Possible Pool B Conference

[SUADC]

I would love to see some teams that qualify for Pool B start their own conference. This would eliminate the discussion of who should be pick over who in regards to Pool B selection. Also, it would increase Pool C qualifiers. I believe Case Western Reserve University, University of Chicago, Macalester College, Carnegie Mellon University, Washington University (Missouri), Wesley College, Huntingdon, Trinity and Austin College. This would be a great conference and would be a top notch conference to recon with from the start. In addition, with Wesley College, Trinity, and Case in the conference they would be set to have an automatic bid the first year and contend for a Pool C bid. Yet, I know many would say what about travel? I know that Wesley College and Huntingdon would not mind traveling, they already have to now.

[jknezek]

The UAA schools have a very different mission and value statement from some of the other Pool B schools. D3 conferences don't always exist simply to get a an AQ bid. Check out the UAA's website and read their "About the UAA" link, found here:

http://www.uaa.rochester.edu/Association_Links/About_the_UAA.htm

The philosophy statement section alone will tell you why your idea will not happen.

[ExTartanPlayer]

jknezek is right.

This isn't Division I athletics, where football TV dollars drive every decision about conference alignment, academics and other sports be damned.  The UAA schools will not form a football-only conference with the rest of Pool B just for the sake of an AQ.

Note: I know this post sounds a tad snobbish, but it's hard to convey "tone" in a typed message.  My objection to forming a football-only "Pool B" conference is not so much from an academic-differences standpoint as it is an objection to the notion that access to a football playoff berth should drive an entire athletic department.

I don't think that travel is a huge issue; the UAA schools already travel quite a bit (and we've played plenty of nonconference games that involved travel, including a home-and-home with Colorado College a few years ago).  You're also correct that Wesley and Huntingdon already travel a lot anyway.

With that said, I think that Wesley should try join a conference somewhere further East (perhaps the NJAC or Empire 8) because that might be good from a scheduling-stability standpoint and from a competition standpoint.  Kean, Montclair, and Cortland would provide a strong yearly challenge in the NCAC, and old-rival Salisbury would be a natural foil in the Empire 8.

I believe that Trinity and Austin are already on record as stating that they will attempt to keep the SCAC intact, so I doubt they will have much interest, and it's hard to imagine the UAA four agreeing to join the SCAC as football-only members.

[Pat Coleman]

I think the SCAC two joining the UAA as associate members for football is not at all unlikely, actually. Problem is they need a seventh school to qualify for an automatic bid and it's hard to identify the school that fits that group right now.

[Ron Boerger]

The SCAC is already on record as saying they'd love to join forces with the UAA as associates in football, the only current sport they really can't make work in the near future (except men's lacrosse).   We haven't heard the same from the UAA, but we also haven't heard them say they're *not* interested.

If only Colorado College hadn't dumped football ... sigh.

[Ralph Turner]

I would love to see some teams that qualify for Pool B start their own conference. This would eliminate the discussion of who should be pick over who in regards to Pool B selection. Also, it would increase Pool C qualifiers. I believe Case Western Reserve University, University of Chicago, Macalester College, Carnegie Mellon University, Washington University (Missouri), Wesley College, Huntingdon, Trinity and Austin College. This would be a great conference and would be a top notch conference to recon with from the start. In addition, with Wesley College, Trinity, and Case in the conference they would be set to have an automatic bid the first year and contend for a Pool C bid. Yet, I know many would say what about travel? I know that Wesley College and Huntingdon would not mind traveling, they already have to now.

The Pool B "leftovers" are re-evaluated in Pool C.

A Pool B team getting a Pool C bid was quite common in baseball in the mid-2000's (last decade), especially before the Capital AC became a Pool A conference.  The UAA baseball powers Emory and Wash StL also were in consideration for Pool C bids.  (I gotta go back and confirm the specific details on that one.)

[jam40jeff]

I think the SCAC two joining the UAA as associate members for football is not at all unlikely, actually. Problem is they need a seventh school to qualify for an automatic bid and it's hard to identify the school that fits that group right now.

