Stony Brook tells Big South of move to CAA

Stony Brook has informed the Big South Conference that the university's football team will leave for the Colonial Athletic Association after the 2012 season, athletic director Jim Fiore said Tuesday. The Big South did not comment on the departure.

A formal announcement from the CAA on the admission of Stony Brook and SUNY rival Albany is expected this evening . Stony Brook, selected to finish first in a preseason poll, will remain eligible to compete for the Big South's automatic bid to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, a source told Newsday last week.

According to conference bylaws, Stony Brook must pay the Big South an undisclosed exit fee for its early departure.

CAA commissioner Tom Yeager and officials from Stony Book will detail the expansion in a conference call Wednesday.

The newly formed CAA will be comprised of Stony Brook, Albany, Delaware, Villanova, New Hampshire, William & Mary, Richmond, James Madison, Maine and Towson as football members in 2013. Stony Brook will remain in the America East Conference for its other university-recognized intercollegiate sports. The CAA has been regarded as one of the best Football Championship Subdivision conferences and usually gets multiple bids to the FCS playoffs.

Stony Brook has won or shared the Big South title the last three years, going 16-2 in conference games in that span, and reached the FCS playoffs in 2011, beating Albany before losing to national runner-up Sam Houston State by seven points.