What's Going to Happen to the MAAC?

[gophoenix]

If this is a double post, I apologize.

Was just looking at the standings and didn't realize they were only going to have 3 teams after this season when Duquesne moves to the NEC.

What's going to happen to Marist, Iona and LaSalle? Surely they aren't going to have a conference of 3 schools with no real hope of expansion to fill the conference in?

Are there possibilities of them going to the PFL when Campbell is admitted next year? Or could LaSalle go to the Big South? Is there any concrete news on what is going to happen?

[hebmskebm]

the maac is done after this year. the remaining teams will either join the pioneer league or disband, barring any last second institutional changes regarding scholarships.

[Franks Tanks]

the maac is done after this year. the remaining teams will either join the pioneer league or disband, barring any last second institutional changes regarding scholarships.

Lasalle may be cooked, they are getting destroyed by mediocre D-III schools. Marist seems to want the Patriot League, but that doesnt seem likely. I have no idea about Iona.

[DFW HOYA]

Lasalle may be cooked, they are getting destroyed by mediocre D-III schools. Marist seems to want the Patriot League, but that doesnt seem likely. I have no idea about Iona.

They'll likely play as independents for a season, Marist will likely fill out a full I-AA/FCS slate, while Iona and LaSalle will schedule the minimum five I-AA/FCS games, and fill in the rest with teams like TCNJ, Ursinus, Catholic, etc.

[GaelsFootball]

They'll likely play as independents for a season, Marist will likely fill out a full I-AA/FCS slate, while Iona and LaSalle will schedule the minimum five I-AA/FCS games, and fill in the rest with teams like TCNJ, Ursinus, Catholic, etc.

your right...lasalle plays Ursinus, TCNJ and iona plays UNH and Cal Poly. xeyebrowx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I haven't heard anything in particular yet about this. All I've heard was before the season that the MAAC schools might be invited to play in the PFL (or whatever non-scholarship conference or conferences come about), but they would have to ramp up their spending in order to be able to do that.

It looked to me like Marist had some designs about joining the Patriot League but it's not clear if the Patriot League is interested in them. If I were running the PL, I'd be on the phone constantly to Marist, charming them about what a great addition they would be in all sports and not just football, but I don't think that's what's happening. But it looks like Marist is happy in the MAAC in all other sports, which makes them a much less attractive Patriot League team in PL eyes.

I think Iona eventually joins the NEC, Marist is ultimately accepted into the Patriot League and LaSalle most likely folds the program. But I think it will take a few years for these scenarios to play themselves out.

[TheValleyRaider]

It looked to me like Marist had some designs about joining the Patriot League but it's not clear if the Patriot League is interested in them. If I were running the PL, I'd be on the phone constantly to Marist, charming them about what a great addition they would be in all sports and not just football, but I don't think that's what's happening. But it looks like Marist is happy in the MAAC in all other sports, which makes them a much less attractive Patriot League team in PL eyes.

Random thought:

Does Marist look more attractive to the Patriot League if we can get another school to join for all-sports, then only take the Foxes for football? If all else holds, it would give the PL 9 all-sports members in other sports, and 9 for football, both of which seem like pretty good solutions to me

Just a thought, at least... xchinscratchx

[UNHWildCats]

Perhaps Either Marist or Iona could join the NEc and the other the Pioneer and La Salle can drop football. Then the NEC and Pioneer each have 9 teams and an 8 game conference schedule helping them avoid Div II and III games more.

[footballer23]

Does anyone know what all of the conference affiliation/division changes are going to be next year. As of right now I can think of 12, with the Great West and MAAC changes and the addition of the Fighting Camels and a few others. Is there a list somewhere of them?

Here is what I have so far:
NDSU & SDSU- Great West to Gateway
UND & USD - NCC (D-II) to Great West
Duquesne - MAAC to NEC
La Salle, Iona, Marist - MAAC to ???
Addition of the Campbell University Fighting Camels to the Pioneer League
Presbyterian and Stony Brook - Independent to Big South
North Carolina Central - Independent to MEAC

Add to the list if you know of anything or if I have any of this incorrect!

[nwFL Griz]

I had not heard that Campbell to the pioneer is a done deal. When did this become official, and does anyone have a link to a reference?

[footballer23]

I had not heard that Campbell to the pioneer is a done deal. When did this become official, and does anyone have a link to a reference?

I just googled it and found this article... its the best one I could find, but, yeah, I couldn't find anything confirming them joining. Good call.

http://www.metronc.com/article/?id=1430

[UNHWildCats]

Starting in 2008, “The Fighting Camels” will take the field against teams including Davidson, Drake, San Diego, Jacksonville, Valparaiso, Butler, Dayton and Morehead State. Steele brings a wealth of experience to Campbell, including stints at ECU, Baylor, Elon, East Tennessee, and Down East at Northern Nash Senior High.


this from the article

[footballer23]

this from the article

But this is the sentence before that:


Coach Dale Steele tells me Campbell has applied for membership in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League, the new FCS Division, which previously was referred to as Division I-AA.

[gophoenix]

Does anyone know what all of the conference affiliation/division changes are going to be next year. As of right now I can think of 12, with the Great West and MAAC changes and the addition of the Fighting Camels and a few others. Is there a list somewhere of them?

Here is what I have so far:
NDSU & SDSU- Great West to Gateway
UND & USD - NCC (D-II) to Great West
Duquesne - MAAC to NEC
La Salle, Iona, Marist - MAAC to ???
Addition of the Campbell University Fighting Camels to the Pioneer League
Presbyterian and Stony Brook - Independent to Big South
North Carolina Central - Independent to MEAC

Add to the list if you know of anything or if I have any of this incorrect!

