Re: Future AE membership? -- America East Forum

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Date Posted: 10:32:46 04/29/03 Tue
Author: Dane96
Subject: Re: Future AE membership?
In reply to: J.J. 's message, "Re: Future AE membership?" on 08:38:08 04/29/03 Tue

CCSU has a
>strong athletic program that would be very competitive
>in all sports and our facilities compare with any
>existing AE program. While academics are not the
>strongest side to a CCSU bid, I think it is fair to
>group us with the SUNY additions in that regard.

While I can appreciate your efforts I have two thoughts. Your football team is miserable is one. You guys haven't had a good season in a long time, even though I love your head coach (former Asst. at UA). Second, your academics are nowhere near the three SUNY's. Binghamton is a nationally recognized liberal arts school...one of the best. UA and SBU are national research universities which feature the national weatherservice headquarters and a medical school, respectively, among other nationally recognized programs at each school. There is clearly a drop off between the schools in AE (are you even remotely comparing yourselves to UVM...because that would be laughable) and CCSU. Please don't get me wrong...I think Quinnipiac would be a mistake as well.

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[> [> [> [> Re: Future AE membership? -- mainejeff, 13:56:40 04/29/03 Tue

>Obliviously no school in the A-10 would leave for the
>AE (unless the Bonnies are ever forced out). If Miami
>or VT (or anyone else) left the Big East, I don't know
>of an A-10 program that could fill its shoes (w/
>football), so I don't see any trickle down effect
>either by having an AE team jump to the A-10. The CAA
>and Patriot teams have no real reason to move either
>they are generally a stronger conference. Buffalo is
>not a great fit in the MAC, but with I-A football
>program, they might have the only chance at a possible
>Big East spot. Lots of discussion about DII schools
>looking to jump to DI, but wouldn't an established
>program increase the quality of the league rather than
>an UMASS-Lowell?
>
>UMass, URI, HC, and Hoftsra have no reason to leave
>their current conference and join the AE. Central and
>Sacred Heart are the only schools from �the list� that
>can bring a comparable football program to the league
>and CCSU has a much stronger athletic program than
>SHU. Quinn does have tons of cash, but I think they
>want to compete academically with smaller private
>institutions like Loyola in the MAAC, so they aren't a
>good fit at all.
>
>Clearly I�m pushing to have Central Connecticut join
>the AE as soon as possible. I think the AE offers a
>much better deal than the NEC can. It would
>reestablish some great regional rivalries for Central
>(especially with the other NE schools). CCSU has a
>strong athletic program that would be very competitive
>in all sports and our facilities compare with any
>existing AE program. While academics are not the
>strongest side to a CCSU bid, I think it is fair to
>group us with the SUNY additions in that regard. I
>still think Central remains the only realistic option
>for the AE and hope the league would pursue that
>option in the future.

JJ....With all due respect, football has no bearibng on the future endeavors of America East. That has been made painfully obvious over the last couple of years. As far as academics go, I could care less....unless you are an Ivy, it's all overrated to me. If a school operates within the rules set forth by the NCAA then who the hell cares.....honestly, some people take the academic comparisons so seriously it makes me laugh.....good and bad educations are offered at ANY school. It just sounds like snobbery and a crutch for weaker athletic programs to thump their chest about academics.

Anyway....CC does not offer AE anything special other than another footprint in Connecticut (which would be a good thing), but I'm afraid it's not enough to turn heads.

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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Future AE membership? -- UNH_Alum_In_CT, 15:03:38 04/29/03 Tue

>
>JJ....With all due respect, football has no bearibng
>on the future endeavors of America East. That has
>been made painfully obvious over the last couple of
>years. As far as academics go, I could care
>less....unless you are an Ivy, it's all overrated to
>me. If a school operates within the rules set forth
>by the NCAA then who the hell cares.....honestly, some
>people take the academic comparisons so seriously it
>makes me laugh.....good and bad educations are offered
>at ANY school. It just sounds like snobbery and a
>crutch for weaker athletic programs to thump their
>chest about academics.
>

Jeff, I agree with you that an excellent education can be obtained at virtually any university if one really takes advantage of the opportunity. But the presidents of the AE member schools obviously take these academic comparisons VERY seriously. Whether we like it or not, that is our reality.

And I think the issue with the AE schools is that they operate within a set of rules that is more stringent than what the NCAA sets forth. An institution operating at just the NCAA level of rules is deemed as having an advantage in recruiting.

Even the best of the AE athletic programs are probably "inferior" on the national measuring stick. And the vast majority of AE athletes are NOT going pro in their sports. So, IMHO I don't think academic prowess is snobbery as much as it is being pragmatic and not exploiting our athletes like we all know occurs at "big time" programs.

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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Future AE membership?-mainejeff -- Patch, 16:51:05 04/29/03 Tue

I do care about academics and I think many of the AE schools say one thing and do another. Hell with the avg. SAT as posted today - how many schools have athletes below the avg.(especially men's basketball), I believe many. It would be nice but impractical to have an athlete pool equal too the general pool so when you talk academics you're usually talking about the general student body not the athletes (especially the men).

>>Obliviously no school in the A-10 would leave for the
>>AE (unless the Bonnies are ever forced out). If Miami
>>or VT (or anyone else) left the Big East, I don't know
>>of an A-10 program that could fill its shoes (w/
>>football), so I don't see any trickle down effect
>>either by having an AE team jump to the A-10. The CAA
>>and Patriot teams have no real reason to move either
>>they are generally a stronger conference. Buffalo is
>>not a great fit in the MAC, but with I-A football
>>program, they might have the only chance at a possible
>>Big East spot. Lots of discussion about DII schools
>>looking to jump to DI, but wouldn't an established
>>program increase the quality of the league rather than
>>an UMASS-Lowell?
>>
>>UMass, URI, HC, and Hoftsra have no reason to leave
>>their current conference and join the AE. Central and
>>Sacred Heart are the only schools from �the list� that
>>can bring a comparable football program to the league
>>and CCSU has a much stronger athletic program than
>>SHU. Quinn does have tons of cash, but I think they
>>want to compete academically with smaller private
>>institutions like Loyola in the MAAC, so they aren't a
>>good fit at all.
>>
>>Clearly I�m pushing to have Central Connecticut join
>>the AE as soon as possible. I think the AE offers a
>>much better deal than the NEC can. It would
>>reestablish some great regional rivalries for Central
>>(especially with the other NE schools). CCSU has a
>>strong athletic program that would be very competitive
>>in all sports and our facilities compare with any
>>existing AE program. While academics are not the
>>strongest side to a CCSU bid, I think it is fair to
>>group us with the SUNY additions in that regard. I
>>still think Central remains the only realistic option
>>for the AE and hope the league would pursue that
>>option in the future.
>
>JJ....With all due respect, football has no bearibng
>on the future endeavors of America East. That has
>been made painfully obvious over the last couple of
>years. As far as academics go, I could care
>less....unless you are an Ivy, it's all overrated to
>me. If a school operates within the rules set forth
>by the NCAA then who the hell cares.....honestly, some
>people take the academic comparisons so seriously it
>makes me laugh.....good and bad educations are offered
>at ANY school. It just sounds like snobbery and a
>crutch for weaker athletic programs to thump their
>chest about academics.
>
>Anyway....CC does not offer AE anything special other
>than another footprint in Connecticut (which would be
>a good thing), but I'm afraid it's not enough to turn
>heads.

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