Assuming Stony Brook, Hampton, and Monmouth go to the CAA, and the MAAC responds by adding two schools (both have been speculated heavily), I see the following possible scenario playing out:

I think the MAAC will raid the NEC for Wagner and Mt. St. Mary's (arguably the two best basketball schools in the NEC).

The trend is to move to 12 schools, so I feel the AEC will move in that direction as well.

They add Merrimack, Sacred Heart, CCSU, and Bryant to get to 12.

The 8 schools of the MEAC merge with the 4 remaining schools in the NEC to form a 12-team league (name unknown).

Hmm…you left out the big NEC school LIU. I think they end up getting snagged by someone if things go south for the NEC.

Here's the really interesting question: would the Patriot League invite Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and maybe Albany to grab flagships.

Edit: New Hampshire and Maine would still play CAA football.

(01-19-2022 09:33 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Here's the really interesting question: would the Patriot League invite Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and maybe Albany to grab flagships.

Edit: New Hampshire and Maine would still play CAA football.

Duquesne seems like it would actually be a natural fit for the Patriot League, they can basically follow the Fordham template of A-10 all sports member while parking football in an academically prestigious and relatively compact conference.

If the MAAC really wants to go to 12 and the AEC is bleeding Stony Brook the NEC’s 10 could be in trouble. The question becomes how deep does the NEC get cut.

(01-19-2022 09:33 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Here's the really interesting question: would the Patriot League invite Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and maybe Albany to grab flagships.

Edit: New Hampshire and Maine would still play CAA football.

I don’t see that at all. The Patriot League has one of the clearest institutional fit identities out there with its focus on highly-ranked private schools.

I wouldn’t count on America East going to 12. That’s traditionally been one of the most conservative conferences when it comes to realignment. They stuck with 9 for years.

Schools in the northeast that can be targeted.

Post U. private and they just turned their sprint team to varsity football.
Thomas Jefferson private
Mercy private
Molloy private
Pace private Can we have some chips with Pace Peconti Sauce?
Adelphi private
New Haven private looking to D1.
Bentley private rumored to want to go D1.
Saint Rose private
Le Moyne private
Stonehill private
University of Charleston
Queens public
Staten Island Public
Southern Connecticutt State public
West Chester public
Indiana, Pa. public
Kutztown public
Rowan Public

There are a lot of large schools in the northeast.

(01-19-2022 09:19 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Assuming Stony Brook, Hampton, and Monmouth go to the CAA, and the MAAC responds by adding two schools (both have been speculated heavily), I see the following possible scenario playing out:

I think the MAAC will raid the NEC for Wagner and Mt. St. Mary's (arguably the two best basketball schools in the NEC).

The trend is to move to 12 schools, so I feel the AEC will move in that direction as well.

They add Merrimack, Sacred Heart, CCSU, and Bryant to get to 12.

The 8 schools of the MEAC merge with the 4 remaining schools in the NEC to form a 12-team league (name unknown).

Eastern Athletic Conference???

What’s the point of these 1 bid leagues expanding and making it harder for each team to make the tournament?

(01-19-2022 10:19 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  Schools in the northeast that can be targeted.

Post U. private and they just turned their sprint team to varsity football.
Thomas Jefferson private
Mercy private
Molloy private
Pace private Can we have some chips with Pace Peconti Sauce?
Adelphi private
New Haven private looking to D1.
Bentley private rumored to want to go D1.
Saint Rose private
Le Moyne private
Stonehill private
University of Charleston
Queens public
Staten Island Public
Southern Connecticutt State public
West Chester public
Indiana, Pa. public
Kutztown public
Rowan Public

There are a lot of large schools in the northeast.

U Charleston is private and out of the way. The only WV schools that might be NE are Shepherd and West Liberty St.

(01-20-2022 06:25 AM)AuzGrams Wrote:  What’s the point of these 1 bid leagues expanding and making it harder for each team to make the tournament?

Stability. By having a large conference, you can have some members poached and still be in a good spot.

Based on some suggestions, I updated my potential dominoes:

Wagner and LIU to the MAAC

CCSU and Merrimack to the AEC

That leaves the NEC with 6 schools and the MEAC with 8. Chicago State and New Haven are swirling like hawks. If Chicago State goes to the MEAC, they might be fine with 9. However, the NEC would only be at 7 with New Haven. In theory, they would have to add 1-3 D2 schools to stay afloat.

Are there any of the many private NE schools a candidate to adopt the Marist football model?

(01-20-2022 06:25 AM)AuzGrams Wrote:  What’s the point of these 1 bid leagues expanding and making it harder for each team to make the tournament?

There is none.

And these schools leaving the NEC would play football... where?

(01-20-2022 11:35 AM)ccd494 Wrote:  And these schools leaving the NEC would play football... where?

With Hampton, Monmouth, and the ASun schools leaving, I would think the Big South

(01-20-2022 10:52 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Based on some suggestions, I updated my potential dominoes:

Wagner and LIU to the MAAC

CCSU and Merrimack to the AEC

That leaves the NEC with 6 schools and the MEAC with 8. Chicago State and New Haven are swirling like hawks. If Chicago State goes to the MEAC, they might be fine with 9. However, the NEC would only be at 7 with New Haven. In theory, they would have to add 1-3 D2 schools to stay afloat.

The MAAC has spoken before about not wanting large-enrollment schools. LIU would be a change in strategy.

Been asking around today...hearing multiple AE ADs are really against CCSU.

(01-20-2022 12:20 PM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  Been asking around today...hearing multiple AE ADs are really against CCSU.

That's rough for CCSU

Did they give reasons? Such a natural fit