I'm not trying to pick a fight here. I'd just like some response to today's Div II Baseball poll. It's been said numerous times on this board that the addition of Florida Gulf Coast and SC Upstate will improve the baseball fortunes of the ASun.

In today's poll (I saw it in the Knoxville News Sentinel), neither team is rated in the top 32 (there was a 3-way tie for 30th, thus 32).

If these two teams can't get ranked in the top 30 in Div II (I even noted that Tusculum, a small college in the Johnson City area, was ranked in this poll), what does that have to say about the future of ASun baseball? And how can this be seen as strengthening the conference?

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

You make a good point, but FGCU did have a good season with 39 wins and 15 losses. I don't know about USC Upstate, I dont think anyone expects them to be much of anything in any sport.

FGCU is in the DII tourney so they aren't too bad, and did have impressive stats. They aren't exactly "liked" in DII I've noticed. The lack of conference affiliation hurts them in the polls I think. They got snubbed in the basketball tourney too.

Thats the best defense I can think of

Kev- it could be a prejudice that if you are a Florida school, you're good in baseball. Every college down there has a major league star that made it from their school.

ROLLINS has a former American League Rookie-of-the-Year, for instance. ROLLINS!

And to a certain extent the same is true with South Carolina. Clemson and South Carolina have nationally reknown programs. Coastal Carolina and Citadel are also fine baseball schools.

Quote: I don't know about USC Upstate, I dont think anyone expects them to be much of anything in any sport.

Then someone PLEASE explain to me why they are in the A-Sun.

This seems like a transition conference and unfortunately, there's not a lot happening to stop that. You have to admire the schools sticking around since inception but there's not a lot of staying power. No football, not a flagship sport (baseball but come on, it seems this argument is waning) and not that much as far as publicity (television, radio) dollars coming from the center office.

Maybe USC Upstate is joining because the A-Sun is desperate for members and USC Upstate wants to move up to Division I.

This is not a bad conference for a team on the way up. It is a bad fit, however, for ETSU.

well usc upstate is 31-20 and recieving votes to get ranked. pretty damn good saying their playing in the peachbelt which is by far the best baseball conference in D-2. 5 teams ranked in the top 30.

Yes, but my point is that they're not one of them. What about the other four ahead of them. Are they moving up to Div I?

Why not just take Tusculum? They're ranked No 10 or 11 (I forget). They could be a natural rival of ETSU. Oh, that's right. They have football. And their facilities are probably too good for the ASun.

For one thing, I can tell you that ETSU would probably do everything they could to keep Tusculum out of Division I.

Now, if Tusculum were to ever join the Big South- now THAT would be something!

Actually, for several years now I have spoken about how "Tusculum is kicking ETSU's @ss." I have said this to people at ETSU and they almost get offended that you would even CONSIDER something like that.

Nevermind the facts in front of them.

They have football. ETSU doesn't.

In fact, in 2003, Tusculum beat Elon. ETSU didn't.

ETSUfan1 Wrote:

Quote: I don't know about USC Upstate, I dont think anyone expects them to be much of anything in any sport.

Then someone PLEASE explain to me why they are in the A-Sun.

I don't know, I didn't want another DII either.

As for all of the transition league talk... let me ask you guys a question. After Gardner Webb (which isn't exactly a big deal to lose), who's the next to go? I ask because you guys are acting like half the league is out the door. So who's next and what year?

I wouldn't agree with that. The teams left in the ASun are so weak, I don't see them leaving to go anywhere. People keep talking about Belmont and Lipscomb, but really, who wants them? What have they got to offer?

Looking over the conference, I would think the logical choice for the next team to leave would be ETSU. But I don't think they have any place to go. Frankly, I was very surprised when FAU left. I mean, what do they have going for them? I haven't paid ANY attention & I have no idea how well they did in their new conference this year. But I'll bet they were at/near the bottom in every sport.

Well whoever gets the biggest the fastest. Right now all the schools are performing well under other conferences around the area. When a school does obtain a streak of excellence, then it'll trade spots with someone from a better conference. ETSU is next in line as far as that logic goes but could be surpassed by some of the newer schools in a relatively short time (4-5 years). That's my opinion on it.

Why are you surprised that FAU left? The play D-I football and wanted all their sports to be in the same conference as their football team.

I think that if you are an entry level school in the south without football- you look at the A-Sun. If you WANT football- you go to the Big South.

So, who might add football?

Well, the team that would seem to be most likely is Jacksonville. They do have football- non-scholarship but football nonetheless and I would think it would be easier to have scholarship football in their situation- especially with all the talent in their backyard- than not.

Jacksonville was once a very viable basketball program and was in the Sun Belt in the 80s when it was a rather prestigious conference. They, like ETSU, dropped down to the A-Sun.

However, because of geographics, the A-Sun does have an appeal to them. I would think if Jacksonville dropped down to the A-Sun they must have had some of the same athletic problems ETSU has had. And they have a natural rival in house with North Florida.

But a win against North Florida won't hit the headlines of the Florida Times Union they way a win against Florida would. You could always just schedule North Florida out of conference. And you wonder if being in a large city in Florida, and playing in a large arena, if the Dolphins don't want to move up now after regressing before.

It's just a guess. But that's my choice.

FGCU should compete reasonably well in most sports right off the bat. As for USC-Upstate, they are a bit more of a wild card, and may struggle more than any of the other three recent additions from D2 (FGCU, along with UNF and KSU).

