Move to new conference benefits Mount St. Mary's off the field
Some observers might think that Mount St. Mary’s decision to leave the friendly confines of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the newly-formed Northeast Conference was a risky move.
But by joining Bryant, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart and Wagner, the Mountaineers earned increased funding for the program.
Coach Tom Gravante said until last year, he had four full scholarships with which to divide and offer to recruits. Now, he has nine scholarships and, for the first time, a full-time assistant coach in Travis Johnson.
Gravante said the additional scholarships allow him to compete with larger Division I competitors for recruits.
“Up until last year, I had four full scholarships. So I couldn’t offer the packages that some of these other guys could offer,” Gravante said, adding that he is communicating with high school juniors for the first time. “…That, coupled with the opportunity of being able to get into the game faster by offering the kids more enticing packages, you can play faster in the recruiting game. … It just picks up the recruiting pace for us and puts us in the game with a lot of the other schools. That is what’s going to keep us strong.”
Comments
There's going to come a time in the future when the three Baltimore-area Division I schools without an intercollegiate football program - Loyola, UMBC and Mount St. Mary's - are going to have to form a new conference based on soccer & lacrosse. Please remember that Loyola & Mount St. Mary's are actually historical rivals despite being in different conferences. Here's a modest proposal:
Loyola
UMBC
Mount St. Mary's
Fairfield (CT)
Binghamton (NY)
Canisius (NY)
Hofstra (NY)
Drexel (PA)
Vermont
Johns Hopkins can be the tenth member for men's & women's lacrosse. This new conference would be similar to the Patriot League. Think about it!
Posted by: Attila the Hon | February 14, 2011 9:48 PM
Attila, do you think the CAA would allow Drexel and Hofstra to leave? I'm pretty sure Delaware and Towson would not stand for that. It would be even more ackward on the women's side because even more CAA schools field women's teams. I think your plan is a non-starter.
Posted by: eddiemac | February 15, 2011 12:40 PM