The NEC at 45 scholarships

[Ruler 79]

I also have been hearing from top admin people that the NEC will be at 45 scholarships by the start of the 08 season. If this is true SBU will kick itself for leaving for the Big South. The "talk" on the street is Albany and CCSU will leave if they don't move to 45.

[UAalum72]

Do you think they'd bump that up to 50 if the proposal for minimum standards for autobids passes the NCAA?

[Dane96]

Wow...that would be HUGE news for the NEC...and would put more pressure on the playoff committee. 45 rides, especially for the state schools, would put these teams in very good position to compete with the full-scholarship schools.

45 rides at Albany could easily be split among the max amount allowable. Why? Well, state kids getting a half-ride are paying next to nothing to go to school Additionally, Albany has the EOP program which gives disadvantaged youths the opportunity to come to school for almost nothing! You combine those 45 with some EOP rides...and I would be pretty content.

[Ruler 79]

Dane 96 I agree. I also would be thrilled if this becomes reality. The question I have is what happens to SFU and Wagner etc if they do not want to go to 45 or 50?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Dane 96 I agree. I also would be thrilled if this becomes reality. The question I have is what happens to SFU and Wagner etc if they do not want to go to 45 or 50?

Exactly what I was thinking. The pressure would mount on the teams not named Albany, Monmouth or CCSU to adapt to the new reality... or look elsewhere.

[Dane96]

Dane 96 I agree. I also would be thrilled if this becomes reality. The question I have is what happens to SFU and Wagner etc if they do not want to go to 45 or 50?

Check your e-mail. I am not sure if you are getting them from me.

[Ruler 79]

Dane 96 I got it and sent you a response.

If the Wags, SHU, SFU etc do not go to this level, maybe their is some life left for the MAAC. I can't see the Pioneer being an option.

[danefan]

I'd love to see this come to fruition. I would have to think that if the rule for and AQ requires the league to be at 50 then I would expect them to go to 50 instead of 45.

[Dane96]

My only complaint is the counter rule. Hey, I know you have to walk before you can run...and I am very happy with this development, but the only jealousy I have of SBU is the FBS games they are getting.

[danefan]

My only complaint is the counter rule. Hey, I know you have to walk before you can run...and I am very happy with this development, but the only jealousy I have of SBU is the FBS games they are getting.

Agreed. FBS games give mucho dinero and are great for recruiting. "Hey kid listen....come to SBU and you'll play against Big East competitor Rutgers or go to Albany and play St. Francis."

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Also, what would this do for Title IX for SFPA and Wagner? They physically may not be *able* to go that high on schollies.

[danefan]

Also, what would this do for Title IX for SFPA and Wagner? They physically may not be *able* to go that high on schollies.
Join the MAAC and go back to non-scholly status.

But then what happens to the NEC if and when the CAA splits or an AEast conference comes along?

[footballman65]

Rumor has it that Albany will be playing Akron of the MAC Conference possibly in 2008? any truth to that?

[Ruler 79]

Maybe the NEC sees the tide shifting with the addition of GA State etc and wants to keep UA, CCSU, and maybe Monmouth from leaving so they are enticing them to stay even if AE football or another confrence comes along. If that is the case they better go and get an AQ

[Dane96]

Rumor has it that Albany will be playing Akron of the MAC Conference possibly in 2008? any truth to that?

No clue, however there could be legs because:

A) MAC schools showed a willingness to take a non-counter (CCSU)
B) Frank Blasinsky, our starting QB is from that general area and was courted by Akron.

This would go far for UA's recruiting Ohio.

[danefan]

Where did the Akron rumor come from? I've never heard anything like that. I know we go back to Delaware next year, but that's all I know about OOC in 08

[bluehenbillk]

Really? Back to Delaware? That's the 1st time I heard that.

[Dane96]

Bill, I head the same thing.

[danefan]

Originally when last year's game was announced it was announced that there would be a second trip in 2008.

[Mr. C]

Why put constraints on NEC teams at all? Let them go to 63 scholarships, if they want to.

[Dane96]

Gradual process. I know Albany cannot go to 63 tomorrow...but 45 is not a problem Title IX issues. We all question how Stony Brook is coming up with the $$$ for their move.

