Rhode Island to the NEC in Twenty-Twelve

[Go...gate]

Nice article, LFN. Your usual fine work.

[UNH Fanboi]

Maybe you will hear exactly that in due time. For now, don't you think that's a little premature? URI isn't scheduled to make an official annoucement until August. In the meantime, Tom Yeager can't stop the remaining NE schools from doing whatever they feel they have to do.

Besides, what value would it hold rushing to replace one school not fully committed to D-I FB with another, regardless of where they're located? Presently, there seems to be a dearth of qualified candidates within close driving distance to Orono, Durham & Amherst (i.e.- programs fully committed to offering 65 scholarships and with adequate facilities), unless you consider a 5-8 hour drive to Stony Brook or the Bronx within close driving distance.

I admit that my my speculation may be a little bit premature. At this point I'm just reading between the lines, and the impression that I get is that Yeager and the CAA South contingent wouldn't really care if the Northern teams left. I can't really blame them, they could easily survive without the Northern teams. Nevertheless, there has been some great history built up within the league that it would be a shame to abandon. And while the South has been more successful overall, the North has represented the conference admirably and produced playoff success that team in other conferences would dream of. UNH has a the longest playoff streak behind Montana and SIU, won many playoff games at tough road venues, and had a great string of headline grabbing wins over FBS teams. It wasn't too long ago that UMass was the top program in the conference, winning a national championship and later being one of the few teams to beat Montana at WaGriz.

I think a lot of people are missing the big picture and focusing solely on their team's individual interests. A **** ton of people live in the Northeast and apathy towards FCS up here is everyone's loss. Instead of writing off FCS in the Northeast and chastising the quitters, we should be encouraging teams like Albany, Fordham, Stony Brook, etc. to step up and bring in more fans.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

I am not insinuating that UNH, UMaine, and UMass are well funded. The issue is that each school (along with URI) has seen its funding dramatically reduced and each has had to make hard choices. The particular circumstances at each school however are slightly different and each school has reacted in a manner which is in its best interests. That is why I cannot understand why some UNH and UMass fans are attacking URI for doing what is best for it. UNH chose to dump baseball and operate basketball at a low level and football at a high FCS level. URI chooses to keep baseball and operate basketball at a high level and football eventually at a low level. Why then is URI attacked because it chooses football instead of baseball or basketball?

Maybe because of all the things that Henfan has articulated that you hardly acknowledge? Maybe because I'm a firm believer in when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Maybe because football is America's favorite sport and URI was playing it at a significantly more meaningful level than it does baseball. Maybe because it is so hypocritical to worry about a couple of football trips to Virginia when you schlep your Olympic Sports teams to St. Louis, Dayton, Cinncinati, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, etc. Maybe because it seems ridiculous to want to play Duquesne, Robert Morris, St. Francis PA, Wagner, Monmouth and Sacred Heart instead of Maine, UNH, UMass, Delaware, and Towson. Maybe because most of us know how absurd it is to think that baseball will bring the same intangibles that football does. And just maybe because rather than stay on the same page with UMass, UNH and Maine, URI preferred to try to drag them down to a lesser level.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Maybe because it is so hypocritical to worry about a couple of football trips to Virginia when you schlep your Olympic Sports teams to St. Louis, Dayton, Cinncinati, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, etc.

That's the price URI has paid to play high-end basketball. They had a choice to stay with the New England land-grants in football, or play high-end basketball. They chose to fly their Olympic Sports to St. Louis and keep basketball.

[Sader87]

That's the price URI has paid to play high-end basketball. They had a choice to stay with the New England land-grants in football, or play high-end basketball. They chose to fly their Olympic Sports to St. Louis and keep basketball.

Of the 4 NE schools, UMass is the only other school trying to do both (high level hoop and high level FCS football)...as I posted earlier, if a choice had to made, it's really a no-brainer...URI is still very competitive at the highest level of D1 hoop whereas it was an also-ran at a secondary level in college football...really not a tough choice.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Not that it will make a difference, but UNH fans should be begging URI to stay in the CAA, not pushing them out the door. I don't want to get involved in the debate about why URI football has failed or the comparisons to other sports, but TJT makes some valid points and there is no doubt in my mind that URI leaving the CAA is bad for UNH. I think some UNH fans have become a little too complacent as a result of our recent success. What UNH has accomplished in spite of its funding and facilities is a testament to their coaching staff, but also the result of luck, in several forms, that may run out soon. UNH does a great job of finding diamonds in the rough and making the most of their talent, but they got really lucky with Santos and Ball (who wasn't even recruited for football IIRC) and have also had the benefit of playing an easier conference schedule than the CAA South teams for the past several years. Football is a zero sum game, and with URI leaving, that's another near-guaranteed win off UNH's schedule. What if UNH has a couple mediocre seasons in a row? We already lose a lot of recruiting battles because of our crappy facilities, but a least for the past several years we could say that we're winners. If we start losing and our facilities don't improve, then recruiting will only become tougher. And more and more plane trips south of the Mason-Dixon instead of bus trips to URI and NU will start to increase financial concerns and erode institutional support that is already tenuous because of the economy and lack of state funding. Make fun of URI for running from the CAA if you will, but their exit greatly increases the chances that UNH will need to do the same thing (albeit for different reasons) within the next several years. This has been a terrible several months for northeastern FCS football.

Why should we be begging URI to stay in the CAA? Just because it is a bus ride away from Durham? My worst fear has been getting sucked into some league with URI then having them fold or downgrade their program. Frankly, the future success of football in Durham is staying aligned with schools we're on the same wave length with and have the same commitment to football.

I'm much more excited about the North Division possibly now including Delaware, Towson and Villanova. Those schools care significantly more about academics for their athletes than URI and it's better "known by the company you keep" type association. On top of that, I've been to multiple games at all three sites and they're more fun than going to Kingston. And you know what, playing VU, UD and TU every year will help UNH recruiting significantly more than playing URI. And increases the chances that W&M and Richmond come over if/when JMU, ODU, GaStU and company upgrade. Holding out for that is a much better option than the NEC.

I have no illusions of grandeur that we'll be able to consistently continue the same level of success, but I prefer to play at this level. I want to keep playing at FBS sites. I prefer our playoff bids mean a true chance to go deep rather than being lucky to get past the first round. I have zero interest in a road trip to Western PA to watch UNH play SFPA, RMU or Duquesne. If we can't keep it going, then so be it. But I'd rather see us go down fighting after trying as hard as possible.

And I don't understand the hangup with another flight or two? What does it cost, a $100K? That's a mere pittance in the overall football budget. A small price to pay to continue playing football at a high level, keep UNH Football relevent within FCS, get UNH exposure outside of New England, you know make people realize it's more than this nice provincial regional school.

As far as I'm concerned, URI doesn't give a rat's arse about UNH (or Maine) since they dusted both schools almost 30 years ago when they bolted from our all sports conference. They rarely schedule games in Olympic sports with UNH, occasionally give us a guarantee game in basketball. Sorry, I'm not begging URI for anything.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

That's the price URI has paid to play high-end basketball. They had a choice to stay with the New England land-grants in football, or play high-end basketball. They chose to fly their Olympic Sports to St. Louis and keep basketball.

Wait a minute, now dropping to the NEC for football is to save high level basketball? When did that come into the mix?

[Sader87]

Wait a minute, now dropping to the NEC for football is to save high level basketball? When did that come into the mix?

I'm not saying it was one or the other but it probably was (like most things in life) an economic decision. I really don't think UNH or Maine are long for CAA football for similar reasons.

[MR. CHICKEN]

I admit that my my speculation may be a little bit premature. At this point I'm just reading between the lines, and the impression that I get is that Yeager and the CAA South contingent wouldn't really care if the Northern teams left. I can't really blame them, they could easily survive without the Northern teams. Nevertheless, there has been some great history built up within the league that it would be a shame to abandon. And while the South has been more successful overall, the North has represented the conference admirably and produced playoff success that team in other conferences would dream of. UNH has a the longest playoff streak behind Montana and SIU, won many playoff games at tough road venues, and had a great string of headline grabbing wins over FBS teams. It wasn't too long ago that UMass was the top program in the conference, winning a national championship and later being one of the few teams to beat Montana at WaGriz.

