Capital Athletic Conference Football?

[SUADC]

Another move that has been lurking out there that could help the CAC add football.

http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2012/06/southern-virginia-to-join-cac

The geography of Southern Virginia being added (near Lexington, Va.) may swing a school such as Averett or elsewhere in the USA South to consider switching leagues.

Yeah, I believe the addition of Southern Virginia may swing some schools to the CAC. Other than football, the conference is well represented in all other sports. The addition of CNU helps in all sports, I know Salisbury and CNU have great rivalry games in baseball, softball, volleyball, and football. I know in the past that Averett played teams in the ACFC freqently. There may be other non-NCAA teams on the horizon, I would still love for Catholic, Galudet, and Stevenson to join. Catholic and Galudet are charter members and Stevenson vs. Salisbury in Lacrosse is always an epic match-up.

For newbies to this message board...

Catholic left the CAC to form the Landmark Conference, and affiliate with the ODAC for football.
Gallaudet left the CAC to join the North East Athletic Conference
Stevenson is leaving the CAC for the MAC in all sports.

Yeah, I know. I can still wish.

[Teamski]

Yeah, that sux that Stevenson left right at the wrong time for the CAC to gain some steam for getting Football added to the ticket. However,  I think it is just a matter of time for the CAC to gain football and with that, a home for Wesley Football.   Good news seeing SVU coming on board!

-Ski

[PA_wesleyfan]

The one fly in the ointment could be Frostburg St. They dropped Wesley like a hot potato from their schedule as soon as the ACFC commitment was over. So much for the CAC teams playing each other..  If you remember they refused to change there schedule the first season of the  ACFC existence. So I wouldn't be suprised if they held things up again.



 Some of the discussion here about the CAC and another conference combining for football may be in the future!

[CNU85]

Nice....A CAC football board. Gotta love it! I can assure evryone that there will be an AQ opportunity for CAC football schools. Trible would not have agreed to move to the CAC without it. And the man makes things happen. It will not take as long as people think. In fact, I bet there is a plan in place and in motion to make it a reality. I'm sure the SVU situation was known when CNU switched. Time for CNU football to take it up a notch. SU and Wesley....every  year....yikes! At least Wesley Dad and I can take turns buying rounds! I got the first round!

[wesleydad]

cnu, looking forward to it when it happens.  easy trip for me to cnu and really like the team.  wesley, salisbury, cnu, pretty good top of a conference.

[jmccloskey]

Actually, the CAC and Empire 8 could join together for football without affecting any regular season scheduling.  The CAC members could be made associate members of the E8 for football only.  Each conference would be it's own division within the E8 for football, and play a separate schedule.  Then the two division champions play in the conference championship game for the automatic bid.

[Pat Coleman]

Perhaps but that conference championship game would have to come out of the 10 games. The conference championship game is only exempt from the 10-game schedule when a conference has 12 teams, same as in D-I.

It's actually a D-III rule that D-I co-opted.

[jmccloskey]

It's worth noting, the five football playing members of the CAC (as of July 1), produced three bids to last year's NCAA tournament.

Gallaudet, obviously, won't be joining the CAC for football, and the conference would have no reason to ask them back.  Though the CAC is a better geographic fit, the Bison have found their home in the ECFC.  They would never be competitive in the CAC.  In the ECFC, they can be....

[SUADC]

It's worth noting, the five football playing members of the CAC (as of July 1), produced three bids to last year's NCAA tournament.

Gallaudet, obviously, won't be joining the CAC for football, and the conference would have no reason to ask them back.  Though the CAC is a better geographic fit, the Bison have found their home in the ECFC.  They would never be competitive in the CAC.  In the ECFC, they can be....

There are many teams in other conferences that aren't competitive in any sport or just barely in one or two sports. The main goal for any progam is to be competitive and win. However, I believe there are many other factors in joining a conference. If being competitive was the only reason, you would see many sub-par teams in many conferences trying to join together to form a conference. 

[Captain Bob]

Penn. State Harrisburg is joining the CAC next year as well.  Their athletics website indicates they don't yet sponsor football, but maybe that would change with a new conference.

Edit - I found the CAC press release

"[...] Penn State Harrisburg and Southern Virginia are developing NCAA Division III programs and will surprise many with their competitiveness and success.  The CAC is
already a strong conference, and these new members will make it even stronger,” Byrnes said.

Penn State Harrisburg became a full member of NCAA Division III in 2010 and is currently a member
of the NorthEast Athletic Conference (NEAC).  The Lions, who sponsor 12 varsity sports but have plans to add
more in the next few years, have finished second in the NEAC’s Commissioner’s Cup in each of the past two
seasons.

[Ralph Turner]

Penn. State Harrisburg is joining the CAC next year as well.  Their athletics website indicates they don't yet sponsor football, but maybe that would change with a new conference.

Edit - I found the CAC press release

"[...] Penn State Harrisburg and Southern Virginia are developing NCAA Division III programs and will surprise many with their competitiveness and success.  The CAC is already a strong conference, and these new members will make it even stronger,” Byrnes said.

Penn State Harrisburg became a full member of NCAA Division III in 2010 and is currently a member
of the NorthEast Athletic Conference (NEAC).  The Lions, who sponsor 12 varsity sports but have plans to add
more in the next few years, have finished second in the NEAC’s Commissioner’s Cup in each of the past two
seasons.

Thanks Captain Bob.  That  makes sense that the Capital AC is headed towards football.

One other point that I think that we need to recognize is the role of the NEAC as a generator of new athletic programs.

Lots of teams have moved thru the NEAC in the last decade.  The NEAC has provided entry to D-III into other conferences that one might think of as "stronger".

The constraints of travel budgets will temper some of the enthusiasm for current affiliation agreements (especially if a Salisbury and a Frostburg don't have to travel to upstate NY for 6-8 games every biennium.)

[SUADC]

Here in Bruxelles, Belgium, the weather in warmer than usual. Just had some free time to read this year's Kickoff. I am very impressed with the detail of every team from top to bottom and some of the featured stories. However, speaking of featured stories, was there any write up on the CAC? If so, please tell me where to look, if not, oh well, I guess I'll have to wait until it becomes official.

If the CAC was in existence this year, I think it would contend for the 2nd or 1st best conferene, just my opinion of course.

[Pat Coleman]

There is no CAC football at the moment, so we didn't write about it. Glad you enjoyed Kickoff!

[Pat Coleman]

CAC football in the immediate term takes a bit of a blow today:

http://www.d3football.com/notables/2012/12/southern-virginia-links-up-with-njac

[Teamski]

CAC football in the immediate term takes a bit of a blow today:

http://www.d3football.com/notables/2012/12/southern-virginia-links-up-with-njac

Yeah, that sucks.  Oh well, independent status forever for the Wolverines...... 

-Ski