Seawolves Fans

Athletics => SBU Men's Basketball => Topic started by: SaltySeawolf on May 03, 2013, 05:59:10 am

Title: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: SaltySeawolf on May 03, 2013, 05:59:10 am
Dane96 and Bosi both posted on AE boards that Albany was voted on and accepted by the CAA as full athletic members for 14-15.  There is also a thread on the CAAZone stating the same thing.  The talk there is also that SB was blocked for full CAA membership by Hofstra.  Rumor also has it that Albany would like to move sooner as they probably don't want to get BU'd and banned from any post season play.  Dane and Bosi usually have real solid info and im going with this as a virtually done deal.

I'm happy with being in the AE so while it sucks to lose our main rival, im not sure it will be for very long.  Hofstra is very pathetic looking here.  Having a strong local rival in their league could actually make them relevant again.  At this point I don't care that SB is staying put but I can't stand Hofstra and the admin there for being so obtuse.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Hammertime on May 03, 2013, 12:21:33 pm
SaltySeawolf. Could one school in the conference actually ban another school from entering ??? How could that be allowed..
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: SaltySeawolf on May 03, 2013, 01:11:47 pm
I believe that Hofstra, Northeastern, and Drexel vote in a block.  Northeastern and Drexel followed Hofstra on this.  The other two would go any way that Hofstra wanted to go so on this specific issue they are driving the bus.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ecasadoSBU on May 03, 2013, 01:12:10 pm
Disappointing day to see the Albany-SB rivalry likely come to and end...
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Hammertime on May 03, 2013, 02:27:40 pm
Why would Northesatern and Drexel vote SB down. I don't understand why Hofstra would vote SB down as well !!! Local Rivalry always brings a crowd. it would be a win win for both schools,no ????
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ry1nik on May 03, 2013, 03:08:37 pm
If true, then that's fine. While the Danes are stuck in the middle of the CAA pack, the Seawolves will consistently be at the top of the AE heap and in the post season.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Hammertime on May 03, 2013, 03:56:08 pm
ry1ink... This topic is highly controversial and I still stick to what I've been saying since day one.... Why do you think Miguel maysonet, Kevin Norrel, Dominick Reyes among others didn't get drafted .. it's not because everybody else is better then they are it's because of the America East Conference... The AE is a good starting place for schools who move up from Div 2 to Div 1...., Now is the time for SB to move out of the AE to a better Conference for all the right reasons !!
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ecasadoSBU on May 03, 2013, 09:32:53 pm
Hammer... remember that SBU was in the big south for football and that now we will be in the CAA. It is our other sports that are stuck in the aec. I dont mind the AEC at this point... but I do mind losing our biggest rival... :/
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Seawolf97 on May 03, 2013, 09:38:20 pm
Interesting  info.  We should sit tight and eventually  we will get into the CAAor possibly the MAC at somepoint.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Hammertime on May 04, 2013, 06:02:23 am
ecasadoSBU.. My concern is with Basketball. We will never recruit better players if the basketball team stays in the AE conference and continues playing weaker opponents .ie: UMBC, Binghamton. etc... I really think SB should keep all their sport programs in one conference, don't you agree??? How could you have Football in the CAA and have all the other sports in the AE or MAC...

