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Post by Crucis#1 on Sept 14, 2023 11:27:21 GMT -5
William & Mary fans want Holy Cross to be an all-sports add to replace Delaware if they leave. You guys game? Can you provide the link to the thread? Thanks
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Post by cruskater31 on Sept 14, 2023 12:02:48 GMT -5
William & Mary fans want Holy Cross to be an all-sports add to replace Delaware if they leave. You guys game? I would be happy in the CAA, particularly if they went back to divisions or pods. I do complain about having to play Bucky and Georgetown, so I would rather not have to play some of the recent adds such as Campbell and NC A&T. I think the reputation of the CAA is still very strong. W&M, Richmond, UNH, URI, and Elon should have excellent seasons, and Maine looks to be rebuilding after some terrific runs a few years ago. Currently there are 15 members, Bryant coming in next year. If HC were to replace Delaware, that would ensure 16 teams and the potential of 2 eight team divisions or 4 four team pods. I know there are some on here who vehemently love the PL and some who support a sort of new northeast/yankee type conference with northern members from the NEC, PL, and CAA. I certainly would be open minded about the possibility. With divisions, the furthest South/west HC would have to travel is once every two years to either Nova or Monmouth. This year we have trips to Bethlehem and Lewisburg. South: W&M, Hampton, Elon, NC A&T, Richmond, Campbell, Towson either Villanova or Monmouth. North: Maine, UNH, Holy Cross, URI, Bryant, Albany, Stony Brook, either Villanova or Monmouth.
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hc69
Crusader Century Club
Posts: 224
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Post by hc69 on Sept 14, 2023 12:40:46 GMT -5
Short answer: no. Long answer: no.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Sept 14, 2023 13:15:27 GMT -5
Short answer: no. Long answer: no. Ain't happening, and exponentially even more so given they want HC for all sports. The only New England school in the all sports CAA is Northeastern.
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Post by trimster on Sept 14, 2023 13:31:00 GMT -5
Athletically andI know there is more to it than just sports, neither the CAA nor the PL does much for me. The former has become too bloated and the latter has hardly ever piqued my interest.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 14, 2023 14:31:10 GMT -5
If it were the CAA of 10 or so years ago, yes. Hampton? NC A&T? Campbell? No thank you. You forgot Elon. (Unless Musk funds travel for all opponents🙂)
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 14, 2023 14:39:13 GMT -5
If the PL were to end I'd hope it would be as close to a velvet divorce as possible with all the members feeling at least decent about their next partners. Of course most conference changes are jagged and rough.
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Post by gks on Sept 14, 2023 15:07:29 GMT -5
Short answer: no. Long answer: no. Ain't happening, and exponentially even more so given they want HC for all sports. The only New England school in the all sports CAA is Northeastern. The only New England school in the Patriot League for all sports is Holy Cross. Moot.
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Post by drjack on Sept 14, 2023 16:57:15 GMT -5
I'd still rather pull some schools from the CAA than the other way around. Hell, I'd love to add Fordham as an all sports member.
On the other hand I'm also not fully sold on the PL. I'm fine with it, but I don't think I'd be incredibly sad if something were to happen to it (as long as we had a landing spot).
I guess I could be swayed either way. But really, just kick BU out because they don't fit at all and their inclusion just annoys me, not see them as our rival.
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Post by DFW HOYA on Sept 14, 2023 18:02:49 GMT -5
Leagues may come and leagues may go but our much admired Patriot League continues on. Stability with a high academic profile. Doesn't get much better for HC and our fellow PL institutions. Not very good for Georgetown and Bucknell, but I digress. HC should hope that the CAA doesn't replace Delaware with a PL school....Fordham comes to mind.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 15, 2023 1:31:03 GMT -5
What are the transaction costs (exit and entrance fees) to move? The Rams played their first home game after their playoff season against nearby Wagner in front of 3147 so they wouldn't be moving from a position of strength, more desperation to escape HC domination.
If the Fordham MBB move to the A-10 is a guide, be prepared to be underwhelmed by their FB success in a supposedly more competitive league for awhile. If they leave the PL, I guess HC would just bolt the Ram-Crusader Cup to the shelf in the trophy case and move on. But that would likely require a new team in the PL so I hope the Rams don't leave.
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mainejeff
Climbing Mt. St. James
UMaine Sports Forum: https://umainesports.freeforums.net
Posts: 77
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Post by mainejeff on Sept 15, 2023 7:02:28 GMT -5
I'd still rather pull some schools from the CAA than the other way around. Hell, I'd love to add Fordham as an all sports member. On the other hand I'm also not fully sold on the PL. I'm fine with it, but I don't think I'd be incredibly sad if something were to happen to it (as long as we had a landing spot). I guess I could be swayed either way. But really, just kick BU out because they don't fit at all and their inclusion just annoys me, not see them as our rival. BU fit better in America East than they do in the Patriot. Since they are a pretty big research university....I'm not sure what the big attraction of the Patriot was....maybe recruiting students from rural PA?
