So, it’s over.
Done. Final. Kaput.
A year after the Colonial Athletic Association’s first contact with Northeastern Director of Athletics Dave O’Brien, and after even longer speculation, NU officially accepted a spot in the mid-major conference in June.
“When President Freeland took office seven years ago, he called for giant steps in academe,” said Sports Information Director Jack Grinold at the June 23 press conference in the Varsity Club of Matthews Arena. “They have been and are being taken. When Dave O’Brien became Athletic Director 20 months ago, he called for giant steps in athletics.
“Today, Northeastern takes one.”
While this may be true, the conference jump is not without intrigue.
What this means:
* Rise in competition
Or, “what if we suck and lose,” as Northeastern News staffer Jen Nelson said.
The move to the CAA is undoubtedly a step up in competition. While the America East basketball conference was ranked 26 out of the 32 Division I men’s basketball conferences, the CAA was slotted 15. For women’s basketball, the story is much the same. The CAA ended the year ranked ninth, while AE was 16.
In addition, of the 21 all-time NCAA field hockey champions, 11 have come from the Colonial. The conference is also highly ranked in men’s and women’s soccer.
“Situated in the middle of the ACC, Atlantic 10 and Big East territory, the CAA hasn’t gotten anywhere near the respect it deserves on a national level,” wrote Matt Drake of collegeinsider.com on March 3, 2004. “One through seven there isn’t a league in America as strong.”
At the same time, Northeastern has clearly outgrown its home in the AE. The swim team has hardly been challenged in the last five years, each of which ended with a Northeastern crown. Same goes for the track programs. And baseball, soccer and field hockey.
In the last three years, Northeastern has won more AE championships (17) than any other conference member, despite fielding the fewest teams in league play (14 of 22).
It’s time to move on.
* Football
Currently, the CAA’s membership contains Hofstra University, Drexel University, the University of Delaware, James Madison University, Towson University, George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Old Dominion University, College of William ‘ Mary, Georgia State University and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
Hofstra, Delaware, James Madison, Towson and William ‘ Mary are also members of the Atlantic 10 football conference with Northeastern.
Playing the same teams in every sport, now including football, will breed stronger competition and rivalry.
And we all like rivalry.
The newfound alliance of A-10 football schools could signal future additions to the league as more A-10 football schools congregate for a possible move for a Division I-A conference (the A-10 is Division I-AA).
Problems still persist with this, namely the fact that Northeastern is at this date without a real stadium. In the immediate future, as claims have been made, Northeastern should address that problem.
* Travel
This looms as the largest problem with the switch, as Northeastern will now regularly have to head farther to play conference foes.
With Northeastern struggling monetarily, playing teams largely from Boston and New York, the cost to transport athletes, coaches and equipment as far south as Atlanta will surely tax NU’s funds.
However, the travel might turn out to be a help for Husky sports as well.
Northeastern’s recruiting angle is greatly increased with the expanded territory, O’Brien said.
“Northeastern has increasingly expanded its recruiting arm and admission efforts beyond Massachusetts and New England into the Mid-Atlantic region, so it’s critical that our teams are represented in that part of the country,” he said. “The CAA member schools cover a wide geographic footprint in the East that will expose our teams to thousands more alumni, fans and potential students.”
* Academics
Combining academics and athletics as Grinold did was no mistake, or surprise. The conference switch will also have ramifications on NU’s athletic standing. (Not surprisingly, the first words out of President Freeland’s mouth had something to do with more of that “Top 100” talk).
There are a number of cooperative efforts between CAA schools, which the conference calls its “Academic Alliance.” This includes the Undergraduate Research Conference (where 150 students from member schools will come together), Visiting Academic Status for Athletic Teams (allowing athletes to access libraries, academic resource centers and computer labs from each school), a Study-Abroad Coordination (where the member schools work together to widen possibilities for students to go abroad) and Data Sharing (in which CAA institutions have agreed to work together to improve teaching and academic performance of their schools).
* Television revenue
Despite the additional travel required to reach CAA schools, the revenue benefits from playing teams in big markets should outweigh that issue. Now, instead of competing against teams from Binghamton and Stony Brook, N.Y., the Huskies will hit major East Coast cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
With TV dates, of which the CAA had 50 men’s basketball games in 2004, come dollars. And recognition. And respect.
* NU-BU rivalry
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the move is the loss of a conference rivalry with the hated cross-town Terriers.
NU still promises to schedule non-league games against Boston University, but never again will the teams battle for the hoops crown, or go head-to-head on the track. The regular season will have to do.
Despite this, the conference switch makes perfect sense for Northeastern. And it makes another in a long line of steps towards increasing the school’s athletic standing.
Now, if we can just get those students to care …
— Jack Weiland may be heard every Wednesday on WRBB 104.9 FM’s “Newstime.” He can be reached at [email protected]