I think a lot of people are missing the big picture and focusing solely on their team's individual interests. A **** ton of people live in the Northeast and apathy towards FCS up here is everyone's loss. Instead of writing off FCS in the Northeast and chastising the quitters, we should be encouraging teams like Albany, Fordham, Stony Brook, etc. to step up and bring in more fans.

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[MplsBison]

Why should we be begging URI to stay in the CAA? Just because it is a bus ride away from Durham? My worst fear has been getting sucked into some league with URI then having them fold or downgrade their program. Frankly, the future success of football in Durham is staying aligned with schools we're on the same wave length with and have the same commitment to football.

I'm much more excited about the North Division possibly now including Delaware, Towson and Villanova. Those schools care significantly more about academics for their athletes than URI and it's better "known by the company you keep" type association. On top of that, I've been to multiple games at all three sites and they're more fun than going to Kingston. And you know what, playing VU, UD and TU every year will help UNH recruiting significantly more than playing URI. And increases the chances that W&M and Richmond come over if/when JMU, ODU, GaStU and company upgrade. Holding out for that is a much better option than the NEC.

I have no illusions of grandeur that we'll be able to consistently continue the same level of success, but I prefer to play at this level. I want to keep playing at FBS sites. I prefer our playoff bids mean a true chance to go deep rather than being lucky to get past the first round. I have zero interest in a road trip to Western PA to watch UNH play SFPA, RMU or Duquesne. If we can't keep it going, then so be it. But I'd rather see us go down fighting after trying as hard as possible.

And I don't understand the hangup with another flight or two? What does it cost, a $100K? That's a mere pittance in the overall football budget. A small price to pay to continue playing football at a high level, keep UNH Football relevent within FCS, get UNH exposure outside of New England, you know make people realize it's more than this nice provincial regional school.

As far as I'm concerned, URI doesn't give a rat's arse about UNH (or Maine) since they dusted both schools almost 30 years ago when they bolted from our all sports conference. They rarely schedule games in Olympic sports with UNH, occasionally give us a guarantee game in basketball. Sorry, I'm not begging URI for anything.

Your passion for "high-level" FCS football is obviously appreciated on this site, but you have to look at it from the people making the business decisions for UNH's points of view!

Even if UNH wins the FCS national championship, what does that really get the university? 15 seconds on ESPN2? Is that worth the cost (and possibly increasing costs now, by staying in an ever-southbound CAA)?

[TJT]

I still don't get many of you people. URI joined a football league decades ago that consisted of the six New England land grant state universities. It required little travel and all members had somewhat similar facilities and athletics philosophies. That league has totally changed its complexion and bears little resemblance to the league that URI helped to found. Two of the original members left (UVM dropping the sport entirely and UConn moving up to the BE) and many new members, most of which are located a long distance away, have been added. Many of these newer members have different priorities with regards to football and they have invested heavily in their programs. This fact is undisiputed and has been highlighted by numerous newspaper accounts of the arms race in CAA Football. URI chose not to invest in its program and made several poor management decisions regarding it. The school instead focused more of its atheltics attention on basketball as that was the most followed sport at the school. URI tried to get other CAA members to agree to cost containment measures but they did not want these as their vision for football was different. What worked in the league 25 years ago when URI football was successful was no longer enough for success in the new evolution of the league. URI however really didn't change much of how it operated the program and not surprisingly the program has miserably failed for these last two decades. The management of the CAA did not directly cause URI, HU, or NU to fail and depart. They however do not appear to be very concerned that they have or will be departing and have suggested that they would understand if other northern schools left. It certainly was not an environment where a school like URI felt welcome or felt it shared common football interests. Given all of these factors, URI has decided to leave. It has the right to do so (and might have actually been encouraged reading between the lines). It made the decision that football is not as important to the school as it is to others and they were not willing to invest the energy and funding necessary to have sustained success. It therefore decided to move on just as the league had moved on from its origins. URI is hardly alone in leaving. Vermont, Boston University, UConn, Northeastern, and Hofstra have all left when they determined the sport or league was not a good fit for each school's vision. All but UConn actually killed their programs entirely. URI is maintining an FCS program but leaving to go to a lessor league where the members share a more similar football philosophy than URI had with its current CAA partners. Why then all the hostility? High level FCS football at URI is not a priority as it appears to be at other schools. URI alumni, fans, and residents of RI view FCS football as 2nd tier and could care less if URI was in the CAA or NEC. Many of you cannot and will not accept this for some reason. That however is your problem. It is very ironic to me to read the angry comments of some UMass and UNH fans here. I have seen many posts by fans of these schools where they openly hope that less successfull schools will leave leagues they belong to. UMass basketball fans often wish that schools such as Fordham, St. Bonaventure, and LaSalle left A-10 basketball given their lack of success and poor facilities. Many UNH hockey fans have opened wished for Merrimack to leave Hockey East for the same reason. Here in football, we have URI actually coming to the realization that it is in over its head and deciding to go. How then can this action not make sense and how is it different than what UMass hoops and UNH hockey fans wish for their respective leagues?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Wait a minute, now dropping to the NEC for football is to save high level basketball? When did that come into the mix?


I'm not saying it was one or the other but it probably was (like most things in life) an economic decision. I really don't think UNH or Maine are long for CAA football for similar reasons.

The conversation probably went like this:

URI President: Our finances are in trouble. Our funding from the state, already at the bone, will definitely be slashed again. We have to make broad-based cuts all over the university, including athletics. Where will yours be?

Thorr: Well, we could downgrade our basketball/Olympic sports program to America East from the Atlantic Ten, saving significant money, though our alumni would revolt, we'd be pilloried in the press, and who knows what it would do for donations. Our Elite Eight basketball team will become a part of a one-NCAA bid league, thus likely reducing our NCAA payout not only when we make the tournament, but whenever Temple makes the Elite Eight as well.

Yours and my manhood will also probably be questioned.

Or, we could downgrade football to the NEC to save a few bucks.

URI President: Make it so, Number One.

The No. 1 rule in this NCAA athletics game seems to be: You never, never, never, never, never, never downgrade basketball. So it's actually not surprising that URI made this decision.

[NHwildEcat]

TJT...you are right...screw Merrimack and their HS rink!

[UNH Fanboi]

Why should we be begging URI to stay in the CAA? Just because it is a bus ride away from Durham? My worst fear has been getting sucked into some league with URI then having them fold or downgrade their program. Frankly, the future success of football in Durham is staying aligned with schools we're on the same wave length with and have the same commitment to football.

I too am worried about UNH getting sucked into another league, and I think that URI leaving only increases the chances of that. It wouldn't shock me if Maine panicked and headed for the exits, dragging UNH and UMass with them.


I'm much more excited about the North Division possibly now including Delaware, Towson and Villanova. Those schools care significantly more about academics for their athletes than URI and it's better "known by the company you keep" type association. On top of that, I've been to multiple games at all three sites and they're more fun than going to Kingston. And you know what, playing VU, UD and TU every year will help UNH recruiting significantly more than playing URI. And increases the chances that W&M and Richmond come over if/when JMU, ODU, GaStU and company upgrade. Holding out for that is a much better option than the NEC.

All UNH fans want UNH to stay in the CAA. However, not all school administrators are as passionate about football as we are. And even if they are, they have a million other things to worry about, and in this economy, financial concerns can cause people to make rash decisions. The fact that UNH has still done nothing about a stadium makes we wonder if they could be as cavalier as you are about tacking on 100K plane trips every year. I think a lot of this pressure about geography and financial arms races would be relieved if JMU/ODU/GSU moved up to FBS and the CAA were able to pick up another Northern school like Albany. But until then, things like JMU spending 10s of millions on a stadium and URI leaving increase the chances of UNH leaving the CAA.

