(08-09-2019 07:10 PM)Bogg Wrote:  Fordham would be much better served competing for Patriot League titles than they are in the A-10 basement. There are very real reasons they should look at that move as a positive for the school rather than a demotion.

Let's be fair, it would be a demotion. Half of the PL (five of ten schools) average fewer than 950 a game and the overall league average is under 1,200.

It was Fordham who won the first two PL basketball tournaments and made haste to the A-10 in 1992.

(08-09-2019 07:27 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(08-09-2019 07:10 PM)Bogg Wrote:  Fordham would be much better served competing for Patriot League titles than they are in the A-10 basement. There are very real reasons they should look at that move as a positive for the school rather than a demotion.

Let's be fair, it would be a demotion. Half of the PL (five of ten schools) average fewer than 950 a game and the overall league average is under 1,200.

It was Fordham who won the first two PL basketball tournaments and made haste to the A-10 in 1992.

Fordham joined the A-10 in 1995 and they've had 2 winning seasons since. If they're not going to invest in basketball enough to even be a middle of the road A-10 program they can serve themselves better winning 20 games in a more academically prestigious conference and they'd actually make it to the NCAA tournament two or three times a decade.

(08-09-2019 01:06 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(08-09-2019 12:58 PM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote:  UMBC has greater potential.

Perhaps, but they have a long way to go. They've only been to two NCAA tournaments since moving up from D2. An historic upset and a fun social-media presence does not a burgeoning mid-major power make. If the A-10 is a stretch goal, which I presume it is for most non-football D1 East Coast schools, a stop in the CAA would bolster their case, but that's going to be a hard sell with Towson already in the neighborhood.

UMBC has a good, young head coach, and the school is located in a talent rich area. With long-term administrative support and better competition, UMBC has the potential of becoming another VCU. The school can even play "big" games at Royal Farms Arena in downtown Baltimore, which has a capacity of 14,000.

(08-09-2019 12:56 PM)Bogg Wrote:  

(08-07-2019 04:52 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Vermont to the CAA maybe, that's far more realistic. They need to make at least one Sweet 16 before advancing to the A-10.

I don't know that the CAA really does anything for Vermont other than put their teams on planes more often. The geography and institutions in America East all make a lot of sense for Vermont to associate with, and if you're a one-bid conference either way you're better off being geographically compact. If Vermont had a chance at the A-10 (and I think the A-10 would need a serious round of defections before they expand again) then sure, but CAA seems functionally lateral for Vermont.

Vermont is always good in a revenue sport. Do better at it and garner more publicity for the
school and state. Look what it has done for NDSU and North Dakota.

Vermont would make a good travel partner for Northeastern should the CAA split into north-south divisions and add another southern school. It would work well with a 16 game conference schedule.

(08-11-2019 11:13 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Vermont would make a good travel partner for Northeastern should the CAA split into north-south divisions and add another southern school. It would work well with a 16 game conference schedule.

And if they were to add a southern school, Winthrop would be on the short list.

(08-11-2019 11:13 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Vermont would make a good travel partner for Northeastern should the CAA split into north-south divisions and add another southern school. It would work well with a 16 game conference schedule.

Who would be the travel partner for Hofstra?

(08-09-2019 08:00 PM)Bogg Wrote:  

(08-09-2019 07:27 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(08-09-2019 07:10 PM)Bogg Wrote:  Fordham would be much better served competing for Patriot League titles than they are in the A-10 basement. There are very real reasons they should look at that move as a positive for the school rather than a demotion.

Let's be fair, it would be a demotion. Half of the PL (five of ten schools) average fewer than 950 a game and the overall league average is under 1,200.

It was Fordham who won the first two PL basketball tournaments and made haste to the A-10 in 1992.

Fordham joined the A-10 in 1995 and they've had 2 winning seasons since. If they're not going to invest in basketball enough to even be a middle of the road A-10 program they can serve themselves better winning 20 games in a more academically prestigious conference and they'd actually make it to the NCAA tournament two or three times a decade.

I feel like Fordham has tried to make decent hires. They had Whittenburg, which was a name, and then the dude from Hofstra that got a DUI.