Mercer Fan, you bring up a good question; who leaves the ASun next, and when may this occur?

The only real possibilities I currently see are:

- ETSU heading back to the SoCon or possibly joining the OVC or Big South, with or without a Football Program (although this would be a lot more likely with a team on the gridiron).

- Campbell heading back to their roots, the Big South Conference. With Gardner-Webb leaving for the BSC, this makes a bit more sense now, although the question would be, has the relationship between CU and the Big South healed?

- Belmont and/or Lipscomb heading to the OVC possibly? I assume they would be a package deal no matter the situation, and don't necessarily see this happening, but it is possible I suppose.

The only other real option I see as even remotely possible right now is JU leaving for a new league if they decide to fund their football program with scholarships. Maybe the Big South or SoCon at that point, but this whole idea is highly unlikely in my opinion.

Everyone else currently on board, is either firmly entrenched in the conference (Mercer and Stetson) or is a newbie and will be around at least for the next few years (KSU, UNF, FGCU, and USC-U)

If I had to choose who has the highest probability of leaving at the moment, I'd have to take East Tennessee State University. I do believe the Bucs will return to their longtime home (the SoCon) sometime in the not too distant future.

But instead of sitting around and waiting to see who leaves next, my question to the ASun Brass is, are they pursuing a Twelfth Conference Member? And if so, is there any sweet talk being given to Winthrop University? WU as Member Number Twelve would be absolutely fantastic, although I do realize this is a remote possibility. I do see Savannah State University as a more realistic option for the Conference though (I'm sure most of you are certainly not thrilled about that idea though). SSU can join right away and balance things out, something pretty much any other candidate will not be able to say.

Good thread topic by the way.

The MEAC needs to take Savannah State (an HBCU with football).

Remember, the A-Sun has bypassed Savannah State and Longwood for four very promising programs from D-II.

I'd opt for UNCW over Winthrop. I doubt that will happen, though. Maybe South Alabama will want a tighter geographical conference someday. Adding a full-fledged D-I program would be nice because we'll have a 7-team MBB tournament until something like '10-'11. Otherwise, a cohesive 11-team conference will be ok.

Myles Knight -- You're thinking exactly what I'm thinking. And that is "Is the ASun looking for a 12th member for when GWebb leaves?"

I really really really hope the answer is YES, as long as it's a current D1 member.

Winthrop has been who I'd hoped to get for several years, however, I'm pretty sure that's unlikely. It makes sense for them because:

A) The big south isn't a very good league, even to current A-Sun basketball RPI standards.
B) The big south RPI doesn't include DII transfers and it's still very bad.
C) They don't have football

But this is why I think they're in the Big South for a while:

A) They run the show in basketball, easy walk to the NCAA's
B) They're a charter Big South member

It would be a HUGE shot in the arm to the A-Sun to get them, but also a devastating blow to the Big South if they lost them (basically would send their basketball RPI into the basement below the basement).

Winthrop isn't leaving the Big South for the A-Sun.

And ETSU isn't leaving for the So Con. Right now the So Con is at full capacity.

Plus I don't know if the Southern Conference feels ETSU fits in anymore. If you look at the So Con, lots of the schools such as Davidson, Furman, and Wofford- pat their backs on their exclusive enrollment.

And don't let anyone fool you- there was a ton of bad blood left by the way ETSU simply dropped football without telling anyone and expected no reprisal for violating the league's by laws.

If ETSU was to leave- here's how I see it.

A- They would have to add football and then could possibly join the Big South.

But ETSU isn't bringing back football any time soon.

B- They would build a new basketball arena and move to an OVC or Sun Belt.

Okay- new question. What is more likely to happen in 2012- a new arena is under construction or that Fred Thompson is running for re-election as President of the United States?

I say Thompson running for re-election.

Trust me. The way it is right now ETSU does not want to leave the A-Sun. It might hurt their tennis team.

I failed to mention one other possibility for the ASun in regards to a 12th Conference Member. Longwood University, in Farmville, VA. LU becomes a full fledged member of Division I on July 1, 2007, and as such would be eligible for any and all postseason opportunities.

This would benefit the ASun as once Gardner-Webb leaves for the Big South (effective July 1, 2008), there will be a one year gap where only seven conference members will be eligible for postseason play in most sports. UNF and KSU will not be fully eligible until the 2009-'10 season, and FGCU and USC-U must wait until the 2011-'12 season. Longwood could step in right away and be that eighth conference member fully eligible for postseason play.

Also, Longwood as the 12th Member would create a balance in travel partnerships within the conference, as they would replace Gardner-Webb as Campbell's partner and create a pretty solid geographic symmetry for the League.

This would be the Travel Partner breakdown:

Belmont - Lipscomb (Same City)
ETSU - USC-Upstate (130 Miles)
Campbell - Longwood (175 Miles)
KSU - Mercer (110 Miles)
JU - UNF (Same City)
FGCU - Stetson (200 Miles)


Longwood may be the best choice on the table right now folks. And by "on the table", I mean ready to go, right now. I see this school as a better fit than Savannah State University overall, so long as SSU continues to compete in Football.

Besides these options, or taking a school from another Division I Conference (Winthrop or UNC-W for example though highly unlikely), the only other option would be waiting for the next school to move up from the Peach Belt, Gulf South, or South Atlantic Conference.

Thoughts?

ETSU's travel partner is USC-Upstate.

THANK YOU DAVE MULLINS! THANK YOU PAUL STANTON!