Conference Realignment

[RhowdyRam02]

I wouldn’t lose sleep over Richmond going to say C-USA because of football and leaving the A10 because I think we have too many teams in the conference already.

However, if the plan is to add a team if they leave then I would rather see them stay.

That said, I don’t know enough about Richmond football to know if or when they could make the jump up to C-USA in football.

It sounds like they'd stay in FCS for football, just change what conference football plays in, and stay in the A10 for all other sports. That said, maybe these grumblings get the attention of an FBS conference.

If Richmond were to go FBS, they could probably go back to City Stadium where they played from 1929 to 2009. City Stadium is about 4 miles from campus

[section(105)]

Is a draft application for URI to the America East in a draft file in Thorr’s computer?

[Jdrums#3]

ACC spring meetings opened today…

UNC BoT: UNC isn’t happy with the ACC. All options for what is best for UNC are on the table.

ACC Commish: “I do not want to downgrade basketball. But our future will be tied to football success, football revenues tied to TV”.

Good luck to the ACC if UNC leaves. Others will certainly follow.

I really dislike college football for what it has done to college basketball.

[steviep123]

ACC spring meetings opened today…

UNC BoT: UNC isn’t happy with the ACC. All options for what is best for UNC are on the table.

ACC Commish: “I do not want to downgrade basketball. But our future will be tied to football success, football revenues tied to TV”.

Good luck to the ACC if UNC leaves. Others will certainly follow.

I really dislike college football for what it has done to college basketball.

Been saying for years that football is ruining everything and football should just be it's own thing/conference slate while other sports follow their own set of conferences.

[Rhodymob05]

The ACC is very good at football, they had a winning record against the SEC last season and a #1 team.

[RF1]

URI likely will not be playing the Spiders in football much going forward.

[UCH21377]

If URI has a chance to go to the MAC they should take it. Yes for all sports

[reef]

If URI has a chance to go to the MAC they should take it. Yes for all sports

You want us in the MAC for hoop ?

[section(105)]

If URI has a chance to go to the MAC they should take it. Yes for all sports

You want us in the MAC for hoop ?

Why URI to MAC? Don’t see it.

[rhodyrudder]

It used to be Saturday afternoons in New England.
I’m not looking forward to Tuesday nights in the UP and remote parts of Ohio.
A league where we fit with exactly 0 current schools.
Admittedly UMass is joining, but we can’t possibly model our athletic program after them.

[section(105)]

…….Rhode Island, the Mid America State……

[steviep123]

URI likely will not be playing the Spiders in football much going forward.

Unless the Patriot League has changed or is going to change and allow scholarships, this seems like a bad move. Didn't BU move the Patriot league then drop football? (Or maybe in reverse order?). I really don't understand this decision.

[RhodyKyle]

If URI has a chance to go to the MAC they should take it. Yes for all sports

You want us in the MAC for hoop ?

Why URI to MAC? Don’t see it.

I look forward to watching URI hoops play every directional school in Michigan and Illinois..../s

The top of the MAC doesn't touch the top of the A10 and the bottoms are equal at best...there's no upside for hoops so it would solely to be to get FBS football.

[RhowdyRam02]

URI likely will not be playing the Spiders in football much going forward.

Unless the Patriot League has changed or is going to change and allow scholarships, this seems like a bad move. Didn't BU move the Patriot league then drop football? (Or maybe in reverse order?). I really don't understand this decision.

My understanding is that the Patriot League now allows the full compliment of 63 FCS scholarships, but not every team uses scholarships. For instance, my impression is Georgetown doesn't have football scholarships. Still feels like a bad move even with the conference allowing full scholarships. A step down in competition, probably more expensive travel, and no known cost savings.

Boston University never played football in the Patriot. They were members of the Yankee and A10 until they dropped football in 1997

[RF1]

Any talk about URI elevating football and joining the MAC is just crazy and exhibits a total ignorance of URI athletics.

URI football has been to the FCS playoffs just three times. All of these instances appeared in the short four year span from 1981 to 1985. The program has recorded by my quick count only eight winning seasons in the near four decades since it last participated in the postseason. The team has long played in one of the worst and smallest FCS stadiums for decades with an official capacity listed at just 6,555. The east stands have on multiple occasions been deemed unsafe. The program has a long history of being underfunded with poor institutional and fan support. Many URI fans have long advocated for eliminating the program and just a little over ten years ago the school was poised to drop down to the lower level NEC, considered one of the weakest FCS conferences.