[49RFootballNow]

I still don't get many of you people. URI joined a football league decades ago that consisted of the six New England land grant state universities. It required little travel and all members had somewhat similar facilities and athletics philosophies. That league has totally changed its complexion and bears little resemblance to the league that URI helped to found. Two of the original members left (UVM dropping the sport entirely and UConn moving up to the BE) and many new members, most of which are located a long distance away, have been added. Many of these newer members have different priorities with regards to football and they have invested heavily in their programs. This fact is undisiputed and has been highlighted by numerous newspaper accounts of the arms race in CAA Football. URI chose not to invest in its program and made several poor management decisions regarding it. The school instead focused more of its atheltics attention on basketball as that was the most followed sport at the school. URI tried to get other CAA members to agree to cost containment measures but they did not want these as their vision for football was different. What worked in the league 25 years ago when URI football was successful was no longer enough for success in the new evolution of the league. URI however really didn't change much of how it operated the program and not surprisingly the program has miserably failed for these last two decades. The management of the CAA did not directly cause URI, HU, or NU to fail and depart. They however do not appear to be very concerned that they have or will be departing and have suggested that they would understand if other northern schools left. It certainly was not an environment where a school like URI felt welcome or felt it shared common football interests. Given all of these factors, URI has decided to leave. It has the right to do so (and might have actually been encouraged reading between the lines). It made the decision that football is not as important to the school as it is to others and they were not willing to invest the energy and funding necessary to have sustained success. It therefore decided to move on just as the league had moved on from its origins. URI is hardly alone in leaving. Vermont, Boston University, UConn, Northeastern, and Hofstra have all left when they determined the sport or league was not a good fit for each school's vision. All but UConn actually killed their programs entirely. URI is maintining an FCS program but leaving to go to a lessor league where the members share a more similar football philosophy than URI had with its current CAA partners. Why then all the hostility? High level FCS football at URI is not a priority as it appears to be at other schools. URI alumni, fans, and residents of RI view FCS football as 2nd tier and could care less if URI was in the CAA or NEC. Many of you cannot and will not accept this for some reason. That however is your problem. It is very ironic to me to read the angry comments of some UMass and UNH fans here. I have seen many posts by fans of these schools where they openly hope that less successfull schools will leave leagues they belong to. UMass basketball fans often wish that schools such as Fordham, St. Bonaventure, and LaSalle left A-10 basketball given their lack of success and poor facilities. Many UNH hockey fans have opened wished for Merrimack to leave Hockey East for the same reason. Here in football, we have URI actually coming to the realization that it is in over its head and deciding to go. How then can this action not make sense and how is it different than what UMass hoops and UNH hockey fans wish for their respective leagues?

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[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2010/07/rhodys-caa-rethink-part-three-patriot.html


Today, I'll talk about whether the Patriot League is affected at all by this move by Rhode Island - because as things stand right now with the league and their stance on offering largely need-based aid, it doesn't appear to be.

The problems are neatly summed up by a member of the Providence Journal's URI Forum, a meeting place for fans of the URI program. Reaction to the Rams' football move to the NEC have been mixed there, and some members were motivated to ask the Rams' athletic director, Thorr Bjorn, about his thought process. He was specifically asked, "why the NEC? Wouldn't the Patriot League be a better option for URI, with games versus A-10 leaguemate Fordham and nearby Holy Cross?"

A call to arms. If the Patriot League presidents aren't on a conference call talking about this right now, they're crazy. But as of this very moment, URI's move does not affect the PL right now at all since they have made no public statement on football scholarships.

[Bogus Megapardus]

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Careful, dude. Your school has virtually no academic admission standards whatsoever.

[49RFootballNow]

Careful, dude. Your school has virtually no academic admission standards whatsoever.

And yet somehow, despite our "virtually no academic admissions standards whatsoever", per you; I still manage to know about paragraphs and how they facilitate ease of reading. Will wonders never end?

[Bogus Megapardus]

And yet somehow, despite our "virtually no academic admissions standards whatsoever", per you; I still manage to know about paragraphs and how they facilitate ease of reading. Will wonders never end?

There's a lovely new "illustrated" edition of Strunk and White now circulating. Perhaps you should invest in a copy.

[henfan]

The management of the CAA did not directly cause URI, HU, or NU to fail and depart. They however do not appear to be very concerned that they have or will be departing and have suggested that they would understand if other northern schools left. It certainly was not an environment where a school like URI felt welcome or felt it shared common football interests... Vermont, Boston University, UConn, Northeastern, and Hofstra have all left when they determined the sport or league was not a good fit for each school's vision.

You're starting to get it anyway.

If you think the CAA administration wasn't deeply disappointed in losing URI, not to mention two of its core members, HU & NU, you're just making stuff up. Just because Yeager has acknowledged the obvious challenge ahead for remaining NE members, you think he & the CAA don't care that they lost members? Please. Yeager's comment wasn't cavalier; it was honest. He's also said many times that the league would continue to work to meet the needs of the remaining NE schools. He said it before and after HU surprisingly hatched its program, and when NU dropped out. There is only so much the league can do to prevent schools from making their own decisions.

Again, what could the Yankee Conference, A-10 and CAA have done from keeping any of the schools you mentioned from leaving? Each left for different reasons, some more justifiable and understandable than others.

As you've indicated, the URI admin screwed its FB pooch for years. During that time, it was completely within in their reach to make modest (not outrageous) investments in facilities, which they eventually did, hire good coaches, build a winning tradition, foster a great gameday environment and, through it all, develop a program that those in and around the university would have been proud to invest in.

I'm sorry if you don't agree that URI was a capable enough university to do these very simple things to keep up with their football peers in the region. With a dumbed down program, it certainly will be easier for the Rhody admin to allow the program to coast into endless mediocrity or, more likely, fall into an inevitable death spiral. After all, if they can't find a way to keep from bleeding red ink in the NEC, who would blame them for killing the program? It's all Tom Yeager's fault.

Get back with me about what a great move this is URI FB when Saturdays at Meade Stadium resemble those in Brookline and Hempstead.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Quotably, Commissioner Yeager also said, "there's no breakdown lane in the CAA." It's hard to argue with that.

But here's where I'm scratching my balding noggin to pieces - did not Rhode Island (and the other original New England members) offer a rather wide margin on the expressway berm way back when to the lately-arrived members of the fledgling Atlantic 10 football conference? Sounds a little like an 'I'm-aboard-so-pull-up-the-ladder' approach to me.

[superman7515]

Just one more reason to hold onto my EA NCAA Football 07. Still have the FCS teams instead of someone's insane superteam created at home, Hoftstra, Northeastern, etc.

[JMG1MON]

It's been a long time since I've been on here but this isn't official I'm assuming since I can't find anything on NEC website. I've read through the first 14 pages of this but I really can't go through another 14. Thanks

[Bogus Megapardus]

If you think the CAA administration wasn't deeply disappointed in losing URI, not to mention two of its core members, HU & NU, you're just making stuff up. Just because Yeager has acknowledged the obvious challenge ahead for remaining NE members, you think he & the CAA don't care that they lost members?

I think that Yeager & Co. couldn't care less about the CAA's northeastern members. I also think that his nerdy little B-school minions had his "talking points" memo prepared well in advance, so he could feign remorse over the "heartbreak" of losing one or more of the CAA's New England schools. Everything I've read from this self-aggrandizing, loudmouth ninny leads me to conclude that he's interested only in feathering his own nest and in perpetuating nothing but his personal legacy.

I'm sorry, but I really hate this guy. He has no eleemosynary inclination whatsoever; he's attempting to accomplish nothing beyond the security of his own well-being and he couldn't care less about the foundation or tradition of the league itself. Yeager reminds me of the legions of horrific, partially-educated, 80s-style arbitrage lackeys who couldn't get enough of themselves and who drove once-treasured American institutions into the dirt through nothing but malicious greed. If I met this dweeb in a bar I'd probably want to punch him in the nose.

The University of Rhode Island ought to remove itself from this pseudo-criminal enterprise as quickly as it possibly can. I cannot fault Maine, UNH or UMass in the slightest for staying on tack because they have no alternative at the moment. But I urge the alumni of these fine universities to find a way to make their feelings known to Yeager & Co. and to stand up for the foundations of true college athletics. It is a tradition belonging uniquely to them, and not to the johnny-come-lately marketing geniuses who think that they can manufacture rivalries and "brand" college names like soft drinks, or dog food.

