VCU's timing not good for CAA

VCU’s move to the Atlantic 10 couldn’t have come at a worse time for the CAA.

With Towson and UNC-Wilmington facing a ban from next season’s NCAA Tournament because of low APR scores, and Georgia State bolting the conference, the CAA will have only nine NCAA-eligible teams.

Georgia State won’t be permitted to play in the CAA Tournament in 2013.

There is also the matter of Old Dominion, which still has a standing offer to join Conference USA. The Monarchs reportedly have until the end of June to make a decision. If ODU decides to bolt, it won’t be permitted to play in the CAA Tournament either. That would leave the CAA with just eight NCAA-eligible teams. Hofstra is one of those teams.

This assumes that Georgia State and ODU won’t play well enough to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2013.

As for VCU, it was a move many saw coming nearly two years ago.

“VCU believes the A-10 represents the best opportunity to meet our long-term aspirations for national academic and athletic achievement,” said VCU President Michael Rao. “As a Division I, nationally competitive athletics program, it is critical that VCU seizes the opportunity to further elevate its athletics as it raises its overall academic profile as a national research university.”