Richmond to Leave CAA football for PL in 2025

[EC90]

Does Villanova follow UR to the PL? Would the SoCon take us back along with W&M and maybe Campell? A&T and HU return to the MEAC?

[eu96]

Absolutely Villanova bolts. Look what CAA football has become. PL is at about the same level, but closer peer schools. CAA Football was at one time the premier FCS conf, those days are over.
Watch Bill and Mary. I could see them make a move to the A-10, while joining the Patriot for football. Just like UR.

[eu96]

I would love to see us package a deal with the A10 with Charleston WM, UNCW and Elon. We then join the PL for football.
We have to get out of the CAA. There are some terrible schools now in this league. You are judged by the company you keep. Eventually it will leak into your academic reputation.

[euphoenix99]

Hate to see this. Richmond and W&M football are really the two biggest pieces of what makes CAA football attractive to me. Will be interesting to see what W&M does. If W&M leaves we need to get out of the CAA. I don't have an issue with Campbell and A&T, but they alone aren't enough to make this an appealing conference to be in.

I doubt W&M cares much about us in their plan, but we should be doing everything we can to stay aligned with them. Either go back to the SoCon or I wouldn't be entirely opposed to the Patriot if UR, W&M and Nova were there.

Love the A10 idea too, but I just don't see that happening with 30 years of terrible basketball.

Go Phoenix!

[eu96]

A-10 is a 1-2 bid league. It isn’t a stretch as you might think. They have lost some teams too.

[eu96]

The problem with the A10 is not fit, it is size. It’s already a huge conference (although UMASS is leaving for the MAC).

[phawkes]

I would rather we stuck with CAA, or return to SoCon if they'll take us.

On a not-exactly-related note, why the dearth of football news from the Phoenix website? I know it's the offseason, but there should still be some newsworthy things happening, especially with the portal activity. There wasn't even a follow-up on the spring scrimmage.

Still . . . Go, Phoenix!

[eu96]

I can’t recommend staying in the CAA. Pretty sure the next invites will be Norfolk State and Newberry. Get us out of here.
TT is def not a PR whiz. I blame him, not our media dept, for the lack of info. Even though we are a private school FCS program, we still have woeful football overage on our internal website. And Elon is supposed to be a world-class communications school. We have the tools…use them!

[epx]

We can forget the A10. Our basketball is far from being good enough for that league. That's their premier sport so they want a program that will help them get better, not bring them down. Patriot League would just be swapping one far away conference for another. Academics are better, but there will be limited opportunity to go to an away game. The best option IMO would be a return to the SoCon, especially if we could go with William and Mary and maybe Campbell. But until our admin supports sports the way they should, we're probably stuck with the CAA.

[eu96]

I don’t disagree with your comments regarding the A10. But I got to say, away game availability should be the least of our concern. I have been to 6 or 7 road games the last 3 seasons, and we haven’t shown. The one exception is perhaps Campbell for some reason, the game a few years back when we won at the last second. Probably had 300-400 fans that night. Other than, just crickets.

[epx]

May 15, 2024 12:57:30 GMT -5 eu96 said:

I don’t disagree with your comments regarding the A10. But I got to say, away game availability should be the least of our concern. I have been to 6 or 7 road games the last 3 seasons, and we haven’t shown. The one exception is perhaps Campbell for some reason, the game a few years back when we won at the last second. Probably had 300-400 fans that night. Other than, just crickets.

I have tried to make all of the W & M, UR, Campbell, Furman, Wofford, etc., away football games. Pretty much anything within 3-3.5 hours. I don't travel as much for basketball beyond 1-1.5 hours. I've been to all the UNC, Duke, UNCG, HPU, etc., games. I want to start travelling more for basketball. So, that statement was more selfish than anything.

I think we may have to learn to be satisfied with what we have. However, It's always been my nature to strive to be the best at everything at my own level whether it be golf, tennis, investing, business, etc. I don't always come out on top, but it's not because I didn't put forth the effort. If we're going to stay in the CAA, fine. Just be a threat to win the conference every year! Especially in the key "money" sports. Do EVERYTHING it takes! The problem seems to be one of allocation, not money. With the exception of facilities, we're spending D2 money in a D1 conference. I'm not an insider, so I could be wrong. It just appears that this is the case.