Would it be possible that Rochester would consider playing football in the UAA (of which they are already a member in every other sport) if the UAA had enough teams to qualify for an AQ?

[Ralph Turner]

I think the SCAC two joining the UAA as associate members for football is not at all unlikely, actually. Problem is they need a seventh school to qualify for an automatic bid and it's hard to identify the school that fits that group right now.

Would it be possible that Rochester would consider playing football in the UAA (of which they are already a member in every other sport) if the UAA had enough teams to qualify for an AQ?

Springfield is coming to the Liberty League as an associate in 2012 as the 8th member.

Rochester might be able to move.

[ExTartanPlayer]

I think the SCAC two joining the UAA as associate members for football is not at all unlikely, actually. Problem is they need a seventh school to qualify for an automatic bid and it's hard to identify the school that fits that group right now.

Would it be possible that Rochester would consider playing football in the UAA (of which they are already a member in every other sport) if the UAA had enough teams to qualify for an AQ?

I'm not sure if Rochy's original decision to leave the UAA (in football) was motivated solely by AQ access or not, but it's an interesting idea.  I do suspect that Rochy is perfectly happy in the Liberty League, though.

[ExTartanPlayer]

The SCAC is already on record as saying they'd love to join forces with the UAA as associates in football, the only current sport they really can't make work in the near future (except men's lacrosse).   We haven't heard the same from the UAA, but we also haven't heard them say they're *not* interested.

If only Colorado College hadn't dumped football ... sigh.

Ah, I did not know that.  Perhaps the UAA would be interested, then, but I'm not sure.  Pat has a point that it's hard to identify potential team #7 (do they try to poach someone from another conference? Do they try to go back to the well with Rochester? et cet).

It is too bad that Colorado dropped football, but from a practical standpoint, I understand why it happened; they were really on an island travel-wise, and presumably they had a bit of a budget crunch b/c they also dropped two other sports as well.

[smedindy]

I guess the question is where does Wesley fit in, if anywhere? I am assuming Macalester would be fine as they are.

[jknezek]

Perhaps the CAC will look into starting football? Frostburg, Salisbury, Wesley and Stevenson. I know Frostburg and Salisbury just joined the E8, but a lot of chatter on that board indicates it was a short term solution. Stevenson just started this year and I know they are part of the MAC, but I believe only for football. Similarly Catholic is an associate member of the ODAC for football and with the addition of Shenandoah wouldn't cause too much of a problem if they left. That would make a tight geographic 5 and you'd only be looking for two more. I'm not aware of who else may be associate members of local conferences. Maybe Maryville College from the USAS though that would spread the conference geographically.

[Pat Coleman]

Stevenson is joining the MAC for everything.

As for the ODAC, I think they really want eight teams. It's much better for scheduling than seven.

[jknezek]

Stevenson is joining the MAC for everything.

As for the ODAC, I think they really want eight teams. It's much better for scheduling than seven.

Didn't know that Stevenson joined the MAC in all sports. That certainly changes things and makes my post useless!

I agree that it is easier on the ODAC to have 8, but the mission statement for the ODAC mentions full commitment from members. That leaves Catholic sitting out there a bit. Geographically it fits better now with Shenandoah, but otherwise it was as far out to the North as Guilford was to the South. It also is the school "least like the others" in terms of size. I believe Catholic is about 3200 enrollment, the next biggest ODAC school I believe is under/around 2000 undergraduates.

Still, with only three football playing CAC schools the main underpinning of my post is toast!

[Ralph Turner]

I think the SCAC two joining the UAA as associate members for football is not at all unlikely, actually. Problem is they need a seventh school to qualify for an automatic bid and it's hard to identify the school that fits that group right now.

Would it be possible that Rochester would consider playing football in the UAA (of which they are already a member in every other sport) if the UAA had enough teams to qualify for an AQ?

I'm not sure if Rochy's original decision to leave the UAA (in football) was motivated solely by AQ access or not, but it's an interesting idea.  I do suspect that Rochy is perfectly happy in the Liberty League, though.

The travel is nice and it is much easier to schedule games in October and November.