(08-11-2019 06:41 PM)Florida tribe fan Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 11:13 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Vermont would make a good travel partner for Northeastern should the CAA split into north-south divisions and add another southern school. It would work well with a 16 game conference schedule.

Who would be the travel partner for Hofstra?

Drexel. Philly to NYC aint that bad

(08-11-2019 07:45 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 06:41 PM)Florida tribe fan Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 11:13 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Vermont would make a good travel partner for Northeastern should the CAA split into north-south divisions and add another southern school. It would work well with a 16 game conference schedule.

Who would be the travel partner for Hofstra?

Drexel. Philly to NYC aint that bad

Drexel is Delaware’s travel partner.

(08-11-2019 08:26 PM)Florida tribe fan Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 07:45 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 06:41 PM)Florida tribe fan Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 11:13 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Vermont would make a good travel partner for Northeastern should the CAA split into north-south divisions and add another southern school. It would work well with a 16 game conference schedule.

Who would be the travel partner for Hofstra?

Drexel. Philly to NYC aint that bad

Drexel is Delaware’s travel partner.

It would be unbalanced if they joined right now, so obviously travel partners would be screwed up. They would have to be added with someone else for the travel partners to be balanced.

(08-11-2019 08:26 PM)Florida tribe fan Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 07:45 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 06:41 PM)Florida tribe fan Wrote:  

(08-11-2019 11:13 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Vermont would make a good travel partner for Northeastern should the CAA split into north-south divisions and add another southern school. It would work well with a 16 game conference schedule.

Who would be the travel partner for Hofstra?

Drexel. Philly to NYC aint that bad

Drexel is Delaware’s travel partner.

Delaware and Towson would work as travel partners

Vermont-Northeastern
Hofstra-Drexel
Delaware-Towson
JMU-W&M
Elon-UNCG/Winthrop
UNCW/Charleston

I feel like anytime something comes up about why a program isn't in Patriot, it's an instant trigger for blaming AI. From how it sounds, they aren't an easy group to work with. They're a picky bunch.

I wish Fordham would leave the A10, or the A10 dump them, but I know why they aren't lining up with Patriot. How's life been for Boston hoops since joining PL?

(08-12-2019 04:35 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  I wish Fordham would leave the A10, or the A10 dump them, but I know why they aren't lining up with Patriot. How's life been for Boston hoops since joining PL?

Up and down, same as it was in America East?

Not sure why Fordham never went for Tim Cluess; it's in the same city and step-up in competition. They would be fun to watch in the A-10

Someone has to occupy the basement (looking at you guys still living at home).

But seriously, what the Hell incentivized the A-10 to take Fordham. The league would be 4 times better without them and about 2-3 other schools constantly bringing down the ratings in basketball.

Them Jesuit schools look out for each other. At its corex the A10 is like the Big east and favors the private schools that focus on basketball. Being in the heart of NYC didnt hurt

I grasped as much but it was a dumb move. It barely pre-dates my days of actively watching college basketball, I guess the A-10 hadn't quite arrived like it did in the mid-to-late 90's.

(08-12-2019 06:51 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  I grasped as much but it was a dumb move. It barely pre-dates my days of actively watching college basketball, I guess the A-10 hadn't quite arrived like it did in the mid-to-late 90's.

It got the conference into New York, and the affiliation with other private schools seemed to fit. I'm sure, academically, very few say no to Fordham. They were looking, the A10 bought in.

(08-13-2019 02:47 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(08-12-2019 06:51 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  I grasped as much but it was a dumb move. It barely pre-dates my days of actively watching college basketball, I guess the A-10 hadn't quite arrived like it did in the mid-to-late 90's.

It got the conference into New York, and the affiliation with other private schools seemed to fit. I'm sure, academically, very few say no to Fordham. They were looking, the A10 bought in.

Plus it’s a pretty big school for being private and they fit the profile.

I know the A10 was looking to replace Penn State, and Virginia Tech was way up there on the list, but they ended up staying in the Metro when Louisville committed to stay. I think the actual PSU replacement team was Xavier. Then Rutgers and WVU left and were replaced with Fordham and Dayton. At some point they went expansion crazy and added VaTech, Richmond, and maybe some other school I can’t think of.