I've had it. Enough is enough.

[Sader87]

I think that Yeager & Co. couldn't care less about the CAA's northeastern members. I also think that his nerdy little B-school minions had his "talking points" memo prepared well in advance, so he could feign remorse over the "heartbreak" of losing one or more of the CAA's New England schools. Everything I've read from this self-aggrandizing, loudmouth ninny leads me to conclude that he's interested only in feathering his own nest and in perpetuating nothing but his personal legacy.

I'm sorry, but I really hate this guy. He has no eleemosynary inclination whatsoever; he's attempting to accomplish nothing beyond the security of his own well-being and he couldn't care less about the foundation or tradition of the league itself. Yeager reminds me of the legions of horrific, partially-educated, 80s-style arbitrage lackeys who couldn't get enough of themselves and who drove once-treasured American institutions into the dirt through nothing but malicious greed.

The University of Rhode Island ought to remove itself from this pseudo-criminal enterprise as quickly as it possibly can. I cannot fault Maine, UNH or UMass in the slightest for staying on tack because they have no alternative at the moment. But I urge the alumni of these fine universities to find a way to make their feelings known to Yeager & Co. and to stand up for the foundations of true college athletics. It is a tradition belonging uniquely to them, and not to the johnny-come-lately marketing geniuses who think that they can manufacture rivalries and "brand" college names like soft drinks or dog food.

I've had it. Enough is enough.

Much like the storied HC-Lafayette football rivalry that commenced in the year of our Lord 1986????

[Bogus Megapardus]

Much like the storied HC-Lafayette football rivalry that commenced in the year of our Lord 1986????

The opinions expressed herein are uniquely my own and are not necessarily representative of Any Given Saturday or its constituent members.

Thank you, and good night.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The University of Rhode Island ought to remove itself from this pseudo-criminal enterprise as quickly as it possibly can. I cannot fault Maine, UNH or UMass in the slightest for staying on tack because they have no alternative at the moment. But I urge the alumni of these fine universities to find a way to make their feelings known to Yeager & Co. and to stand up for the foundations of true college athletics. It is a tradition belonging uniquely to them, and not to the johnny-come-lately marketing geniuses who think that they can manufacture rivalries and "brand" college names like soft drinks, or dog food.

I've had it. Enough is enough.

Rough points, but the truth is, though, the roots of this came about well before Yeager was commissioner of the CAA. If UMass had decided to stay in the Yankee Conference in basketball in the mid-1970s, the Yankee might still be an all-sports conference with Holy Cross, Boston College, URI, UMass, UConn, UNH and Maine as members. A good part of the Yankee breakup was caused unintentionally when UConn washed up on the shores of the Big East and UMass and URI ended up in the Atlantic 10.

Decades later, the Big East would encourage its basketball members to move to FBS football, and UConn had the perfect situation and moved from the I-AA Atlantic 10 conference in football, removing UMass' and URI's biggest rivals in I-AA.

With that reality, both the Atlantic 10 and America East had golden opportunities to sponsor football, but nobody really stepped up to the plate. All Yeager did was see the value of Yankee/Atlantic 10 football, and chose to use that value to create his dream of an FBS conference - at the expense of the original Yankee Conference schools, save possibly UMass.

[Sader87]

Rough points, but the truth is, though, the roots of this came about well before Yeager was commissioner of the CAA. If UMass had decided to stay in the Yankee Conference in basketball in the mid-1970s, the Yankee might still be an all-sports conference with Holy Cross, Boston College, URI, UMass, UConn, UNH and Maine as members. A good part of the Yankee breakup was caused unintentionally when UConn washed up on the shores of the Big East and UMass and URI ended up in the Atlantic 10.

Decades later, the Big East would encourage its basketball members to move to FBS football, and UConn had the perfect situation and moved from the I-AA Atlantic 10 conference in football, removing UMass' and URI's biggest rivals in I-AA.

With that reality, both the Atlantic 10 and America East had golden opportunities to sponsor football, but nobody really stepped up to the plate. All Yeager did was see the value of Yankee/Atlantic 10 football, and chose to use that value to create his dream of an FBS conference - at the expense of the original Yankee Conference schools, save possibly UMass.

Truth of the matter is that Yankee Conference football up until and through the 1970's wasn't particularly strong overall (and was in fact D2 until it was reclassified 1-AA in 1978). UMass occasionally had solid teams but the level of play was pretty average at best. Holy Cross actually joined the league for a trial year but very quickly pulled out of it in the early 1970's. BC would never have joined the Yankee Conference in a million years.

The conference only became stronger when it started adding other schools such as BU, Delaware, Villanova etc.

I do agree with you that its dissolution was brought on by schools leaving for other basketball leagues.

[henfan]

I think that Yeager & Co. couldn't care less about the CAA's northeastern members... Everything I've read from this self-aggrandizing, loudmouth ninny leads me to conclude that he's interested only in feathering his own nest and in perpetuating nothing but his personal legacy.

I'm sorry, but I really hate this guy. He has no eleemosynary inclination whatsoever; he's attempting to accomplish nothing beyond the security of his own well-being and he couldn't care less about the foundation or tradition of the league itself...

And your comment that Yeager couldn't care less about the NE FB members is based on...? I've asked this question previously in this thread and no one has yet to answer the question.

Here's what UNH's AD Marty Scarano recently said as recently as May, 2010, "Our meetings with CAA football are very fruitful, very respectful. There's a lot of integrity there. I think everyone trusts one another, and that isn't always the case in any given league. Tom [Yeager] is a great moderator of that."

What has Yeager done that would demonstrate self-interest? Like any conference head, Yeager is employed by his membership to carry out their collective wishes, whether it fits his own professional agenda or not. If he didn't follow his membership's directives, he be out on his arse pronto.

In the last decade, the CAA has gone from the brink of extinction to one of the stronger mid-major conferences in the nation and one that now includes top rated FCS FB and MLAX leagues. No doubt the conference is far from perfect and, IMO, its leaders (this includes Yeager) have made missteps in recent years. Even with the membership issues in its FB league, the conference is still in far better shape, both competitively and in terms of membership, than several other conferences in the East, including the Patriot League.

Oops. I think I may have stumbled upon the reason for your ridiculously over-the-top post.xnodx

[henfan]

All Yeager did was see the value of Yankee/Atlantic 10 football, and chose to use that value to create his dream of an FBS conference - at the expense of the original Yankee Conference schools, save possibly UMass.

Yeager & CAA membership have desired a D-I football league since right after the league formed. Who could blame them?

LFN, I'm not sure where you get this stuff sometimes. The league, like several other FCS leagues, has recently studied FBS football but by no means could it be classified a Yeager or the league's "dream". Studying the idea is an exercise in due diligence and nothing more. As Yeager has recently pointed out, FBS FB for the CAA at this point in time is just not feasible.

My own interpretation here: UMaine & UNH aside, it's pretty obvious that the overwhelming majority of the remaining CAA FB schools do not want and/or will not be able to afford FBS FB anytime soon without a complete sea change in D-I FB.

[wr70beh]

Imagine a strong Northeastern and strong UMass up north, and Hofstra ("practice home of the Jets"). URI might have still opted to leave, but it would also have been a compelling reason to stay.

The Jets built a new practice facility in New Jersey in 2008 (when favre was there). They've abandoned Hofstra. Maybe that had something to do with Hofstra dropping football, but who knows.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Your passion for "high-level" FCS football is obviously appreciated on this site, but you have to look at it from the people making the business decisions for UNH's points of view!

Only a bean counter totally out of touch with reality could determine that dropping to the NEC would save significant money at UNH! If all you do is publicize the savings in scholarships, sure it looks like a huge savings. But please show me the numbers after the losses from no FBS game, significantly reduced gate receipts, reduced alumni donations, decreased alumni involvement, reduced quantity and quality of admissions applications, reduced national exposure, etc. are brought into the mix.

I've already witnessed one set of terrible decisions made in Durham that almost killed football. I'd rather not do so again. I don't think I speak for just myself when I say that after what I've experienced with UNH Football the past six years, that there's no way I could remain a rabid fan if UNH Football was played in the NEC.