 I would like to think the school thought long and hard about making the move to the CAA for football but what about all the other sport teams. Didn't they have idea Hofstra, Drexel, Northwestern was going to vote them down... I mean they must have known it was an issue because only Football got in.... I think they should have waited until they found a conference that would except all their Div1 sports in. .. MAC. MEEC...
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Seawolf97 on May 04, 2013, 10:15:11 am
Hofstra  was the big kid on the block for years and never thought  about the state school  in Suffolk  County. Now over the last 10 years  that state school has grown leaps and bounds and Hofstra remains - well just Hofstra.  We have  become a global enterprise and Hofstra has no footprint out of  Long Island. Our academics have risen as well as our athletics and you rarely hear about Hofstra  in the media.  We had a 1/2  page in the Newsday about our Alan Alda Center  for Communications Sciences- the only one its kind in the country.  Add to that  expanding medical facilities etc. Hofstra's  President must have nightmares. Thats why we got blocked. Rivalry has nothing to do with how their Pres feels about SBU. I think if he could build a Berlin Wall dividing Nassau and Suffolk he would do it.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Hammertime on May 04, 2013, 02:42:22 pm
seawolf97.. I know little to nothing about how all of this conference realignment stuff work, only from what I'am reading from this board. What other alternative powers does SB have  to try and gain full membership with the CAA ?? Could they possibly keep Football in the CAA and move all of the reaming Div1 sports to, lets say the Northeast conference, and remain like that for years?? Is this common practise with NCAA sports!! What are the pros and cons of doing just that ??
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Seawolf97 on May 04, 2013, 04:59:55 pm
Hammer my feeling is we are not in a good situation at the moment as is the rest of the America East. If indeed Albany leaves that gives us  problems in Baseball and Lacrosse. Remaining baseball programs would be - SBU, UMBC, Maine, Hartford, Binghamton and U Mass Lowell ?  Lax would   be SBU, UMBC, Binghamton, Hartford and Vermont. Not sure about U Mass Lowell. A conference needs a minimum of 5 programs to sponsor a sport. So we are close to  that bare minimum already.   So what would be SBU's options - Remain in the AE with football in the CAA. Look for an invite to another  conference which is by invite only now. So where would  we  go? Going back to the NEC cant happen unless football drops  to 40 schollies thats their rule.  The A10 is an upward move in only basketball- they dont support football or lax and are mediocre at best in other sports. The PL would be a good fit  but we dont fit their profile with their AI ( Academic Index) besides we are just  too  big and a state school. So my guess is meetings this week within  our Athletic Dept to come up with plan B.   As long as the present admins at Hofstra, NorthEastern and Drexel remain  our chances of seeing the CAA for all sports is nill. So my feeling is ride it out in the AE and politic for an invite from the MAC in a few years. We have  invested millions in facilities, recruiting and staffs  to move up eventually so we are school worth considering.  Buffalo is our biggest fan to join them and we match their academics as an AAU  University.  Go to the MAC find a good home for our Lax teams and oh yes raise money for those extra scholarahips in football and a bigger stadium.
 To answer a question the NEC requires their programs to all be NEC teams . Monmouth got ousted when they moved to the MAAC  just recently  forcing them to play football as an independent. Anything above the MAC would be more than a reach right now - CUSA or above is the big boys and big budgets. 
You know this may help us in the long run find a more stable home and a stronger home for all sports.  We have  been hedging on leaving the AE so maybe its our time, ahead of time.  Stay tuned.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Redwyn on May 05, 2013, 02:46:25 am
Hammer my feeling is we are not in a good situation at the moment as is the rest of the America East. If indeed Albany leaves that gives us  problems in Baseball and Lacrosse. Remaining baseball programs would be - SBU, UMBC, Maine, Hartford, Binghamton and U Mass Lowell ?  Lax would   be SBU, UMBC, Binghamton, Hartford and Vermont. Not sure about U Mass Lowell. A conference needs a minimum of 5 programs to sponsor a sport. So we are close to  that bare minimum already.   So what would be SBU's options - Remain in the AE with football in the CAA. Look for an invite to another  conference which is by invite only now. So where would  we  go? Going back to the NEC cant happen unless football drops  to 40 schollies thats their rule.  The A10 is an upward move in only basketball- they dont support football or lax and are mediocre at best in other sports. The PL would be a good fit  but we dont fit their profile with their AI ( Academic Index) besides we are just  too  big and a state school. So my guess is meetings this week within  our Athletic Dept to come up with plan B.   As long as the present admins at Hofstra, NorthEastern and Drexel remain  our chances of seeing the CAA for all sports is nill. So my feeling is ride it out in the AE and politic for an invite from the MAC in a few years. We have  invested millions in facilities, recruiting and staffs  to move up eventually so we are school worth considering.  Buffalo is our biggest fan to join them and we match their academics as an AAU  University.  Go to the MAC find a good home for our Lax teams and oh yes raise money for those extra scholarahips in football and a bigger stadium.
 To answer a question the NEC requires their programs to all be NEC teams . Monmouth got ousted when they moved to the MAAC  just recently  forcing them to play football as an independent. Anything above the MAC would be more than a reach right now - CUSA or above is the big boys and big budgets. 
You know this may help us in the long run find a more stable home and a stronger home for all sports.  We have  been hedging on leaving the AE so maybe its our time, ahead of time.  Stay tuned.

