More reactions to St. Peter's

[aceinthehole]

Duquesne is hustling to fill a home date and may play just 9 games this year. According the the Dukes head coach, "We were blindsided by Saint Peter's dropping football. We had no inkling, none at all." "One day the fax from Saint Peter's came in."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07170/795313-135.stm

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Also, according to the the Monmouth beat writer, the Monmouth AD said she would "love" to have Lasalle, Iona, and Marist, the last remaining bastions of MAAC football, join the NEC as associate football members.

http://grahamman.blogspot.com/

I don't know if I agree with the tone of that statement. If the 3 schools are not ready for schollys, I don't want them. I am open to considering their appliacation, but based on the facts at hand I do not "love" the idea.

Is writing on the wall for Monmouth and the NEC that UA and CCSU already have 1 foot out the door?

[OL FU]

Just sitting here and reminiscing about ETSUxnodx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Schmitt continues to check Web sites for schedules of district teams, such as Youngstown State and schools from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

xlolx That would be a mean trick... YSU plays 3 league games on those dates!

The PSAC is looking like much more fertile territory. Maybe he could also look to the PFL... isn't Valparaiso looking for another game? Butler and Dayton could also be possibilities.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Also, according to the the Monmouth beat writer, the Monmouth AD said she would "love" to have Lasalle, Iona, and Marist, the last remaining bastions of MAAC football, join the NEC as associate football members.

http://grahamman.blogspot.com/

I don't know if I agree with the tone of that statement. If the 3 schools are not ready for schollys, I don't want them. I am open to considering their appliacation, but based on the facts at hand I do not "love" the idea.

Is writing on the wall for Monmouth and the NEC that UA and CCSU already have 1 foot out the door?

First of all, the person that needs convincing isn't Monmouth's AD. It's the ADs of the schools themselves who need to decide what they want to do next. If any of the "MAAC three" want to try their hand at limited scholarships, they only have one place to go: the NEC. If they are willing to step up the $$$, there's a solution for whatever they choose to do: non-scholly (PFL), grants (PL), limited scholly (NEC) or full scholly (Big South).

As for Monmouth, the "writing on the wall" really doesn't matter. Let's say CCSU and Albany leave. You'd still have a league with limited scholarships, so Monmouth would operate under the same rules as before.

[aceinthehole]

Iona didn't have a clue either. "This is a surprise," Iona coach Fred Mariani said yesterday afternoon. "No one knew this was going to happen."

http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070615/SPORTS01/706150414

The Gales seem to be reviewing their options, including any proposal out of the Chicago meeting.

[Seahawks Fan]

Wagner had no idea either:


"The timing is terrible," Hameline said. "Schools that had a contract with them are going to have a tough time filling that date. At least we had 11 games. Some other teams had just 10 games.



http://www.silive.com/colleges/advance/wagner/index.ssf?/base/Sports/1181907937170080.xml&coll=1

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Thanks for the press links!


"It can only survive with other teams, and (adding teams) is not easy to do or else I think we would've done it by now," (Iona coach Fred) Mariani said. "If we don't have a MAAC, we don't have a MAAC. I'm still going to recruit and I'm still going to get players."

Good attitude. I read from this that Iona is going to continue football in some way, probably the non-scholarship kind.

[aceinthehole]

First of all, the person that needs convincing isn't Monmouth's AD. It's the ADs of the schools themselves who need to decide what they want to do next. If any of the "MAAC three" want to try their hand at limited scholarships, they only have one place to go: the NEC. If they are willing to step up the $$$, there's a solution for whatever they choose to do: non-scholly (PFL), grants (PL), limited scholly (NEC) or full scholly (Big South).

As for Monmouth, the "writing on the wall" really doesn't matter. Let's say CCSU and Albany leave. You'd still have a league with limited scholarships, so Monmouth would operate under the same rules as before.

I agree. Marist, LaSalle, and Iona must evaluate their own football programs and plan for a post-MAAC future. As you indicated they have many options: non-scholly, limited-scholly, grant-in-aid, or full scholly. Of course, they can also fold up their tents like others have. I think all 3 teams can strive, if the have full support from the school. I wish them the best in what ever they choose.

As of today, in 2008 the NEC will have 8 teams (6 full members and 2 affiliates). My only point was if its UA and CCSU have strongly hinted that are both going to leave the conference very soon, the league would then shrink to 6 members. Under those circumstances, I could see why the remaining programs such as Monmouth would "love" to see 3 MAAC teams added to bolster membership and help scheduling. Otherwise, I don't see why the NEC would be so "eager" to grow the league to 11 teams.

IMO, if the NEC is going to remain stable for a while, we should be careful about any expansion candidates to ensure they will help the strenghth of the league grow oin hopes of eventually earning the coveted AQ.

(For the record, I have no info that CCSU is planning a move out of the NEC in the near future, but the statements out of the program does indicate that full-scholly football may be on the way in the not too distant future.)

[aceinthehole]

Excerpt from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Scheduling struggles

The decision last week by St. Peter's to drop its football program has reduced the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League to four teams and caused another open date for Duquesne, which will be playing in its final season in the MAAC before moving to the Northeast Conference.

The Dukes, who now have three openings, reportedly tried to fill one date with a game against nearby Geneva, which also found itself scrambling to fill an opening created by the demise of the St. Peter's program.

But the Golden Tornadoes replaced St. Peter's with an Oct. 6 home game against Salisbury before Duquesne came calling.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/college/s_513432.html

[Keeper]

As far as Marist-Iona-LaSalle football goes:
playing independent is not much different from a
brief MAAC schedule and 7 OOC's.

Remember, to remain Division I they only need 50%
of their opponents from Division I. I wouldn't be
shocked if this is what they do the next few years
until they decide their football direction, or at least
wait to see how the other conferences shake out.

This was inevitable, Saint Peter decision notwithstanding.
The bigger question is basketball affiliation next year
and maybe D-I participation at all?

[seahawkfan2007]

Duquesne and La Salle both have open dates on 10/20. If they rescheduled their 11/10 game to 10/20 that opens up a date for Wagner to play Duquesne on 11/3 (Wagner was scheduled to play La Salle on 11/3and Duquesne has an open date on 11/3). Wagner and Duquesne pick up a game to replace St. Peter's and since Duquesne will become an NEC member in 08' this should be a no-brainer.

[seahawkfan2007]

I am not sure but it looks like Davidson has a 10 game schedule with an opening on 9/22. Wagner was scheduled to play St. Peters on that date. Wagner vs. Davidson would be a good match up and give both an 11th game in 07'.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I am not sure but it looks like Davidson has a 10 game schedule with an opening on 9/22. Wagner was scheduled to play St. Peters on that date. Wagner vs. Davidson would be a good match up and give both an 11th game in 07'.

Nice catch. It could be a plane flight game, though, for Wagner.

Since Wagner's schedule has holes early in the year, they have the best chance to fill the gaps. Duquesne has a real rough road with gaps in October where most schools are playing league games.

If Jacksonville (FL) were willing to drop their game versus UNC-Pembroke, Monmouth could slide into a game on Sept 15th with the Dolphins... but again, it's a plane flight.