UAlbany To Move To Colonial Athletic Association In All Sports, Move Could Be Made As Early As Thursday

According to sources, the University at Albany is planning to move to the Colonial Athletic Association in all sports, following their football team, who made the move to the CAA after the end of last season.

An increase in competition would result in fewer conference championships initially, but will make the school look better, especially in the more heavily watched sports such as basketball.

The league currently consists of 11 teams: William and Mary, Towson, UNC Wilmington, James Madison, Hofstra, Georgia State, Drexel, Old Dominion, George Mason, former America East member Northeastern, and Delaware, whose Elena Delle Donne was recently selected second in the WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky.

This is a great move for the Great Danes if it pans out. While the thought of watching FCS Football still isn't the most exciting thing in the world to some fans of the program, the thought of tangling with foes in a conference with multiple Final Four appearances in basketball certainly should be, so long as the move pans out.

As more information becomes available, this post will be updated.

UPDATE: UAlbany Athletics have denied a move to the CAA. From Mark Singelais of the Times Union:

“At this time, the reports that we are moving to the CAA are untrue,’’ Lizzie Barlow, UAlbany’s interim director of media relations, said by email. “We remain a partner with the America East, and we have no further comment on conference affiliation at this time.”

 

The fact that the phrase "at this time" was used twice in two sentences to deny the move gives off the impression that a move is coming. Of course, they said that there was nothing going on after former Great Danes guard Gerardo Suero tweeted that he was leaving the program after last season, only to follow that up with a news conference on his departure about a week later. Stay tuned, as more developments are sure to follow.