Any talk of URI actually elevating the football program up to the FBS level given its history is just fantasy not based on any reality or understanding of the landscape in Kingston.

[rhodylaw]

Any talk about URI elevating football and joining the MAC is just crazy and exhibits a total ignorance of URI athletics.

URI football has been to the FCS playoffs just three times. All of these instances appeared in the short four year span from 1981 to 1985. The program has recorded by my quick count only eight winning seasons in the near four decades since it last participated in the postseason. The team has long played in one of the worst and smallest FCS stadiums for decades with an official capacity listed at just 6,555. The east stands have on multiple occasions been deemed unsafe. The program has a long history of being underfunded with poor institutional and fan support. Many URI fans have long advocated for eliminating the program and just a little over ten years ago the school was poised to drop down to the lower level NEC, considered one of the weakest FCS conferences.

Any talk of URI actually elevating the football program up to the FBS level given its history is just fantasy not based on any reality or understanding of the landscape in Kingston.

Despite this - i would do it in a heartbeat if the FBS teams try to break away from FCS teams in all sports (which is still a possibility imo).

[UCH21377]

Any talk about URI elevating football and joining the MAC is just crazy and exhibits a total ignorance of URI athletics.

URI football has been to the FCS playoffs just three times. All of these instances appeared in the short four year span from 1981 to 1985. The program has recorded by my quick count only eight winning seasons in the near four decades since it last participated in the postseason. The team has long played in one of the worst and smallest FCS stadiums for decades with an official capacity listed at just 6,555. The east stands have on multiple occasions been deemed unsafe. The program has a long history of being underfunded with poor institutional and fan support. Many URI fans have long advocated for eliminating the program and just a little over ten years ago the school was poised to drop down to the lower level NEC, considered one of the weakest FCS conferences.

Any talk of URI actually elevating the football program up to the FBS level given its history is just fantasy not based on any reality or understanding of the landscape in Kingston.

I understand all this but if you think the A10 is going to maintain its stature I believe you are totally wrong. Dayton StL and VCU are gone first chance they get. Football being emphasized; basketball deemphasized.At a minimum URI needs to be ready to make a move or it’s next league will be America East.

[section(105)]

Given choice of MAC or America East, I would take AE. If it comes to this with A-10 imploding. Hope our campus leadership/Admin has the moxie to play a major lead role in forming some type of conference with basketball centric teams left in the debris field left by the A-10 implosion.

[Jersey77]

Any talk about URI elevating football and joining the MAC is just crazy and exhibits a total ignorance of URI athletics.

URI football has been to the FCS playoffs just three times. All of these instances appeared in the short four year span from 1981 to 1985. The program has recorded by my quick count only eight winning seasons in the near four decades since it last participated in the postseason. The team has long played in one of the worst and smallest FCS stadiums for decades with an official capacity listed at just 6,555. The east stands have on multiple occasions been deemed unsafe. The program has a long history of being underfunded with poor institutional and fan support. Many URI fans have long advocated for eliminating the program and just a little over ten years ago the school was poised to drop down to the lower level NEC, considered one of the weakest FCS conferences.

Any talk of URI actually elevating the football program up to the FBS level given its history is just fantasy not based on any reality or understanding of the landscape in Kingston.

I understand all this but if you think the A10 is going to maintain its stature I believe you are totally wrong. Dayton StL and VCU are gone first chance they get. Football being emphasized; basketball deemphasized.At a minimum URI needs to be ready to make a move or it’s next league will be America East.

No doubt that if SLU, Dayton, and VCU get the opportunity to trade up, they are as good as gone.
But that can be far down the road, so let's cross that bridge when we get to it.
Even without those 3, the A10 is still probably our best bet.

In the meantime, the A10 has a lot of parity and is very deep.
There are probably 10 teams that have the opportunity to finish in the top tier and can possibly contend.

Again, before we concern ourselves with what may or may not happen to our conference in the future, let's first get out of the basement and make ourselves relevant.

[SGreenwell]

Any talk about URI elevating football and joining the MAC is just crazy and exhibits a total ignorance of URI athletics.

URI football has been to the FCS playoffs just three times. All of these instances appeared in the short four year span from 1981 to 1985. The program has recorded by my quick count only eight winning seasons in the near four decades since it last participated in the postseason. The team has long played in one of the worst and smallest FCS stadiums for decades with an official capacity listed at just 6,555. The east stands have on multiple occasions been deemed unsafe. The program has a long history of being underfunded with poor institutional and fan support. Many URI fans have long advocated for eliminating the program and just a little over ten years ago the school was poised to drop down to the lower level NEC, considered one of the weakest FCS conferences.

