MAAC Football

[Salty Dog]

MAAC-Football is in trouble with Duquesne talking about leaving. Who can the MAAC add or what conference will IONA, LASALLE, MARIST and STAINT PETER'S end up in? I hear that 2-3 teams are leaving the NEC. I am hoping there is a merger between MAAC-Football and the NEC-Football or maybe they should form a new Football only conference. I think it is important that we do lose any more Football programs and they all can find a conference. MAAC-Football had 9 teams just a few years ago. The Pioneer conference can not really take on any more teams and the travel distance is hard for the budgets. I think it is time to add a Football only Northeast-Atlantic conference with Duquesne, Iona, LaSalle, Marist, St. Peter's, Monmouth, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis and Wagner. That would have 10 teams that are similar schools and all private with limited budgets. They will be able to recruit better with this Football only conference. Travel would not be bad. I am hoping this can happen. It worked out west with the Football only Great West Conference of similar schools.

[rc2326]

are you originally from the northeast? when do you think they
will have to decide on all this possible merging, etc.

[Go...gate]

I've heard some of this stuff, but mostly old and questionable information about Duquesne wanting into the PFL and Marist wanting bedly into the Patriot League. From what I understand, LaSalle is not going anywhere. If you have some fresh information, do tell.

[DFW HOYA]

A decade ago, the MAAC was the dominant non-scholarship conference, with teams wanting to get in and not the other way around. What happened?

For one thing, the conference's no-aid policy led St. John's out of the MAAC and into the NEC, where the spending sank the Redmen. Fairfield could have been a great MAAC team but they grew weary of the setup and bailed on football, as did Canisius and Siena. MAAC schools that would have been good candidates for football (Loyola, Manhattan, Rider) were not encouraged to join.

With five schools, the MAAC would be better off with a home and away schedule for each team, but it sends its schools out to schedule seven games out of conference a year--not an easy option when your budget is $225-400K a year.

I think Duquesne wants out of the MAAC, but the PL isn't picking up the phone. Maybe the Pioneer will. Same for Marist--it isn't giving up on football, but the travel cost of the Pioneer is not inconsequential.

LaSalle could build a nice program if it was in the right scenario. Iona and St. Peter's are probably in the same boat, but it's taking on water.

With Stony Brook and Albany heading up the scholarship ladder (and probably Central Connecticut at some point), teams like St. Francis, Wagner, Monmouth, and Sacred Heart would be a nice fit with the MAAC 4 less Duquesne--it's essentially a NYC-area league where all the games (except St. Francis) are within two hours of each other.

Thoughts?

[dbackjon]

But would the MAAC allow limited schollies?

[DFW HOYA]

But would the MAAC allow limited schollies?

I don't think there's a huge groundswell for scholarship football at these schools, they just need a league which provides competitive opportunities and some stability against like-minded schools.

[faxjusfax]

A decade ago, the MAAC was the dominant non-scholarship conference, with teams wanting to get in and not the other way around. What happened?

For one thing, the conference's no-aid policy led St. John's out of the MAAC and into the NEC, where the spending sank the Redmen. Fairfield could have been a great MAAC team but they grew weary of the setup and bailed on football, as did Canisius and Siena. MAAC schools that would have been good candidates for football (Loyola, Manhattan, Rider) were not encouraged to join.

With five schools, the MAAC would be better off with a home and away schedule for each team, but it sends its schools out to schedule seven games out of conference a year--not an easy option when your budget is $225-400K a year.

I think Duquesne wants out of the MAAC, but the PL isn't picking up the phone. Maybe the Pioneer will. Same for Marist--it isn't giving up on football, but the travel cost of the Pioneer is not inconsequential.

LaSalle could build a nice program if it was in the right scenario. Iona and St. Peter's are probably in the same boat, but it's taking on water.

With Stony Brook and Albany heading up the scholarship ladder (and probably Central Connecticut at some point), teams like St. Francis, Wagner, Monmouth, and Sacred Heart would be a nice fit with the MAAC 4 less Duquesne--it's essentially a NYC-area league where all the games (except St. Francis) are within two hours of each other.

Thoughts?

Works for me!

I've been saying similar things, except for Monmouth, who I think have their sights set higher.

I'm inclined to think Wagner, SHU, STFPA, and quite probably RMU administration wouldn't want their football budgets to balloon with the advent of the 30 schollies the NEC narrowly approved.