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Post by cruskater31 on Sept 15, 2023 7:45:48 GMT -5
What are the transaction costs (exit and entrance fees) to move? The Rams played their first home game after their playoff season against nearby Wagner in front of 3147 so they wouldn't be moving from a position of strength, more desperation to escape HC domination. If the Fordham MBB move to the A-10 is a guide, be prepared to be underwhelmed by their FB success in a supposedly more competitive league for awhile. If they leave the PL, I guess HC would just bolt the Ram-Crusader Cup to the shelf in the trophy case and move on. But that would likely require a new team in the PL so I hope the Rams don't leave. I am not as knowledgeable about men's hoops as others on here, but I do believe the A-10 is a stronger hoops conference at the moment. I would think Fordham might push to be added to the CAA as a football only member and I am not sure if that aligns with the CAA's intentions. Going to be interesting if Delaware moves up!
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 15, 2023 7:56:06 GMT -5
A-10 was considered a major basketball conference by some including my brother-in-law. I showed him one source that placed it as a mid major conference a few years ago and he referenced another that had it grouped with the major conferences. Fordham could go many ways but perhaps the PL is it's best route to the FCS playoffs. HC in front of it was not an impediment last year.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Sept 15, 2023 11:07:40 GMT -5
What are the transaction costs (exit and entrance fees) to move? The Rams played their first home game after their playoff season against nearby Wagner in front of 3147 so they wouldn't be moving from a position of strength, more desperation to escape HC domination. If the Fordham MBB move to the A-10 is a guide, be prepared to be underwhelmed by their FB success in a supposedly more competitive league for awhile. If they leave the PL, I guess HC would just bolt the Ram-Crusader Cup to the shelf in the trophy case and move on. But that would likely require a new team in the PL so I hope the Rams don't leave. I am not as knowledgeable about men's hoops as others on here, but I do believe the A-10 is a stronger hoops conference at the moment. I would think Fordham might push to be added to the CAA as a football only member and I am not sure if that aligns with the CAA's intentions. Going to be interesting if Delaware moves up! In theory CAA has zero need for football affiliates. Of course I've been saying that and they just recently added Bryant as such. However, IMO they are grooming Bryant to eventually join as an all-sports member. Delaware may leave for an FBS league and Charleston could be a candidate for the Atlantic 10 in near future. And lonely Northeastern remains in need of a travel partner. If I'm the CAA I'm approaching HC before I approach Fordham since we would be an all-sports potential member whereas Fordham would not.
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Post by bfoley82 on Sept 15, 2023 11:16:45 GMT -5
I am not as knowledgeable about men's hoops as others on here, but I do believe the A-10 is a stronger hoops conference at the moment. I would think Fordham might push to be added to the CAA as a football only member and I am not sure if that aligns with the CAA's intentions. Going to be interesting if Delaware moves up! In theory CAA has zero need for football affiliates. Of course I've been saying that and they just recently added Bryant as such. However, IMO they are grooming Bryant to eventually join as an all-sports member. Delaware may leave for an FBS league and Charleston could be a candidate for the Atlantic 10 in near future. And lonely Northeastern remains in need of a travel partner. If I'm the CAA I'm approaching HC before I approach Fordham since we would be an all-sports potential member whereas Fordham would not. Hofstra is a quick flight from Northeastern...
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hc69
Crusader Century Club
Posts: 224
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Post by hc69 on Sept 15, 2023 11:24:21 GMT -5
Any FCS AD who suggests to his president that now is the time to go FBS with all the chaos there is in FBS should be fired on the spot for incompetence. No one knows what the FBS landscape will look like in five years, except it won't look like what it looks like now. Not only can they not see the light at the end of the tunnel, they can't even find the tunnel.
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mainejeff
Climbing Mt. St. James
UMaine Sports Forum: https://umainesports.freeforums.net
Posts: 77
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Post by mainejeff on Sept 15, 2023 12:28:29 GMT -5
Remind me what the big attraction of joining the CAA will be....especially minus a Delaware? Schools like Bryant and Albany have no reason to join another 1 bid conference with greater travel and increased expenses. On top of that the conference keeps moving South and has a horrible deal with Flo Sports. If the CAA were dangling the football membership carrot....I could understand jumping at that....but both Bryant and Albany already possess CAA Football membership. Maybe some of you will disagree but I honestly think that America East is pretty stable as well.....definitely more stable than the CAA. AE is also improving in multiple sports as well as large athletic facility infrastructure projects underway at various campuses (Albany, Maine, UNH and Bryant).
