Butler to join A-10 in 2013-2014

[Rudi]

This is huge news for the A10. Now if they can somehow manage to land George Mason and VCU, the A10 instantly becomes an annual 3-4 bid team for March Madness. Lets get it done A10!

SOURCE

INDIANAPOLIS -- Butler is leaving the Horizon League for the Atlantic 10.

The Bulldogs will join the A-10 in all sports July 1, 2013, and begin competition in the 2013-14 season.

"The Presidents of the A-10 member schools could not be more enthusiastic about adding Butler University to our conference," Michael J. Graham, Xavier president and chairman of the Atlantic 10 Council of Presidents said in a statement.

Horizon League commissioner Jon LeCrone said Wednesday that he had been informed by Butler that the school is leaving for another conference, but did not specify which one.

The Atlantic 10 was looking to replace Temple, which will join the Big East in all sports other than football in 2013-14. The football team will begin playing football in the Big East this fall.

[ralaw]

VCU joining Atlantic 10 in 2013

VCU is leaving the Colonial Athletic Association and will join the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2013, industry sources told CBSSports.com.

VCU is the second new addition to the Atlantic 10, joining Butler, which is leaving the Horizon League for the A-10.

An official announcement of VCU's move will be made this week, sources said.

CBSSports.com reported two months ago that Virginia Commonwealth, George Mason and Butler were in discussions with the Atlantic 10.

On Friday, George Mason, which along with VCU and Butler had discussions with the Atlantic 10, announced it was staying in the CAA. However, sources told CBSSports.com at the present time the Atlantic 10 was looking to add only one more school and VCU got the nod over Mason.

The addition of VCU and Butler offset the losses of Temple to the Big East and Charlotte to Conference USA.

The addition of VCU and Butler is huge for the A-10. VCU went to the 2011 Final Four and Butler went to consecutive Final Fours in 2010 and 2011.

One reason VCU was interested in a move to the Atlantic 10 is the CAA is considered a “one-bid” league. Most seasons if the Rams don't win their conference tournament, they usually don't earn an NCAA tournament at-large berth. However, the A-10 has received multiple NCAA bids for five consecutive seasons.

Since 2000, the Colonial Athletic Association has received only four NCAA tournament at-large bids. By comparison, the Atlantic 10 had three at-large NCAA bids just this season and has had 20 NCAA at-large bids since 2000.

Since 2006 – even with George Mason and VCU reaching two Final Fours – the CAA only accrued 24 NCAA tournament units (awarded for every round advanced in the NCAA), compared to 36 for the Atlantic 10. Each unit is worth about $250,000.

VCU's departure is the latest defection from the Colonial Athletic Association. CAA Football member UMass left last season for the MAC and Georgia State announced it's heading to the Sun Belt.

Old Dominion also may be leaving. The school is considering a move to Conference USA and is expected to announce its decision by June 30.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/19042989/vcu-joining-atlantic-10-in-2013

[Warner2BruceTD]

CAA was a good league with VCU, ODU, George Mason, Hofstra, etc.

Didnt Richmond originally leave the CAA for the A10 many years ago?

[ralaw]

CAA was a good league with VCU, ODU, George Mason, Hofstra, etc.

Didnt Richmond originally leave the CAA for the A10 many years ago?

Yes, several years ago. Considering where I live I follow and I actually go to alot of CAA games. Losing VCU is going to hurt the league tremendously. I suspect ODU will probably leave and George Mason will eventually have to. Much like the Big East another basketball conference of my youth will no longer be. Shameful. Once ODU leaves I'll have to shift my conference alligences to the Atlantic 10, as it appears the A10 will be a very good basketball conference.

[Rudi]

I seen George Mason declined, but getting VCU is even better...The A10 is going to be a powerhouse conference in a few years.

[ralaw]

Old Dominion Leaving CAA for Conference USA



Old Dominion is leaving the Colonial Athletic Association and joining Conference USA.

The move will be effective July 1, 2013, school President John R. Broderick said in a release Thursday. The Monarchs, who restarted their football program only three seasons ago, will play at the Bowl Subdivision level after one more year in the Championship Subdivision.

The school has scheduled a 2:30 p.m. press conference.

The Monarchs become the second school to leave the CAA this week. VCU announced Tuesday that it is heading to the Atlantic 10 in July, 2012, and the league faces the likelihood of having UNC Wilmington and Towson banned from postseason play in men's basketball next season for shortcomings in meeting the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate. Those penalties will be announced late next month.

Leaving the CAA will be costly for Old Dominion, which will have to pay a $250,000 exit fee and add football scholarships, but Monarchs boosters have already pledged $3 million in private support to help meet those expenses, Broderick said.

The move also will be made without an increase in student fees, he said, which was among the factors he viewed as critical while the school studied the impact the change would make.

"While the university was not actively seeking a change, recent events necessitated an earlier consideration of our future, and in particular, for our football program," Broderick said in the release. "C-USA's invitation provided the right opportunity at the right time to reclassify our football program and broaden the national footprint of our athletic program."

That footprint, indeed, gets larger, as will ODU's travel budget.

Conference USA members include East Carolina, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, Florida International, Marshall, and UNC-Charlotte in the east, and Rice, Tulsa, North Texas, Southern Mississippi, Alabama at Birmingham, Texas at El Paso, and Texas at San Antonio further west.

CAA bylaws do not currently allow a team to participate in league tournaments after it has announced its intention to leave, but Commissioner Tom Yeager said following VCU's announcement on Tuesday that the matter could be reconsidered by league schools.

It was not immediately clear whether the CAA will allow the Monarchs to contend next season, and Yeager did not immediately return a phone message left Thursday morning.

Details of ODU's move are not yet finalized, Broderick said, including finding homes for athletic programs that Old Dominion competes in that are not offered by their new league.

[Warner2BruceTD]

RIP, CAA

fuck you, football