The disappearing north portion of CAA Football is set to strengthen again.
The Colonial Athletic Association's arm for football is set to add Albany and Stony Brook universities for the 2013 season, Newsday of Melville, N.Y., reported.
Stony Brook, the 2011 Big South Conference champion, and Albany, a 2011 Northeast Conference co-champion, would leave their respective conferences to join the CAA in football. The two programs played each other in the FCS playoffs last year.
Their universities play in the America East Conference for other sports.
CAA Football would have 10 teams for the 2013 season: Albany, Delaware, James Madison, Maine, New Hampshire, Richmond, Stony Brook, Towson, Villanova and William & Mary.
The CAA has become more south-dominated with the losses of Northeastern and Hofstra, which dropped football after the 2009 season, and Massachusetts, which has joined the Mid-American Conference on the FBS level this year.
Recent members Old Dominion and Georgia State also are leaving the CAA for FBS conferences next year.
Rhode Island is scheduled to join the NEC next year, but the additions of Albany and Stony Brook could cause the university to reconsider staying in CAA Football.
CAA commissioner Tom Yeager said last month the conference wanted to announce expansion plans by the start of the 2012 season.
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