Rhody's CAA Rethink, Part Two: The Ram-Ifications

(Photo courtesy the South County Independent)

Yesterday, I blogged about Rhode Island's thoughts on leaving the CAA in order to join the NEC.  Today, I'm blogging about the effects of their move on the rest of Northeast football - including the Patriot League.

Interestingly,  Northeastern's discontinuation of football was certainly bad news, and Hofstra's president pulling a "Sonny Corleone in the tollbooth" on football a week later was also a seismic event concerning football in this area.

But URI's decision could have an even greater impact in the long run for all three Northeastern FCS football conferences. It could have an impact that affects directly or indirectly all three conferences: the NEC, CAA, and Patriot League. (more)

Rhody's CAA Rethink, Part One

I learned one thing, really, on my ten day vacation from my day job, blogging and writing: in college football, there truly is no offseason.

I planned a vacation in the mountains right before the Fourth of July, thinking that it's generally a dead time for college sports.  I'm not alone, either.  Most sportswriters do the same thing.

So what happens the week I'm gone?  Mike Szoztak, the longtime Rhode Island beat writer from the Providence Journal, drops the bombshell that the Rams are looking at moving their football team from the CAA to the NEC starting with the 2013 season. Ram sightings at Delaware's Tub, seen in this picture, might be less and less frequent.

At the beginning of 2009, the CAA had twelve teams and had split into North and South divisions. The main discussion point back then was how they were going to be able to accommodate Old Dominion and Georgia State in their powerhouse conference - and how many at-large bids they might have in the future. How things have changed only 365 days later. (more)