1. U Mass Lowell is starting MLAX
2. Albany to the CAA without Stony Brook is essentially forfeiting rivalry and NCAA money. Terrible idea - but they'll go for it because this conference - despite having a better basketball RPI - is still regarded as worse than the AEC
3. Stony Brook, if Hofstra holds and we're not admitted as a package deal with Albany, MUST immediately expand the stadium and go for the MAC. I know we were planning on taking it slow to build the brand, but frankly time is no longer an asset. We have plenty of alumni/major donors that it wouldn't be difficult to raise the expansion money without state support. Hell - Jim Simons would prob buy us the expansion on his own, given how athletic and academic reputations go hand in hand nowadays. If I'm SB, I no longer consider Hofstra irrelevant, I begin to work on ways to eradicate it completely academically and athletically. I'm not a very nice person when I decide that someone isn't worth my time...
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ecasadoSBU on May 05, 2013, 11:36:40 am

Quote
If I'm SB, I no longer consider Hofstra irrelevant, I begin to work on ways to eradicate it completely academically and athletically. I'm not a very nice person when I decide that someone isn't worth my time...

Made my day!!

I haven't hit the panic button yet but going straight to the MAC is an idea that needs to at least be considered by our AD. I do agree that time is running out. But we are a valuable and growing school with a forward-thinking administration and I have no doubt they will position us in a favorable position for the future.

I'm just going to wait and see if this rumor of Albany leaving has any substance. I have only heard Albany fans commenting about it so I really don't know how much of this true at this point. Has anybody heard any other credible source say anything about this?
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Hammertime on May 05, 2013, 11:55:24 am
After reading and commenting on this subject I've come to the conclusion.. I find it very difficult a state run school like Stony brook will just fall apart in regards to the Athletic dept. I mean really. Do you really think Gov Cuomo and kenneth Lavelle will allow this to happen???? I don't.. If Hofstra President continues playing hard ball with Conference banning  there could be some serious consequences with future expansions and developments with Hofstra University  in regards to State Loans.. if you know what i mean !!! So, I think the powers to be in Albany will have their way when push comes to shove !!!

Anyone else care to respond to this opinion of mine !!!!!
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ecasadoSBU on May 05, 2013, 12:30:15 pm
No Hammer. I honestly don't think they will go that far. They won't prioritize SBU athletics over another's schools academics and state loans, student loans, etc... But LaValle will definitely back us up in regards to future funding for facilities and support for athletics. The guy has done tons of stuff for our university when it comes to getting the $$$ to get things done.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Seawolf97 on May 05, 2013, 02:54:42 pm
  Not sure what the AE  will do if Albany bolts. Do we invite another  D1 program  or will they grab another D2 upgrade and no offense to  U Mass Lowell? This will hurt with recruiting, RPI for various sports  and corporate sponsors  which the athletics dept. is trying to build now.  We can compete at the  next level with MAC  teams, and with higher level  recruiting remain competitve  in a conference such as the MAC.The MAC I believe are mid sized or larger public   universities  some with good name recognition that is a plus .  Plus another  upside you draw home games against some BCS/FBS  programs.  I think Indiana plays at U Mass this year in football and Buffalo had  UTEP at home two years ago. True   Thats not Texas but it isnt  Pace  either.  Plus we could see some  nice hoops games in our new arena with local powers like St Johns or Seaton Hall because we are in FBS League.   
   
