To piggyback uakronkid's "JMU to MAC imminent" thread, if indeed the Dukes leave the Colonial, which school(s) does the CAA pursue to fill this void? James Madison's departure would leave the CAA with nine all-sports members/11 for football.

I would assume the next school would have to have football. Would it be a southern institution (six CAA football programs are located in Philly or above)?

They should have added Albany and Stony Brook for all sports. Other than that I have no clue who the CAA will add, its not like there is a whole lot out there. I guess they could add Coastal.

Youngstown State. Help the football side out and could be paired with the northeast schools easier.

CAA North
Youngstown State
Maine
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Stony Brook
Albany

CAA South
Delaware
Elon
Towson
Villanova
Richmond
William & Mary

I'd think Coastal would be a choice. Would get another fast-growing Southern market, and they are improving in all sports. Just built new basketball arena, and are very successful in football, baseball, and soccer.

You could have two divisions for all-sports:

CAA:

Charleston
Coastal Carolina
UNCW
Elon
W&M
Towson

Delaware
Northeastern
Hofstra
Stony Brook
Albany
Drexel

You could also get Fairfield or somebody like that.

Coastal would be a solid choice. They wouldn't replace the academic prestige that James Madison would be taking with them but they could continue growing on the fields/courts/arenas.

Furman will be who they go after, again. If rebuffed, again, then Monmouth for the football-only invite, and Fairfield gets the call to send the rest of their programs to join lacrosse.

The story about the Hofstra-Stony thing went a little fuzzy on the Albany thing, especially since it seemed Albany had the support Stony needed, which was still enough of the CAA except certain members. I think Stony Brook and Albany are a package deal if they go.

If JMU leaves, start to look for news about the Patriot and their AI. If it surfaces, expect W&M to finally bolt, with Richmond and Villanova parking football there.

If Coastal gets anything from the CAA, it'll be a football-only invite. I'd expect a lot of flack from people if CCU was getting the looks ahead of the big SUNY schools. UNCW got its geographical relief with CoC and Elon, and I think CoC and Elon walked to make sure they wouldn't be in with CCU types if the SoCon got that depleted from SBC and CAA raids.

I wonder if Davidson is making a mistake staying in the SoCon?

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(02-22-2014 06:27 PM)hburg Wrote:  I wonder if Davidson is making a mistake staying in the SoCon?

This is their last year. They skipped CAA and went straight to the A10.

I'm sure Hofstra and Drexel are over the moon for that one.

Liberty?? If they don't get the Sun Belt invite it would be a good Virginia replacement...

(02-22-2014 06:38 PM)JMUDukeDawg Wrote:  Liberty?? If they don't get the Sun Belt invite it would be a good Virginia replacement...

They were wanted even less than Coastal.

(02-22-2014 06:41 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 06:38 PM)JMUDukeDawg Wrote:  Liberty?? If they don't get the Sun Belt invite it would be a good Virginia replacement...

They were wanted even less than Coastal.

If that's the case, then I would guess the CAA has given up on UR and W&M.

(02-22-2014 06:44 PM)JMUDukeDawg Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 06:41 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 06:38 PM)JMUDukeDawg Wrote:  Liberty?? If they don't get the Sun Belt invite it would be a good Virginia replacement...

They were wanted even less than Coastal.

If that's the case, then I would guess the CAA has given up on UR and W&M.

Those guys don't want Liberty, either. VMI might help things a bit, but I doubt it. Radford might keep the peace, too.

(02-22-2014 12:56 PM)sctvman Wrote:  I'd think Coastal would be a choice. Would get another fast-growing Southern market, and they are improving in all sports. Just built new basketball arena, and are very successful in football, baseball, and soccer.

You could have two divisions for all-sports:

CAA:

Charleston
Coastal Carolina
UNCW
Elon
W&M
Towson

Delaware
Northeastern
Hofstra
Stony Brook
Albany
Fairfield (9,500 seat arena, could boost their basketball)

In lieu of Fairfield, you could also get another SoCon school.

You forgot Drexel so you'll need to take one out. Bish say no way they take CCU. I woulda thought UNCG would have been on his list but I guess not.

(02-22-2014 12:56 PM)sctvman Wrote:  I'd think Coastal would be a choice. Would get another fast-growing Southern market, and they are improving in all sports. Just built new basketball arena, and are very successful in football, baseball, and soccer.

You could have two divisions for all-sports:

CAA:

Charleston
Coastal Carolina
UNCW
Elon
W&M
Towson

Delaware
Northeastern
Hofstra
Stony Brook
Albany
Fairfield (9,500 seat arena, could boost their basketball)

In lieu of Fairfield, you could also get another SoCon school.

I'd think Towson and Delaware would want to be in the same division. I just don't see enough support to go to 12 unless if the remaining CAA membership decides to go ahead and mortally wound America East; if Albany and Stony Brook are coming, so are New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. I just don't see the CAA going above 10 schools.