Any talk of URI actually elevating the football program up to the FBS level given its history is just fantasy not based on any reality or understanding of the landscape in Kingston.

I understand all this but if you think the A10 is going to maintain its stature I believe you are totally wrong. Dayton StL and VCU are gone first chance they get. Football being emphasized; basketball deemphasized.At a minimum URI needs to be ready to make a move or it’s next league will be America East.

This comes up frequently, but - Where are Dayton and VCU and St. Louis going? Like yeah, I don't think there is anything we can do if the ACC or Big East really wants one of those programs. The size of their TV contracts is immense compared to whatever the A-10 gets.

But the A-10 was roughly the 8th best conference this year. The Mountain West was slightly better than the A-10 this year; maybe you can be more bullish on them going forward if they truly absorb the two leftover Pac-12 teams. But that's a pretty hellish travel schedule for an A-10 team, and it's not a situation like the west coast teams joining the SEC or the ACC or Big X, where the money makes you hold your nose and do it. I also highly doubt that the always-unstable American Athletic Conference or Missouri Valley Conference or Conference USA are all that appealing either.

[Jdrums#3]

Any talk about URI elevating football and joining the MAC is just crazy and exhibits a total ignorance of URI athletics.

URI football has been to the FCS playoffs just three times. All of these instances appeared in the short four year span from 1981 to 1985. The program has recorded by my quick count only eight winning seasons in the near four decades since it last participated in the postseason. The team has long played in one of the worst and smallest FCS stadiums for decades with an official capacity listed at just 6,555. The east stands have on multiple occasions been deemed unsafe. The program has a long history of being underfunded with poor institutional and fan support. Many URI fans have long advocated for eliminating the program and just a little over ten years ago the school was poised to drop down to the lower level NEC, considered one of the weakest FCS conferences.

Any talk of URI actually elevating the football program up to the FBS level given its history is just fantasy not based on any reality or understanding of the landscape in Kingston.

I understand all this but if you think the A10 is going to maintain its stature I believe you are totally wrong. Dayton StL and VCU are gone first chance they get. Football being emphasized; basketball deemphasized.At a minimum URI needs to be ready to make a move or it’s next league will be America East.

No doubt that if SLU, Dayton, and VCU get the opportunity to trade up, they are as good as gone.
But that can be far down the road, so let's cross that bridge when we get to it.
Even without those 3, the A10 is still probably our best bet.

In the meantime, the A10 has a lot of parity and is very deep.
There are probably 10 teams that have the opportunity to finish in the top tier and can possibly contend.

Again, before we concern ourselves with what may or may not happen to our conference in the future, let's first get out of the basement and make ourselves relevant.

Jersey, it is the offseason so we have time to multi-task while figuring out how to get out of the basement.

But seriously, I have been checking out the UConn realignment fan board periodically because of their strong desire to get into a Power football conference. Anyway, it is active as a result and provides good insight and articles.

FWIW, expansion of the NBE has come up off and on. And, regarding Dayton, VCU and SLU as possible expansion the argument is neither adds significant dollar value to the NBE media deal. Therefore, any of the 3 or all 3 only add to the mouths to feed for the conference - which makes sense to me because I have made the same argument regarding adding to the A10, as others here have.

In other words, as at least one poster put it, why would Fox pay the NBE more money per team to add all or either of the 3 ? Do they have the brand value to generate that much interest and many more viewers to the conference while adding 1-3 more programs to feed ? The consensus there is, no.

Just thought I’d throw this out there as I found their point of view interesting.

Good discussion. Carry on.

[Jersey77]

I understand all this but if you think the A10 is going to maintain its stature I believe you are totally wrong. Dayton StL and VCU are gone first chance they get. Football being emphasized; basketball deemphasized.At a minimum URI needs to be ready to make a move or it’s next league will be America East.

No doubt that if SLU, Dayton, and VCU get the opportunity to trade up, they are as good as gone.
But that can be far down the road, so let's cross that bridge when we get to it.
Even without those 3, the A10 is still probably our best bet.

In the meantime, the A10 has a lot of parity and is very deep.
There are probably 10 teams that have the opportunity to finish in the top tier and can possibly contend.

Again, before we concern ourselves with what may or may not happen to our conference in the future, let's first get out of the basement and make ourselves relevant.