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ibosbu on May 06, 2013, 10:03:43 pm
This sucks if it is true that UA moving to CAA and Hofstra is blocking us. The options ahead for us are:
1) stay as it is now...keep all sports in AE and football in CAA. AE gets weaker with UA leaving and may be finally we get to go to the dance
2) prepare to move for MAC as some suggested above. It's not impossible. But they are horrible in basketball. FBS Football is not much better either. Do we really want to follow Buffalo's footstep?
3) IMO, we should be happy with football in CAA. Keep improving our basketball and try to get an invite from Atlantic 10 for all sports. Put Lacross in CAA or ECAC. I think we can achieve this goal with hard work and dedication in next 5/6 years. A10 will most pribably lose SLU and Richmond to Big East and will be looking for new members. This scenario will gives us exciting top class CAA FCS football, excellent multi-bids A10 hoops, stable lacross CAA/ECAC competition and weak A10 baseball. I will take that.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ecasadoSBU on May 06, 2013, 10:08:03 pm
Why are we even worried about staying in the AE. What's the problem with that? I don't mind at this point. The CAA sucks. It had a worst RPI than the AEC this year. The CAA is no longer what it was two years ago. It has been raided and the leftovers are not good enough to justify such a move with a $1 million exit fee in case we want to move out in the future. The only positive out of the CAA for us would be playing Hofstra which I would love to see... But is it worth it? hofstra sucks now... whats the point?

Jim Fiore has to keep us in the AEC and get us to a better place in the future. CAA lost its Men's Basketball appeal so no reason to consider that
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Hammertime on May 07, 2013, 06:13:27 am
IboSBU .. i agree with moving all sports to The A10, but SB just got in the CAA so a total move in the a10 is not feasible .. I wonder if Fiore thought about this long and hard before committing SB Football to the CAA and leaving the others ports in the AE..Fiore Had to Know Hofstra was going to block him from completely being a full member. Could our backs be against the wall now?
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ibosbu on May 07, 2013, 12:31:15 pm
Hammertime... When I say all sports to A10, I mean except football and lacrosse because A10 does not sponsor those two sports. Similar to what URI, Nova or Umass are doing. URI play all sports in A10 exxcept football in CAA. NOVA plays all sports in Big east except football in CAA. UMass plays all sports in A10, football in MAC and lacrosse in CAA.

I think we should stay put in AE for the time being and get some name recognition first by going to the dance few times. Then move to A10 for all sports except football and lacrosse in CAA.

For now AE is fine and probably we can increase our value like Davidson.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: joewillie on May 07, 2013, 01:45:53 pm
I pains me that Albany will move to the CAA but Stony Brook won't. 

Come on Brook...make the jump....
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ry1nik on May 07, 2013, 02:19:16 pm
Final Sagarin rating of CAA in hoops was 17th; AEC was 19th....not much difference, and not much to jump to!
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ecasadoSBU on May 07, 2013, 02:19:56 pm
Pains you? Really? have you though about what the CAA offers?

Realtime RPI has the AE at 22nd in RPI, CAA at 24th...

No thanks
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Chairman of the Board on May 07, 2013, 03:02:56 pm
Ugh, i just wish this whole conference nonsense thing didnt happen.  Back in the day, sure teams moved around, but now its to the point where conferences are "commoditized".  Its whoever has value as a member, you jump now, and if the conference needs you, its a deal.  I mean, we are at the point (im looking at you Big East) where teams promise to move to a conference and then agree to go elsewhere before they even start competing in that conference.  Its insane. 

In the old days, conference affiliation meant something.  Like schools, in like regions, with like students, and that created rivalries.  Much like the Ivy is now.  I respect how that conference has held it together.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ecasadoSBU on May 07, 2013, 04:15:16 pm
money ( or Capitalism, greed, etc) ends up corrupting every sector of society if its left without regulation and that does not exclude intercollegiate athletics. A large group of school need to get together and regulate themselves on what's right and wrong for the best of all. This is only hurting college athletes and the fans.