The flip side is that America East could take this opportunity to help themselves to Towson and Delaware and take control of CAA Football:

America East (*football member):

West - Towson*, Delaware*, UMBC, Binghamton, NJIT, Albany*, Binghamton
East - Maine*, New Hampshire*, Vermont, UMass-Lowell, Hartford, Stony Brook*
Football only - Villanova, Rhode Island

The CAA would be down to seven members, and only two full members who play football (Elon and William & Mary).

• The CAA could keep football by inviting the five Big South members who play it in the conference (Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, Liberty, Presbyterian). Drexel, Hofstra, and Northeastern may not be on board with that, though.
• If William & Mary bolts as well, Elon may join the Big South just to have a place to play football. Charleston returns to the SoCon. Drexel, Hosftra, and Northeastern fight it out for the 12th spot in the Patriot League, the 12th spot in the MAAC, and the 11th and 12th spots in the NEC. All hope the Big East expands and create at least one opening in the Atlantic 10.
• If the CAA decides to rebuild itself post-William & Mary, it can grab one each from the Big South, SoCon, NEC, and MAAC to get back to 8-10 members.
  

(02-22-2014 08:31 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 12:56 PM)sctvman Wrote:  I'd think Coastal would be a choice. Would get another fast-growing Southern market, and they are improving in all sports. Just built new basketball arena, and are very successful in football, baseball, and soccer.

You could have two divisions for all-sports:

CAA:

Charleston
Coastal Carolina
UNCW
Elon
W&M
Towson

Delaware
Northeastern
Hofstra
Stony Brook
Albany
Fairfield (9,500 seat arena, could boost their basketball)

In lieu of Fairfield, you could also get another SoCon school.

I'd think Towson and Delaware would want to be in the same division. I just don't see enough support to go to 12 unless if the remaining CAA membership decides to go ahead and mortally wound America East; if Albany and Stony Brook are coming, so are New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. I just don't see the CAA going above 10 schools.

The flip side is that America East could take this opportunity to help themselves to Towson and Delaware and take control of CAA Football:

America East (*football member):

West - Towson*, Delaware*, UMBC, Binghamton, NJIT, Albany*, Binghamton
East - Maine*, New Hampshire*, Vermont, UMass-Lowell, Hartford, Stony Brook*
Football only - Villanova, Rhode Island

The CAA would be down to seven members, and only two full members who play football (Elon and William & Mary).

• The CAA could keep football by inviting the five Big South members who play it in the conference (Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, Liberty, Presbyterian). Drexel, Hofstra, and Northeastern may not be on board with that, though.
• If William & Mary bolts as well, Elon may join the Big South just to have a place to play football. Charleston returns to the SoCon. Drexel, Hosftra, and Northeastern fight it out for the 12th spot in the Patriot League, the 12th spot in the MAAC, and the 11th and 12th spots in the NEC. All hope the Big East expands and create at least one opening in the Atlantic 10.
• If the CAA decides to rebuild itself post-William & Mary, it can grab one each from the Big South, SoCon, NEC, and MAAC to get back to 8-10 members.
  

It wouldn't mortally wound them, they would add still may soon and NJIT for #10, after they upgraded their facilities and added lax. The loss of UA and SB would cut the AEC down to the 8 w/7 minimum counters needed to keep their AQ. They could also bring in CCSU as long as CAA took them for fb only or if the Big South took their fb. LIU-Post is also looking at moving up. They'd be more for the NEC though.

(02-22-2014 06:38 PM)JMUDukeDawg Wrote:  Liberty?? If they don't get the Sun Belt invite it would be a good Virginia replacement...

If Liberty is looking to go FBS at the first opportunity, why would the CAA want to get them?

(02-22-2014 09:54 PM)tribe_pride Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 06:38 PM)JMUDukeDawg Wrote:  Liberty?? If they don't get the Sun Belt invite it would be a good Virginia replacement...

If Liberty is looking to go FBS at the first opportunity, why would the CAA want to get them?

Fair enough. I would guess the theory would be that if they don't go in this round they won't go for a while.

FBS prospects didn't stop CAA from offering App State a football-only invite. Big difference between the two, but the CAA has done it before...

(02-22-2014 09:54 PM)tribe_pride Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 06:38 PM)JMUDukeDawg Wrote:  Liberty?? If they don't get the Sun Belt invite it would be a good Virginia replacement...

If Liberty is looking to go FBS at the first opportunity, why would the CAA want to get them?

Exit fee money would be the only reason.

There's no exit fee for moving from the CAA to FBS, and a negligible one for moving to another FCS conference.

CAA Football would be fine with only 10 teams. They have 11 now.

Full CAA should have already invited the two SUNYs over as full members. They just need to cut Hofstra's phone line at the next conference call.

And CAA Football should have invited Fordham for football-only back when Northeastern and Hofstra left. Not only would that have stabilized things, it would have prevented the Patriot League from ever going full scholarship and competing for recruits, as well as becoming a potential future threat to lure Richmond, Villanova and W&M over. The CAA got too snobby about Fordham's poor facilities, then ended up having to ask Rhode Island and its even worse facilities to come back. This was back when Old Dominion and Georgia State were starting football teams, and they thought they had a chance to poach Charlotte from the A10.