Quote Originally Posted by UNHWildcat18 View Post
While I also heard their last pitch was bad, I see them being a better fit for the AE. The AE is a mixture of the schools that represent the state at the D1 level or also sit right under the "flag ships" in the state. UNH UMaine UVM are flagships you have UMBC behind the Terps you have SBU UA BU all being at the top of the public school list in NY. One could argue Buffalo is above them but not by much. UML behind BC and Amherst. Hartford behind UCONN. Of course there are other schools that compete with the AE schools in terms of student size and athletic stature. Boston University, Northereastern, the IVY's in each state, Towson University, CCSU, Quinnipiac, URI, Monmouth. I see NJIT viewing themselves as the second largest school in NJ behind Rutgers and wanting to elevate their athletics to a higher level. That's why I see them being with the Hartfords and UNH's of the world over the STFU's and wagners. They want to Identify as a bigger face of their state as the public and private AE schools do.

If that makes sense in any sort of way. Also I am sure the NEC/AE has a "checklist" of sorts that NJIT is working towards completing, may take years who knows.
That's fine, but the AE, if it is going to add someone, needs a school that plays baseball, field hockey, women's volleyball and softball. Field hockey already is down to 5 with 4 west coast affiliates (Stanford, Cal, UC Davis and Pacific) in a weird setup. Baseball, volleyball and softball are at 7.

NJIT offers baseball but that's it. Why would it make sense to add NJIT if they don't shore up what the AE needs? It's one more school to swallow an automatic bid in a one bid conference, and make it harder for long term schools to qualify for national tournaments. And it doesn't bring money. There's no AETV that needs to get into the New York market.

If NJIT were already in AE, it would be an okay fit. But, they aren't in, and they don't solve any problems.