(08-09-2022 07:58 AM)jcohen42 Wrote: (08-08-2022 07:58 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote: CAA North (Yankee Conference)
Full (6): Albany, Delaware, Maine, Monmouth, New Hampshire, Stony Brook
NFB (4): Drexel, Hofstra, Northeastern, Vermont
FB-only (2): Rhode Island, Villanova
CAA South (CAA)
Full (7): Campbell, Elon, Hampton, Howard, NC A&T, Towson, William & Mary
NFB (3): Charleston, High Point, UNC Wilmington
FB-only (1): Richmond
The split CAA is one of my favorite thought experiments, so it's interesting to see another take on it. That said, I think there are a couple issues with your proposal. Notably:
- Maine is a bad add. I don't think any of the current northern schools are interested in adding Maine as a full member. That likely rules out UNH as well.
- Without UNH and Maine, no shot they add Vermont. Vermont only leaves the AE for the A10.
- I cannot see Towson being happy being separated from the North. Their travel is much easier in that direction than going down to the Carolinas every other week. Howard makes sense from the HCBU angle, at least.
- I don't know if there is a strong need to separate out the football leagues. CAA Football can operate as a single entity just fine, since they're not competing for a single autobid. That allows Richmond to stay with Villanova.
One of the reasons the northern schools left the AE in the first place was to get away from trips to Orono to play a perpetual SOS anchor. I just cannot imagine they are itching to restore those annual trips.
How about something like this?
CAA North (Yankee Conference)
Full (5): Albany, Delaware, Monmouth, Stony Brook, Towson
NFB (4): Drexel, Hofstra, Northeastern, UMBC
FB-only (4): Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Villanova
CAA South (CAA)
Full (7): Campbell, Elon, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Howard, NC A&T, William & Mary
NFB (3): Charleston, UNC Wilmington, Winthrop
FB-only (1): Richmond
America East
NFB (9): Binghamton, Bryant, LIU, Maine, New Hampshire, NJIT, Sacred Heart, UMass Lowell, Vermont
Big South
Full (4): Charleston Southern, NC Central, Norfolk State, SC State
NFB (6): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate
FB-only (3): Bryant, LIU, Sacred Heart
NEC
Full (7): CCSU, Delaware State, Merrimack, Morgan State, St. Francis-PA, Stonehill, Wagner
NFB (4): Coppin State, FDU, St. Francis-NY, UMES
FB-only (1): Duquesne
OVC
Full (5): Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (4): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville, Southern Indiana
FB-only (1): Robert Morris
(Tennessee State to ASUN)
As for splitting up the CAA's FB schools, why maintain a single-autobid FCS league of 15-17 schools if you don't have to? Also, I didn't think there was a strong Richmond/Villanova FB rivalry, but if so they can still play OOC.