It's been a few days and I guess I'm a bit surprised that nobody has mentioned it yet.

Perhaps it is because Robinson is a part of ETSU's past, and ETSU has never been one to embrace its traditions (Hire Chip Kessler on something other than yo-yo status? NO! BLUE!). It is very rare to hear anything historical about ETSU athletics other than Mister Jennings.

But Les Robinson is not the AD at The Citadel anymore. And frankly, if there was any hope of ETSU going back to the Southern Conference, it probably just took a hit.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/vie...p?t=429565

I am sorry to burst your bubble but Les Robinson did not want ETSU in the SoCon after he arrived at The Citadel. Ask him yourself. After looking at it from both sides, he believes ETSU does not fit the SoCon mold.

He is probably a big reason we did not get voted back in!

When was a vote taken to get BACK in the So Con?

And elaborate, 99.

most interesting

You are correct - ETSU pulled out before a vote was taken. I was told Les urged Davidson, Furman, Elon, Wofford, and Charleston to use a poker face at the meeting and convince Stanton that a vote was never going to pass. They were mad at the breakdown in communication and saw an opportunity to never have to play in the dome again (they hated playing football and basketball there).

I feel ETSU should have made them vote - sometimes people go with their gut instead of the party line when the curtain is pulled.

Which is why getting rid of the dome is a terrible idea. The place can be a death trap

99- Your point makes no sense.

The Southern Conference teams didn't want to play football there? ETSU WASN'T GOING TO PLAY FOOTBALL ANYMORE!

Here's what my sources tell me. First- Stanton had never been a part of the So Con Presidents meetings before, then he started showing up urging them to keep them in.

But there are so many things here- the fact ETSU was violating the SoCon bylaws, the fact they were saying "we aren't going to have the funding in Tennessee anymore" while Chattanooga pushed on, the fact the SoCon kicked out VMI, who'd been a member forever, for merely trying to lessen the emphasis on football, etc.

You think Furman was going to vote to keep ETSU in with Mullins the athletic director? HO! HO! HO! There's quite a history there.

What I know about Robinson was that he has told various members of the media that if ETSU were to bring back football he thought they'd be allowed back in. Now, this was before Samford joined- so I don't know if there is even the room.

Gold- Let's talk about Memorial Center.

I realize the record the Bucs have had success at the place at home throughout the years.

I personally think it has received a bad rap.

But the fact is it has such a loser's rep and unless a law is changed can only be used at half capacity.

So why would you say it is in ETSU's best interests to keep it. Can there be any proof the Bucs' success at home is intrinsically tied to Memorial Center?

1. SoCon football wanted to eliminate the chance of having to play football in the future if ETSU were to bring back football and be admitted again. Poll the old SoCon football coaches - they hated to play here mostly due to the condition/type of turf and viewing (fans would not travel because they could not see the game). Yes Gold...the dome was/is an advantage.

2. SoCon took the opportunity to kick VMI out because that was a useless game in most all sports (one exception VMI/Citadel football). VMI did not recruit well in any sport and underfunded each program. Have you been to VMI? would you want to go to school there?

3. SoCon would love to replace Chattanooga with a different type of university (one with a large endowment like Elon/Samford). If the SoCon loses UTC/App State (not GSU - their facilities for all of the sports are too nice) look for Presbyterian/Carson-Newman/Catawba/Wingate to become the new member - not Gardner-Webb. Remember, Wofford moved from division II to I in 1995 and joined the SoCon in 1997. Elon made the move to NCAA I years after Wofford.

I'm sure most opposing coaches didn't like playing here. However, most don't like playing at ASU or liked playing at Chamberlain Field back in the day.

Bottom line is ETSU broke the by laws. ETSU got themselves kicked out.

To try and blame it on Les Robinson- that's beyond absurdity and speaks of an administrative shill who is willing to take a dump on ETSU history for the sake of his current masters.

Pitt...allow me to explain...when sober

99 you are out in left field on Les. The entire blame goes to Paulie for letting his advisors feed him false info concerning football.

Everyone knows, including Paulie, why the ScCon dropped ETSU from the conference . ETSU completely botched the football issue. Paulie was told by his henceman that the SoCon would not kick out ETSU because they needed us for basketball and had to have the doom for indoor track and he believed it.

Again, there was never a vote.

I've said this before. When I was a student, and there was a modest drop football sentiment at ETSU in the early
'90s, I did a speech for a class about the importance of ETSU having football.

Dr. Janice Shelton, the then-AD, specifically told me that if she did so, the Southern Conference would kick them out of the league.

I have often said as such, I was more qualified to be the AD than the guy they hired.

Call them henchmen, call them advisors, but either they were stupid or they were agenda driven or a little of both.

Well perhaps Les screwed us. Who really knows but Les.

I admit I was initally upset with the thought that perhaps he had.

But as time has passed I think it has become very clear that Paulie and Company screwed the pooch on this one.

Heck. ole Les might have been trying to do us a favor by opposing Stanton from the start.

And if that's the case, then not having Robinson as The Citadel's AD is going to hurt ETSU's chances of getting back in.

You know, let's say 99 is right. I have my doubts, but let's just say she is.

Since Robinson had to deal with the day-in-day out of football's expense at ETSU, and dealt with it, do you think he might have recognized ETSU's poor house claims to be bullsh1t from the get go?

it is HE - not she.

Les told me this a long time before ETSU dropped football. Danny Morrison told me the same thing. Dr. Shelton was right.

Now lets hope football comes back and is done right (budget, marketing, recruiting, coaching, management). That combined with the other facilities being built - ETSU can move to a more nationally recognized conference. I would love to go into a mall with a hat store in Miami/Pittsburgh/NYC/Memphis/Knoxville... and see ETSU hats for sale next to the UT and Memphis ones!