The UEC/CSAC merger was ahead of the curve on this, for sure.

Quote from: Pat Coleman on March 27, 2024, 11:39:30 AMThe UEC/CSAC merger was ahead of the curve on this, for sure.

I'd toss in the USA South split and subsequent alliance with the Collegiate Conference of the South as being ahead of the curve too. The NCAA might have to revisit their ban on umbrella conferences like the Middle Atlantic Conferences.

The CSAC and UEC had almost identical footprints. The same footprint as the Atlantic East, Middle Atlantic, the Centennial, and the Landmark. There's a helluva lot of small colleges in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey! The colleges in the South, on the other hand, are way more spread out geographically.

Quote from: jeffconn on March 27, 2024, 01:24:17 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on March 27, 2024, 11:39:30 AMThe UEC/CSAC merger was ahead of the curve on this, for sure.

I'd toss in the USA South split and subsequent alliance with the Collegiate Conference of the South as being ahead of the curve too. The NCAA might have to revisit their ban on umbrella conferences like the Middle Atlantic Conferences.

The CSAC and UEC had almost identical footprints. The same footprint as the Atlantic East, Middle Atlantic, the Centennial, and the Landmark. There's a helluva lot of small colleges in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey! The colleges in the South, on the other hand, are way more spread out geographically.

I appreciate your take on this, but I would argue that the USAC/CCS split was actually behind the curve. In my opinion, it took place too late to really maximize their AQ potential before the enrollment cliff. I suspect these conferences may each separately struggle to maintain their membership as time goes forward.

I also want to point out for the record here that I do understand the USAC split was delayed because of the pandemic. My understanding is that it was ready to go more than a year earlier than when it actually happened.

New Paltz announced they'll be leaving the SUNYAC for an as-yet undetermined conference in 26-27.

Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on April 03, 2024, 10:35:08 AMNew Paltz announced they'll be leaving the SUNYAC for an as-yet undetermined conference in 26-27.

Wow I am surprised that they would leap before having a destination in mind.

If the NJAC would change its bylaws to allow full members from outside New Jersey, they might fit there.

The Little East is too far-flung and I'd hate to see them slum it in the Skyline.

Just curious, what is driving all this movement into and out of SUNYAC?  Is is geography?  Financial incentives?

Quote from: nescac1 on April 03, 2024, 01:05:23 PMJust curious, what is driving all this movement into and out of SUNYAC?  Is is geography?  Financial incentives?

The announcement out of New Paltz today specifically mentions a desire to decrease travel, and even more specifically mentions their current arrangement that has them regularly going to western and northern New York for conference road games. That tells me they are not only announcing a departure from the SUNYAC but also that the Liberty League can be crossed off the list of potential destinations. I'd say the Skyline is probably the favorite here but with no ready-made announcement does that mean they are they side doing the wooing here and not the conference?

Liberty League isn't taking a state school anyway.

Thanks Ziggy, interesting.  It's certainly reasonable to want to avoid routine five-plus hour bus trips when you have a slew of D3 schools within an hour or so.  Especially when traditional league rivalries are already impacted by the previously announced changes.  I imagine there will be a lot of continuing realignment around northern / western NY centric schools, of which there are plenty. 

Quote from: nescac1 on April 03, 2024, 01:05:23 PMJust curious, what is driving all this movement into and out of SUNYAC?  Is is geography?  Financial incentives?

I think it's a bunch of things.  New Paltz and Oneonta don't have hockey, the other SUNYAC schools do.  Athletics budgets [other than coaches salaries & facilities] at SUNYAC schools are funded through student fees, many SUNY schools are suffering from lower enrollment, and operating deficits (and have been for a while).  New York State has way too many colleges for the current population.  It would seem the University Centers [Stony Brook, Buffalo, Binghamton, Albany] which are all D-I, have been told to do whatever it takes to keep their enrollments stable, and those schools are located in cities, where most of the SUNYAC schools are in small cities or towns.  At the D-3 level, SUNY has one school in the AMCC, three in the Empire 8, four in the Skyline, two in the NAC, and ten in the SUNYAC.  Would be a pretty easy move to plug Cobleskill in to replace New Paltz and stay at 10 schools.

Cobleskill and Delhi are almost mortal locks to be invited to the SUNYAC now.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cortland and Oswego are calling the E8 looking for invitations. The SUNYAC is making itself irrelevant in the national D3 landscape.

Quote from: ziggy on April 03, 2024, 05:13:47 PMI'd say the Skyline is probably the favorite here but with no ready-made announcement does that mean they are they side doing the wooing here and not the conference?

I was thinking along those lines, as well. If that's the case, who are they wooing? Other D3 schools seems obvious. However, what about D2 schools....any rumors of nearby D2 schools wanting to move to D3? There isn't really any NAIA schools that would solve the travel issue.

Perhaps a new D3 conference that picks off a few D3 schools from other conferences and maybe a D2 school or two?

It is indeed a unique announcement to state specifically that travel is a reason and yet not be a position to publicly announce the solution.

Stay tuned! I think whatever happens will be interesting.
 

Quote from: CNU85 on April 04, 2024, 08:57:37 AM

Quote from: ziggy on April 03, 2024, 05:13:47 PMI'd say the Skyline is probably the favorite here but with no ready-made announcement does that mean they are they side doing the wooing here and not the conference?

I was thinking along those lines, as well. If that's the case, who are they wooing? Other D3 schools seems obvious. However, what about D2 schools....any rumors of nearby D2 schools wanting to move to D3? There isn't really any NAIA schools that would solve the travel issue.

Perhaps a new D3 conference that picks off a few D3 schools from other conferences and maybe a D2 school or two?

It is indeed a unique announcement to state specifically that travel is a reason and yet not be a position to publicly announce the solution.

Stay tuned! I think whatever happens will be interesting.
 

I was meaning to say more that it may be New Paltz being interested in the Skyline than the Skyline being interested in New Paltz. The motivation seems greater on the New Paltz side than on the Skyline side, which would see its footprint expand slightly should they add New Paltz.

You also touch on what has so far been unsaid but a thought in my mind as well - perhaps this leads to a new conference forming. Maybe the least likely and the least favorable outcome, but hard to ignore the possibility from where we sit today. It seems odd to me for a school to announce a departure two years in advance with seemingly no firm plans in place.

Quote from: Caz Bombers on April 03, 2024, 10:19:58 PMCobleskill and Delhi are almost mortal locks to be invited to the SUNYAC now.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cortland and Oswego are calling the E8 looking for invitations. The SUNYAC is making itself irrelevant in the national D3 landscape.

I'm wondering if there could be new conference to be formed to make the SUNY schools either North/South or East/West with some of the NAC schools (etc.) moving over.

https://www.recordonline.com/story/sports/college/2024/04/03/suny-new-paltz-to-leave-suny-athletic-conference/73191863007/