Have to assume this is primarily a football move, but with the way bball has gone I'm sure that didn't hurt.  URI now the only New England member left in the conference.

I assume McGlade is talking to networks and evaluating whether UMass Lowell, Northeastern or Boston U. sustains or enhances existing TV deals, or whether URI covers enough of the Boston DMA.

14 teams is already a lot. I don't think the A10 should be super eager to add another team with UMass leaving. I feel for UMass' non-football athletic programs but such is the nature of modern day college sports unfortunately

It’s 100% a football move. At least it’s better for travel than CUSA which was their other rumored destination.

Like gwstudent, I too would advise Bernadette to not replace UMass.

Last edited by GW0509 (2/26/2024 4:29 pm)

GW0509 wrote:

Like gwstudent, I too would advise Bernadette to not replace UMass.

Either that, or the conference goes hyperagressive and chases BU, UMKC, New Orleans and Cleveland St. Only expand to major markets and widen the footprint, no point in adding filler (Manhattan, Drexel, UMass-Lowell, SUNY-SB, etc...) for the sake of adding filler.

Tennessee Colonial wrote:

Midwestern Conference. Only Buffalo in East. Good academic fit too. It may be a hockey move.  

There’s no hockey in the MAC. UMass is in a terrific hockey situation, the very deep and respected Hockey East. They’re not going to be uprooting their hockey program from its current situation. Following the football money for schools like UMass is a fool’s journey. Maryland in the Big Ten fills the coffers but empties the hearts. Not sure the MAC won’t prove to be the same for Amherst.

Alum1 wrote:

creeksandzeeks wrote:

I assume McGlade is talking to networks and evaluating whether UMass Lowell, Northeastern or Boston U. sustains or enhances existing TV deals, or whether URI covers enough of the Boston DMA.

 
Not sure the Boston media market is as attaractive as it is big. Boston is where college sports go to die. And certainly exactly no one cares about URI in Boston. Or even in Rhode Island for that matter.

If I were Glade, I’d be looking south to the Carolinas and Florida. I’d rather have a Charleston or UNCW than Boston U or  some other dipshit school that happens to be in a city (I see you UMKC).  Count me as not being too sad if RI follows for football reasons and we dispatch with Bonaventure and Duquesne. Two impossibly located to matter programs.

Honestly none of those schools do anything for the A10 except maybe Charleston. We have enough Q3 schools as it is. We need schools like our last adds like Loyola Chicago and Davidson who became top teams quickly.

If we had to add I’d go: Drake, Bradley, maybe High Point (hasn’t had crazy success yet but apparently is putting a bunch of money into athletics).

UMass is not leaving Hockey East under any circumstances.  It's arguably the best known and followed college league in New England.  MAC does not have Men's Soccer so UMass needs a place to play.  The MAC doesn't  have Men's Lacrosse.  I believe the A10 just began sponsoring Men's Lacrosse, about 7 teams or so. They might be willing to keep UMass, probably one of their stronger programs.  MAC has a 7 team Women's Lacrosse league, with only 4 teams actually rom the MAC.  UMass, which is almost always rnationally ranked in the 20's,  might try to stick with the A10 as well. 

I think standing still is perhaps the worst strategy.  And so we can have an even number of teams?  Ouch. Bad idea.

We need to keep moving here. We can wait amd watch or we can try to control  as much as we can by moving. Would definitely advocate for a southern footprint expansion even if it meant losing the likes of Bonaventure, Duquesne  and even RI. Center of gravity for the league should look South not stick with obscure schools in  places like Olean or Kingston, RI.

Last edited by Alum1 (2/26/2024 9:53 pm)

If we hasn’t added Loyola, we’d be in 14th right now, instead of 15th.