travel miles in conference was actually College of Charleston. Recent additions are to appease them and UNCW.
I did think the recent additions of Hampton and NCAT would've been enough on that front and thought CAA should've brought in Fairfield to bridge the gap between Hofstra and Northeastern. But Campbell is an up and coming sports school and is well on its way to being a strong player in FCS football.
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Post by JRGNYR on Aug 3, 2022 12:16:46 GMT -5
Interesting to see what, if anything, the Big South does. Losing A&T and now Campbell means their football league is down to 4 members. They're partnering with the OVC starting next year to maintain AQ access to the FCS tournament, but I'm curious how excited schools like Bryant and Robert Morris are going to be traveling to Lindenwood, Murray State, Eastern Illinois, etc.
If only there was a northeast based FCS league that could benefit from adding 1 or 2 affiliate members in football...
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Post by mm67 on Aug 3, 2022 12:16:49 GMT -5
PL impediment to success? Huh? 3 consecutive championship seasons. 10-2 in 2021 w/1st round win in FCS playoffs. Numerous players lauded. More to come. And, with players who meet the high academics of HC and are true student-athletes. This is failure? Looks to me like the impediment is not impeding. And, the PL has a hook - small high academic colleges who share the same philosophy. The CAA is a conglomeration, a mis-mash of small time FCS universities, attractive to newer programs looking to compete in a conference whose teams find a way to win. Certainly the CAA has little to no attraction to well established high academic PL schools.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Aug 3, 2022 12:23:09 GMT -5
I can't imagine, for football at least, schools like UNH, Maine, URI, and Albany love this. It's becoming a pretty weird conference. With the recent addition of Hampton and now Campbell (plus NC A&T), the CAA is moving farther and farther south. Beyond the four aforementioned schools, if I'm a school like Villanova, why would I have any interest playing these new schools? Sure would be nice for the PL to expand for football and bring in some of these schools... I've almost lost count but this brings the CAA to 15 football schools meaning you'll likely see some form of POD system that might actually result in LESS overall travel in football. North - UNH, Maine, URI, Albany, SBU Mid - Monmouth, VU, Towson, UD, W&M South - UR, A&T, Elon, Hampton, Campbell Only logistic issue here would be having W&M and Richmond in different PODs. Obviously those 2 continue to play each other every year.
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Post by Ignutz on Aug 3, 2022 12:26:19 GMT -5
I’m generally not super interested in conference realignment talk as I’ve always had my doubts as to whether we’d be willing to leave the PL. But there are some interesting schools out there who might be willing to join a Northeast conference, many of whom are in the CAA. As a start, Hofstra, Bryant, Stony Brook, Monmouth, Northeastern, HC, BU, Albany, Fairfield, UNH. At some point, the idea of playing schools near you is going to become attractive again to everyone who is not one of the big dogs in a super conference. As discussed in the past, we’d have to change our mindset re: fielding competitive athletic teams in any new conference sans AI and other self-imposed impediments to on-field success. If HC were invited to join a league with those schools as our partners, I would suggest that we politely decline.
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Post by DFW HOYA on Aug 3, 2022 12:52:59 GMT -5
PL impediment to success? Huh? 3 consecutive championship seasons. 10-2 in 2021 w/1st round win in FCS playoffs. Numerous players lauded. More to come. And, with players who meet the high academics of HC and are true student-athletes. This is failure? Looks to me like the impediment is not impeding. And, the PL has a hook - small high academic colleges who share the same philosophy. Success is relative given that the PL in 2022 is as weak as it's ever been. Lehigh and Lafayette haven't been this bad since the 1960's, while Bucknell and Georgetown are candidates to finish in the bottom 10-15 schools nationwide. The PL continues to atrophy because its philosophy is not sought elsewhere and the member schools' ambitions are low. If and when Fordham decided to step up to the CAA, the PL would be treading water and with no easy substitutes. The Brooks Doctrine still has fans on this board but it continues to be repudiated by every Eastern school that we collectively say "they could fit in the Patriot League".
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Post by rgs318 on Aug 3, 2022 13:04:25 GMT -5
On the other hand...the changes that some leagues are making in their membership could make the PL look a good deal more attractive.
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Post by mm67 on Aug 3, 2022 13:11:44 GMT -5
Of course it depends on one's definition of success. No? Atrophy? The PL schools are doing well. No? And, I take it the PL should jettison its academic standards or disband entirely and join the self absorbed cravenly ambitious corrupt world of college sports. Maybe, the schools should have untimed exams with coloring books for their star athletes? Brooks doctrine repudiated because schools decide to emphasize athletics over academics as some have done in football & basketball? Repudiation or surrender? At this point definitive statements are meaningless. I suspect the college sports landscape will be undergoing vast changes. My expectation is HC will continue in its mission to emphasize academics over athletics.
