Good article about one CAA team's motivation for changing conferences

[Brad82]

http://www.projo.com/uri/content/jim_donaldson_on_uri_football_04-21-11_EPNLTJ_v2.65c1da.html

[Tribe4SF]

Straight up common sense for URI.

[aceinthehole]

Glad to see URI is welcoming the change to the NEC.


“What we did,” Bjorn said, “was focused on continuing to play football. The fear I had was that the teams we were losing, Hofstra and Northeastern, along with additional budget cuts, could put our program at risk.”
...
“Winning is the best marketing tool there is,” he said. “If you’re not winning, people will find other things to do. And regional rivalries, even if they’re new, with teams like Bryant and Central Connecticut, are only going to help.”

[NHwildEcat]

Cannot blame them for doing what is best for them...that is how everyone else operates. I wish URI the best of luck when they begin conference play in the NEC. I see a great opportunity for them to make the playoffs with their new surroundings.

[LeadBolt]

Cannot blame them for doing what is best for them...that is how everyone else operates. I wish URI the best of luck when they begin conference play in the NEC. I see a great opportunity for them to make the playoffs with their new surroundings.

Ditto xthumbsupx

Best of luck Rams xsmileyclapx

You will be missed xnodx

[401ks]

The NEC is looking forward to welcoming the Rams to their new conference home!

xhypedx

[Wildcat80]

Given the lack of commitment I guess it was the "right" decision.....same for hofstra & NE. URI has a higher enrollment than UNH and with Providence a larger metropolitan city that they could draw from. The basketball team is a higher profile than UNH with better facilities. URI had a "plan" for a new football stadium 7+ years ago. They never got it done.....while WM, Richmond, Elon, ASU, Wofford, Samford etc did. Does any URI fan expect higher attendance in the NEC? Or a legit chance to advance in FCS playoffs with 40 schollies? I just hope that UNH finds a way to create facilities that match our status as the premier FCS football program in New England. And soon.

[Jackman]

I will never understand why people are convinced that cutting $300k worth of scholarships is worth losing $300k+ in FBS revenue, and that flying to western Pennsylvania is somehow cheaper than flying to Virginia. It's thankfully not UMass's problem anymore, but I wish someone at the UNH or Maine newspapers would do the math and stuff these articles down Donaldson's throat.

[aceinthehole]

I will never understand why people are convinced that cutting $300k worth of scholarships is worth losing $300k+ in FBS revenue, and that flying to western Pennsylvania is somehow cheaper than flying to Virginia. It's thankfully not UMass's problem anymore, but I wish someone at the UNH or Maine newspapers would do the math and stuff these articles down Donaldson's throat.

First, I doubt URI is flying anywhere - the NEC is a bus league. I don't think anyone flys to/from Western PA.

Its a long bus ride, but it for URI it is about the same distance and time to Virginia CAA schools.

[401ks]

I will never understand why people are convinced that cutting $300k worth of scholarships is worth losing $300k+ in FBS revenue, and that flying to western Pennsylvania is somehow cheaper than flying to Virginia.

xeyebrowx

Since we're making up figures here...

Let's be REAL generous and say that 20% of the Rams football roster comes from Rhode Island.

Let's be REAL generous and say that an additional 20% of the Rams football roster qualifies for the "New England Regional" tuition program (look it up).

And assume that the rosters of other sports (specifically women) are about the same.

That would mean that the 23 scholarships being cut (63 - 23 = NEC limit of 40) will save URI approximately $1,544,330.00 per year.

That figure comes from:

4.6 football scholarships for RI residents
4.6 women's scholarships for RI residents for Title IX

4.6 football scholarships for qualifying "New England Regional" residents
4.6 women's scholarships for qualifying "New England Regional" residents for Title IX

13.8 football scholarships for out-of-state residents
13.8 women's scholarships for out-of-state residents for Title IX

Even if you don't count the Title IX savings, the football savings alone are well over $750,000/year.

Just a little bit different than the $300,000 figure that has just been tossed out there. xrolleyesx

Even the comments attached to this story call for the elimination of URI football.

Some of you may not like this decision, but it is a heck of a lot better than URI going the way of Northeastern and Hofstra!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Some of you may not like this decision, but it is a heck of a lot better than URI going the way of Northeastern and Hofstra!

+1 xthumbsupx

[Tim James]

RI is quickly becoming a suburb of Boston in that all people care about around here are the Boston pro teams. Even college basketball is on the wane in popularity due to Providence College not being able to compete in the massive Big East. URI basketball hasnt made the field of 64 in like forever. There's very little scraps left for college football to feast on here. Money is very tight now in this sorry, miserable state.

[Wildcat80]

Money is very tight now in this sorry, miserable state.

Are you suggesting that politics has something to do with the decline of football in the Northeast? Is there something to the strong union, extreme left, liberal, democratic party supporting, anti growth, high tax northeast states not being able to make a commitment to build competitive FCS football programs? Interesting theory......

[DFW HOYA]

Are you suggesting that politics has something to do with the decline of football in the Northeast? Is there something to the strong union, extreme left, liberal, democratic party supporting, anti growth, high tax northeast states not being able to make a commitment to build competitive FCS football programs? Interesting theory......

I think it's more that football is not the priority in the Northeast among its high schools versus other regions, leading to a thinner pool of recruits and an audience that never grew up with the same passion for it. Hard to rally college students for football if their only memory of high school football was a 10:00 am Saturday morning game before friends and family.

Secondarily, it's a not a budget priority. Big city school districts are not likely to increase athletics funding when infranstructure and test scores are in decay; by contrast, suburban districts see athletics as selling points for a university. Allen (TX) is proud of its $68 million stadium and performing arts complex under construction as a sign of its commitment to academic and athletic excellence--on the other hand, would anyone in Philadelphia or Boston or the Bronx be promoting a $68 million stadium for their schools?

[GA St. MBB Fan]

Hard to rally college students for football if their only memory of high school football was a 10:00 am Saturday morning game before friends and family.

Wow. That's a far cry from the Friday Night Lights of the South.

[Wildcat80]

DFW your response implies you once lived in the northeast. If so you know that is not universally typical here. We may not rival Texas BUT high school football on Friday nights is wildly popular in many areas---New Jersey and Pennsylvania for sure. Even New Hampshire just with smaller population.