NC Central isn't going to the MEAC.

Campbell to the Pioneer at isn't a done deal. You're right. I thought it was.

[footballer23]

NC Central isn't going to the MEAC.
Campbell to the Pioneer at isn't a done deal. You're right. I thought it was.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2227001

That's not what ESPN says.

[gophoenix]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2227001

That's not what ESPN says.

Despite what ESPN says, NC Central hopes to, but that fight may have changed things. The article you show is from 2005. This is from a few weeks ago.

http://www.wral.com/sports/story/1854202/
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/NRSTAFF/709240306
http://www.wral.com/sports/story/1856421/

[footballer23]

Despite what ESPN says, NC Central hopes to, but that fight may have changed things. The article you show is from 2005. This is from a few weeks ago.

http://www.wral.com/sports/story/1854202/
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/NRSTAFF/709240306
http://www.wral.com/sports/story/1856421/

xbowx Good work... I noticed that date after I put the link up. That little fight really didn't help their chances. I did find somewhere that they were a charter member of the MEAC, but left when it was classified as Division I. They should have that working for them, but I have feeling A&T may not vote to let them in at this point. xnonox

[gophoenix]

xbowx Good work... I noticed that date after I put the link up. That little fight really didn't help their chances. I did find somewhere that they were a charter member of the MEAC, but left when it was classified as Division I. They should have that working for them, but I have feeling A&T may not vote to let them in at this point. xnonox

Something tells me something is up with the MEAC now anyway. With Florida A&M and NC A&T talking I-A not long ago and with SC State, Hampton and Delaware St being covered by the media exploring new conferences, something tells me that the MEAC is going to see a shakeup soon.

I could almost see NC Central and Delaware St going to the Big South rather than MEAC. I could also see UNC-Pembroke moving up to I-AA later as they have no hope of a home in D-II. I am thinking they might have been one of the 16 schools that were waived from the moveup rule. The Big South could really end up solidifying itself soon. And then who knows where Albany will end up if they follow Stony Brook or New Haven if they use their waver and move up. And then there is Campbell if they don't get in the Pioneer. You could almost see the Big South with 10 schools before you can blink.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Something tells me something is up with the MEAC now anyway. With Florida A&M and NC A&T talking I-A not long ago and with SC State, Hampton and Delaware St being covered by the media exploring new conferences, something tells me that the MEAC is going to see a shakeup soon.

I could almost see NC Central and Delaware St going to the Big South rather than MEAC. I could also see UNC-Pembroke moving up to I-AA later as they have no hope of a home in D-II. I am thinking they might have been one of the 16 schools that were waived from the moveup rule. The Big South could really end up solidifying itself soon. And then who knows where Albany will end up if they follow Stony Brook or New Haven if they use their waver and move up. And then there is Campbell if they don't get in the Pioneer. You could almost see the Big South with 10 schools before you can blink.

The MEAC is still facing an identity crisis. Are we SWAC East, who wants to play Grambling State, FAMU, Southern, etc and play for a Black National Championship? Or are we a playoff conference that can be a national champion? The Hampton's, SC State's, and Delaware State's (and probably Norfolk State too) want to play better competition, while the NC A&T's, B-CC's and Howard's seem to not have those same ambitions. Adding NCCU would certainly benefit the latter faction (NCCU and NC A&T have a natural rivalry) and not the former. NCCU's academics, incidentally, are not a great benefit to the MEAC, nor is Savannah State, which could be another reason why they're hesitant to absorb them despite their HBCU status.

The problem (to this observer) is that neither faction wants to lose B-CC and FAMU and the "Florida Classic" which is the defining game of the entire conference. I agree that at some point both factions, it would appear, would break from one another, but the questions are when, and how? If the MEAC gets big enough and has six teams that want playoffs, you could see it possibly splitting into a new conference. If they don't and the MEAC leadership wants to opt out of the playoffs, you could see SCSU, Delaware State, Hampton and probably Norfolk State leave in favor of a new conference - and the Big South seems like a natural place. But I think those 3 (or 4) would drag two more MEAC teams (like Morgan State and maybe Howard, kicking and screaming) into a new playoff conference.

Campbell is a different story. Campbell is currently in the Atlantic Sun conference, and in the past has said they're gung-ho about non-scholarship football. But are they gung-ho about non-scholarship football en route to being a full scholly program? The Atlantic Sun already is losing Gardner-Webb to the Big South in all sports, and don't want to see the same happen to Campbell. Confusing matters is Kennesaw State (who apparently is interested in football), Northern Florida (ditto), East Tennessee State (who discontinued football but may want to start it up agan) and Jacksonville (which already has a PFL team). That's five schools that are interesting in having football - but is it scholarship or non-scholarship football they want? That's the big question as far as I see it.

And the answers to the Atlantic Sun question affect the MAAC. If the Atlantic Sun becomes a non-scholly conference, are any of the three remaining schools willing to increase travel expenses to stay non-scholly?

To me, even if the Atlantic Sun conference comes to be that's a lot of trips to Florida for a team like Iona, Marist or LaSalle. I think they either pick up spending and join a conference like the NEC or Patriot League or fold. The other alternative is for a school like St. Bonaventure to pick up football again, or maybe other schools (Boston University? Vermont? UMBC?), but it just seems impossible, not least because the interest at other schools like BU, VU and UMBC appears to be about zero for any football, never mind non-scholarship football.