new conferences?

smedindy · February 18, 2009, 02:08:50 AM

It has to be South Carolina State.

South Carolina is bloody serious about soccer. They have spring women's soccer like spring football.

South Carolina State's team has a roster of 12.

Gray Fox · February 19, 2009, 12:19:16 AM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on February 15, 2009, 11:48:15 PM
Talking about new conferences, how about this one!

Here's another one that the University of Dallas has a relationship with.

Quote5 UD Sports Become Associate Members of NEAC

Starting this fall men's soccer, men's golf, and men's and women's cross country will become associate members of the North Eastern Athletic Conference for a two year period. Men's and women's basketball will also become associate members this year. Volleyball will become an associate member next season. Although these University of Dallas sports will not compete against NEAC member schools during the regular season, UD athletic teams will participate in NEAC conference tournaments and be in a position to secure an automatic NCAA tournament bid. All conference tournaments will be hosted at predetermined locations to help minimize travel problems, and to reduce missed class.

The NEAC "was re-formed in 2004 by 12 formerly independent schools who wanted to belong to a conference joined forces." Since then the membership has fluctuated and now contains the University of Dallas on an associate basis. The conference is very diverse in its membership and contains 2 public schools, 9 private schools, several of whom have religious affiliations.

Other NEAC members include: Cazenovia College, D'Youville College, Keuka College, Penn State University-Berks, Penn State University-Harrisburg, Wells College, Wilson College, SUNY Cobleskill, and SUNY Tech.

Ralph Turner · February 24, 2009, 10:13:40 PM

SUNY-Morrisville to the NEAC

From the USCHO website...

Pull quotes...

Quote...
"We were not formally in the SUNYAC until we were full NCAA members," Morrisville Athletic Director Greg Carroll said. "We went to them three years ago to allow us to be a scheduling partner during the [NCAA] provisional period. We were moving towards membership.

"It was a great opportunity and experience for us. Over the course of the last three years, the landscape of the conferences changed. It afforded us an opportunity to assess where we wanted to be. It allowed us to look at other conferences. We decided to apply to the NEAC [North Eastern Athletic Conference] ."

Thus, Morrisville notified the SUNYAC a few months ago they were going to follow the path taken by SUNYIT the year before. The Mustangs, like SUNYIT, were struggling to compete with the more established, larger, and better funded SUNYAC schools. ...

Quote
...
There's just one problem. Well four problems. What about the sports that the NEAC does not sponsor — football, wrestling, field hockey, and ice hockey?

Football and wrestling are not sponsored by the SUNYAC either, so they already were in other conferences, the New Jersey Athletic Conference and an independent, respectively.

So, where does that leave field and ice hockey? Especially since the SUNYAC by-laws have always stated it's all or nothing when it comes to SUNYAC membership?

"We're in the process to allow specific sports as associate members," SUNYAC commissioner Dr. Patrick R. Damore said. "They must be part of the SUNY system. The decision to allow this has been passed, just not the specifics. I think it's good. Where they can help the conference, it will receive consideration."

And therein lies an interesting motivation. Morrisville represents the magical seventh member in field hockey, providing the SUNYAC an automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs. The other field hockey playing schools didn't want to lose Morrisville.

As for ice hockey, they had no place to go. They could have considered the ECAC West, which ironically would have given that league the all important seventh member. However, Morrisville could have found itself in the situation Lebanon Valley is struggling with.

"Coach Grady and I did have that conversation whether we wanted to explore the ECAC instead of the SUNYAC," Carroll said. "We're a better fit in the SUNYAC. We're a state school. Geographically, it works better. The competition has been good for us. And they've been very good to us."

"I was hired under the assumption we are going to be a SUNYAC team, and that's what I tell our recruits," Grady said. "We haven't wavered from that. We're proud we can compete in the SUNYAC. We're excited about becoming an auxiliary member and representing our school in the SUNYAC."

"In hockey, they are good members and all the coaches get along, so they welcome it," Damore said.

"Hockey is very unique [in the SUNYAC] ," Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery said. "They're a welcomed addition by all hockey coaches in the league. Their coach is working hard, and they will be improving."

Thus, Morrisville will be applying for associate member status in the SUNYAC for field and ice hockey as soon as the specific wording is worked out in the by-laws. ...

Sounds like a win-win-win.

Does Morrisville "stay" in the NJAC for football?

We're in the process to allow specific sports as associate members?

Football in the SUNYAC...

1) Brockport
2) Buffalo
3) Cortland

4) Maritime
5) Morrisville...

One shy of the Core-4 members and two shy of the AQ, if those two newer programs wanted to join.

Ralph Turner · January 11, 2010, 04:10:32 PM

Since several of us have posted conference re-alignments on this board, I will post this news release here.

