Bryant accepted into NEC, NJIT is not
Division II Bryant U. of Smithfield, R.I. has been admitted to the NEC in a vote of league presidents Wednesday. NJIT was not accepted. It failed to get the required 75 percent of the vote.
Bryant will not be a full D1 program until 2012-2013.....and will not eligible for NEC Tournaments until then...
However two sports, TBA, may be eligible for post season by 2009-2010 via the NCAA "Fast Track" rule....
Not known at this time when Bryant will begin playing full NEC schedules in any sport....The NEC is encouraging its schools to schedule Bryant ASAP...
Here is the first part of the release from the NEC web site....
Somerset, NJ - Bryant University has accepted an invitation from the Northeast Conference’s Council of Presidents to become the NEC’s 12th member, it was announced today by league Commissioner Brenda Weare. Bryant will become a core member of the conference in 2012 upon completion of the five-year NCAA Division I reclassification period.
"Bryant is an outstanding university that has demonstrated excellence both academically and competitively," said Weare. "They are an excellent fit for the NEC, and we look forward to them joining us in the fall of 2012."
Located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, Bryant currently competes at the NCAA Division II level. The institution began its transition into Division I when it filed for reclassification this past May.
"On behalf of the faculty, staff, student body, student-athletes, and coaches, Bryant University is very proud and honored to accept an invitation to join the Northeast Conference," said Ronald K. Machtley, Bryant University President.
Bryant’s Director of Athletics Bill Smith also expressed his excitement.
"Membership in the prestigious Northeast Conference will raise our academic and athletic profiles, providing our student-athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level," said Smith.
Nicknamed the Bulldogs, Bryant is a charter member of the Northeast-10 Conference, which was formed in 1980. The school fields a nationally competitive athletics program that finished 27th in the Division II Director’s Cup standings in 2006-07 and captured its third Northeast-10 Presidents’ Cup trophy - awarded annually to the top athletics program among the 15 member institutions that make up the conference - in the last four years.
"The movement to Division I athletic competition is consistent with our strategic plan to continually enhance Bryant University’s reputation as a superb educational institution," said Machtley.
Bryant offers a broad-based athletic program, fielding 11 men’s and 11 women’s sports teams. Sports offered include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and women’s volleyball. The NEC currently sponsors each of the sports Bryant competes in at this time with the exception of men’s lacrosse.
"I think this is great for the Northeast Conference," said Vice Admiral Paul Gaffney, President of Monmouth University and Chair of the NEC Membership Committee. "We were extremely impressed with the commitment of their President, trustees, and athletic department staff. We can’t wait to play them."
Bryant will not be a full D1 program until 2012-2013.....and will not eligible for NEC Tournaments until then...
However two sports, TBA, may be eligible for post season by 2009-2010 via the NCAA "Fast Track" rule....
Not known at this time when Bryant will begin playing full NEC schedules in any sport....The NEC is encouraging its schools to schedule Bryant ASAP...
Here is the first part of the release from the NEC web site....
Somerset, NJ - Bryant University has accepted an invitation from the Northeast Conference’s Council of Presidents to become the NEC’s 12th member, it was announced today by league Commissioner Brenda Weare. Bryant will become a core member of the conference in 2012 upon completion of the five-year NCAA Division I reclassification period.
"Bryant is an outstanding university that has demonstrated excellence both academically and competitively," said Weare. "They are an excellent fit for the NEC, and we look forward to them joining us in the fall of 2012."
Located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, Bryant currently competes at the NCAA Division II level. The institution began its transition into Division I when it filed for reclassification this past May.
"On behalf of the faculty, staff, student body, student-athletes, and coaches, Bryant University is very proud and honored to accept an invitation to join the Northeast Conference," said Ronald K. Machtley, Bryant University President.
Bryant’s Director of Athletics Bill Smith also expressed his excitement.
"Membership in the prestigious Northeast Conference will raise our academic and athletic profiles, providing our student-athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level," said Smith.
Nicknamed the Bulldogs, Bryant is a charter member of the Northeast-10 Conference, which was formed in 1980. The school fields a nationally competitive athletics program that finished 27th in the Division II Director’s Cup standings in 2006-07 and captured its third Northeast-10 Presidents’ Cup trophy - awarded annually to the top athletics program among the 15 member institutions that make up the conference - in the last four years.
"The movement to Division I athletic competition is consistent with our strategic plan to continually enhance Bryant University’s reputation as a superb educational institution," said Machtley.
Bryant offers a broad-based athletic program, fielding 11 men’s and 11 women’s sports teams. Sports offered include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and women’s volleyball. The NEC currently sponsors each of the sports Bryant competes in at this time with the exception of men’s lacrosse.
"I think this is great for the Northeast Conference," said Vice Admiral Paul Gaffney, President of Monmouth University and Chair of the NEC Membership Committee. "We were extremely impressed with the commitment of their President, trustees, and athletic department staff. We can’t wait to play them."
posted by Tony Graham at 11:59 AM
5 Comments:
Tony,
Any info as to why NJIT was not accepted?
Re NJIT: I don't, other than they did not receive enough votes (but I'll bet if they had football they were in)!
I have really not looked into it. Over the course of time I imagine I can come up with something.
I heard they have some very good facilities...
There was some concern as to whether even Bryant would make it. So maybe attempting to get two schools in was pushing the envelope...
What did NJIT really offer the NEC? Realistically, the NJ market is already covered, they have no "name" recognition, no football, no MLax, no real facilities, and offered no benefits to the existing members!
Why would we want a 13-team league? That's unbalanced scheduling. Not to mention they would be just another RPI killer for the already lowly NEC.
Once a current member announces that they are leaving the NEC, then NJIT will be an acceptable replacement.
NJIT is a better known National University that could strength the conference with its better academic and research reputation.
Besides Football, it offers many of the sports played in the NEC. It also offers Men's volleyball (in the EIVA conference (Tait Division) which has one direct NCAA Final 4 spot), Men's and Women's Fencing. It has an all-weather soccer field and flexibility of scheduling basketball matches at the Prudential Center which is just 1 mile away in the same city.
Though its RPI seems low in its first Division 1 season, it it expected to improve relatively fast with the recruiting of better scholarship players and coaches who were closed-to-impossible to recruit during its D2 days now that it offers athletics a good environment for pursuing both academics and sports....right?
Don't look at me....I would have voted for NJIT if I had a vote. And I know MU did....
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