Fordham to CAA Talk Heating Up

[BlueHen86]

It already is too big, but 12 teams worked. I think when they get to 14 teams a split becomes a real posibility.

FWIW - I think the bigger the CAA gets, the more valid the complaints that every doesn't play everyone else become. So far I think that has been a non-issue since everyone plays enough conference games to weed out the fraud teams. 14 teams makes it a real posibility that a team can sneak into the playoffs by avoiding the conference powers and finishing with a good record.

Hen, do you think with the talk that the expansion of the playoffs wont stop with 20 but rather expand again to 24, that the time for a CAA split makes sense? That way you could easily have another AQ and at large without adding additional teams?

Yes. I think you raise a good point. I've always thought that once the playoffs expand beyond 16 teams that they will eventually reach 32 teams. A split where both CAA conferences could have an AQ makes sense.

[JMUpurplehazed]

I like the NYC PR and a bigger footprint in the North East...Fordam's commitment to solid athletics

...this talk about Stonybrook in the CAA Albany I go either way on that one...

GO DUKES

[BlueHen86]

I like the NYC PR and a bigger footprint in the North East...Fordam's commitment to solid athletics

...this talk about Stonybrook in the CAA Albany I go either way on that one...

GO DUKES

I don't know much about Stony Brook, I think Albany would be a nice addition.

[danefan]

I've said all along that Fordham is the most logical choice for the CAA if they are just looking for somone to come in and take up the space Northeastern used to take up.

They have the budget all though I'm not 100% sure the school is behind making the institutional committment to "big time" FCS football. The CAA approaching Fordham may just force the PL's hand to scholarship.

Stony Brook has some serious money issues right now. They have a new president coming in who has said they will be reducing athletic spending. They spend more than Buffalo who is in the MAC. SBU spends $22 million a year on athletics and they have had very little success. Buffalo spends $19 million and funds an FBS team. SBU's lifeline (NYS Senator Ken Lavalle) has run dry as Lavalle is no longer in the majority party and doesn't have the power to unilaterally dump money into SBU.

[LastMinuteman]

Until such time as the North or South leader is left out of the playoffs, the AQ is meaningless. And with 2 additional at-large spots being added next year with a third spot on the horizon (assuming the PFL gets an AQ), the possibility of being left out of the playoffs becomes less and less likely. I don't care if the CAA expands to 20 teams, breaking away and doubling our administrative costs while halving our negotiation strength for TV does not make any sense unless our performance drops off so much that none of us merit an at-large spot.

[mainejeff]

2015 "CAA" Football:

Maine
UNH
UMass
Fordham
Albany
Stony Brook
Delaware
Towson
JMU
ODU

2015 Patriot Football:

Holy Cross
Colgate
Bucknell
Lafayette
Lehigh
Villanova
Georgetown
Richmond
William & Mary

* Hofstra and URI drop football
* Georgia State goes FBS

[TribeFanInNC]

2015 "CAA" Football:

Maine
UNH
UMass
Fordham
Albany
Stony Brook
Delaware
Towson
JMU
ODU

2015 Patriot Football:

Holy Cross
Colgate
Bucknell
Lafayette
Lehigh
Villanova
Georgetown
Richmond
William & Mary

* Hofstra and URI drop football
* Georgia State goes FBS

This makes no sense to me. The 4 Virginia schools wouldn't go for dropping their rivalries (Anyone not think W&M and ODU will create an instant FB rivalry?) and close travel. And the CAA will continue as a conference for other sports, so having W&M move to the PL for football only wouldn't compute.

[93henfan]

I don't see the block of UD-Nova-JMU-W&M-UR-ODU breaking up to appease some half-hearted football schools in the Northeast.

[SuperHornet]

Uh, MJ, why the cr@p is Hofstra going to dump football? They're not too far removed from going to the playoffs. And if they pick up Gio Carmazzi as their HC, they'll be back in the playoffs almost immediately. I can't believe that they'll be gone by 2015. No way.