Conference changes

[Inkblot]

Provisional Pipeline for 2025-26
Full Membership: Hartford, Lyon (expected)
3rd year provisional members: Carlow (expected)
2nd year provisional members: Penn State-Brandywine (expected)
1st year provisional members: Regent, Johnson and Wales (NC) (confirmed)

Provisional Pipeline for 2026-27
Applications expected: Azusa Pacific (reclassification from D2), St. Francis (PA) (reclassification from D1)

*Games against Year 3 provisional members count the same as games against full-members for NPI and tournament selection purposes (possibly changing to include provisionals that conform to all D3 bylaws but may be earlier in the pipeline)

Conference Changes Starting in 2025-2026
Anna Maria leaves GNAC for the MASCAC
Bryn Athyn (UEC) drops athletics
Ferrum leaves the ODAC for D2
Fontbonne (SLIAC) closes
Hendrix leaves the SAA for the SCAC
Hiram leaves the NCAC for the PAC
John Carroll leaves the OAC for the NCAC
Johnson & Wales (NC) joins the C2C
Johnson & Wales (RI) leaves the GNAC for the CNE
Keystone (UEC) is doing the limbo, but allowed to play
LeTourneau leaves the ASC for the SCAC
Northland closes
Regent joins the C2C
Southwestern leaves the SCAC for the SAA
St. Elizabeth leaves the UEC for the AEC
Trinity (Texas) leaves the SCAC for the SAA
Expecting 43 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 21 Pool C bids

Conference Changes Starting in 2026-2027
Asuza Pacific joins the SCIAC (full D3 member 2028-29 academic year)
Luther leaves the ARC for the MWC
Maryville leaves the CCS for the SAA
Marywood leaves the AEC for the MAC Freedom
McMurry leaves the SCAC for the ASC
Neumann leaves the AEC for the MAC Commonwealth
New Jersey City leaves the NJAC for the CUNYAC
Rosemont (UEC) ceases athletics (merging into Villanova)
St. Francis (PA) joins the PAC (full D3 member 2028-29 academic year)
Schreiner leaves the SCAC for the ASC
SUNY New Paltz leaves the SUNYAC for the NJAC

[ziggy]

With Marywood moving to the MAC, where do the remaining teams in the AEC assimilate? In the pecking order of the Mid-Atlantic states, I peruse the AEC not to be a destination for neighboring schools in the shuffle and Marywood and Neumann were happy to be invited.
Please comment and advise.

The movement of St. Elizabeth into the AEC tells me they are a rung above the UEC in the conference ladder. I think the large UEC move with the CSAC a couple years ago was a smart pre-emptive strike against the forces we've seen at play in recent years but take a look at our running list here and it's only been bad news for the conference since.

Surely there will some kind of next move coming for the AEC and I'm interested to see what it is. Might Marymount be attractive to the ODAC should they want to replace Ferrum? Would Marymount consider the C2C as that conference starts to look more regional?

Even with a Marymount (or other) move out, maybe other UEC schools follow St. Elizabeth to keep the AEC afloat.

[y_jack_lok]

With Marywood moving to the MAC, where do the remaining teams in the AEC assimilate? In the pecking order of the Mid-Atlantic states, I peruse the AEC not to be a destination for neighboring schools in the shuffle and Marywood and Neumann were happy to be invited.
Please comment and advise.

The movement of St. Elizabeth into the AEC tells me they are a rung above the UEC in the conference ladder. I think the large UEC move with the CSAC a couple years ago was a smart pre-emptive strike against the forces we've seen at play in recent years but take a look at our running list here and it's only been bad news for the conference since.

Surely there will some kind of next move coming for the AEC and I'm interested to see what it is. Might Marymount be attractive to the ODAC should they want to replace Ferrum? Would Marymount consider the C2C as that conference starts to look more regional?

Even with a Marymount (or other) move out, maybe other UEC schools follow St. Elizabeth to keep the AEC afloat.

Interesting thought. I don't think the ODAC particularly needs to replace Ferrum at the moment, especially with Roanoke now sponsoring football and Marymount not having a football program. I also have to admit that I don't know a lot about the dynamics of conference memberships, but my guess is that Marymount doesn't quite fit the profile of the rest of the ODAC members. But with so much happening in higher ed right now, there may be some ODAC schools that won't survive over the next 5-10 years, which could result in a need to find new members. At the moment, though, I'd say if Marymount were looking for a new conference the C2C might be the place. 

[Pat Coleman]

That is definitely interesting to ponder Marymount going back to the C2C. They were not competitive with Salisbury and Mary Washington in their long years in the CAC and it didn't get better when CNU came in. I don't think those things will have changed. Meanwhile, Marymount has won the commissioner's cup three years running in the AEC.

[ziggy]

That is definitely interesting to ponder Marymount going back to the C2C. They were not competitive with Salisbury and Mary Washington in their long years in the CAC and it didn't get better when CNU came in. I don't think those things will have changed. Meanwhile, Marymount has won the commissioner's cup three years running in the AEC.

I readily admit my view of all these things is often skewed by my MBB lens and that the considerations are much, much wider but Marymount MBB is still scheduling those C2C schools so it wasn't a "run and hide" situation. Though, perhaps being able to play those schools in non-conference then go on to have conference championship aspirations in the AEC gives Marymount the best of both worlds.

Just interesting things to think about in the here and now as it seems there will be more turns of the AEC carousel one way or another.

[Pat Coleman]

Yeah, agreed that it's one thing to play those teams once rather than two or three times where they stand between you and an automatic bid.

[jmcozenlaw]

Not having to go through the waiting period 26 years ago is a fair point, but I don't see any problems with the current setup.

Agree with this 100%! The MAC is also looking to grow and there are several institutions lined up and waiting. A couple are obvious, natural fits. A couple, not so much. There is also a very slim chance that if this planned growth to a magic 20 teams occurs, if a couple of the schools that are deep in the evaluation process of adding football make the decision to do so, the MAC could also become a 12 team, 2 division football conference and could really insulate themselves (as is the plan) from losing a couple of schools due to closing/merger or even dropping athletics.

With what is going on with the Conference Carousel/Conference Roulette across the country, the MAC could set themselves up beautifully, to be able to afford some attrition. In football, a 12 team, 2 division conference could easily revert to becoming a 10 team (like now) conference. Look at how many conferences are a school or two away from losing the AQ and/or their conference evaporating. The MAC could set themselves up for years to come with nary a worry if they can get to 20 institutions.

Marywood is the latest domino to fall in the MAC's quest to become a 20 team conference with the two divisions. The conference is trying to get ahead of the continued purge and making the conference somewhat bullet proof in the process for years to come. There are a few UEC/AEC schools that have decisions to make.......and sooner than later. A school or two will be left holding the bag in my opinion (I was going with the bride left at the altar but that hits too close to home).

By the start of the school year/end of the calendar year, we might very well see a few more schools make the move to the MAC, an existing school or two announcing their demise, a possible (getting smaller every day) merger/takeover with one long time institution and the additions of football by as little as one (or zero) or as many as three schools. A couple of the schools evaluating the football situation have looked at Misericordia, Eastern and Alvernia, from top to bottom and have studied the impact on enrollment (much more than success on the field).

The MAC was one of the largest, if not the largest conference many years ago. Could that happen again?