What are people's thoughts about UMBC moving to the CAA now they've shown some competitiveness in the NCAA tourney?

Geographically speaking UMBC would be a much better fit in the CAA. They just have not had the reputation be considered for a Top 15 conference in the past.

That would also open up a spot for NJIT in the AEast.

Should happen but someone needs to leave CAA (unless it wants to go to 12).

Northeastern is a geographic outlier. Are they committed to CAA?

Overreaction at its finest.

True, however they are by far the biggest outlier in the AEC. The NEC may be better for them. Let's see what they do the next few seasons before sending them to a conference they're in over their head in.

(03-24-2018 10:33 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  True, however they are by far the biggest outlier in the AEC. The NEC may be better for them. Let's see what they do the next few seasons before sending them to a conference they're in over their head in.

How could anyone be over their head in the CAA?

College of Charleston had a long lapse from their initial NCAA tournament success to getting into the CAA. They built a reputation as a "basketball school" but hadn't done anything in a while. CAA added them anyways.

UMBC could be the 11th addition to help the CAA move to a 20 game schedule.

For the moment I think if the CAA were to expand by two the schools are UMBC and Fairfield. NJIT slots nicely into the America East.

Howard is another to think about. The CAA has no presence in DC.

(03-25-2018 07:28 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(03-24-2018 10:33 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  True, however they are by far the biggest outlier in the AEC. The NEC may be better for them. Let's see what they do the next few seasons before sending them to a conference they're in over their head in.

How could anyone be over their head in the CAA?

College of Charleston had a long lapse from their initial NCAA tournament success to getting into the CAA. They built a reputation as a "basketball school" but hadn't done anything in a while. CAA added them anyways.

UMBC could be the 11th addition to help the CAA move to a 20 game schedule.

A lot of teams would be in over their head in the CAA. It's a conference known to produce at-larges and even Final Four teams.

(03-25-2018 07:59 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  For the moment I think if the CAA were to expand by two the schools are UMBC and Fairfield. NJIT slots nicely into the America East.

Howard is another to think about. The CAA has no presence in DC.

Yeah, 'cause suddenly people are gonna tune out Georgetown and the Wizards for Howard. American would be a better option but you don't do it just to get into a major market, what are they, the AAC?

I don’t know if Towson would approve them being in the league. Towson and UMBC are rivals, and share a lot of the same sports priorities. Lacrosse is big at both schools, and both just built new basketball arenas. The two schools also though don’t have a lot of support outside of their alums and students.

In Baltimore, it is a Terrapin town (and college sports is at best #3 behind the Ravens and O’s). People care about college lacrosse (especially Johns Hopkins), but basketball is not well-followed in the area. Towson has a 5,200 seat arena, and their average attendance is 1,564.

Hofstra refused Stony Brook getting in the CAA a few years back.

It would be a good fit, a 12 team CAA with these divisions:

North: Northeastern, Hofstra, Drexel, Towson, UMBC, Delaware
South: JMU, W&M, Elon, UNCG, UNCW, CofC

It would be a pretty good basketball league, and decent in other sports. You could still have a 18 game conference schedule, 2 games against the North division, play every South team once, two teams twice.

(03-24-2018 10:16 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Overreaction at its finest.

This.

UMBC in the north and UNCG in the south would help stabilize the 10 team hodgepodge tremendously