I would rather have 45 rides...and our new stadium....then 63 and our craphole.

45 keeps the league together long enough to see what happens in 2010-2012...when we all expecdt movement.

[UAalum72]

Why put constraints on NEC teams at all? Let them go to 63 scholarships, if they want to.
If a majority of the all-sport NEC members (very small, private schools) are unable or unwilling to fund 63, they're going to constrain it as much as they can to stay competitive in their own conference. Albany's just an affiliate.

[danefan]

I would rather have 45 rides...and our new stadium....then 63 and our craphole.


To be honest...I'd rather have 30 rides and our stadium than 45 and splintered asses.

[rmutv]

If a majority of the all-sport NEC members (very small, private schools) are unable or unwilling to fund 63, they're going to constrain it as much as they can to stay competitive in their own conference. Albany's just an affiliate.

Exactly. While the NEC introduced scholarships for a multitude of reasons, part of the reasoning seems to be to really boost the football programs.

However, you can't do that and leave the other sports in the dust. Albany is a football-only member and one of the largest schools in the conference. Meanwhile, many others are only at about 5,000 students and can only do so much in a given amount of time.

I know Robert Morris is very interested in offering scholarship football, even perhaps up to the full slate, but they need time to slowly increase that. They can't do it all at once.

[downbythebeach]

Getting schollies and being able to play BS games has to help with funding schollies....maybe that will make a difference.

[henfan]

If the NEC goes to 45 equivalancies, they might get some interest from a couple of the former Yankee Conference schools, who have been pxssing and moaning for years about the cost of sponsoring 65 equivalancies.

[aceinthehole]

If the NEC goes to 45 equivalancies, they might get some interest from a couple of the former Yankee Conference schools, who have been pxssing and moaning for years about the cost of sponsoring 65 equivalancies.

Only URI comes to mind there, and I still think that is very unlikely they would ever join the NEC. UMass, UNH, and Maine want to play at the highest FCS level. They may not be happy about the travel down south, or the loss of input in the direction of their FB-league, but reducing scholarships is not likely to be in their future.

I've seen no university statements that URI is looking to de-emphasis football. I know they have struggled in the A-10/CAA recently, but no offense haven't they been as good or a better program in the last 10 years than teams like Towson, Northeastern, Fordham, or Richmond? In fact they have made renovates to "Lake Mead" and have regulary scheduled games vs. FBS teams. I think too many people have wild speculations abouut the Rams, becasue its not a FB hotbed and they haven't had an impact on the national I-AA scene in a while.

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I think what this does for the NEC is forces the NCAA to draw a line in the sand regarding AQ access for the playoffs. The NCAA mmust make a clear ststement why the NEC is denied access, and set a rule uin place to enforce those terms. (Playoff expansion is still on topic, but it shows the NEC is being pro-active to join the "old guard")

It also lets teams like Wagner and SFPA competative to get a $$$ game vs. top-tier FCS teams like Delawrae and Montana in the future. They aren't going to take the beatings against an FBS team as a non-counter. I think Wagner and RMU will be more than happy to take a check for $90k from a CAA or Gateway team in the near future.

Finally, I hopeful that the leadership oshown by CCSU and Albany reassures the northern CAA affiliates, that they are serious about playing FCS football and would be a good conference partner. Despite some reservations from UMass and UNH, I think a "New Yankee Conference" would be in the best interst of FCS in the long term and a limited-aid NEC, offers regional buy games for both conferences.

[Go...gate]

Exactly what I was thinking. The pressure would mount on the teams not named Albany, Monmouth or CCSU to adapt to the new reality... or look elsewhere.

It also puts more pressure on the Patriot League.

[Fresno St. Alum]

If Albany, Monmouth, and CCSU want to get to 63 and no one else does will that get the wheels going for AEC football and will that get Monmouth & CCSU full membership in the AEC?

Also on another thread their is talk of Marist and LaSalle wanting to join NEC football, I don't know how legit it is but if true they could replace the 3 leaving if the AEC FB happens.
The other rumor was St.Peter's and Iona would look to the PFL