http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031781321678&path=!sports!colleges&s=1045855934926 8-)




http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Sat....8132 1678&path=!sports!colleges&s=1045855934926

Richmond to new CAA FB in 2007, announced 3/4/05. See other thread.

Sort of.

The CAA expanded over the last few years to 12 teams (12 teams as of 2006 or 2007). Of those 12, 6 play football. NE, Hofstra, Delaware, Towson, W&M, JMU.
Since that was about half of the A-10 football league, the CAA decided to essentially take over the A-10 football league and call it the CAA football league, starting in 2007.

They invited essentially all the non-CAA member schools who played FB in the A-10 football league to play football in the CAA football league, whicle they remained in their primary conference for othere sports. It looks like everyone accepted, since this is really almost a name change only, from a member perspective. So Maine, New Hampshire, U Mass, Rhode Island, Villanova, and Richmond (who previously played A-10 football, but whose primary conference is the A-10, Big East, or American East) give the CAA football conference 6 more teams for a total of 12.

A similar move occurred in 1996, granted Boston University (program terminated) and UConn (I-A BIG EAST) have been replaced by Hofstra and Towson...at least at least half of the members of CAA Football will actually be members of the namesake sponsor...I'm not sure that the actual A-10 had more than three members in "its" 10-plus member football conference at any one time (UMass, URI, Richmond) while an additional five A-10 schools played in football conferences sponsored by others (Temple: BIG EAST; Dayton: PFL/Missouri Valley; Duquesne/LaSalle: MAAC; Fordham: Patriot League)...what a mess...

Former CAA member Richmond will be competing in a football league sponsored by the CAA, just as Villanova is a former member of the E-8/A-10, Fordham is a former member of the Patriot League, LaSalle is a former member of the MAAC, and Butler is a former member of the Missouri Valley Conference...note that the Ohio Valley's renewed relationship with Western Kentucky was rather brief...