FF would be better off grabbing Northeastern and knocking on the Patriot League's door. 2 six team divisions: FF, BU, Northeastern, Holy Cross, Army, and Colgate. Lafayette, Lehigh, Bucknell, Navy, Loyola, and American.
I really don’t think FF is interested in leaving the MAAC! Typical of the people running the school they are probably waiting around to be asked to join the Patriot or the CAA conferences instead of actively lobbying one or both conferences for acceptance. Lobbying by FF board of trustees members or other influential people on FF behalf talking behind the scenes to the commissioner of each conference or other trustees from conference schools is the way to get it done. College athletics is a business and like any other business deals need to be negotiated.
FF would be better off grabbing Northeastern and knocking on the Patriot League's door. 2 six team divisions: FF, BU, Northeastern, Holy Cross, Army, and Colgate. Lafayette, Lehigh, Bucknell, Navy, Loyola, and American.
The power conference realignment has changed the playing field (obviously), but for FU and other small schools as well. I am now more open to joining the Patriot League than I once was. Although, I like the A-10 for us a lot. CAA less so now. I think something will happen eventually, but I also think the MAAC is not a bad place to be until the time is right.
IMO, Northeastern CANNOT be happy with the expansion of the CAA. In addition, they don't have football OR Lacrosse, so where's the fit? I'd bet there are plenty of people at Northeastern that would like to make a move, considering the travel costs and the lack of commonality amongst CAA conference members. A Northeastern move to the Patriot League sure would make things interesting in the Boston area and FF joining would add a 10th Lacrosse team to the Patriot League. There may be ZERO interest on Northeastern's part, but its certainly worth the call to find out.
IMO, Northeastern CANNOT be happy with the expansion of the CAA. In addition, they don't have football OR Lacrosse, so where's the fit? I'd bet there are plenty of people at Northeastern that would like to make a move, considering the travel costs and the lack of commonality amongst CAA conference members. A Northeastern move to the Patriot League sure would make things interesting in the Boston area and FF joining would add a 10th Lacrosse team to the Patriot League. There may be ZERO interest on Northeastern's part, but its certainly worth the call to find out.
I don't believe any of us have any evidencethat discussions are or are not happening. Of course they would not be public.
From our history, we don't want to be the guys without a chair when the music stops.
Unfortunately most of us are just not confident that FU will be proactive or the sense of urgency exists.
We always seem to be holding the short straw.
It's easy for me to have those feelings. I'm a Stags Fan and a Jets-Mets fan.😉
Fairfield, including the President, want out of the MAAC. Fault the process if you will, but not the motivation.
Wanting out and aggressively lobbying by the president and by other influential people are two different things. Of course any behind the scenes efforts are not public so those efforts could in fact be ongoing. However, if our history is any kind of indicator of the future I think the current FF administration (Nemec) is standing bye hoping for an invite.
I do not believe the Patriot League has interest in Fairfield for several of reasons, not the least of which is football. Even though they accepted Loyola without a football program, they do emphasize football. FU has been lobbying the CAA for several years and has been disappointed in being passed over for other schools to date. They want out of the MAAC, but its tough to move.
And yes, of course Mark and Paul think it through in great detail and lobby intensely and intelligently to achieve their goals. Look at what the administration has done in building the undergraduate enrollment by more than a third in recent years…..while improving the applicant pool……..how challenging is that?
The last 3 schools the Patriot League added (BU, American, Loyola) don't have football. IMO, the ONLY way the Patriot League would expand would be if Northeastern was involved. I've always stated that FF would need a solid partner to get an invite and Northeastern is certainly that. Whether Northeastern has had enough of the CAA due to the travel and lack of commonality, both academically and athletically, remains to be seen.
Post by ctghostman on Sept 13, 2023 12:49:31 GMT -5
I don’t think the MAAC offers us much money - it’s more along the lines of less of a drain. The CAA and Patriot are probably the same to us financially.
Post by reindeerfan on Sept 13, 2023 13:13:38 GMT -5
Fairfield, Hofstra, Northeastern, Drexel, Siena and perhaps, Manhattan, Fordham or Iona but some "gang of 8" from a tight geographic region that spans from boston to philly get together in principle and agree to form a new conference. This could be schools from the patriot, the MAAC, CAA, A10, American East. These schools then make a play to take over one of the two conferences that may collapse due to reallignment. The could take over a conference in any part of the country and just rename it. This would take leadership, and vision. We may never get the CAA or A10 invite. You need 8 teams to keep the automatic birth for basketball, any league that is falling below 8 is a target for takeover.