I’m not sure I fully understand the travel issue like it’s presented here for UNCW. I’m sure it’s an issue. A minor one perhaps in light of all other more pressing issues. It’s not like the travel in CAA is similar to CUSA or other ridiculously stretched conferences. Is 4 hours bus ride that much better than 2 hours flight?

Here is some travel expenses for similar Public schools that have no football or hockey from mid-Atlantic region per CAFI database:

UNCW CAA
2020 $1.64m (11% of Total Expenses)
2019 $2.23m (14%)
2018 $1.92m (10%)

UNCG SoCon
2020 $1.39m (8% of Total Expenses)
2019 $1.62m (9%)
2018 $1.55m (9%)

UMBC AmEast
2020 $1.41m (8% of Total Expenses)
2019 $1.81m (10%)
2018 $1.59m (9%)

May be UNCW spending $0.5m more per year for the flights. Is that saving such a significant amount in light of whole budget/expense?

The only legit reason I totally get is rivalry and fan interest in playing southern schools. Other than that, in 2022, travel is not really an issue unless it’s a stretched from East coast to Texas or Boston to Miami.

(02-13-2022 06:32 PM)EvanJ Wrote:  I don't want more than 12 teams. If Charleston leaves, let one NC school replace them.

Yeah.. and if Both Charleston and UNCW leave, then add one from NC to give Elon a travel partner, and Fairfield from north to give Northeastern a travel partner.

(02-14-2022 01:28 PM)ibby10 Wrote:  I’m not sure I fully understand the travel issue like it’s presented here for UNCW. I’m sure it’s an issue. A minor one perhaps in light of all other more pressing issues. It’s not like the travel in CAA is similar to CUSA or other ridiculously stretched conferences. Is 4 hours bus ride that much better than 2 hours flight?

Here is some travel expenses for similar Public schools that have no football or hockey from mid-Atlantic region per CAFI database:

UNCW CAA
2020 $1.64m (11% of Total Expenses)
2019 $2.23m (14%)
2018 $1.92m (10%)

UNCG SoCon
2020 $1.39m (8% of Total Expenses)
2019 $1.62m (9%)
2018 $1.55m (9%)

UMBC AmEast
2020 $1.41m (8% of Total Expenses)
2019 $1.81m (10%)
2018 $1.59m (9%)

May be UNCW spending $0.5m more per year for the flights. Is that saving such a significant amount in light of whole budget/expense?

The only legit reason I totally get is rivalry and fan interest in playing southern schools. Other than that, in 2022, travel is not really an issue unless it’s a stretched from East coast to Texas or Boston to Miami.

It's not just costs, it's missed classes and hotel rooms. A 2 hour flight also includes hours of check in and wait time as well.

Transportation, hotels, and food on trips are costs. Missed classes matter, but it's impossible to say that a certain amount of missed classes is equivalent to a certain amount of expenses. It's possible to subconsciously think of college athletes as only athletes like pros are and forget about classes, especially among fans who haven't been in school recently.

The travel expenses I put above is not just travel… should have used the exact term they used….“Game Expenses and Travel: Game expenses relate to competition expenses other than travel. Travel relates to spending on transportation, lodging, meals, and incidentals related to preseason, regular season, and post-season competition.”

Anyway, missed classes would be same for either way, no? A team riding bus, either rides back 3/4/5 hours same day or stays at hotel. Similarly a team flying, flies back in 1 or 2 hours or stays at hotel. Differences in travel cost and time missed is really not that substantial for bus trip compared to flight, when flying short-hauls.

I dont expect much more movement until the NCAA figures out what is happening for the landscape of itself. CAA secured itself near term. I expect expansion after the NCAA stuff gets figured out. If the powers do break off into their own little paradise (ha) I could absolutely see the CAA get to 16 to try and rival the A10 as the top horse of the 2 tier of college hoops.

