Conference changes

[KnightSlappy]

Slightly off topic, but as I'm updating some of my personal conference tracking info, I still have C2C as being on track to lose their AQ in Men's basketball in 2026-27 if they do not add an additional member. The conference as a whole was saved from restricted status by approval of their request in for immediate application of new bylaw 20.9.1.2 (6 member minimum) in February's membership committee meeting, but I do not think this helps MBB.

This past season, 2024-25, they had 5 members: (Chris. Newport, Mary Washington, Salisbury, UC Santa Cruz, Warren Wilson). Grace year 1.

Next season, 2025-26, they will add two provisional members: Johnson and Wales (NC) and Regent, but these should not count toward minimums (until Year 3 provisional status). Grace year 2.

2026-27, C2C loses the AQ in MBB.

2027-28, Regent and J&W (NC) reach Year 3 and begin counting. Waiting year 1.

2028-29, Regent and J&W (NC) are full members. Waiting year 2.

2029-30, C2C regains MBB AQ.

Please let me know if I am not correct on this or if I am missing something.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Section 20.9 deals with conference membership in the NCAA - this is where the change from seven to six comes into play.  This only governs whether or not a conference is recognized as a member conference by the NCAA.  When it comes to membership, there's no sport specific or gender specific delineation.  Because Mount Mary has been a core member through 2024-25, the C2C grace period for membership doesn't start until this summer - with JWU-Charlotte and Regent coming on line, there's no danger of losing conference membership status.

However, Section 31.3.3 deals with eligibility for Pool A in individual sports.  This requires conferences to maintain six active member institutions, participating in the sport, that are eligible for the NCAA championship - which means Regent and JWU-Charlotte won't begin counting until they are full members, not once they achieve year 3 (that's only for conference membership in the NCAA).

There is one exception, though - conferences can avoid the waiting period for reinstatement (according to 31.3.3.1.1.1) if they have: 1) six core members sponsoring the sport, 2) each of those six has been in the conference for two years, and 3) all six are eligible for NCAA championships.

If nothing changes, the C2C is set to lose the AQ in men's sports in 2026-27 and in women's sports in 27-28 - however, if JWU-Charlotte and Regent progress to full membership in 2028-29, all the C2C AQs will be automatically restored.

The other scenario is simply to poach a school in the next 14 months for membership in 2026-27 and everything remains as it is now.

[CNU85]

Slightly off topic, but as I'm updating some of my personal conference tracking info, I still have C2C as being on track to lose their AQ in Men's basketball in 2026-27 if they do not add an additional member. The conference as a whole was saved from restricted status by approval of their request in for immediate application of new bylaw 20.9.1.2 (6 member minimum) in February's membership committee meeting, but I do not think this helps MBB.

This past season, 2024-25, they had 5 members: (Chris. Newport, Mary Washington, Salisbury, UC Santa Cruz, Warren Wilson). Grace year 1.

Next season, 2025-26, they will add two provisional members: Johnson and Wales (NC) and Regent, but these should not count toward minimums (until Year 3 provisional status). Grace year 2.

2026-27, C2C loses the AQ in MBB.

2027-28, Regent and J&W (NC) reach Year 3 and begin counting. Waiting year 1.

2028-29, Regent and J&W (NC) are full members. Waiting year 2.

2029-30, C2C regains MBB AQ.

Please let me know if I am not correct on this or if I am missing something.

I have verified that you are correct. Nicely done! A nice and easy explanation.

[Pat Coleman]

Neumann to the MAC in 26-27.  That puts the AEC down to 6.

https://d3sports.com/notables/2025/04/neumann-to-the-mac

Thing that is interesting to me but ultimately may not turn out to be interesting: no announcement of whether Neumann would be MAC Commonwealth or MAC Freedom. Just makes me wonder if their unique division model ends up going away in the next few years given the overall climate we're in - not to mention that I don't love the idea of their grandfathered-in status as a single conference able to sometimes operate as two conferences being maintained with conference shuffling.

