Atlantic Central Football Conference/Independents

wally_wabash · January 30, 2014, 04:16:14 PM

Admittedly doing a little bit of self-educating here as I don't have a firm grip on our mid-atlantic leagues...I didn't realize until about 90 seconds ago that the Capital AC already includes Wesley, Salisbury, Frostburg St., CNU, and SVU. That group is a lot closer to having an AQ football league than I had realized. Totally possible that the CAC has hooks into one or two schools to join as affiliates and get an AQ or has a member school considering adding the sport (that the rest of us don't know about yet).

jknezek · January 30, 2014, 04:36:15 PM

Quote from: wally_wabash on January 30, 2014, 03:21:33 PM
Do we think that on Jan. 27 Wesley lets people know that they'll be in a conference in 2015 and on Jan. 30 Cortland tells us that they are leaving the NJAC in 2015- which, along with Brockport's leaving this fall, takes the NJAC down to just six teams- is all just coincidence? I mean, it totally could be. Or the folks at the NJAC and Wesley may have had some informal conversations regarding the what-ifs of a Cortland possibly leaving, of which they probably had an inkling was coming (these things generally aren't sudden and surprising).

Rowan and Kean have both beaten Wesley recently. It's not as if there is evidence that Wesley would automatically come in and dominate the league- as in win the thing easily every year. The league could use the addition (for competitive purposes as well tournament access purposes), Wesley could use the addition (playing games against Menlo is silly), and the East region could use the addition quite frankly. Everybody wins. I hope this happens.

I don't disagree with any of this Wally. Wesley joining the NJAC makes all kinds of sense. But I will be interested in the roster issue. I could see the NJAC dropping it entirely. Some schools might be in support to try and boost enrollment a bit while others like Montclair St., possibly the biggest school by enrollment in D3, wouldn't see a blip if the roster went to 300. Keep travel limits but let the roster be whatever you want and the added expenses are minor, a few more uniforms, more training room expenses etc., and possibly some Title IX issues, but it can't be that many for 50-100 non-travelling football players. What do I know?

Wesley would certainly make up for Cortland leaving in terms of quality, plus a little more. But I still believe long term Salisbury and Frostberg in the E8 and SVA in the NJAC is not a solution.

Teamski · January 30, 2014, 11:04:30 PM

Yeah, I would be surprised if Wesley would entertain having a handicapped roster limit. That would certainly have a big impact on recruitment. It will be interesting to see where Wesley lands. I would love to see the CAC get football after years of speculation about it. It only makes sense to get all of the sports under on umbrella.

-Ski

Pat Coleman · January 31, 2014, 12:34:16 AM

Quote from: wally_wabash on January 30, 2014, 04:16:14 PM
Admittedly doing a little bit of self-educating here as I don't have a firm grip on our mid-atlantic leagues...I didn't realize until about 90 seconds ago that the Capital AC already includes Wesley, Salisbury, Frostburg St., CNU, and SVU. That group is a lot closer to having an AQ football league than I had realized. Totally possible that the CAC has hooks into one or two schools to join as affiliates and get an AQ or has a member school considering adding the sport (that the rest of us don't know about yet).

I don't know who they would be -- they'd need to have other schools add football to get to seven.

wally_wabash · January 31, 2014, 10:03:21 AM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on January 31, 2014, 12:34:16 AM
Quote from: wally_wabash on January 30, 2014, 04:16:14 PM
Admittedly doing a little bit of self-educating here as I don't have a firm grip on our mid-atlantic leagues...I didn't realize until about 90 seconds ago that the Capital AC already includes Wesley, Salisbury, Frostburg St., CNU, and SVU. That group is a lot closer to having an AQ football league than I had realized. Totally possible that the CAC has hooks into one or two schools to join as affiliates and get an AQ or has a member school considering adding the sport (that the rest of us don't know about yet).

I don't know who they would be -- they'd need to have other schools add football to get to seven.

Oh I have no idea either, just thinking out loud is all. Mostly I was just surprised to learn that they (CAC) are only two teams away from having an AQ league and not three or four or more. And that the league isn't all that bad with Wesley, Salisbury, and CNU all in play. There's some quality baked into that league already.

HSCTiger74 · January 31, 2014, 11:58:15 AM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on January 31, 2014, 12:34:16 AM
Quote from: wally_wabash on January 30, 2014, 04:16:14 PM
Admittedly doing a little bit of self-educating here as I don't have a firm grip on our mid-atlantic leagues...I didn't realize until about 90 seconds ago that the Capital AC already includes Wesley, Salisbury, Frostburg St., CNU, and SVU. That group is a lot closer to having an AQ football league than I had realized. Totally possible that the CAC has hooks into one or two schools to join as affiliates and get an AQ or has a member school considering adding the sport (that the rest of us don't know about yet). K

I don't know who they would be -- they'd need to have other schools add football to get to seven.

