NE Region General Questions

[njlincolnlion]

Lincoln is holding up the Independent banner so far in the NCAA's.  The Lions have made it to the sweet sixteen for the second consectutive year.

[THE BIG MAN]

why can a player who leads the nation in rebounds and lead the independent league in scoring and rebounding get player of the year

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I merged the topic on a new league in New England into the Independent College Discussion because there are a lot of the same topics here, especially over the summer.

Most likely if a new league is formed, it will happen, at least in principle, this summer and it will probably involve a good number of independents.

Any rumors yet on moves?

[d3bballinboston]

i have herd the following: wheelock, lesley, elms, becker, daniel webster, mitchell, newbury, pine manor, bay path, eastern naz, anna maria.  with wheelock now adding men's sports it could make this geographically very very good.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

ENC is not leaving their conference unless they're kicked out.  Despite the recent performance problems, they're not looking to go down in competition.  I think the other ten you've listed are good candidates.

Anna Maria has been looking to get out of the CCC for a few years now.  Mitchell is the odd one out in terms of geography, but I think they would be in nearly every scenario.

What about the Vermont schools?  Or do you think they'll form their own conference once they all make permanent d3 status?

[d3bballinboston]

well the only vermnot schools are southern vermont and green mountain.. or is johnson state vermont?  ??maybe if the southern NAC schools (elms, wheelock, lesley, becker, baypath)joined this new league then the NAC would be really short for school. I could see presque isle, southern vermont, johnson state and green mountain all joining the NAC.  Also some rumors that Vermont Tech is going from NAIA to d3 provisional.  they could fit in there as well

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Southern Vermont, Norwich, Johnson State, and Castleton State are all in Vermont, plus Green Mountain and Lyndon State as provisionals.  If Vermont Tech comes in that would make seven, enough for an automatic bid (albeit about six or seven years down the line).

Elms would be the next closest school that makes geographical sense, but I think Elms would rather get into a Southern conference.

A team like Skidmore would also fit in well geographically, but they're in a good conference already.

The Maine schools make more sense, but it is a very long trip across those back roads up there and if they're trying to keep travel down that wouldn't make sense.  Thomas, Farmington, Maritime and Husson would all be in that group (plus Presque Isle if anyone would let them into a conference).

I think you're right that it will probably be the southern schools getting into a new thing.  As far as defections go, I don't think you'll see any outside the NAC (and maybe, maybe GNAC) other than UNE and Anna Maria who might like to move away from the CCC (but those are just speculations as well).

[d3bballinboston]

yah does make sense but i could see the maine schools and vt schools joining forces and being just the NAC.  If all those southern schools rumored to be making their own league leave; the NAC will need schools to keep their AQ's.  they might have to suck it up and take Presque Isle just for the peer number standpoints. Thats why i think they might take those VT schools.

   That is still lower travel then what the NAC  has now with all those teams in the Boston Metro area.  I also doubt norwich would leave thet GNAC, but I really have no idea bout that.

[Ralph Turner]

Southern Vermont, Norwich, Johnson State, and Castleton State are all in Vermont, plus Green Mountain and Lyndon State as provisionals.  If Vermont Tech comes in that would make seven, enough for an automatic bid (albeit about six or seven years down the line).

Elms would be the next closest school that makes geographical sense, but I think Elms would rather get into a Southern conference.

A team like Skidmore would also fit in well geographically, but they're in a good conference already.

The Maine schools make more sense, but it is a very long trip across those back roads up there and if they're trying to keep travel down that wouldn't make sense.  Thomas, Farmington, Maritime and Husson would all be in that group (plus Presque Isle if anyone would let them into a conference).

I think you're right that it will probably be the southern schools getting into a new thing.  As far as defections go, I don't think you'll see any outside the NAC (and maybe, maybe GNAC) other than UNE and Anna Maria who might like to move away from the CCC (but those are just speculations as well).

Hoops Fan, I hope you are thinking beyond basketball.  There are automatic qualifiers in M&W Soccer, M&W Hoops, M&W Lacrosse, M&W Golf, Baseball, Softball, and Women's Tennis, Field Hockey and Volleyball.  (I don't think that this proposed conference will address M&W Hockey.)

If you are the President or the AD, how do you get your AQ for all of those student-athletes?

I think that going big with divisional play is the way to maximize your chances in all sports.  Twleve may be a good number.

Also keeping a specific conference (? the North Atlantic Conference?) intact and adding teams means you do not spend 2 years in Pool B.  There must have been some major reason why the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference remnant did not like the Lake Michigan Conference name that it wanted the name changed to Northern Athletics Conference and spend 2 years in Pool B! 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

You could do the four Vermont schools (SVU, JSC, CSC, and Norwich) and add the four leftover Maine schools (Husson, Farmington, Maritime, and Thomas) for an eight team NAC.  Throw in Green Mountain, Lyndon, and Presque Isle once they become full members and you're only looking for one more Maine school (possibly UNE?) to make up a two division, twelve team conference.

That's doable and it kind of makes sense.

That would leave Anna Maria free to join the southern conference (and drop the CCC back to 12 schools) with the likes of Elms, Lesley, Becker, Mitchell, Wheelock, and Newbury.


The problems all come down to the GNAC.  Have any of the schools officially announced they're leaving?  I know WNEC is in the CCC next year and SVC pulled out.

We're talking like Norwich is definitely gone, but are they?  The GNAC, with the new additions, is not a bad place for a lot of these schools to be.

Then you've got the issue of the remaining all-women's schools: Bay Path, Simmons, St. Joe's (CT) and Pine Manor.  I can't see any of them introducing men's sports in the foreseeable future, so I'm not sure if they'll have too much of an impact on the whole thing.

It just comes down to what the GNAC schools are doing.  If Norwich doesn't leave, there is still a ten team VT-ME NAC.  We move UNE to the new "southern" conference to give them 8 (7 with mitchell still provisional) and everyone should be happy.

Isn't it nice to solve everyone's problems so quickly?  Why can't they just ask us to do this?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Ralph, I'm not so sure those VT schools care a whole lot about the AQs all around, some are just glad to have varsity sports programs, but you're right.  A ten team league makes more sense.

[Ralph Turner]

We Texans anticipate the outcome of the Lyndon State/ Johnson State game, along with (Lubbock) Roosevelt High School versus New Deal High School.

[rjcarter8]

Southern Vermont, Norwich, Johnson State, and Castleton State are all in Vermont, plus Green Mountain and Lyndon State as provisionals.  If Vermont Tech comes in that would make seven, enough for an automatic bid (albeit about six or seven years down the line).

I don't know about Lyndon State, but I believe Green Mountain will be off provisional status next season.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

They might be.  We'll have to get confirmation from Pat.  I know some schools got "held back" in their progress towards full status and I don't know if Green Mountain was one of them or not.

[d3bballinboston]

rumor has it that this week or next the new league will be announced with the following schools: Mitchell, Daniel Webster, Bay Path, Elms, Becker, Newbury, Lesley and Wheelock have all supposedly got Presidental support and met the May 1 deadline to comit to the new league for league play starting 08-09. 

I'd be intersting if this is true and if any other schools might consider this league. the travel is really low and you could see schools like, Anna Maria, Eastern Nazarene, Regis and Rivier might find this league financially attractive.

What would this do to the NAC?  They might be forced to take Southern Vermont, Presque Isle, Green Mountain and Lyndon State to just keep their AQ's 

The GNAC will still be fine though with the loss of DWEBS baseball team as Lasell College is now adding varsity baseball by 08-09, at least according to their website.