I don't see what's gained from moving from one one-bid league to another. It just makes it harder for us to get that single bid and get exposure. I'm not even sure the CAA is a stronger BBall conference than the AE at this point, but that's another discussion.
We get exposure by winning and winning against good programs. The CAA might be a stronger league, but being in the best one bid conference in the country does us no good. I almost think we might be better of going the other way and dominating the weaker conference. At least then were winning, making playoff/NCAA tournament appearances, and getting positive exposure.
We're heading into our fifth season in the CAA Football conference and have nothing to show for it. Had we remained in the Big South, we'd have continued to dominate the league, make playoff appearances, and maybe steal a game or two in the FCS playoffs despite our horrid offense. Keep in mind that since we've left the Big South, both Coastal Carolina and Liberty, teams we frequently laid the beat down on have gone FBS.
Granted, football is a different beast than basketball (FCS at large bids) and I remain a fan of the CAA Football move, but it's something to think about. Is being 2nd place in a stronger league and never making the tournament superior to winning the weaker league and getting your name out there so people can see you play? It's something to think about. Maybe we should dominate the AE and position ourselves to make a big stride further down the road as opposed to taking baby steps now and potentially making it harder for us to move ahead. We've only been to the tournament once, but how many years has it been where we've only been a shot or two away from getting in?