A-10 News: Duquesne AD Amodio leaving DU for AD job at Quinnipiac

[CLP]

Quinnipiac just announced that Duquesne AD Greg Amodio will become their AD next month, even though Amodio was under contract at DU until 2018.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...y-leaving-for-Quinnipiac/stories/201506100148

I know this isn't a highlight move, but it's interesting when you read between the lines. Even though Amodio is moving "down" to a MAAC school, as the article states, Quinnipiac spends $6.5M more per year on athletics than Duquesne. If/when the next conference realignment shuffle happens, don't be surprised to see Quinnipiac making a strong bid to join the A-10. Even though they just finished their second year in the MAAC, they've eclipsed many of those programs already, especially the non-revenue sports and the women's basketball team just went undefeated in conference play. QU has an institutional profile and location that would fit right into the A-10 if the conference is looking. I think this hire by QU is with a move like that in mind.

 

[GMUgemini]

No thank you. Plus, unless the Big East wants to go to 12, I think the basketball conferences are going to be pretty stable for awhile.

 

[CLP]

True, but I don't think you can ever be comfortable nowadays with conference alignment. Using the most recent numbers, Quinnipiac would be be in the top half of the A-10 as far as athletic expenditures, including spending more per year than Mason:

1. UMass - $33,475,242
2. Fordham - $28,844,543
3. George Washington - $27,747943
4. vcu - $25,824,704
5. Richmond - $25,034,858
6. Quinnipiac - $23,783,786
7. URI - $23,637,395
8. Dayton - $23,427,927
9. Mason - $19,090,793
10. St. Joseph's - $18,955,430
11. Duquesne - $17,292,570
12. Saint Louis - $17,035,570
13. La Salle - $13,412,741
14. Davidson - $12,121,009
15. St. Bonaventure - $9,466,416

When you take out the schools that also sponsor football, only GW and vcu spend more than QU. Not advocating, just saying that it's not an unrealistic possibility down the line.

 

[99 Patriot]

Well, we know he's been looking around for at least a year. Good for him.

 

[GMUgemini]

I wouldn't look too hard at overall athletic expenditures. Quinnipiac has a similar profile as Northeastern (they both play men's ice hockey) and have similar numbers:

NU: $25,619,518 ($2,505,557 for basketball)

Drexel also is in the ballpark with a $21 million athletics budget ($2.8 for basketball).

Quinnipiac's basketball: $2.4 million

Maybe the CAA is a better fit.

Another note about athletics budgets: vcu lists $5.5 million for athletics facility maintenance and operations. GMU lists $0 for athletics facility maintenance and operations.

Also, according to our old buddy Minuteman from the CAA Zone, UMass will most likely block any other northeastern schools from entering the A-10 out of spite (and that might also be true of URI for all we know).

 

[CLP]

All true. I know their basketball budget has increased since going to the MAAC, and they have a great facility. Not huge, but great place to see a game.

 

[MasonFanatic]

If UMass were hypthetically to leave for the AAC, that's when this could get interesting.