Quinnipiac Field Hockey Will Join The Big East in 2016

[mattygstag]

I remember reading last spring that Quinnipiac's president Lahey has the ultimate goal of joining the Big East. I just saw on the QU website that their field hockey team will join the Big East beginning in 2016:  www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/news/2015/12/8/FH_1208150135.aspx?path=fhockey. I had heard that their new athletic director Greg Amodio had a lot of Big East connections from his days at Xavier and Duquesne Universities. QU is supposed to begin building a new lacrosse/field hockey stadium and an indoor track and field complex on campus in the spring of 2016.


What does this mean for MAAC field hockey? Maybe Fairfield field hockey will join the Big East as well.

[FU73]

"Main's program has continued to ascend to new heights and has found itself with the likes of Quinnipiac basketball and ice hockey as a recently upgraded Sport of Emphasis at the university. The new Tier 1 upgrade to sport of emphasis promises a new premier playing field and additional support for the program.

"This is the next step of continued growth for our program," Main said. "We're confident that the move to the BIG EAST and the completion of our new facility for 2017 will help Quinnipiac field hockey become a nationally-recognized program. I want to thank the MAAC and Commissioner Rich Ensor for sponsoring field hockey at the start of Quinnipiac's membership in the conference. The MAAC cultivated a competitive environment that has aided all of its members in playing at a higher level."....
www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/news/2015/12/8/FH_1208150135.aspx?path=fhockey

Liberty University is also joining BIG EAST Field Hockey as an Associate Member. During the 2016 field hockey season, the BIG EAST Conference will be comprised of the following eight teams: Connecticut, Georgetown, Liberty, Old Dominion, Providence, Temple, Villanova, and Quinnipiac.

This past season Liberty University and only 1 BIG EAST team (UCONN) were in the NCAA Top 25 rankings (NFHCA).
www.ncaa.com/rankings/fieldhockey/d1/nfhca-coaches

Out of the 78 Division 1 field hockey programs, the final NCAA RPI rankings has Quinnipiac (9-11-0) at #52 and the Stags at #53 (9-10-0) but the Stags made the NCAA Tournament by beating Quinnipiac 2-0 in the MAAC Championship game. Should be the other way around!

www.ncaa.com/rankings/fieldhockey/d1/ncaa-field-hockey-rpi

[stagthomas]

Who's got Vision?

[mattygstag]

QU is really good at those semi-fringe sports. Their D1 women's rugby team just won the national championship:  www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/news/2015/12/8/FH_1208150135.aspx?path=fhockey. Their women's hockey team is ranked 4th nationallly:  www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/news/2015/12/8/FH_1208150135.aspx?path=fhockey. Their men's hockey team is ranked 2nd nationally and has the best record in the country:  quinnipiacbobcats.com/news/2015/12/7/MIH_1207153445.aspx?path=mhockey.

It seems like it is easier to do well in these fringe sports because there are less D1 teams. Fairfield should start up a D1 hockey team again. I really think we can win in hockey just like QU.

[ctghostman]

I view this as a failure for our athletic department. We didn't get into the Big East for now field hockey and last year Lacrosse. Great job by QU getting in. Those are schools that we want to be paired with.