Looks like CAA is adding NCAT soon and probably moving towards 14.

https://csnbbs.com/thread-942518.html

https://hbcugameday.com/2022/02/17/nc-at...ve-to-caa/

Now let’s speculate on the 14th member!

I admit, I was not expecting this to happen this cycle. This addition certainly opens the door for another shoe to drop in terms of an addition to get the conference to 14. I can only assume that Howard is the school that the CAA really wants to pair with NCA&T.

The CAA is now at 13 for full members and 14 for CAA football if NC A&T comes on board as a full member. If the goal is to bring on only full members, the CAA can add one non football school to have 14 full members and 14 for CAA football. But that leaves Delaware in the southern division for football and I can't see that happening. The goal is 16. If we are only adding full members, we need to add one more non football school and two football schools in the south.

I'm still predicting either High Point or UNCG for non football and Campbell and another school that has football. Howard has football, and if you read the NC A&T boards, they want Howard and Hampton in the same south division with them. If Howard and Campbell are added, that would allow Howard, Hampton and NC A&T to all be in the southern division for football. And Howard and Towson would be in the northen division for all other sports.

The addition of NC A&T makes it a whole lot easier for UNCG to say "yes". And now would be their chance since the exit fee will be raised to $2 million in the SoCon going forward. I doubt they could impose the additional $1 million effective immediately. If they don't jump, High Point would come to the CAA in a heartbeat.

That's where I think the CAA is going.

Saw this on a different thread so not my original ideas but I agree with it. CAA football could easily operate at 15 with 3 scheduling divisions of 5 if they can land Howard. There is no conference championship game so you don't necessarily need 2 even divisions.

NORTH
Maine
UNH
URI
Albany
Monmouth

CENTRAL
Stony Brook
Delaware
Villanova
Towson
Howard

SOUTH
Richmond
W&M
Hampton
A&T
Elon

You play your division annually (4 games) plus 2 in each of the the other divisions (4 games)

(02-18-2022 07:52 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Saw this on a different thread so not my original ideas but I agree with it. CAA football could easily operate at 15 with 3 scheduling divisions of 5 if they can land Howard. There is no conference championship game so you don't necessarily need 2 even divisions.

NORTH
Maine
UNH
URI
Albany
Monmouth

CENTRAL
Stony Brook
Delaware
Villanova
Towson
Howard

SOUTH
Richmond
W&M
Hampton
A&T
Elon

You play your division annually (4 games) plus 2 in each of the the other divisions (4 games)

This looks like would work.

(02-18-2022 03:29 PM)ibby10 Wrote:  

(02-18-2022 07:52 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Saw this on a different thread so not my original ideas but I agree with it. CAA football could easily operate at 15 with 3 scheduling divisions of 5 if they can land Howard. There is no conference championship game so you don't necessarily need 2 even divisions.

NORTH
Maine
UNH
URI
Albany
Monmouth

CENTRAL
Stony Brook
Delaware
Villanova
Towson
Howard

SOUTH
Richmond
W&M
Hampton
A&T
Elon

You play your division annually (4 games) plus 2 in each of the the other divisions (4 games)

This looks like would work.

CAA isn't going to separate Hampton, Howard and NC A&T in football. That why we are going to 16.

(02-17-2022 06:20 PM)ibby10 Wrote:  Now let’s speculate on the 14th member!

I posted this over on the Drexel board, but the NC A&T board was shown a slide of proposed divisions. It depicted a north division with seven teams, including Towson.

No. 14 will be a southern school.

(02-19-2022 09:22 AM)JonP Wrote:  

(02-17-2022 06:20 PM)ibby10 Wrote:  Now let’s speculate on the 14th member!

I posted this over on the Drexel board, but the NC A&T board was shown a slide of proposed divisions. It depicted a north division with seven teams, including Towson.

No. 14 will be a southern school.

I’m starting to think the same.

(02-19-2022 09:22 AM)JonP Wrote:  

(02-17-2022 06:20 PM)ibby10 Wrote:  Now let’s speculate on the 14th member!

