Well, the Elon University athletic department took my advice and officially announced a move to the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2014-15 academic year.
Now that the move is official, what are its implications?
New Opponents
No more Appalachian State University, no more Davidson College. The CAA will provide a new set of opponents for Elon athletics in conference play. The membership model of the CAA is slightly confusing, so follow along.
Full-time Members – These schools play all sports, including football, in the CAA.
- Elon University
- The College of William & Mary
- James Madison University
- Towson University
- University of Delaware
- College of Charleston
- The University of North Carolina at Wilmington
- Drexel University
- Hofstra University
- Northeastern University
- University of Richmond (Atlantic 10 Conference)
- Villanova University (American Athletic Conference)
- Stony Brook University (America East Conference)
- University of Albany (America East Conference)
- University of Rhode Island (Atlantic 10 Conference)
- University of New Hampshire (America East Conference)
- University of Maine (America East Conference)
Television
Yes, I said television. Television was a foreign concept in the Southern Conference, as Elon played only two games on television for all of the 2012-2013 academic year: a football game at the University of North Carolina and a men’s basketball game at Duke University. The Southern Conference did have a TV deal with ESPN3, but it wasn’t much of a player.
The CAA has a TV deal with NBC Sports that encompasses both the national NBC Sports Network and NBC’s regional Comcast SportsNet properties. William & Mary, a similar institution in size and athletic prowess, had sixteen televised games between football and men’s and women’s basketball this past year. A large majority of those games were conference tilts.
Imagine Rhodes Stadium and Alumni Gym on national television on NBC Sports Network. It can, and will, happen – Philadelphia Flyers against the New York Rangers from Madison Square Garden one night, Elon versus College of Charleston from Alumni Gym the next. This will undoubtedly increase the profile of Elon to prospective students and the general public.
Travel
The farthest SoCon opponent for the Phoenix is Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., some eight hours away. Two CAA full members, Hofstra and Northeastern, are farther away. Hofstra is nine hours away and Northeastern is twelve hours away from Elon. The motivation for shipping athletes so far away? Again, increasing Elon’s profile. Elon reports that 1,850 current students and 5,300 alumni hail from areas “near CAA schools,” so road support will undoubtedly increase. Besides, if given a choice between Philadelphia and Cullowhee, N.C., where would YOU go? How about Boston and Chattanooga, Tenn.?
Also, since College of Charleston is coming with Elon, the Phoenix will still travel to the beautiful city where the Civil War began. Once more, this category is an upgrade.
Stability
All right, the elephant in the room. How stable is the CAA? The answer: more stable than the SoCon. Will the CAA look this way when Elon joins? Probably not. The league could choose to add another basketball school or two. James Madison has been linked to a move up to FBS football, but their departure would not spell the death of the conference. The CAA has more resources and a greater footprint than the SoCon, and is set up for survival of the turbulent conference realignment era.
Welcome Home, Elon University
The rumors and speculation are over. Elon has its new athletic home, and it is a home that matches the institution that Elon is and its profile of students. Though there is one more year remaining in the Southern Conference, the excitement is already building for 2014.