Even if UNH wins the FCS national championship, what does that really get the university? 15 seconds on ESPN2? Is that worth the cost (and possibly increasing costs now, by staying in an ever-southbound CAA)?

No, it gets UNH a heck of a lot more than 15 seconds of fame. Winning the FCS Championship would garner UNH more national exposure and publicity than any other sporting achievement feasible for UNH. While winning the Frozen Four would be more popular among UNH fandom, it wouldn't resonate the same way because ice hockey is a regional sport. UNH Basketball has never even played in its conference championship game so anything more than making the Big Dance is a pipe dream.

Going to the NEC provides ZERO opportunity of winning the FCS Championship. And it would mean not competing with our peers. Sorry, but I'm for staying with the CAA and finding a way to fund increased costs. It's worth it to keep your most nationally relevant program!!!!

BTW, I'm sure everybody is quite surprised to read how little you think of the FCS Championship.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

I too am worried about UNH getting sucked into another league, and I think that URI leaving only increases the chances of that. It wouldn't shock me if Maine panicked and headed for the exits, dragging UNH and UMass with them.



All UNH fans want UNH to stay in the CAA. However, not all school administrators are as passionate about football as we are. And even if they are, they have a million other things to worry about, and in this economy, financial concerns can cause people to make rash decisions. The fact that UNH has still done nothing about a stadium makes we wonder if they could be as cavalier as you are about tacking on 100K plane trips every year. I think a lot of this pressure about geography and financial arms races would be relieved if JMU/ODU/GSU moved up to FBS and the CAA were able to pick up another Northern school like Albany. But until then, things like JMU spending 10s of millions on a stadium and URI leaving increase the chances of UNH leaving the CAA.

BTW, I wasn't being cavalier about an additional $100K a year for travel. Unlike LFN I don't see $100K in a multiple million dollar budget being a significant enough factor for a radical change like dropping to the NEC. Personally, I'd find a way to cut that $100K or whatever the figure was from another sport's budget. Sorry if that's cruel and unfair to the athletes in another sport, but seriously there isn't another sport at UNH that is as nationally relevant as football. I'm confident that, unlike during the 90's, we have a President and AD who won't make a rash decision.

I too think that much would be gained if JMU and company would do whatever they need to do to move up to FBS or commit to FCS for the long term. I think the vast majority of CAA teams are not going to upgrade. UNH needs to hang with those schools for as long as possible. Once a drop to the NEC occurs, the chance of re-aligning with the CAA FCS schools is remote.

I don't think there is a lot to be gained by the CAA if they add a non all sports member for football. So, expecting to see any announcement of a Northern expansion member just isn't feasible without an all sports invitation. BTW, Albany needs to demonstrate it indeed can get to full scholarship to be a potential invite. To me, if Charlotte gets an invite for football only, then that's a sign that there are plans for the JMU/ODU/GSU split that you allude to. After that I'm not sure if the CAA sponsors two leagues or if some other entity evolves. The ongoing conference implosion and Patriot scholarship decision will be a factor.

I see a few possibilities for UNH:


CAA FBS and CAA FCS
A new association of public and private schools (Ex. Maine, UNH, Delaware, Towson, Fordham, Colgate, Holy Cross, William & Mary, Richmond) if the Patriot nixes scholarships.
Patriot League with Scholarships and modified or eliminated AI


All of these require UNH to remain at full FCS scholarship!! We've got to ride out the storm!!

xtwocentsx xtwocentsx xtwocentsx xtwocentsx

[MplsBison]

Only a bean counter totally out of touch with reality could determine that dropping to the NEC would save significant money at UNH! If all you do is publicize the savings in scholarships, sure it looks like a huge savings. But please show me the numbers after the losses from no FBS game, significantly reduced gate receipts, reduced alumni donations, decreased alumni involvement, reduced quantity and quality of admissions applications, reduced national exposure, etc. are brought into the mix.

I've already witnessed one set of terrible decisions made in Durham that almost killed football. I'd rather not do so again. I don't think I speak for just myself when I say that after what I've experienced with UNH Football the past six years, that there's no way I could remain a rabid fan if UNH Football was played in the NEC.



No, it gets UNH a heck of a lot more than 15 seconds of fame. Winning the FCS Championship would garner UNH more national exposure and publicity than any other sporting achievement feasible for UNH. While winning the Frozen Four would be more popular among UNH fandom, it wouldn't resonate the same way because ice hockey is a regional sport. UNH Basketball has never even played in its conference championship game so anything more than making the Big Dance is a pipe dream.

Going to the NEC provides ZERO opportunity of winning the FCS Championship. And it would mean not competing with our peers. Sorry, but I'm for staying with the CAA and finding a way to fund increased costs. It's worth it to keep your most nationally relevant program!!!!

BTW, I'm sure everybody is quite surprised to read how little you think of the FCS Championship.

With the Big 10 and Big XII going to 9 conference games, you have to wonder how long it will be until that is the norm and the BCS teams are no longer paying FCS teams to come to the stadiums. Maybe it won't be like that, but you never know.

You make a passionate argument for keeping an expensive FCS football program, especially the part about increased alumni donations. I'd be interested in seeing the results of a study on football's true impact on UNH's budget to see if your hypothesis is correct or false.

[superman7515]

The Jets built a new practice facility in New Jersey in 2008 (when favre was there). They've abandoned Hofstra. Maybe that had something to do with Hofstra dropping football, but who knows.

I knew Brett Favre was behind Hofstra and Northeastern dropping football. The bastard. http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2009/3/29/633739339098178210-BRETTFAVREAPPROVES.jpg

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

With the Big 10 and Big XII going to 9 conference games, you have to wonder how long it will be until that is the norm and the BCS teams are no longer paying FCS teams to come to the stadiums. Maybe it won't be like that, but you never know.

As long as a victory over an FCS Counter is a bowl eligible win and an FCS team can be paid less than a MAC, C-USA or Sun Belt team then I think we'll have FCS-FBS games. It's not like the majority of FBS teams have OOC match-ups that would be lost. There are only so many South Carolina-Clemson, Georgia-Georgia Tech type match-ups.


You make a passionate argument for keeping an expensive FCS football program, especially the part about increased alumni donations. I'd be interested in seeing the results of a study on football's true impact on UNH's budget to see if your hypothesis is correct or false.

If I had documented statistics, then I would have linked them. I can only report what I hear as an alum, a donor, a season ticket holder, a traveler to FBS and FCS playoff games, a participant in events where our President, Athletic Director and Head Coaches speak, etc. And I know and report how adverse the impact of a downgrade to NEC Football would be to this UNH Football Fan.

One thing should be clear though, UNH folks are significantly more passionate about FCS Football than folks in Rhody!!

[henfan]

The fact that UNH has a former Delaware guy as its CEO bodes well for the Wildcat FB program. The fact that he called in former UD CEO David Roselle last year to help assess funding for UNH athletics was telling, IMO. Unlike URI, HU & BU, they seem to have the institutional support they need to help maintain full scholarship level FCS FB.

Here's a link to the recent UNH report, which was discussed before on this board: http://www.unh.edu/president/markhuddleston/speeches/athletics_report_final022010.pdf

[Chad4Life]

[QUOTE=UNH_Alum_In_CT;1531030]As long as a victory over an FCS Counter is a bowl eligible win and an FCS team can be paid less than a MAC, C-USA or Sun Belt team then I think we'll have FCS-FBS games. It's not like the majority of FBS teams have OOC match-ups that would be lost. There are only so many South Carolina-Clemson, Georgia-Georgia Tech type match-ups.


And as long as a FCS school doesn't or can't demand a home and home or a 2/3 for 1 deal, you will have at least one FCS school on the schedule of many FBS schools. The perfect schedule for a FBS AD would be 12 home games with the lowest payout to the visiting team as possible.

[401ks]

After reading all these posts about how awful and pointless the NEC is, and as a supporter now of both the NEC and the even more awful and pointless PFL, I think that I'll just go eat worms and die.