Jersey, it is the offseason so we have time to multi-task while figuring out how to get out of the basement.

But seriously, I have been checking out the UConn realignment fan board periodically because of their strong desire to get into a Power football conference. Anyway, it is active as a result and provides good insight and articles.

FWIW, expansion of the NBE has come up off and on. And, regarding Dayton, VCU and SLU as possible expansion the argument is neither adds significant dollar value to the NBE media deal. Therefore, any of the 3 or all 3 only add to the mouths to feed for the conference - which makes sense to me because I have made the same argument regarding adding to the A10, as others here have.

Just thought I’d throw this out there as I found their point of view interesting.

Good discussion. Carry on.

Drums, not to say that at some time in the future, one or more of those A10 teams mentioned may be considered by the BE.
Last I heard Ackerman said the BE was comfortable with their current membership.
The only team that was previously discussed which would move the needle for them was Gonzaga, but unlikely to happen.

The A10 is definitely our best fit for now and the foreseeable future.

[Jdrums#3]

Jersey, I agree on the fit. For us, currently, and I think for Dayton, VCU and SLU too because as you posted above, NBE expansion isn’t likely - unless it is maybe Gonzaga which also appear likely either.

Interestingly, the UConn realignment board has a thread on Gonzaga and there is not much support for them either for multiple reasons.

If the all the A10 programs and coaches can commit to upping their commitments in basketball not necessarily equal but close to Dayton’s and VCU’s level, then the conference would be in pretty dang good shape for basketball, imho. If any programs can’t or won’t commit to that extent should strongly consider moving down to another conference, imho.

[RhowdyRam02]

Any talk about URI elevating football and joining the MAC is just crazy and exhibits a total ignorance of URI athletics.

URI football has been to the FCS playoffs just three times. All of these instances appeared in the short four year span from 1981 to 1985. The program has recorded by my quick count only eight winning seasons in the near four decades since it last participated in the postseason. The team has long played in one of the worst and smallest FCS stadiums for decades with an official capacity listed at just 6,555. The east stands have on multiple occasions been deemed unsafe. The program has a long history of being underfunded with poor institutional and fan support. Many URI fans have long advocated for eliminating the program and just a little over ten years ago the school was poised to drop down to the lower level NEC, considered one of the weakest FCS conferences.

Any talk of URI actually elevating the football program up to the FBS level given its history is just fantasy not based on any reality or understanding of the landscape in Kingston.

I understand all this but if you think the A10 is going to maintain its stature I believe you are totally wrong. Dayton StL and VCU are gone first chance they get. Football being emphasized; basketball deemphasized.At a minimum URI needs to be ready to make a move or it’s next league will be America East.

No doubt that if SLU, Dayton, and VCU get the opportunity to trade up, they are as good as gone.
But that can be far down the road, so let's cross that bridge when we get to it.
Even without those 3, the A10 is still probably our best bet.

In the meantime, the A10 has a lot of parity and is very deep.
There are probably 10 teams that have the opportunity to finish in the top tier and can possibly contend.

Again, before we concern ourselves with what may or may not happen to our conference in the future, let's first get out of the basement and make ourselves relevant.

Completely disagree with your last part. If you just put your head down and don't worry about things until you're in a better position by the time your head comes up everything has already passed you by.

You prepare to win. That means pursuing the right conference, the right conference mates, etc. at all times, not just when you're good

[Jersey77]

I understand all this but if you think the A10 is going to maintain its stature I believe you are totally wrong. Dayton StL and VCU are gone first chance they get. Football being emphasized; basketball deemphasized.At a minimum URI needs to be ready to make a move or it’s next league will be America East.

No doubt that if SLU, Dayton, and VCU get the opportunity to trade up, they are as good as gone.
But that can be far down the road, so let's cross that bridge when we get to it.
Even without those 3, the A10 is still probably our best bet.

In the meantime, the A10 has a lot of parity and is very deep.
There are probably 10 teams that have the opportunity to finish in the top tier and can possibly contend.

Again, before we concern ourselves with what may or may not happen to our conference in the future, let's first get out of the basement and make ourselves relevant.

Completely disagree with your last part. If you just put your head down and don't worry about things until you're in a better position by the time your head comes up everything has already passed you by.

You prepare to win. That means pursuing the right conference, the right conference mates, etc. at all times, not just when you're good

O2, we are already in the right conference and that is unlikely to change for a long time.