The CAA, FCS’ largest and most powerful football conference, is now lighter by two teams. Just 10 days after Northeastern ended its long-futile football program, Hofstra made a similar move, citing high costs and low fan support.
“The move was painful, but clear,” Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz told the Associated Press.
The two foldings leave the CAA North division with only fourprograms – Maine, Massachusets, Rhode Island and New Hampshire — and will likely force a reorganization of the 26-year old league. Old Dominion is set to join the conference in 2011, and programs such as Fordham have been rumored as possible replacements for Northeastern. CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager was unavailable for comment as of Thursday morning, according to the league headquarters
Under the conference’s two-year scheduling cycle, Hofstra was on the Tribe’s schedule for 2010, a date that will need to be filled. That process had not yet begun and would likely wait until after the season, according to sources within the College’s athletic department.