:p

[TJT]

UNH gets much more ink for its hockey program in New England than its FCS football team. FCS football is just not really big in New England. Anyone that states otherwise is completely biased and lacks any semblance of objectivity.

[SideLine Shooter]

After reading all these posts about how awful and pointless the NEC is, and as a supporter now of both the NEC and the even more awful and pointless PFL, I think that I'll just go eat worms and die.

:p


That sounds like a great idea.xhurrayxxhurrayxxnodx

[Go...gate]

I think that Yeager & Co. couldn't care less about the CAA's northeastern members. I also think that his nerdy little B-school minions had his "talking points" memo prepared well in advance, so he could feign remorse over the "heartbreak" of losing one or more of the CAA's New England schools. Everything I've read from this self-aggrandizing, loudmouth ninny leads me to conclude that he's interested only in feathering his own nest and in perpetuating nothing but his personal legacy.

I'm sorry, but I really hate this guy. He has no eleemosynary inclination whatsoever; he's attempting to accomplish nothing beyond the security of his own well-being and he couldn't care less about the foundation or tradition of the league itself. Yeager reminds me of the legions of horrific, partially-educated, 80s-style arbitrage lackeys who couldn't get enough of themselves and who drove once-treasured American institutions into the dirt through nothing but malicious greed. If I met this dweeb in a bar I'd probably want to punch him in the nose.

The University of Rhode Island ought to remove itself from this pseudo-criminal enterprise as quickly as it possibly can. I cannot fault Maine, UNH or UMass in the slightest for staying on tack because they have no alternative at the moment. But I urge the alumni of these fine universities to find a way to make their feelings known to Yeager & Co. and to stand up for the foundations of true college athletics. It is a tradition belonging uniquely to them, and not to the johnny-come-lately marketing geniuses who think that they can manufacture rivalries and "brand" college names like soft drinks, or dog food.

I've had it. Enough is enough.

Well said.

[dukie]

I have known Tom Yeager personally for the last 15 years. He is none of what you claim him to be Bogus. He is the commissioner and does not make the determination as to who plays in the CAA, the school Presidents do. UNH has the same number of votes in conference meetings as the rest of the schools do....one.

Towson, JMU,UR, and W&M have all spent millions of dollars in facility upgrades over the last 5-6 years. GSU will enter the conference with the best stadium facility in the CAA. ODU's will be among the best. This is what is putting the pressure on the northern schools to look at whether or not CAA affiliation makes sense for the long term. They all are going to have to spend millions on facility upgrades to stay competitive within the CAA.

Tom Yeager is not the one building facilities. He is not pushing the northern schools out of the league. He is only carrying out the votes of the CAA majority membership. He answers to all of the league Presidents equally.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

LFN, I'm not sure where you get this stuff sometimes. The league, like several other FCS leagues, has recently studied FBS football but by no means could it be classified a Yeager or the league's "dream". Studying the idea is an exercise in due diligence and nothing more. As Yeager has recently pointed out, FBS FB for the CAA at this point in time is just not feasible.


Towson, JMU,UR, and W&M have all spent millions of dollars in facility upgrades over the last 5-6 years. GSU will enter the conference with the best stadium facility in the CAA. ODU's will be among the best. This is what is putting the pressure on the northern schools to look at whether or not CAA affiliation makes sense for the long term. They all are going to have to spend millions on facility upgrades to stay competitive within the CAA.

I'm sure all these football upgrades are just sheer coincidence. And happenstance that the CAA football commissioner didn't lift a finger to try to stop an facilities arms race from happening. Facilities that in some, if not all, cases could be worthy of trying to make a jump to FBS.

This doesn't even include the Tub's upgrades scheduled for the near future.

[superman7515]

Because the Tub's upgrades aren't scheduled for the near future. They're not scheduled at all. There's a drawing, but that's it right now. No financial or construction plan is completed, let alone a date to begin construction.

[Wildcat80]

As long as a victory over an FCS Counter is a bowl eligible win and an FCS team can be paid less than a MAC, C-USA or Sun Belt team then I think we'll have FCS-FBS games. It's not like the majority of FBS teams have OOC match-ups that would be lost. There are only so many South Carolina-Clemson, Georgia-Georgia Tech type match-ups.



If I had documented statistics, then I would have linked them. I can only report what I hear as an alum, a donor, a season ticket holder, a traveler to FBS and FCS playoff games, a participant in events where our President, Athletic Director and Head Coaches speak, etc. And I know and report how adverse the impact of a downgrade to NEC Football would be to this UNH Football Fan.

One thing should be clear though, UNH folks are significantly more passionate about FCS Football than folks in Rhody!!

AMEN!!!! UNH has a clear and active FOOTBALL fanbase. Everywhere I travel NH folks come up to me and praise the FOOTBALL program. We will be a top FCS team well into the future. Go Cats!

[MplsBison]

AMEN!!!! UNH has a clear and active FOOTBALL fanbase. Everywhere I travel NH folks come up to me and praise the FOOTBALL program. We will be a top FCS team well into the future. Go Cats!

Don't you agree that it would be possible for UNH to be a top FCS team, with full scholarships, but in a different conference that would cut travel costs?

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Don't you agree that it would be possible for UNH to be a top FCS team, with full scholarships, but in a different conference that would cut travel costs?

Most likely. Please get back to us when there is viable option.

Then we can evaluate the membership of each option and determine whether switching would be worth a savings in travel costs. Personally, even if travel savings were $250K, I'm not sure that is significant enough of a savings in an approximate $3.5 budget to make a radical change. And I'm really not sure there is any option that would result in significant travel costs savings.

The only full scholarship/equivalency/counter alignment that could have no plane trips would be Maine, UNH, UMass, Holy Cross, Fordham, Stony Brook, Colgate, Lehigh and Lafayette. (Sorry, but until CCSU and Albany actually get to full scholarship, I can't consider them.) For argument's sake I'll overlook the little detail that those schools aren't all counters today. Personally, I don't think there is much chance of that alignment happening. Now trade LC and LU for Delaware and Towson (adds one flight a year) and there is a higher probability.

There just isn't a critical mass of full scholarship/equivalency programs in the Northeast to even fathom an all bus trip league. If you want to play FCS Football at the highest level, there's going to be plane trips involved.

[henfan]

I'm sure all these football upgrades are just sheer coincidence. And happenstance that the CAA football commissioner didn't lift a finger to try to stop an facilities arms race from happening. Facilities that in some, if not all, cases could be worthy of trying to make a jump to FBS.

This doesn't even include the Tub's upgrades scheduled for the near future.

LFN, Yeager as commish has zero ability or, I'm sure, desire to prevent schools from making facility upgrades. Even if he had a vote in the matter, why in would he want to curtail member schools from keeping up with what is happening around the rest of the FCS? Your comment makes no sense at all.

Who's facilities in the CAA will be FBS ready and when specifically without doubt will this all happen? The reality is that by the end of 2011, we will have exactly 3 programs with 22K-25K seat stadiums capable of filling them, provided JMU increases their fanbase by 30-40%. GSU will be playing in a largely empty NFL dome. We'll talk when they're regularly drawing 20K plus each game. Sure, UD, JMU & ODU would like to expand to 30K-40K someday but that someday might never come.

[T-Dog]

GSU will enter the conference with the best stadium facility in the CAA.

The biggest, not the best. Playing in a mostly empty Georgia Dome won't compare to playing in the Tub or any other stadium in the CAA.

G-State is going to need a facility to themselves that is uniquely theirs. The Georgia Dome is only a temp solution.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

UNH gets much more ink for its hockey program in New England than its FCS football team. FCS football is just not really big in New England. Anyone that states otherwise is completely biased and lacks any semblance of objectivity.

Did you not read that I said national exposure and publicity? Sure, ice hockey gets more ink in the NH rags and might get a little more in the Boston Globe. Down my way, I'd have to say that UNH football gets a tad more mention than ice hockey in the Hartford Courant, but we're talking about virtually no press for either. It's all Sled Dogs around here, even UHart, CCSU, Q-pac, Yale, etc. don't get much ink in the Hartford Courant.

