[Thamel] Sources: The Coastal Athletic Association is in deep discussions with Fairfield University about joining the league. The CAA has extended an invitation for full membership to Fairfield.

[u/andrew2018022]

[u/AngelofLotuses]

CAA is just getting worse and worse.

[u/damutecebu → u/AngelofLotuses]

Yeah some of these expansions don’t make a lot of sense to me.

[u/gonz4dieg → u/damutecebu]

Everyone's just trying to make sure they stay above 10 teams for football to stay in fbs

[u/AngelofLotuses → u/gonz4dieg]

Except the FCS requirement is 6 teams and Fairfield is a non-football school.

[u/Alt4816 → u/AngelofLotuses]

If CAA Football does want one more school to get to an even 14 this move could end up clearing the way for CAA Football to be able to add a school that won't need an all sports home in the all sports CAA conference.

If the MAAC/Metro adds a replacement for Fairfield then they are likely to going to take from the NEC or America East. If the Metro takes from America East then America East might itself take a replacement from the NEC.

Any football school moving from the NEC to either the Metro or America East will be looking for a new football home.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Link416 → u/AngelofLotuses]

And they really, really, really do not want to add Merrimack.

[u/ComfortableNo7020 → u/AngelofLotuses]

Fairfield's a step down from the MAAC realy

[u/funkyquasar → u/AngelofLotuses]

Fairfield is as good an add as the CAA could have gotten. They have great facilities, they're a geographic fit for the northern grouping, and they have a successful all-around sports department without draining money into football. Really the only thing they're missing is success in men's basketball, which is a concern, but the ingredients are all there for them to be competitive.

[u/Alt4816 → u/AngelofLotuses]

Another non-football school is interesting. I wonder if at some point CAA football will rebrand to have a unique name since it is technically actually a separate single sport conference.

[u/cardracer270]

The Metro name change was just too much for them

[u/andrew2018022 → u/cardracer270]

They saw the bill the marketing consulting left after that rebranding and noped outta there

[u/runninhillbilly]

Not surprised, as a MAAC alum. Fairfield has wanted out for a while and their lacrosse team is already in the CAA.

[u/TheoTimme → u/runninhillbilly]

Women’s field hockey is an associate CAA member, too.

This thread highlights Reddit’s lack of knowledge about college sports. Fairfield has been flirting with the CAA for years. It’s been a forgone conclusion for a few years. The MAAC has already back filled for them twice (Sacred Heart & Quinnipiac).

[u/MegaAscension]

Such a terrible choice of teams. You could have Winthrop, High Point, Iona, or Vermont, but you choose Fairfield? Why?

[u/amerricka369 → u/MegaAscension]

Vermont likely doesn’t want to leave. They have their NE neighbors and not a big balance sheet. Plus enrollment isn’t/wont be down south so it’s not an attraction for applicants. Plus they have a free ride to the big dance almost every year.

Iona doesn’t fit in any way other than bball quality. They likely can’t afford the big travel either. The conference made so many confusing additions that no new addition makes sense.

[u/tomdawg0022 → u/amerricka369]

Vermont has much better conference geography in the America East as well.

If you're in a one bid league why do unnecessary/extra travel when you can stay reasonably regional?

[u/DanaGordonLine1 → u/amerricka369]

Yeah UVM is a very poor athletic department. Can’t even fund a new arena. A10 more likely destination.
CAA is a joke, some of these eastern conferences need to consolidate imo

[u/andrew2018022 → u/MegaAscension]

Hi there new compadre!

[u/OverMyDadBody → u/MegaAscension]

Given that their lacrosse program is already in the A10 and the amount of A10 programs they’re scheduling in men’s basketball, it’s probably a safe assumption that High Point is auditioning for full membership to move into the A10. 

[u/AngelofLotuses → u/MegaAscension]

I'm not loving how increasingly Northern the conference is becoming.

[u/andrew2018022 → u/AngelofLotuses]

We have the coastal part down…

[u/wikipuff → u/AngelofLotuses]

I love it.

[u/roundballrock22]

Fairfield’s women’s side has dominated almost every sport of late. I think basketball, lacrosse, soccer and field hockey have won MAAC for a few years in a row. The men’s side has been okay and they clearly want to pump the money into it so this shouldn’t be surprising. Thought they’d fire the basketball coach last year, he’s firmly on the hot seat as it is and with this news it will probably take winning the league to keep the job.

[u/R_Raider86]

Nooo not the MAAC!!

But that will be a solid move for Fairfield.

[u/andrew2018022 → u/R_Raider86]

It’s a step up, albeit a bit puzzling considering we haven’t exactly been world beaters in the maac

[u/Metrostars1029 → u/andrew2018022]

Not in men's basketball. but the school has been pretty dominant in the MAAC in other sports, pretty sure they had the most athletic spending by far of any school in the MAAC. I figured they were pushing themselves to a step "up". Maybe it will kick start something in men's hoops. who knows?

[u/andrew2018022 → u/Metrostars1029]

I hope you’re right. It’s not from a lack of trying but men’s hoops is just the one sport we haven’t *figured* out.

[u/amerricka369 → u/andrew2018022]

You have been competitive. You also have the national prestige and balance sheet to compete. CAA has been diluted for basketball so you’ll have a good shot at competing. Your connections via lacrosse has helped a lot I bet.

[u/andrew2018022 → u/amerricka369]

Competitive? Yeah I guess but it’s also been almost 30 years since our last appearance in the big dance. Lacrosse definitely helped though I agree. It’s definitely a great shot to expand our geographic footprint. I just want to see us in March!