I posted this over on the Drexel board, but the NC A&T board was shown a slide of proposed divisions. It depicted a north division with seven teams, including Towson.

No. 14 will be a southern school.

Makes sense. If we stay at 14 it will have to be a non football school. I still think UNCG is in play, and after that High Point or maybe Radford. Could be a surprise out of South Carolina as well.

I'm pulling for Winthrop. If they previously turned down the idea I'm hoping they reconsider now that a tight Southern division is in place

Another team that hasn't been mentioned that I would support would be Central. They are a school with football but prioritize basketball

(02-21-2022 09:46 AM)82hawk Wrote:  With NC A&T

South(6) - Hampton, W&M, A&T, Elon, UNCW, CofC
North(7) - Stony Brook, Hofstra, NU, Drexel, Monmouth, Delaware, Towson

CAA Football (14)

North(7) - Villanova, Stony Brook, Monmouth, Rhode Island, Maine, Albany, New Hampshire
South(7)- Elon, NC A&T, W&M, Hampton, Richmond, Delaware, Towson(Campbell and Howard. Move Delaware to North.

I am confident Delaware does not want to play in that southern division in football. Which means we'd need to add two southern football schools and one southern non football school to get to 16.

Still feel this is where we end up for full membership:

South - Hampton, W&M, A&T, Elon, UNCW, CofC, Campbell +(UNCG or High Point or NC Central)
North - Stony Brook, Hofstra, NU, Drexel, Monmouth, Delaware, Howard, Towson.

I've added in NC Central as a possible non football school. Right around 8,000 students and located in the Raleigh/Durham area as an HBCU. Solid basketball program over time. Not sure why, but I just get the feeling the CAA is going after the HBCU's hard for multiple reasons.

If the CAA had Hampton, Howard, NC A&T and North Carolina Central, the CAA becomes a defacto HBCU conference which would be HIGHLY attractive to ESPN and other sports networks. From purely a business perspective it could be huge for the conference. Four HBCU's could also of

The more I think about it the more I like the idea of bringing on Central. While they are a football school, they prioritize Hoops.

If you had Central, A&T, and Hampton, I gotta think Howard would feel more comfortable about their HBCU legacy being protected while getting exposure in prime markets and keeping travel costs low. Creative scheduling can ensure they play southern division HBCU schools an appropriate number of times.

For the non football school, I'd still really like to get Winthrop to get into Charlotte.
I'm going to say something unpopular.
Those Queens University to CAA rumors make a lot of sense now, as they would fit well as private, non football school that would get us in Charlotte.
I would 1000x rather have Winthrop, but if Winthrop says no, Queens fits what we need.
With UNCG out, if Winthrop won't join, you could argue Queens makes more sense than High Point.

8 Team CAA South (Tidewater, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh/Durham, Wilmington, Charleston)
W&M, Hampton, Winthrop/Queens, Elon, A&T, Central, UNCW, Charleston

8 Team CAA South Football
Towson, Howard, Hampton, A&T, Central, W&M, Richmond, Elon

Queens makes no sense now or ever.

(02-21-2022 12:59 PM)dan10 Wrote:  Queens makes no sense now or ever.

Be that as it may....

The Big South and ASun don't need anymore non football schools. Only 1 conference needs a NC non football school to fill the slot.

Queens just had an affirmative D1 vote

The stars seem to be aligning

(02-21-2022 02:32 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(02-21-2022 12:59 PM)dan10 Wrote:  Queens makes no sense now or ever.

Be that as it may....

The Big South and ASun don't need anymore non football schools. Only 1 conference needs a NC non football school to fill the slot.

Queens just had an affirmative D1 vote

The stars seem to be aligning

If UNC Charlotte can't get the "Charlotte" market, i'm certain Queens College is less well known than some of the local high schools. They would be an awful addition, especially as a brand new D1 school We have far too many options, including a skyrocketing High Point.