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Post by hcpride on Aug 3, 2022 14:20:09 GMT -5
PL impediment to success? Huh? 3 consecutive championship seasons. 10-2 in 2021 w/1st round win in FCS playoffs. Numerous players lauded. More to come. And, with players who meet the high academics of HC and are true student-athletes. This is failure? Looks to me like the impediment is not impeding. And, the PL has a hook - small high academic colleges who share the same philosophy. Success is relative given that the PL in 2022 is as weak as it's ever been. Lehigh and Lafayette haven't been this bad since the 1960's, while Bucknell and Georgetown are candidates to finish in the bottom 10-15 schools nationwide. The PL continues to atrophy because its philosophy is not sought elsewhere and the member schools' ambitions are low. If and when Fordham decided to step up to the CAA, the PL would be treading water and with no easy substitutes. The Brooks Doctrine still has fans on this board but it continues to be repudiated by every Eastern school that we collectively say "they could fit in the Patriot League". I could see Fordham going CAA (if offered).
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 3, 2022 14:35:22 GMT -5
I’m generally not super interested in conference realignment talk as I’ve always had my doubts as to whether we’d be willing to leave the PL. But there are some interesting schools out there who might be willing to join a Northeast conference, many of whom are in the CAA. As a start, Hofstra, Bryant, Stony Brook, Monmouth, Northeastern, HC, BU, Albany, Fairfield, UNH. At some point, the idea of playing schools near you is going to become attractive again to everyone who is not one of the big dogs in a super conference. As discussed in the past, we’d have to change our mindset re: fielding competitive athletic teams in any new conference sans AI and other self-imposed impediments to on-field success. I'm sure you left out Villanova because you are thinking of an all sport conference and VU is secure in the BE. But for FB, Villanova would be the fourth Pennsylvania and fourth Catholic team in the PL. Schools they have far more in common with than Campbell.
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Post by JRGNYR on Aug 3, 2022 15:57:33 GMT -5
Success is relative given that the PL in 2022 is as weak as it's ever been. Lehigh and Lafayette haven't been this bad since the 1960's, while Bucknell and Georgetown are candidates to finish in the bottom 10-15 schools nationwide. The PL continues to atrophy because its philosophy is not sought elsewhere and the member schools' ambitions are low. If and when Fordham decided to step up to the CAA, the PL would be treading water and with no easy substitutes. The Brooks Doctrine still has fans on this board but it continues to be repudiated by every Eastern school that we collectively say "they could fit in the Patriot League". I could see Fordham going CAA (if offered). Unlikely. CAA has not been looking for more football affiliates. They've been adding full members.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Aug 3, 2022 16:00:16 GMT -5
I could see Fordham going CAA (if offered). Unlikely. CAA has not been looking for more football affiliates. They've been adding full members. Correct. With a football conference of 15 teams right now, there's zero reason to add football affiliates.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Aug 3, 2022 16:02:53 GMT -5
I’m generally not super interested in conference realignment talk as I’ve always had my doubts as to whether we’d be willing to leave the PL. But there are some interesting schools out there who might be willing to join a Northeast conference, many of whom are in the CAA. As a start, Hofstra, Bryant, Stony Brook, Monmouth, Northeastern, HC, BU, Albany, Fairfield, UNH. At some point, the idea of playing schools near you is going to become attractive again to everyone who is not one of the big dogs in a super conference. As discussed in the past, we’d have to change our mindset re: fielding competitive athletic teams in any new conference sans AI and other self-imposed impediments to on-field success. I'm sure you left out Villanova because you are thinking of an all sport conference and VU is secure in the BE. But for FB, Villanova would be the fourth Pennsylvania and fourth Catholic team in the PL. Schools they have far more in common with than Campbell. Villanova has zero interest right now in downgrading football to the PL. They're currently a flagship program in whats still one of the top 3 leagues in FCS. And like I said the Campbell add might LESSEN their travel in football. If the POD setup I hypothesized actually takes place they'll have to travel to Campbell and Maine each maybe once every five years.
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Post by purplehaze on Aug 3, 2022 16:34:41 GMT -5
The CAA might look at a similar scheduling model as the ACC just announced - 3 annual (ideally regional) opponents and the balance of the schedule/opponents spread out over a number of years
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 3, 2022 18:14:15 GMT -5
In other words LINO, league in name only. Where everybody wears a name tag with the correct pronounciation of their school at the league meetings.
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