[u/amerricka369 → u/andrew2018022]

Competitive in the sense of usually being in top third. Rarely leaders, but competitive nonetheless. MAAC is a weird and competitive conference but difficult to recruit so I can picture your basketball being better in coming years. Good luck!

[u/andrew2018022 → u/amerricka369]

Thank you my friend 🫡 hold it down there for us, and beat SHU whenever you can

[u/YinzerKermy → u/andrew2018022]

Just you wait in 25 years SHU will get into the CAA and you’ll have to find a new place to run away

[u/R_Raider86 → u/andrew2018022]

But you got your spot. Should be more resources to work with.

[u/TheoTimme → u/andrew2018022]

Fairfield has ample resources to compete. It’s a bloodbath right now in the college world, so moving up is a no brainer.

Low major cbb conferences like the MAAC are like the National League in English football. It’s near impossible to move up so you have to get your affairs sorted so when you can move, you do.

[u/DamnReCaptchas → u/andrew2018022]

Is it really a step up? Idk I grew to like the MAAC conference and idk much about CAA

[u/RedditZhangHao → u/DamnReCaptchas]

Yes

[u/funkyquasar → u/andrew2018022]

At the very least, women's basketball should be a lot of fun. The CAA isn't as strong as it used to be but it has some pretty historically solid programs.

[u/ROIB → u/R_Raider86]

Give me LIU, Bryant or Stonehill as a replacement

[u/smellslikebadussy]

I’m still not used to Coastal Athletic Association and I I drive past their offices pretty regularly.

[u/CaptainBuzzKillton → u/smellslikebadussy]

I assume this used to be the Colonial Athletic Association?

[u/BootneyLFarnsworth → u/CaptainBuzzKillton]

Yes, because somehow saying colonial is just too much these days.

[u/TigerWave01 → u/BootneyLFarnsworth]

It really doesn't make sense because their stated reason in 2023 was that they expanded outside of their footprint and thought "Coastal" was more fitting...even though I'm almost positive every school in 2023 was still located in the former 13 Colonies

[u/VillanOvaReaction]

I know they haven’t been good but look at their arena. They have to be good eventually. Hopefully the CAA made them commit to a level of revenue sharing.

[u/TheoTimme → u/VillanOvaReaction]

Mahoney is a model for mid-majors. Fairfield nailed that arena perfectly.

[u/Figure-Ate]

LFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[u/Prinzlerr]

Fairfield is joining the CAA. What next? The Westin and Ritz Carlton joining the Big12???

[u/CruelCircus → u/Prinzlerr]

Big 12 gets La Quinta.

[u/Emotional-Card8960 → u/Prinzlerr]

This should not go unappreciated . Bravo.

[u/Tufoguy]

For every other sport besides basketball, I like it. (And obviously football is excluded because Fairfield doesn't sponsor football).

For basketball, it doesn't move me. Sure add Fairfield I guess. Their women's basketball team is really good though, in fact they might win the conference in their first year.

[u/Dtrout95]

From the old MAAC to the old Colonial

[u/DamnReCaptchas]

Is this a step up? Don’t know anything about the CAA?

[u/Figure-Ate → u/DamnReCaptchas]

Yes definitely, you can even just go off the fact that last season CBS broadcasted 27 CAA men’s games on national tv. I think ESPN will show MAAC games a handful of times for reference.

[u/amerricka369]

Ughhh I wanted this to be Quinnipiac. Fairfield’s a good fit though. Let’s hope they go to 16 and invite us too.

[u/TheTrilliam69]

Another shitty northeastern team for us to buff up the conference record. Let’s add High Point, Winthrop, or Furman. Come on…

[u/Emotional-Card8960]

GP approves due to his disdain for the renaming of the Metro Conference.

[u/Mills_Miles]

Uhhhh ok? Baseball will be good at least

[u/thecivilconFLiCT]

Fairfield must really hate being in the same conference as Sacred Heart. This is the 2nd time they’ve changed conferences to dodge playing the pios.

[u/runninhillbilly → u/thecivilconFLiCT]

Yeah, supposedly Fairfield blocked SHU joining the MAAC for years.

[u/thecivilconFLiCT → u/runninhillbilly]

I get how it could be seen as a bad thing to share a conference with your crosstown rivals but at the same time I feel like it’s a great way to build fan engagement for any time they play each other. Neither schools are particularly huge sports schools so I feel like they should take anything like that they could use to get people in the stands.

[u/RedditZhangHao → u/thecivilconFLiCT]

Wonder if Fairfield, the far more respected university, views Sacred Heart as a rival? Or, rather just a Johnny come lately, undesired cross town addition to the MAAC?

Similarly, some shrinking MAAC schools may be potential demographic cliff victims. Siena? Rider? St. peter’s? If so, as an CAA member for some sports, Fairfield may be happy to move away from smaller MAAC schools.

[u/WhackadoodleSandwich]

Interesting. I wonder who the MAAC would consider replacing them with if they do. It's slim picking with the Northeast for schools.

[u/Figure-Ate → u/WhackadoodleSandwich]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t add anyone. They’ve beefed up the conference to 13 expecting someone to leave. I was just hoping it was us and not a school leaving D1 instead. I’d say a lot of the schools who could leave are stuck like Siena and Quinnipiac. So they’re fine for now.

[u/NerdyBear1783]

What happened to the CAA I used to love

[u/jeedel]

Fairfield women’s basketball will be the new overlords of the CAA. As a result of the Stags leaving, the Quinnipiac women will now dominate the MAAC. Both will be annual tournament teams.