I see the Ivy, Patriot and America East as the top 3 mid-major leagues in the East.....well see how everything plays out.
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mainejeff
Climbing Mt. St. James
UMaine Sports Forum: https://umainesports.freeforums.net
Posts: 77
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Post by mainejeff on Sept 15, 2023 12:33:28 GMT -5
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Sept 15, 2023 13:01:21 GMT -5
Remind me what the big attraction of joining the CAA will be....especially minus a Delaware? Schools like Bryant and Albany have no reason to join another 1 bid conference with greater travel and increased expenses. On top of that the conference keeps moving South and has a horrible deal with Flo Sports. If the CAA were dangling the football membership carrot....I could understand jumping at that....but both Bryant and Albany already possess CAA Football membership. Maybe some of you will disagree but I honestly think that America East is pretty stable as well.....definitely more stable than the CAA. AE is also improving in multiple sports as well as large athletic facility infrastructure projects underway at various campuses (Albany, Maine, UNH and Bryant). I see the Ivy, Patriot and America East as the top 3 mid-major leagues in the East.....well see how everything plays out. I think an America East Football Conference would be a great idea and would be down for HC to join in all sports if it were to happen and if we could leverage those relationships to get into Men's Hockey East.
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Post by Ignutz on Sept 15, 2023 13:43:48 GMT -5
I'd still rather pull some schools from the CAA than the other way around. Hell, I'd love to add Fordham as an all sports member. On the other hand I'm also not fully sold on the PL. I'm fine with it, but I don't think I'd be incredibly sad if something were to happen to it (as long as we had a landing spot). I guess I could be swayed either way. But really, just kick BU out because they don't fit at all and their inclusion just annoys me, not see them as our rival. Agreed re: BU. I wouldn’t miss American either.
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Post by Chu Chu on Sept 15, 2023 14:45:52 GMT -5
We are in the right league now, IMO. Consider that we are currently able to schedule a large number of attractive, out of conference opponents, several other league opponents are getting better (just look at lat weeks results), and we have had great success on the national stage. Things are good.
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Post by fillfittonfield on Sept 15, 2023 16:25:17 GMT -5
Remind me what the big attraction of joining the CAA will be....especially minus a Delaware? Schools like Bryant and Albany have no reason to join another 1 bid conference with greater travel and increased expenses. On top of that the conference keeps moving South and has a horrible deal with Flo Sports. If the CAA were dangling the football membership carrot....I could understand jumping at that....but both Bryant and Albany already possess CAA Football membership. Maybe some of you will disagree but I honestly think that America East is pretty stable as well.....definitely more stable than the CAA. AE is also improving in multiple sports as well as large athletic facility infrastructure projects underway at various campuses (Albany, Maine, UNH and Bryant). I see the Ivy, Patriot and America East as the top 3 mid-major leagues in the East.....well see how everything plays out. I think an America East Football Conference would be a great idea and would be down for HC to join in all sports if it were to happen and if we could leverage those relationships to get into Men's Hockey East. NY: Posters on this board and AGS have debated/discussed this topic often over the years. Usually the conversation occurs during the slow off-season. Since this topic is active again (because of the recent articles about Delaware), I’ll chime in with my $0.02 and share a development in my recent thinking. I’ve always valued your comments/insights and was bullish on the idea that you share here and that you’ve shared in the past on AGS. A potential AE football conference you describe would be more fun for me (from a fan’s perspective) and would be a good step up in competition. However, I am starting to have 2nd thoughts and am holding out hope for “a bigger change.” Hear me out: If Delaware leaves the CAA for greener pastures, I think the following will happen: 1) Nova is going to take a closer look at their football affiliation with the CAA. 2) Unlike what other posters think, I strongly believe they will NOT follow Delaware and make the move to FBS. 3) Nova will “look at the board” and realize that their real peers in football (after Delaware leaving for FBS) should be W&M and Richmond. 4) I believe that Nova will then “back channel” with those two schools. 5) Once they’ve conferred, all 3 will approach the PL and discuss the possibility of a merger (under certain conditions, such as allowing non medical redshirts) 6) I think the PL will be pressured by Fordham and HC to agree to most of the demands from “the Big 3.” 7) The big 3 will agree to join the PL. Georgetown will exit stage right (probably will head to Pioneer) and Bucknell will be told to “step up and adapt” or look for a new conference. 8) We pop the champagne and celebrate this wonderful new version of the PL!
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Post by Chu Chu on Sept 15, 2023 17:29:00 GMT -5
fillfittonfield, I want to try what you have been smoking! That would be a lot of fun!
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Post by cruskater31 on Sept 15, 2023 17:57:38 GMT -5
fillfittonfield, I want to try what you have been smoking! That would be a lot of fun! I'm in on that new league! Perhaps a couple other New England schools would join.
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