I think the delay in announcing this part is caution on the part of the MAC. They don't know what other moves might take place before the fall of 2026 and I suspect the most likely result is that a member school might close.

[jmcozenlaw]

Neumann to the MAC in 26-27.  That puts the AEC down to 6.

https://d3sports.com/notables/2025/04/neumann-to-the-mac

Thing that is interesting to me but ultimately may not turn out to be interesting: no announcement of whether Neumann would be MAC Commonwealth or MAC Freedom. Just makes me wonder if their unique division model ends up going away in the next few years given the overall climate we're in - not to mention that I don't love the idea of their grandfathered-in status as a single conference able to sometimes operate as two conferences being maintained with conference shuffling.

I think the delay in announcing this part is caution on the part of the MAC. They don't know what other moves might take place before the fall of 2026 and I suspect the most likely result is that a member school might close.

Without spilling too much of what has been going on behind closed doors (maybe Gordon has heard a whisper or two), I've heard from more than one person that a MAC school with a ton of land and a few majors that most MAC schools don't have (that are of interest to a certain school, with these majors, up in State College) has been on the receiving end of interest from said large school as they figure out their satellite/branch campus configuration.

This MAC school did not start the conversation and is only mildly intrigued. At least two of the current satellite's which appear to be on the safe list would close if this were to happen. Abington is one of them.

This MAC school is also only a month or two away from finding out if three/four massive donations (including one from the Gates Foundation) will become reality.......and when.

One of these donations (non-Gates Foundation of course) would be athletics specific (to the chagrin of some admin, staff and faculty) and would be a game changer from a facilities standpoint, which is long overdue. This particular couple is also talking about funding an NIL Collective and matching donations $2 for $1.

This MAC school received a roughly $32 million donation several years ago and what I'm hearing is significantly higher.

If all or even some of this were to play out, the MAC school shuts down the conversation. But if none of it does, the overture is in play. I have also heard that the mothership in State College would not only NOT touch anything athletically, but would make investments in facilities and new sports, while using a few of them (think wrestling, a DI national monster and a former D3 national powerhouse) as almost a JV type of program. It doesn't sound like they have approached anybody with the MAC at this time, but I can't imagine the conference would boot them.

This is all up in the air........and I won't even get into the conversations that I've heard about another one, possibly two MAC schools that are in serious trouble at this time, without the safety net of any type of takeover or merger.

[Pat Coleman]

Yeah, and I've heard, or read, the same rumblings about a MAC school, which is why I believe they are probably waiting to assign Neumann to a league.

[jmcozenlaw]

Yeah, and I've heard, or read, the same rumblings about a MAC school, which is why I believe they are probably waiting to assign Neumann to a league.

I wonder if Gordon has heard anything and could or would shed any light?

[Caz Bombers]

it's gotta be Albright or Alvernia (maybe both) in danger of going under, right?

I have no knowledge of which school may or may not be doing something with Penn State as mentioned above, I guess if I had to guess I'd say DVU.

[jmcozenlaw]

it's gotta be Albright or Alvernia (maybe both) in danger of going under, right?

I have no knowledge of which school may or may not be doing something with Penn State as mentioned above, I guess if I had to guess I'd say DVU.

Caz - Correct on your Penn State guess. You're also correct on one of the two Reading schools. There is one more MAC school potentially in this boat, based in Wilkes-Barre, that didn't recently move over to the Landmark Conference. I'm also hearing that there are a total of 8 MAC schools preparing for the "Mother of All Fundraising Campaigns" come Fall. A couple of schools are heck bent on adding sports, including fringe sports, to gain admits.........but this can be a dangerous game, especially that upfront expense, even more so when upgraded facilities come into play. It's like trying to thread a moving needle doing a hurricane. 

We're only in the second inning of this playing out across the country.

[stlawus]

It's never made sense to me why DelVal wasn't a more consistent presence in athletics.  They've had a few good football teams, but given their location and academic profile. I always thought they should be significantly more competitive across the board. A cursory search reveals that the Gates Foundation has been involved with the school, which makes I guess makes sense given the type of school DelVal is.