Buffalo State is going to the Empire 8 as a football affiliate in 2012.

Dropping from 10 to 9 gives some flexiblility to the NJAC, and it saves on travel budgets.

Will Brockport State follow?

Gregory Sager · January 11, 2010, 04:27:14 PM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on January 11, 2010, 04:10:32 PM
Since several of us have posted conference re-alignments on this board, I will post this news release here.

Buffalo State is going to the Empire 8 as a football affiliate in 2012.

Dropping from 10 to 9 gives some flexiblility to the NJAC, and it saves on travel budgets.

But doesn't it create scheduling headaches? The odd-team-out every week might have a hard time finding an opponent if there's no indies available.

PA_wesleyfan · January 11, 2010, 04:43:43 PM

I guess that rules out Wesley getting an invite the E8 and if the E8 gets any larger I wonder how that will effect the CAC teams ie. Salisbury St. and Frostburg St. commitment to play the CAC schools Wesley and Stevenson.

Ralph Turner · January 11, 2010, 06:48:17 PM

Quote from: PA_wesleyfan on January 11, 2010, 04:43:43 PM
I guess that rules out Wesley getting an invite the E8 and if the E8 gets any larger I wonder how that will effect the CAC teams ie. Salisbury St. and Frostburg St. commitment to play the CAC schools Wesley and Stevenson.

The good thing about the odd-number of teams in the E8 is that it gives mid-season open dates.

Now the question is whether whether a team would rather play Stevenson or Wesley with that open date.

Ralph Turner · January 12, 2010, 07:22:52 PM

Quote from: Gregory Sager on January 11, 2010, 04:27:14 PM
Quote from: Ralph Turner on January 11, 2010, 04:10:32 PM
Since several of us have posted conference re-alignments on this board, I will post this news release here.

Buffalo State is going to the Empire 8 as a football affiliate in 2012.

Dropping from 10 to 9 gives some flexiblility to the NJAC, and it saves on travel budgets.

But doesn't it create scheduling headaches? The odd-team-out every week might have a hard time finding an opponent if there's no indies available.

It does provide an open date to be filled by either Stevenson or Wesley.

Chapman serves the same function for the 7-member SCIAC.

PA_wesleyfan · January 13, 2010, 05:19:31 PM

They wouldn't be in region games for Wesley and it would be a bit awkward to play teams who are keeping you out of a conference

Ralph Turner · January 13, 2010, 06:25:50 PM

Quote from: PA_wesleyfan on January 13, 2010, 05:19:31 PM
They wouldn't be in region games for Wesley and it would be a bit awkward to play teams who are keeping you out of a conference

New Jersey and Connecticut games, and non-South Region teams within a 200-mile radius are in-region.

As for keeping you out of their conference, I would not consider the fact that Wesley wants the unlimited rosters and the NJAC has a 100-athlete rule as "keeping them out". That just seems to be a legitimate difference of opinion, agreeing to disagree.

If there are reasons such as recruiting issues, then I can see your point.

A nine-team conference will have open-dates from the third week onward. Just look at the open dates for 2010 and 2011. I am sure that something will be worked out.

Ralph Turner · April 19, 2010, 12:38:07 AM

Copy and pasted from the Commonwealth Coast Conference board...

Quote from: Ralph Turner on April 15, 2010, 11:04:25 PM
Sports sponsored by the current members of TCCC. Football is not sponsored by the TCCC. Seven (7) members, including 4 full members, must offer a sport to earn the AQ. The conference must have 7 full members offering 5 men's and 5 women's sports including 3 team sports, and one sport in each season.

New Conf School WBB WXC FH WLax WSoc SB WTen WVB BB MBB MXC MLax MSoc MTen MGolf FB
Curry + No No + + + + 2010 + + No + + + No +
Endicott + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Gordon + + + + + + + + + + + + + + No No
Nichols + No + + + + + No + + No + + + + +
Roger Wms + + No + + + + + + + + + + + No No
Salve Regina + + + + + + + + + + + + + + No +
UNE + + + + + + No + No + + + + No + No
Wentworth + No No No + + + + + + No + + + + No
WNE + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
New Conf 9 6 6 8 9 9 8 8 8 9 6 9 9 8 5 5

TCCC School WBB WXC FH WLax WSoc SB WTen WVB BB MBB MXC MLax MSoc MTen MGolf FB
Anna Marie + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Colby-Sawyer + + 2010 + + No + + + + No No + + No No
E. Naz + + No No + + + + + + + No + + No No
NEC + No + + + + No No + + + + + No No No
Regis + No + + + + + + No + No + + + No No
TCCC 5 3 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 5 3 3 5 4 1 1

Corrections are appreciated.

Thanks to Hoops Fan for proofreading the table, and thanks to Bill Gorman for the information.