All of the NEC schools last season were FBS counters.

In fact, excepting the Ivies, every Northeast FCS school except Georgetown had an FBS team on a future schedule... even Marist, although its 2025 meeting at Army is now a casualty of West Point's affiliation with the AAC.

https://goredfoxes.com/news/2021/3/30/ma...-2025.aspx

The NE10 is already one of the worst D2 football conferences so losing New Haven would probably kill it. Glad to see they are staying for now.

I’m only familiar with this place because of their talent show that launched one of the great one hit Oneders of the 60s.

(04-04-2024 10:31 PM)darkdragon99 Wrote:  The NE10 is already one of the worst D2 football conferences so losing New Haven would probably kill it. Glad to see they are staying for now.

Granted I'm not a football expert but aren't Utica pretty decent in D3 currently? They will be in the NE10 once they have secured a conference for D1 hockey.

The NEC, namely LIU and Stonehill, should beg Mercyhurst to leave Atlantic Hockey for NEC Hockey with Lindenwood, Alaska, and Alaska-Fairbanks as affiliates. Maybe the Alaska schools agree to some travel money for the Lakers for facilitating an autobid.

(04-04-2024 10:31 PM)darkdragon99 Wrote:  The NE10 is already one of the worst D2 football conferences so losing New Haven would probably kill it. Glad to see they are staying for now.

There's going to have to be some consolidation at the D2 level if conferences get too small from losing teams to the FCS.

(04-05-2024 02:00 PM)Mid-Major Hoops Enthusiast Wrote:  

(04-04-2024 10:31 PM)darkdragon99 Wrote:  The NE10 is already one of the worst D2 football conferences so losing New Haven would probably kill it. Glad to see they are staying for now.

Granted I'm not a football expert but aren't Utica pretty decent in D3 currently? They will be in the NE10 once they have secured a conference for D1 hockey.

I heard rumors of Utica joining the NE10 for football. Right now they have 9 football schools. Utica would be the 10th school assuming nobody else leaves.

Assumption
New Haven
Bentley
Pace
St. Anslem
So. CT
Franklin Pierce
American Int'l
Post U.

Lets look at Merrimack. I would not say their football is bad, just that they are competitive in their conference. But, their men's basketball have done well in D1.

(04-05-2024 02:00 PM)Mid-Major Hoops Enthusiast Wrote:  

(04-04-2024 10:31 PM)darkdragon99 Wrote:  The NE10 is already one of the worst D2 football conferences so losing New Haven would probably kill it. Glad to see they are staying for now.

Granted I'm not a football expert but aren't Utica pretty decent in D3 currently? They will be in the NE10 once they have secured a conference for D1 hockey.

2nd/3rd in E8 the last few years behind Cortland and Brockport.

Will Gannon make a similar move eventually?

(04-04-2024 06:15 AM)fsquid Wrote:  

(04-04-2024 01:08 AM)Todor Wrote:  

(04-04-2024 12:09 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(04-03-2024 11:50 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Not a very big school. Sponsors lots of sports right now.

They have several high end D2 teams though. They'll settle in fine.

What are their stronger programs historically? I know very little about them, but I’d guess wrestling is strong being in PA.

Rowing and Lacrosse

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Women's Bowling. Lots of local talent. Won the ECC the last 2 years. Had a guy I used to bowl junior tour with's daughter go there.

(04-07-2024 02:05 AM)whittx Wrote:  Will Gannon make a similar move eventually?

Hard to say. I'm not sure if Erie could support two D1 programs, and Gannon doesn't have ice hockey to lean on. But at this point, if they just decide they want to be D1, seems like they have a spot in the NEC.

My gut feeling is that they will wait and see if Mercyhurst can have any success, while still working on upgrading their own programs. If we start seeing news of them upgrading their facilities, that'll be the smoking gun.

(04-04-2024 02:52 PM)zibby Wrote:  

(04-04-2024 10:58 AM)Mid-Major Hoops Enthusiast Wrote:  Big welcome to D1 for Mercyhurst! Nice to have another Irish mascot as well.

Mercyhurst is the Lakers. It was founded by a religious order from Ireland but no, they're the Lakers because they're right by Lake Erie.

Oswego State University are the Lakers too. Bigger school too.

(04-05-2024 11:00 PM)darkdragon99 Wrote:  

(04-05-2024 02:00 PM)Mid-Major Hoops Enthusiast Wrote:  

(04-04-2024 10:31 PM)darkdragon99 Wrote:  The NE10 is already one of the worst D2 football conferences so losing New Haven would probably kill it. Glad to see they are staying for now.

Granted I'm not a football expert but aren't Utica pretty decent in D3 currently? They will be in the NE10 once they have secured a conference for D1 hockey.

I heard rumors of Utica joining the NE10 for football. Right now they have 9 football schools. Utica would be the 10th school assuming nobody else leaves.

Assumption
New Haven
Bentley
Pace
St. Anslem
So. CT
Franklin Pierce
American Int'l
Post U.

Utica was D1 in Hoops back in the 80s when they were a sub campus of Syracuse.