When UNH beat Rutgers in 2004, reporters from the NY Times, Washington Post and the San Francisco paper all came to Durham. When David Ball broke Jerry Rice's TD record, Sports Illustrated had an article in their print edition and ESPN came on campus to interview David. I never heard of anything similar when UNH played in Frozen Four national championship games or when Jason Krog won the Hobey Baker. I've never heard anyone at UNH state applications increased in quantity and quality because of those Frozen Four runs, but I have heard it stated about UNH Football and it's appearances on ESPN in the playoffs and Sports Center coverage of wins over Rutgers, Northwestern, Marshall, Army and Ball State as well as Ricky Santos winning the Walter Payton Award and David Ball's receiving records. Football, even with the relatively small numbers who follow FCS, provides more national exposure than ice hockey and that's good for UNH.

And who cares if FCS Football isn't big in new England. Neither Maine, UMass or UNH is attempting to become New England's team. Even the Beagles and Sled Dogs can't achieve that status and they're FBS. We're only trying to develop as large a fan base from our alumni and state's residents as possible. Anyone who truly cares about their State U. isn't going to get hung up about FBS vs. FCS. Most people will recognize the achievement of winning games against FBS opponents, making the playoffs and winning playoff games on the road. I've been in the stands when UNH hockey won the ECAC Championship in 1977 and the Hockey East Championships in 2002 and 2003. I've attended winning NCAA games for UNH Ice Hockey. At none of those events did I feel the pride for my university like I did in Statesboro when we beat Georgia Southern in the 2004 playoffs or like I did in Piscataway when we beat Rutgers and especially like I did in Evanston when we beat Northwestern. I will go to my grave remembering the emotion those days when our team came up into the stands to celebrate with their families and the fans. PRICELESS!!!! I'm sorry URI never got to experience anything like this in football during the past 25 years.

We get it that you think URI made a great decision, that's your prerogative. Just please stop trying to rationalize it's got to be the same for UNH, UMass and Maine.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Rough points, but the truth is, though, the roots of this came about well before Yeager was commissioner of the CAA. If UMass had decided to stay in the Yankee Conference in basketball in the mid-1970s, the Yankee might still be an all-sports conference with Holy Cross, Boston College, URI, UMass, UConn, UNH and Maine as members. A good part of the Yankee breakup was caused unintentionally when UConn washed up on the shores of the Big East and UMass and URI ended up in the Atlantic 10.

Decades later, the Big East would encourage its basketball members to move to FBS football, and UConn had the perfect situation and moved from the I-AA Atlantic 10 conference in football, removing UMass' and URI's biggest rivals in I-AA.

With that reality, both the Atlantic 10 and America East had golden opportunities to sponsor football, but nobody really stepped up to the plate. All Yeager did was see the value of Yankee/Atlantic 10 football, and chose to use that value to create his dream of an FBS conference - at the expense of the original Yankee Conference schools, save possibly UMass.

You really don't understand the collegiate sports scene in New England if you think that UConn, UMass and URI leaving the Yankee Conference was unintentional or if you think that HC, BC, UConn, UMass and URI would have joined Maine, UNH, UVM, BU and/or NU in an all sports conference.

You are correct though that the A10 and AE had golden opportunities to sponsor football. Things might be quite different today if they had.

I don't know if Yeager has a dream of forming an FBS Conference or not. If he does, then the CAA as currently constituted isn't going to get him there. UD probably doesn't want to go there unless its BCS and they don't have to compromise their academic standards. UMass probably can't raise the money. The rest other than JMU, ODU and GaStU don't have the resources and/or the institutional fortitude to go FBS. And the CAA basketball schools probably aren't going to be too happy with adding multiple other schools who have the capability of going FBS. How does the CAA go FBS without a complete implosion?

[Brad82]

I'm sorry URI never got to experience anything like this in football during the past 25 years

UNH Alum-some good points. However in 1985 we beat UNH for YC championship and went on to # 7 ranking. When we were # 2 in 1984 and in 1985,I can't remember anyone putting UNH down for not even making playoffs (they were loaded by the way). Why all the mis-guided angst in this forum?

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

I'm sorry URI never got to experience anything like this in football during the past 25 years

UNH Alum-some good points. However in 1985 we beat UNH for YC championship and went on to # 7 ranking. When we were # 2 in 1984 and in 1985,I can't remember anyone putting UNH down for not even making playoffs (they were loaded by the way). Why all the mis-guided angst in this forum?

Have you read the entire thread? Personally, I take exception to being told by TJT that what's good for URI Football is good for UNH Football. As have the UMass posters. I don't think I've ever "put down" the URI team because in my heart I feel that if UNH can have success then URI can have success. When I saw the new West Stands tied into the Ryan Center, I feared that if Rhody put in turf, lights and improved the East Stands that they could move ahead of UNH.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

You really don't understand the collegiate sports scene in New England if you think that UConn, UMass and URI leaving the Yankee Conference was unintentional or if you think that HC, BC, UConn, UMass and URI would have joined Maine, UNH, UVM, BU and/or NU in an all sports conference.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I know it was intentional. All three wanted more than Yankee Conference basketball - matter of fact, I think it was UMass' decision to jump the YC in basketball which caused the league's destruction. Ironically, their decision also probably jumpstarted the Big East.

Football was the dividing line back then. BC's (and Holy Cross') problem with the Yankee Conference was that they were playing Division II football, but the truth was there was no I-A football league back then anyway, making all of those non-YankCon schools independents in football. The Big East was partially born of that: high-end basketball, while not requiring their schools to sponsor football at all if they so chose. It was only much later when the Big East commish decided that in order to survive the BE needed to sponsor football.

[WMTribe90]

I'm sure all these football upgrades are just sheer coincidence. And happenstance that the CAA football commissioner didn't lift a finger to try to stop an facilities arms race from happening. Facilities that in some, if not all, cases could be worthy of trying to make a jump to FBS.

This doesn't even include the Tub's upgrades scheduled for the near future.

WM's facility upgrades have no connection to a possible move to IA. WM has no desire to go FBS. WM and UR's upgrades have not been made in preparation for an FBS move. Both schools are simply dedicated to being top notch FCS programs and the upgrades were done with that in mind. There is no way the CAA moves to FBS as a league and there is no evidence of coordinated effort from the league office to bring that about.

[Brad82]

UNH Alum-I am great admirer of your program and yes,if UNH can do it under very similar circumstances,Rhody should also. Good luck to all of you if we leave the conference.

[seattlespider]

WM's facility upgrades have no connection to a possible move to IA. WM has no desire to go FBS. WM and UR's upgrades have not been made in preparation for an FBS move. Both schools are simply dedicated to being top notch FCS programs and the upgrades were done with that in mind. There is no way the CAA moves to FBS as a league and there is no evidence of coordinated effort from the league office to bring that about.

Wholeheartedly agree. Richmond, while moving into a beautiful new stadium, has REDUCED capacity from 20,000+ to 8700. While that is unfortunate in that our recent success means that our improved crowds (around 9100 avg, with 16k for W&M/JMU) will take a hit, 8700 is about in line with our recent historical attendance, and 8700 means there is no way we're moving to FBS, even if we wanted to. There are a number of reasons why FBS doesn't make sense for UR; we'll be happy to compete for CAA/FCS titles on a yearly basis, and maybe down the line have the opportunity to increase capacity at Robins Stadium to around 10-12k. There is simply no evidence of a conspiracy to get facility upgrades in order to plan a group FBS move, and if there were, it would be news to UR and W&M.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

All UNH fans want UNH to stay in the CAA. However, not all school administrators are as passionate about football as we are. And even if they are, they have a million other things to worry about, and in this economy, financial concerns can cause people to make rash decisions. The fact that UNH has still done nothing about a stadium makes we wonder if they could be as cavalier as you are about tacking on 100K plane trips every year. I think a lot of this pressure about geography and financial arms races would be relieved if JMU/ODU/GSU moved up to FBS and the CAA were able to pick up another Northern school like Albany. But until then, things like JMU spending 10s of millions on a stadium and URI leaving increase the chances of UNH leaving the CAA.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/big-goals-for-unh-athletics


The university values athletics but cannot maintain its program with fundraising efforts that "lag badly" behind those of similar schools, concluded the panel of administrators, alumni and others. With two-thirds of the program's $24 million budget coming from relatively fixed sources - $9.6 million from student fees and $6 million from the university's general fund - panel members concluded the program must dramatically increase fundraising.

