Conference realignment shuffle lands on MAAC’s doorstep
Ensor: League 'actively involved' as Monmouth heads for CAA
The realignment shuffle has landed on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s doorstep once again.
The MAAC is preparing for Monmouth to depart for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) after a nine-year spell as a league member.
Commissioner Rich Ensor said Tuesday morning on a call with reporters that he wasn’t aware of what “is or isn’t happening there,” in reference to Monmouth, but the Asbury Park Press reported that the West Long Branch school has accepted the CAA’s offer.
Ensor, however, admitted this latest round of realignment, which kicked off when Oklahoma and Texas forced their way from the Big 12 to the SEC, was eventually going to reach his conference’s door.
“We’re not immune from the realignment that is occurring nationwide,” the longtime commissioner said. “I read an article last week that said 15 of the 32 conferences have had realignment since the whole SEC expansion with the Big 12 schools occurred. It’s a rolling down effect and I suspect at some point we’ll look at it.”
The MAAC has had 11 full-time members since Monmouth and Quinnipiac joined from the NEC before the start of the 2013-14 school year. Loyola (Md.) departed for the Patriot League during that round of realignment.
Ensor said the MAAC would ideally like to be at 12 schools, since scheduling is easier with an even number of teams. The league talked with Robert Morris about becoming the 12th member before the Western Pennsylvania-based school ended up in the Horizon League.
“The MAAC has been committed to expansion to 12 for some time,” Ensor said. “We’re actively involved in that process.”
When asked what the conference’s preferred number of schools is, Ensor said the league must be vigilant of the NCAA regulation that requires at least seven members that have been Division I in your league for five consecutive years.
“You always want to be above the number,” Ensor said. “That’s why we went to nine and then 10 and now 11. I think bigger is better at this point because of all the movement in leagues. I personally think 12 is the number, but it ultimately is going to be up to the presidents and we have to find schools that fit our profile about commitment to basketball and academics being in the forefront.”
The Richmond-based CAA is losing James Madison, its flagship football program, to the Sun Belt, but is also reportedly picking up Hampton from the Big South and Stony Brook from the America East. Stony Brook is already an associate member of the CAA in football, while the additions of Monmouth and Hampton give that league 13 football members and 12 for men’s and women’s basketball.
If the MAAC presidents do agree on replacing Monmouth, they could once again look to the NEC. Both Monmouth and Quinnipiac moved from the NEC to the MAAC and there are a handful of schools in that league that fit the MAAC profile.
“It’s not something that just happens quickly, but we’ve been on top of it now for three years,” Ensor said. “It’s an ongoing process and it’s safe to say we’ve been paying attention to the developments in the country and have prepared to move forward depending on what happens
in the near future.”
Conference Basketball Tournament
Ensor reiterated his stance that the chance of the men’s and women’s basketball tournament remaining in Atlantic City beyond this year is 50/50.
“I think it’s 50/50 still,” Ensor said. “We’ve given them a little bit more time to get organized given the change of leadership in the (Casino Re-Development Authority) and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
The MAAC and Atlantic City are in the final year of a three-year
deal to host the tournament at the historic Jim Whelen Boardwalk Hall. The first two seasons were greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, although Ensor anticipates this year’s event — scheduled for March 8-12 — to operate as close to normal as possible with fans in attendance.
Ensor said that if a new agreement can’t be reached with Atlantic City, the league will open up bidding. He suggested UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., and newly-named but old flame MVP Arena in Albany as possible destinations.
“It will definitely be in a basketball arena,” Ensor quipped. “We won’t play it outdoors.”