Conf News.

[billymac]

“I’m more about looking at what the realities are and how do we move forward? We’re not going to change. We’re going to be who we are.” Terry Driscoll W&M AD

Why does this quote not make me feel very good???

[mrjoolius]

It let's me know that we won't have to worry about a big 10 school luring away our AD.

[LeadBolt]

“I’m more about looking at what the realities are and how do we move forward? We’re not going to change. We’re going to be who we are.” Terry Driscoll W&M AD

Why does this quote not make me feel very good???

Hmmm.... Is the emphasis on "Moving forward" or on "We're not going to change"?

The former implies improvement and gives me comfort. The later implies stagnation in a dynamic situation and implies being passed by.

After reflection, I would have to say that I share your concerns...

[Sitting Bull]

“I’m more about looking at what the realities are and how do we move forward? We’re not going to change. We’re going to be who we are.” Terry Driscoll W&M AD

Why does this quote not make me feel very good???

Maybe I'm reading this differently though I don't see this as negative. I take it as a statement - an admittance - that we are a very distinctive university with a long/rich tradition that is not going to prostitute itself. We will not bend the school's standards or change the style of athlete and program we have been running for years.

I understand that from time-to-time, people on here get very frustrated with a particular team or season. One thing I think we all have in common and value is the pride in our student athletes and the very high marks (and position) we receive within the world of college athletics.

I for one don't want that to change and I think that was his reference.

[TribeInTheBurg]

That is a solid source....heh

I also heard from equally reliable sources that Dayton and St. Bonaventure are joining the CAA on May 2nd. Dayton for all sports, St. Bonny for everything except women's diving.

[WM Beancounter]

I also heard from equally reliable sources that Dayton and St. Bonaventure are joining the CAA on May 2nd. Dayton for all sports, St. Bonny for everything except women's diving.

Dammit, everyone knows that women's diving is what drives the revenue in the CAA. We really could have used St. Bonny's program.

[Tribe14SF]

Maybe I'm reading this differently though I don't see this as negative. I take it as a statement - an admittance - that we are a very distinctive university with a long/rich tradition that is not going to prostitute itself. We will not bend the school's standards or change the style of athlete and program we have been running for years.

I understand that from time-to-time, people on here get very frustrated with a particular team or season. One thing I think we all have in common and value is the pride in our student athletes and the very high marks (and position) we receive within the world of college athletics.

I for one don't want that to change and I think that was his reference.

I don't want to see us change the academic strength of our student-athletes either, and maybe that's what was being said, but there was little positive, or forward looking in those quotes. Addition of a few words such as..."competing at the highest level possible"..."winning championships"..."growing our fanbase"...would have made the message much better. Perish the thought that we are already discussing options, and future alliance with conference mates, and other institutions. The quotes made it sound like we're not talking to anyone, and are simply waiting to see what happens. We should be a leader in determining future CAA setup, or posing with strength to attract other options. The fact that only the Patriot League was mentioned as a possible future alternative was distressing. If the AD wants us to remain an "outlier", then that will work just fine. The SoCon is a much better option.

[tribe_pride 2]

The biggest issue I have with the Southern Conference is that it doesn't fit in with the demographics of the student body. Students are 65% (give or take I believe) from VA and then a lot of the rest are from the Northeast. Not sure of the numbers, but it seemed to me that a very tiny percentage are from south of Virginia (where the Southern Conference schools are). I have to figure that it helps recruiting that we are in the CAA and go against teams that are in the areas where our student body primarily resides.

Don't get me wrong, Patriot has its issues too just different ones.

[WMTribe90]

I don't want to see us change the academic strength of our student-athletes either, and maybe that's what was being said, but there was little positive, or forward looking in those quotes. Addition of a few words such as..."competing at the highest level possible"..."winning championships"..."growing our fanbase"...would have made the message much better. Perish the thought that we are already discussing options, and future alliance with conference mates, and other institutions. The quotes made it sound like we're not talking to anyone, and are simply waiting to see what happens. We should be a leader in determining future CAA setup, or posing with strength to attract other options. The fact that only the Patriot League was mentioned as a possible future alternative was distressing. If the AD wants us to remain an "outlier", then that will work just fine. The SoCon is a much better option.

Agree with this. The reality is that WM doesn't hold many cards when it come to conference realignment and we are at the mercy (to a large extent) of decisions by conference mates that we have no control over. That said, Driscoll's comments were devoid of any hint of proactive leadership and gave no hint that we are doing everything/anything that is within our power to bring about the best possible outcome. We all want WM to maintain the emphaisis on developing and graduating student athletes. The other side of that coin is competing at the highest possible level while maintaining that focus. I'm not ready to concede that WM has to move to the PL to continue this tradition. Unfortunately, Driscoll sounded a little too willing to make the safe/easy choice. He should be vocally advoacting for the preservation of the CAA and identifying schools he would like to see added in the event there are additional defections. His tone was flat and defeatist.

[Tribe14SF]

The biggest issue I have with the Southern Conference is that it doesn't fit in with the demographics of the student body. Students are 65% (give or take I believe) from VA and then a lot of the rest are from the Northeast. Not sure of the numbers, but it seemed to me that a very tiny percentage are from south of Virginia (where the Southern Conference schools are). I have to figure that it helps recruiting that we are in the CAA and go against teams that are in the areas where our student body primarily resides.

Don't get me wrong, Patriot has its issues too just different ones.

You state the obvious that 65% of our students come from Virginia, but then claim we should affiliate with Northern schools since that's where our students primarily reside. Id have to see the numbers, but our out-of-state students come from 48 other states. We out-recruit Patriot teams in the Northeast currently, and I don't see that changing because we might be in the SoCon. Our primary recruiting base has always been VA, MD, PA and NJ, and that was true when we were in the SoCon previously.

All of this is probably moot, as I don't see the CAA disappearing. If we were to lose JMU and ODU my guess is that W&M, Richmond, Towson, Delaware, Villanova, Maine and UNH will hang together for CAA football, and that at least one new school comes in. If George Mason and VCU move, I think we find at least two replacements for all sports. Whether the league will be as strong as it has been is debatable, but it still is a good fit for us, and much preferable to the Patriot.