"The thing that's obvious: We know we can't look to Concord for help," said Athletic Director Marty Scarano, a member of the panel. "And we can't look to much more from the student body."

The report was commissioned by university President Mark Huddleston after the UNH Student Senate unanimously rejected an increase in the $840 athletic fee required of undergraduates. Though the university has not ruled out increasing the student fee, officials know it cannot support the program's goals, said David Proulx, assistant vice president of financial planning and budgeting.

....

The program must dramatically increase both annual giving and endowments, the panel said. UNH athletics attracts $900,000 each year in alumni contributions and holds $14 million in athletics-specific endowments, according to Proulx. The panel has recommended the program aim to increase regular giving by $1 million and endowments by $25 million.

The university must also change its budgeting so athletics is considered a central, not auxiliary, function, the report said. It said fundraising alone could not sustain the program, which had accumulated a deficit of $1.3 million at the end of June 2009.

And... (http://biggreenalertblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/slow-saturday.html)


In fiscal year 2007, UNH athletics raised $439,000, compared to $800,000 at the University of Vermont, $1.3 million at the University of Delaware and $14 million at the University of Connecticut. Only 1 percent of UNH's former athletes donated money, compared to 26 percent at Boston College.

Anyone still think that UNH would be perfectly OK with a couple more $100K plane trips per year for the football team to head south of the Mason/Dixon line?

[NHwildEcat]

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/big-goals-for-unh-athletics



And... (http://biggreenalertblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/slow-saturday.html)



Anyone still think that UNH would be perfectly OK with a couple more $100K plane trips per year for the football team to head south of the Mason/Dixon line?

Well, if Ball and Santos could latch on somewhere maybe that will be come 2%...Also, you cannot compare Boston College to UNH. Far different situations...their former athletes go on to be quite successful more so.

[henfan]

Anyone still think that UNH would be perfectly OK with a couple more $100K plane trips per year for the football team to head south of the Mason/Dixon line?

Having read the article and report, I would tend to agree with the Wildcat fans here who don't think an extra plane trip or two per year would be a big deal to the UNH admin, especially considering the alternative for UNH FB, especially considering that it keeps them in one of the most competitive conferences in the FCS with several of their historic rivals (UMaine, UMass & UD) in the area where they do a lion's share of their recruiting.

UNH has an AD and CEO who support full scholarship FCS FB and a fanbase that has grown in recent years. Notice that the article identifies a 12K-seat FB stadium as "a priority" among facility projects. Marty Scarano also indicated that UNH alumni have a great sense of pride in their teams, "especially football and hockey, and the athletics program has to learn how to capitalize on that."

Hardly sounds like a school kvetching about where it will be playing FB in the near future.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/big-goals-for-unh-athletics



And... (http://biggreenalertblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/slow-saturday.html)



Anyone still think that UNH would be perfectly OK with a couple more $100K plane trips per year for the football team to head south of the Mason/Dixon line?

Yep! They wouldn't be putting all these plans in motion otherwise. No need to do so for NEC Football. Sounds like plans to bring fundraising and facilities up to snuff to me. Pointing out deficiencies in the process to date.

[LeadBolt]

Yep! They wouldn't be putting all these plans in motion otherwise. No need to do so for NEC Football. Sounds like plans to bring fundraising and facilities up to snuff to me. Pointing out deficiencies in the process to date.



That's good to hear! UNH is a great school, runs a quality program and is always a tough opponent, I would sure hate to lose the rivalry.

[Larryl9797]

Any news on this thread? All quiet on the URI ---> NEC front?

[Brad82]

Heard talk from reliable sources that others seeking admittance?
Wouldn't surprise me.

[TJT]

Heard talk from reliable sources that others seeking admittance?
Wouldn't surprise me.

Interesting. If true, there are only a couple of possibilities that would seem reasonable.

[Jackman]

Can anybody find the official press release by the NEC from a couple weeks ago stating that they were talking to URI and would have a formal announcement by a certain July date? There used to be a link on the NEC website, but I don't see it anymore, even in the archives.

Maybe URI found the paperwork to be too difficult, so they gave up. "The application kept gravitating increasingly southward down the page," URI AD Thorr Bjorn will be quoted as saying.

[aceinthehole]

I don't think the NEC issued a press release on the topic. They may have linked to this article from the Projo, but I doubt it:


URI looks into moving football team to NEC

10:32 AM EDT on Tuesday, June 29, 2010

By MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer

The University of Rhode Island is exploring the possibility of reducing its expenditure on football by leaving the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Association and joining the Northeast Conference.

Thorr Bjorn, URI’s director of athletics, would not confirm that URI has received an invitation to join the NEC as a football-only member. Bjorn did say that URI “is committed to the CAA for the next two years [2010 and 2011] but is having “serious discussions with the NEC and talking about logistics of joining in 2013.” Bjorn also said that URI expects to make a formal announcement about the football program’s status in August.
http://www.projo.com/uri/content/sp_col_uri_28_06-29-10_IPJ1LTA_v3.deb069.html

[Jackman]

Assuming I wasn't having rage-induced hallucinations, it was published on northeastconference.org the same day that the URI AD admitted to the ProJo that he was talking to the NEC. It was only 3 short paragraphs, making the sort of cautious, non-committal statement you'd expect from a conference during negotiations. The only interesting tidbit I recall was that I thought they set aside July 14 or 16 or some other date around then as the day they'd have more information.

The hardcore Rhody football fans all seem to feel this is a done deal though, so even if I didn't hallucinate the press release, it's too soon to read anything into it.

[UNH Fanboi]

Anyone still think that UNH would be perfectly OK with a couple more $100K plane trips per year for the football team to head south of the Mason/Dixon line?

It was pointed out to me that UNH flies to many, if not all, of their road games via Southwest for 15-20K. Hotel rooms, meals and bus transfers obviously cost money too, but the total cost of an extra plane game shouldn't be cause for panic. The fact that Albany has a plan for a new stadium is also good news for FCS football in the Northeast. I have to imagine that they will be a good candidate for CAA football in a couple of years and would add another bus trip back on the schedule.

The lack of funding for a new stadium still concerns me, but I now think that concerns over travel costs are overblown. As long as UNH can still compete in the CAA, there is no reason for them to transfer to a non-full scholarship conference, which (a) wouldn't save them all that much money (b) would significantly reduce the team's exposure, and (c) throw away decades of tradition. A full scholarship reincarnation of the Yankee Conference could be a worthwhile option, but I don't see a critical mass for that in the near future.

[TexasTerror]

Or is this just bad information? Would figure a reporter from Maine, who covers the CAA, would have some sort of accurate information...


Not that those aren't legitimate questions. In the last year, the CAA's northern contingent has taken more hits than Jacoby Ellsbury's rib cage. Rhode Island announced it is moving to the less competitive Northeast Conference in 2013. Northeastern and Hofstra have dropped football altogether.

http://www.sunjournal.com/local-sports/story/893793

[NHwildEcat]

A reporter from Maine...sounds like the first line of a joke! In a all seriousness I hope Maine takes it to the southern teams. The North has some very good players and it is always a positve when we can beat one of the southerners!

I don't think this guy knows for sure, it just seems like media talk as far as URI definetely leaving for the NEC.

[49RFootballNow]

Nothing official unless it comes from URI's Public Relations Department.

[Seawolf97]

Just gotta wait and see. Supposedly some type of announcement from URI is expected later this month.

[TJT]

Don't know what to make of this given all that has already transpired but contrary to earlier reports, it looks like Rhode Island may not be making any announcement in the near term according to this article.

URI AD Thorr Bjorn is quoted as saying “there isn’t a rush” to make a decision on the long-term future of the football program.

http://www.kentcountytimes.com/content/view/239208/81/

[bullseye44]

Kudos for uncovering this one early.