I still believe that Catholic and Stevenson would fit perfectly as CAC affiliates, but they both seem to be pretty content with their current situations. Besides which, having Catholic in the ODAC keeps us at eight and makes filling a 10 game schedule easier.

gordonmann · January 31, 2014, 01:48:33 PM

Regarding Stevenson, the MAC has not been receptive to letting their members be associates of other conferences for football. I heard that was raised as a possibility and rejected when Moravian, Juniata and Susquehanna left the MAC for football and then joined a new conference for everything else. As the story goes, at least one of those schools only wanted to leave for football and was told their MAC membership was all or nothing.

thewaterboy · January 31, 2014, 02:23:50 PM

I dont think it would be smart for Wesley to go NJAC, the roster cap makes too little sense when you have 200ish players turning up to camp every year. With the financial situation Wesley is in, they benefit from every possible player they can get to come to Wesley in hopes of playing football. Now, if the NJAC does away with the roster limit, it is financially and logically a better option. NJAC with a roster limit is just not the most clear-cut path for Wesley at this point in the game.

I think if Wesley were to go anywhere in the near future I would have to say Empire 8. After the ACFC disbanded all but Wesley and Newport News (not a true D3) were taken by the E8. Imagine that conference with Wesley. whew. That being said, it also makes sense to remain independent, so long as there is a pool B bid available, and they can find the formula for success, which they have been able to do since becoming an independent. Thats why, IMO, Wesley has great advantage when taking on just about anyone outside the Purple Powers come playoff time. No week is a cakewalk.

jknezek · January 31, 2014, 02:34:47 PM

Quote from: thewaterboy on January 31, 2014, 02:23:50 PM
I dont think it would be smart for Wesley to go NJAC, the roster cap makes too little sense when you have 200ish players turning up to camp every year. With the financial situation Wesley is in, they benefit from every possible player they can get to come to Wesley in hopes of playing football. Now, if the NJAC does away with the roster limit, it is financially and logically a better option. NJAC with a roster limit is just not the most clear-cut path for Wesley at this point in the game.

I think if Wesley were to go anywhere in the near future I would have to say Empire 8. After the ACFC disbanded all but Wesley and Newport News (not a true D3) were taken by the E8. Imagine that conference with Wesley. whew. That being said, it also makes sense to remain independent, so long as there is a pool B bid available, and they can find the formula for success, which they have been able to do since becoming an independent. Thats why, IMO, Wesley has great advantage when taking on just about anyone outside the Purple Powers come playoff time. No week is a cakewalk.

The E8 is approaching max size. I can't believe they would add Wesley. Even losing Salisbury and Frostburg no longer threatens their AQ. Brockport and Cortland keep them at 8, if they kick out the outliers, with Alfred State a natural fit to go to 9.

Pat Coleman · January 31, 2014, 03:20:04 PM

Yes, or Alfred State could bolster the CAC's AQ push.

As far as I know, Catholic still really likes playing football in the ODAC. And as Gordon pointed out, Stevenson is not available.

gordonmann · January 31, 2014, 05:18:22 PM

Or maybe McMurry will join the NJAC.

Pat Coleman · January 31, 2014, 05:45:33 PM

Or McMurry and Wesley will join the SCAC.

NedM · February 06, 2014, 06:01:42 PM

For Wesley fans:

Possibly some of you saw the letter in yesterdays (Wednesday, Feb. 5th) edition of the Dover Post submitted by a Mr. Tom Felice suggesting Wesley and Delaware State (not UD) begin a football rivalry.

Wondering what your thoughts are on this and if you think there is even a remote possibility of such a matchup coming to fruition?

PA_wesleyfan · February 07, 2014, 06:11:27 PM

NedM

I don't know if that would happen. It would probably already have happened. There are a lot of things that would keep it from happening.

Teamski · February 09, 2014, 09:59:38 AM

Quote from: NedM on February 06, 2014, 06:01:42 PM
For Wesley fans:

Possibly some of you saw the letter in yesterdays (Wednesday, Feb. 5th) edition of the Dover Post submitted by a Mr. Tom Felice suggesting Wesley and Delaware State (not UD) begin a football rivalry.

Wondering what your thoughts are on this and if you think there is even a remote possibility of such a matchup coming to fruition?

I didn't see it myself (I will have to go downstairs to have a look, now). I have never heard of such a game ever being planned. I think the Del State/UD match-up makes more sense. Sure, Del State has been blown out in every game, but the rivalry does give them a target to shoot for. That said, it would be interested to see Wesley play Del State. You figure that UD plays Chester (Div II) every year, so this wouldn't be too much out of that pairing. Perhaps it is a bit bruising to the ego for Del State to play Wesley (just a hunch). Remember that Del State isn't a new program by any stretch and has size to match.

-Ski