CAA Football Commissioner Tom Yeager today will attend an FCS summit in Frisco, Texas, site of this evening's national-championship game. Before rooting for CAA member Delaware to beat Eastern Washington for the title, Yeager hopes to gain insight that will help him chart his league's course.
Senior leadership of the NCAA, ESPN representatives, athletic directors from many FCS schools and conference commissioners of FCS leagues will be involved in the summit.
"It's a much more organized and formal kind of discussion than we've had in a long time," said Yeager, whose league office is located in Richmond, and whose football roster includes the University of Richmond, William and Mary and James Madison. "It's worthwhile to have it now with so much conference shuffling going on nationally, and, obviously, locally for us."
CAA Football may lose Villanova, which has received an invitation from the Big East Conference, to which Villanova belongs for other sports. Also, CAA Football member Massachusetts is exploring a move to the Mid-American Conference. Rhode Island, another member, will shift in 2013 to the Northeast Conference.
In terms of CAA Football's composition, "A lot is going to hinge on what ultimately the decisions are at Villanova and UMass," Yeager said. The outcome could influence New Hampshire and Maine to leave the league.
"Their costs of operation increase when you replace conference games that were previously bus trips, with airplane trips," said Yeager. CAA Football lost Northeastern and Hofstra following the 2009 season. Those schools discontinued football.
In 2013, Charlotte will start playing football games, with an FCS schedule. The Niners began their formal search for a coach this week. Charlotte Athletic Director Judy Rose said yesterday, "We are researching and evaluating future football conference affiliations and are open for discussions with interested parties."
Yeager said of the Niners and their possible affiliation with CAA Football, "we'll see how it plays out." Charlotte eventually wants to be FBS.
"The most important issue before fit, is, 'What is their commitment to FCS football?' " said UR Athletic Director Jim Miller. "We'd be supportive of them as much as we could because they are fellow [Atlantic 10 Conference] members. We would try to make it work, if it was in the best interest of FCS football.
"Many schools would [view] it that they were just passing through [on the way to FBS]. If there would be a long-term commitment, minimum five-year commitment, then I think some schools might be interested in looking at them."
Old Dominion joins CAA Football next season, and Georgia State comes aboard in 2012. CAA Football would like to have at least nine members, assuring an annual eight-game league obligation, with a four-and-four breakdown of home and road games.
NOTE: The FCS playoff field expanded from 16 to 20 teams this season, and 24 is a possibility. That will be among the topics discussed today at the summit.
"I don't think that's in the cards as of yet, because of budget concerns from the NCAA," Yeager said. He favors playoff expansion. "We have roughly the same number of schools that the FBS does. We have 20 [postseason] opportunities. They have 70 with the bowl games," Yeager said.
joconnor@timesdispatch.com
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