Conference changes

[Caz Bombers]

Keep an eye on the NAC. There is more coming from what I have been learning over the course of the last 18 months. Don't be surprised if a few more schools head to the NAC and it becomes a rather large conference.

So, what you're saying is that you can expect this conference to come NAC'ing on more doors?

it feels like this move only really makes sense if they're planning on adding others between Canton and Delhi (say, SUNY Poly and Morrisville State) and maybe doing a thing where the New York and Maine schools don't have to travel to each other except for the conference tournaments. I think that ties in nicely to what Dave posted.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Keep an eye on the NAC. There is more coming from what I have been learning over the course of the last 18 months. Don't be surprised if a few more schools head to the NAC and it becomes a rather large conference.

So, what you're saying is that you can expect this conference to come NAC'ing on more doors?

it feels like this move only really makes sense if they're planning on adding others between Canton and Delhi (say, SUNY Poly and Morrisville State) and maybe doing a thing where the New York and Maine schools don't have to travel to each other except for the conference tournaments. I think that ties in nicely to what Dave posted.

They are geographically set up well for two divisions, if they can find the right schools.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Newbery announced today they'll be closing at the end of this academic year, so that's another one gone from the NECC.


https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/12/14/newbury-college-will-close

[Caz Bombers]

Newbery announced today they'll be closing at the end of this academic year, so that's another one gone from the NECC.


https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/12/14/newbury-college-will-close

Always a shame when this happens, and it's been happening frequently lately in that part of the world, and will continue to happen, I'm afraid. In the D3 realm, Newbury won the NECC regular season and tournament titles in men's soccer last month.

Additionally, it does not appear that the NECC will face losing any of their Pool A bids due to this news.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

In the last five years or so, Massachusetts said to itself, "Why the heck aren't our state schools better, bigger, and more attractive to our own students?"  They've been making it more and more difficult on small liberal arts schools and funneling students into the public system.  There are so many tiny schools in Massachusetts, it's going to take a toll (at it already is, obviously).

[gordonmann]

Keuka will become the ninth member of the Empire 8 in 2020. The NEAC will have five teams in the North Division and seven in the South once Penn State-Harrisburg returns, but I can't see any of the South teams volunteering to shift to the North Division and join all the Upstate NY teams.

https://empire8.com/news/2019/1/30/general-keuka-college-to-join-the-empire-8-conference-beginning-in-the-fall-of-2020.aspx

[Caz Bombers]

Keuka was certainly one of the schools I thought the E8 had to be looking at, but I would have guessed Wells would have been added either with or instead of.

E8 still needs to do something about baseball, will be down to 5 teams next season and only up to 6 for 2021. Make that 4 and 5 if Ithaca's affiliation agreement is ending soon (which I certainly hope it is).

[Caz Bombers]

New Rochelle will in all likelihood close at semester's end. Going co-ed was not enough to save them. Very sad.

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2019/02/25/college-new-rochelle-mercy-partnership/2978552002/

[ronk]

CNR was Scranton's opponent when its women won the NCAA championship in 1985.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

New Rochelle will in all likelihood close at semester's end. Going co-ed was not enough to save them. Very sad.

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2019/02/25/college-new-rochelle-mercy-partnership/2978552002/

I'm not sure going co-ed had anything to do with not paying $20m in taxes, but its a struggle for under-endowed small schools these days.  It certainly won't be the last.

[Inkblot]

I just read the agenda for the Feb 20-21 membership committee meeting. It indicates that St. Thomas (TX), Pratt, and Mississippi University for Women have submitted applications for provisional membership. Another section lists departing members; besides the known departures of Newbury, Frostburg State, and Thomas More, apparently Staten Island has applied to D2. I can't find anything on this elsewhere.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I just read the agenda for the Feb 20-21 membership committee meeting. It indicates that St. Thomas (TX), Pratt, and Mississippi University for Women have submitted applications for provisional membership. Another section lists departing members; besides the known departures of Newbury, Frostburg State, and Thomas More, apparently Staten Island has applied to D2. I can't find anything on this elsewhere.

They have a submission page on their website where people can ask questions about their "intended move to Division II."

[Caz Bombers]

I didn't see that coming about CSI at all. I presume their target is the ECC, which is getting low on members. Honestly I thought it was more likely that Queens would pull out of D2 ECC and join CUNYAC than Staten Island doing the reverse.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I didn't see that coming about CSI at all. I presume their target is the ECC, which is getting low on members. Honestly I thought it was more likely that Queens would pull out of D2 ECC and join CUNYAC than Staten Island doing the reverse.

Sometimes schools think it'll help enrollment and the bottom line to be able to offer partial athletic scholarships.  Every kid getting a 1/4th scholarship has to come up with the other 3/4ths right?  I don't know.  It sort of hit everybody by surprise.  I've been able to find no details at all.

[Inkblot]

They just published this on their website today: https://csidolphins.com/news/2019/3/1/general-csi-announces-intention-of-reclassification-to-ncaa-division-ii.aspx

"The application comes with an invitation for the College of Staten Island to join the East Coast Conference (ECC), potentially becoming their tenth member institution."