By NCAA rules, there is one automatic qualifier to the FCS playoffs from the Colonial Athletic Association. By CAA rules, there is flexibility for multiple champions. The University of Richmond and visiting William and Mary meet in what amounts to a CAA championship game Saturday at noon. Later that day, Delaware-at-Villanova could yield a second champion. UR, W&M and VU are 6-1 in the CAA, 9-1 overall.

Hope springs eternal at the start of the college basketball season, and nowhere is hope springing more eternal or with greater expectations than the Colonial Athletic Association. The CAA is loaded. Old Dominion returns all its starters, led by potential player of the year Gerald Lee. Northeastern, VCU and James Madison each return four starters.

*-Following this season, construction will begin that is planned to eventually increase capacity of stadium to 25,000.
**-Opening next season
  Note: Old Dominion begins CAA football competition in 2011. The Monarchs play at Foreman Field (cap. 19,782).

Viewers who stuck with Comcast SportsNet’s television coverage of the University of Richmond’s football game with Villanova until the end Saturday heard profanity and a crack about Spiders kicker Andrew Howard. With 5 seconds left in Villanova’s 21-20 win, Howard missed a 35-yard field goal attempt. As announcers Bob Picozzi and Scott Brunner described and recapped the play, the voice of a production assistant could clearly be heard.

Delaware (four games), 21,356
James Madison (three), 16,029
Massachusetts (four), 13,642
William and Mary (two), 10,903
New Hampshire (three), 9,804
Villanova (three), 9,382
Richmond (two), 7,533
Towson (three), 7,227
Maine (three), 5,358
Hofstra (three), 5,121
Rhode Island (three), 3,734
Northeastern (four), 1,660

“We have a new cafeteria that is the most incredible eating facility you’ve ever seen on a college campus,“ Larranaga said. “You walk in, pay one price and there’s a salad bar, a fruit bar, a hamburger and hot dog grill, a pizza place, wraps. It’s got a cappuccino machine. “My wife and I went there for Sunday brunch, and they not only serve omelets, they make them right there.“

The Colonial Athletic Association put two teams in the NCAA basketball tournament in 1986, 2006 and ‘07. George Mason coach Jim Larranaga believes this could be the year the conference tops those high-water marks. “This has the potential of being the best year in league history—and similar to the Missouri Valley’s run in 2005-06,“ Larranaga said at yesterday’s media day. “In that year, everybody talked about how deep that league was, and they got four teams in the tournament. I think the CAA coaches and players are feeling that this is our year to do the same thing.“

Delaware basketball coach Monte Ross wanted to pass along a message to Virginia Commonwealth forward Larry Sanders. “Make sure you tell him that I picked him [for preseason Colonial Athletic Association player of the year],“ Ross said with a laugh. Sanders is a potential first-round NBA draft pick after this season. Ross wanted to make sure he didn’t provide the 6-11 junior with perceived ammunition after co-player-of-the-year honors went to Old Dominion senior forward Gerald Lee and Hofstra junior guard Charles Jenkins at yesterday’s CAA media gathering.

No team with fewer than eight wins made the 16-team Football Championship Subdivision playoffs last year. That may leave James Madison in a precarious situation this year. The 16th-ranked Dukes are 0-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association, 2-3 overall. They have six games left, starting with No. 6 Villanova (2-1, 5-1) today at 3:30 p.m. in Harrisonburg.

CAA 25TH ANNIVERSARY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM PlayerSchoolYears playedNoteworthy
Meredith AlexisJames Madison2004-07Holds CAA record for career rebounds (1,313)
Mery AndradeOld Dominion1996-99CAA co-player of the year in 1999
Kristine AustgulenVCU2000-03Only VCU women’s player to have jersey retired
Sydney BeasleyJames Madison1987-1988Maryland transfer was two-time CAA player of year

The most fiercely combative player in Virginia Commonwealth University women’s basketball history, VCU’s lone WNBA first-round draft choice and the player who led the University of Richmond to its first NCAA tournament appearance have one thing in common today. All have been certified sterling by the Colonial Athletic Association. VCU standouts Kristine Austgulen and Quanitra Hollingsworth and Spiders icon Pam Bryant Jordan were among 25 players named yesterday by the CAA to its 25th anniversary women’s basketball team.

The first rule of any game is “Don’t beat yourself.“ The William and Mary Tribe football team no doubt was thinking about that rule on the long drive home to Wil liamsburg last night. The Tribe was caught looking on Villanova’s first play from scrimmage yesterday and trailed 7-0 when the game was just 19 seconds old. From there, things went downhill for the Tribe in a 28-17 loss.

Why face a Colonial Athletic Association team when less threatening competition from another Football Championship Subdivision league is available? That may be the thought process of some coaches and administrators from Football Bowl Subdivision schools when they formulate future schedules. The University of Richmond won at Duke, and William and Mary won at Virginia last weekend, giving the CAA two wins over the ACC. Last Thursday, CAA member Villanova topped Temple.

The University of Richmond yesterday ascended to No. 1 in the Football Championship Subdivision poll. Spiders supporters hope this top ranking lasts longer than the previous one. Last September, UR rose to No. 1, then fell 26-20 at Villanova five days later. Richmond slipped to No. 6 in the poll and finished the regular season ranked No. 7. The Spiders returned to No. 1 in the final poll after beating Montana in the FCS title game.

James Madison quarterback Justin Thorpe (right) congratulates Rodney Landers. Thorpe, a Varina grad, is in a battle with Drew Dudzik to replace Landers, who was first-team all-CAA last year with the Dukes. Aquarterback competition is a standard sight on a college campus in spring. But it’s a little unusual to see it spill into mid-September on a visiting team’s field.