Northeast D3 Shuffle...

[NED3Guy]

Could be A LOT of movement coming within the D3 Conference / AQ structure here in the region (and into NY):

Whats next for the ECFC?

With Keystone leaving for the Landmark, and SUNY Maritime leaving for the NEWMAC the ECFC will be left with only 5 teams....what will they do to try and salvage their AQ? I'm not sure anybody other than a newly formed program like Hilbert (see below) will consider joining the ECFC at this point in time....are there any JUCO's in the region making the move to NCAA, similar to what Dean did a few years back? If so the ECFC could be a good fit for them.

Other thoughts / rumors:

Catholic is going leave the NEWMAC to play football in the Landmark (where they are a full member already) now that the Landmark sponsors football.

NEWMAC is gaining SUNY Maritime Football, but could be looking for another school as well....

Utica moving to D2 has been mentioned for a while now. I first heard it among hockey people saying that the move to D2 would allow their hockey team to play a D1 schedule.....would the E8 look to add a team if this happened? (Alfred State maybe? Sorry ECFC.)

Hilbert College (Buffalo, NY) will be starting football next year. They are not in a football playing conference with their other sports so they're going to be looking for a home....could the E8 or ECFC come calling? (One can assume the ECFC is a much better fit competition wise; but that's a hefty travel budget with games in Mass, DC, VT....compared to the E8 where every game can be a day trip)

Could be an interesting summer with regards to the D3 landscape.

[Pat Coleman]

Yeah, we have been hearing about another school (not an ECFC program) going to the NEWMAC. Hilbert can definitely bolster one of those three leagues: LL, E8 or ECFC.

It will be tough for the ECFC to even maintain six schools the way things are going.

[NED3Guy]

Well it took a month longer than our sources told us it would take, but Salve was announced as the newest member of the NEWMAC - effective July 1, 2023.

https://salveathletics.com/general/2022-23/releases/20220712fj75rk

Interesting to see what the CCC does next....The CCC did recently ad new D3 school, University of Hartford; but unless they add football that won't help the CCC football numbers.

[NED3Guy]

A couple of updates to the D3 Conference Shuffle and a few predictions-

Salve moving from CCC to NEWMAC as mentioned above.

CCC will be adding University of Hartford (transitioning from D1 to D3) starting in the 2023-2024 school year. While this move does not help with football (the main reason we're all on here), it does mean that the CCC could take on a football only member to fill the void left by Salve's departure. (MORE ON THIS LATER)

Hilbert College (new football program this year out of Western NY) found themselves in a nice spot with multiple conferences rumored to have offered them membership....it was announced last week that Hilbert would be joining the Empire 8 for football.

It was long rumored that the ECFC would need Hilbert to join in order to stay afloat....with the Hilbert news last week the ECFC is as good as gone (in our opinion).

That means the CCC should be contacting the remaining ECFC school admins (Alfred State, Castleton, Gallaudet, Anna Maria and Dean) to try and pull a member or two into their league. While they will have 6 football members after the departure of Salve, I think it's safe to assume they'll want to add additional team(s) for AQ insurance.

My immediate guess is that Anna Maria is the first ECFC team to announce a move to the CCC, with Dean being a logical geographic option as well.

I could also see Alfred State announcing a move to the E8 in the near future.

Gallaudet and Castleton become odd teams out....not sure where either ends up. Gall U in the Landmark? CU in the Empire 8 or MASCAC?

The ECFC served it's purpose very nicely for a decade or so. It gave new programs a place to play and grow before they were ready for a step up to a better conference. We saw this with Becker (RIP), Husson, SUNY, Keystone and likely with AMC in the coming year or so. The ECFC also allowed a historic program like Norwich an opportunity to find themselves again after a conference shake up left them searching for a place to compete and allowed Gallaudet to be in a conference and compete for an NCAA AQ.

If this really is the end for the ECFC; I think they should be applauded for their place in D3 football history. A lot of growth for the sport happened because new D3 programs (AMC, SUNY, Husson, Becker, Mt Ida, Keystone, Alfred State, Dean) had a place to play competitive games among similarly talented programs.

Then again, I could be full of it with my guesses. Time will tell......

[Pat Coleman]

I think Castleton makes sense in the MASCAC. Castleton is an all-sports member of the Little East Conference, and other LEC members play football in the MASCAC.

[Caz Bombers]

Maine Maritime is trying to revive football for the 2025 season. The ECFC would suit them if it still exists.

[Pat Coleman]

So would the CCC -- a better fit geographically than the NEWMAC.

You are well connected -- we only heard this the other day.

[Inkblot]

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/09/27/sports/college/maine-maritime-academy-football-return-xoasq1i29i/

"I'm pretty excited about where we are right now," Peed said, adding that a football conference has already invited MMA to join it. Peed would not disclose the name of the conference since the alumni still need to raise the money.

[Caz Bombers]

I think Castleton makes sense in the MASCAC. Castleton is an all-sports member of the Little East Conference, and other LEC members play football in the MASCAC.

Castleton football indeed is moving to the MASCAC in 2024. Pat retweeted the league's announcement a few hours ago, but thought I'd post here for continuity.

[NED3Guy]

Official release:https://www.mascac.com/sports/fball/2022-23/releases/Castleton_Announcement

Castleton to the MASCAC

Have to think this is the end for the ECFC....too bad really. That conference provided a nice place for upstart programs to gain some traction and compete against other new programs.

This year the ECFC had 7 members. Keystone and SUNY Maritime depart this season for the Landmark and the NEWMAC. So they'll play the 2023 season with just 5 members. Castleton departure for 2024 season will leave just 4 (Dean, Gallaudet, Anna Maria and Alfred State).....I'd expect those four schools to be actively looking for options and announcing plans in the near future.

Or....does Maine Maritime save the conference by joining the ECFC??? (and by save, I mean add another team and not have to fold)

Big Maine Maritime news coming 1/9/23:
https://marinersports.org/news/2022/10/19/update-mariners-football-challenge-56-000-raised.aspx

[ccd494]

Maine Maritime to the CCC for 2025-26: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/01/09/sports/maine-maritime-academy/maine-maritime-varsity-football-revival/

All three non-NESCAC Maine programs will be in the same conference. 

[NED3Guy]

So this kind of flew under the radar last week but is relevant to the Northeast D3 Shuffle....

https://athletics.nec.edu/news/2023/6/15/new-england-college-adds-football-to-its-athletics-playbook.aspx

Is it too late to save the ECFC? New England College could be a great fit there.

[NED3Guy]

I'm guessing there aren't too many people who visit the message boards and not the main page of d3football.com, but in case you missed it:

https://d3football.com/notables/2023/11/ccc-adds-eighth-team

CCC adding the upstart New England College program for 25-26. This gives them 8 teams, and a little bit of wiggle room incase the AQ numbers change.

I know folks holding out hope for the ECFC's survival were hoping to land either NEC or Maine Maritime as members....with both going to the CCC, one has to think the ECFC will have no shot at survival after the upcoming exodus of teams.

This will be good news to many pool c watchers, as it should create another at-large bid....I think?

[NED3Guy]

PREPARE FOR CHAOS!


https://x.com/FrankRossi/status/1729660566694740260?s=20

(Insert Elmo fire meme here)

[ccd494]

Any word on what's happening with the MASCAC and their affiliates?