Or maybe the Government can come in a regulate the collegiate landscape
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Chairman of the Board on May 07, 2013, 04:23:44 pm
Quote
Or maybe the Government can come in a regulate

Quite the poor timing on that argument!!!   ;D ;D :D
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Hammertime on May 07, 2013, 07:50:50 pm
The very last thing you want to happen is have the govt take over anything!!!
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: ecasadoSBU on May 07, 2013, 08:35:11 pm
LOOOOOL
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: RecoveringHillbilly on May 08, 2013, 03:27:03 am
Someone had mentioned here MAC in non-FB sports, but that's not allowed long-term. The MAC let UB join in every sport but football for 1 season to give us another year to complete stadium expansion. The MAC is all about affiliates so SBU could easily join as #14 to balance UMass (moving BGSU to MAC West FB) and leaving other sports wherever. Moving to full member could wait until there is another school interested in joining fully. UMass isn't, with the A-10 still strong.

Yep seawolf97 we got UTEP once and have a 2-2 deal with Baylor that's cool. They came here a few years ago and their traveling crowd was great. We play them in Waco this year then host next fall. We've also hosted/host: Syracuse ('04), Pitt ('09, '12), UConn ('00, '02, '03, '11, '13), Rutgers ('01, '05), and a long H-H deal with Army visting often ('09, '14, '16, '18). We will host Boston College in 2015 or 2016 as well. We get these deals due to a 30K seat stadium and Buffalo-Niagara Int'l Aiport being a 15 Min drive away. So based on that SBU could get all those same teams from time to time. Even if SBU could not get an 'AQ' team to Suffolk Cnty a home game at CITI/Yankee would likely draw AQ looks in a 1-1 or 2-1 deal.

To iBOsbu, the MAC appears worse than it is in RPI because the West schools who can't get anything right like NIU and EMU drag us down. East teams have won 11 of the last 13 titles. Playing our tournament at an NBA arena is very cool with title games drawing 9K-12K fans.
*Ohio is the top program right now, getting over 10K to their games and being ranked at times in the Top 25. In 2010 as the MAC's 9th seed they won the MAC bid, then upset Georgetown a #2 seed. In 2012 they won another bid, upset Michigan and USF to reach the Sweet 16.
*Akron hasn't won tournament games in its 3 recent trips but is a strong mid-major which reached the top 25 last season.
*Kent St had a string of 10 straight years with 20+ wins, with a tournament win vs Indiana in 2001, then being ranked and reaching the Elite 8 in 2002.
*Those programs have been UB's foil as we had a string of 17-20 win seasons only to just miss in 2 title games, not dissimilar to SBU's story.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: joewillie on May 08, 2013, 09:42:10 am
Pains you? Really? have you though about what the CAA offers?

Realtime RPI has the AE at 22nd in RPI, CAA at 24th...

No thanks
Really thinking more of Lax over hoops...would also love to see the Hofstra rivalry back too.   Also, if Albany moves there goes another rival. 

BU is already gone and if Albany is really going and we are just replacing with UMass Lowell that blows IMHO. 
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Seawolf97 on May 08, 2013, 09:29:15 pm
First welcome to our board Hillbilly!   Went to Buff St 100 years ago so I'm familiar with Buffalo.  Love to see  SBU join the MAC one of these days. We have to continue to develop our football program a lot more   and gain funding  at the same time for extra  scholarships  and stadium expansion.   The MAC is for the time being  the most stable FBS Conference around right now and that's important going forward. So hopefully in a few years   we will be conference mates.
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: GoWolvesGo on May 09, 2013, 03:33:31 pm
Not sure if this belongs in this thread but it is offhandedly related to the conference...

The latest Sports Illustrated (with the Jason Collins story/cover) has a long article by Pete Thamel about basketball in India and a 7 foot teenager they are hoping will turn the Indian masses onto basketball. 

At one point in the story Thamel is writing about the current Indian nation team and he says "As for the level of play, the Indian team would struggle in the middling America East Conference, against teams such as Maine, Hartford and Vermont."

That quote is in the story and then blown up for emphasis.

I guess it is good he left SBU out of a characterization like that!
Title: Re: Conference Shake Up!
Post by: Seawolf97 on May 09, 2013, 09:22:23 pm
As a conference  we are not overpowering for sure. We have all had our moments  of glory or almost glory playing against national powers or high mid majors.  Now we may take a hit as conference if Albany as rumored leaves for the CAA. So he is  partly right .