Independent college discussion

[d3bballinboston]

yah i agree with you.. anna maria is ranked probally 5th of the five finalist to get in to the gnac.    (newbury, mt. ida, lasell and st. joes of maine are the other finaist.)

there has been rumors of a new new england league starting with the following schools (newbury, lesley, daniel webster, southern vermont, albertus magnus, becker, maine presque isle, mitchell, regis college (if they go co-ed), anna maria and green mountain college (who is spearheading this action)  newbury and anna maira would only do this if they dont get into gnac.

what is everyone's thoughts on this. In two years it would give new england another AQ.

[Hoops Fan]

I've been saying all year, that there will be shake-ups coming soon in most of the leagues.  I don't know what will get the ball rolling, but if this new league has any weight, this could be the beginning.

[Pat Coleman]

If there are big shakeups, will anyone issue news releases? I think the schools you have mentioned have sent this site a combined total of fewer than five releases in their history.

[GnacAlum55]

I've got a name for the new conference.....
The SBAL:  S**t Bag Athletic League.  Could that league get any worse?  Would they be considered DIIII schools?
As a former player in the GNAC, I would not be sad to see SVC and DWC go.

[d3bballinboston]

yah it could get worse if they added all the NAC teams.. I bet this new league formed woud be better then the NAC.  But the whole point of this new league would be to get a league that is more competitive for all teams involved. 

over time the league would get batter though. i am sure the first year the CCC started they were awful or for just about any league for that matter.

[Maq Diesel]

Umaine PI would be a haul it is about 5 hours from portland maine and that might make travel difficult for some of the boston area school.  Based on that alone I question the validity of this new league.

[d3bballinboston]

well the validity of the league would be to get the independents into a league and some other schools that don't like their current league and want to start over in a brand new league.  yah UMPI would be a hall.. but just like williams to bowdoin or even albertus magnus to svc.

[Pat Coleman]

Remember, the benefits of a league aren't just competing for a championship (eventually an automatic bid), getting recognition for your student-athletes and the like. Filling a schedule is very important as well, and independents have to really struggle to do so once January and February roll around.

Even though UMPI is in a conference with NAIA schools, D-III regulations say half of your games must be regional games. UMPI would not have gotten there this year if they had been a full D-III member. Green Mountain wasn't even close. Filling a schedule is a strong enough pull on schools that you sometimes end up with strange bedfellows.

[Hoops Fan]

Well d3, I you figured out the solution without my help.


I think this new league may be a good thing for the region.  A tiered system of conferences can give us a better perspective on who is doing what during the year.

It's all speculation until someone starts moving though.

[d3bballinboston]

alot will be figured out on May 24th whichis when the GNAC votes on who they accept into the league .  mt. ida, lasell, newbury, st joes of ME and anna maria are all applying.

I think if newbury or AMC don't get in they will be part of the group that will seek to join the new league and also help grab other teams

Green Mountain is actively organizing this and are being very aggressive to it.

It will be very intersting to see what truley shakes out of all of this.

[Hoops Fan]

Green Mountain needs it.  AMC also needs out of the CCC.  I think they would be able to get some independents in as well.  Sure, you've got a lot of basketball bottom feeders, but they would at least be getting wins and some better competition with schools more similar to themselves.  UMPI is a drive for everyone; it doesn't matter where they go.

I'd like to see it happen.

[d3bballinboston]

Lets see what happens here.

[heythere]

Dave, thats enough, newbury has no shot of getting in the gnac,

[broke_ya_ankles]

I'd be suprised if st joes joined the GNAC, rumor had it they we're potentially joining the CCC in the fall of 07....

[Hoops Fan]

That would be a good fit, however, I just don't see the CCC sticking together for that long.  Honestly, its more likely some of the Northern teams (CSC, UNE, EC, NEC) will break off and form their own conference.  St Joe's would fit in there well.

I do still hear rumblings about Gordon's application to the NEWMAC.  They need an 8th and GC's academics make them a pretty solid fit.  I'm not sure when that vote is, but it could be telling as well.