http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/...ops-boost/

SoCon seeks hoops boost

by John Frierson


On Thursday, officials from UNC Charlotte made a presentation regarding its new football program and possibly joining the SoCon as an associate member, in football only. Charlotte will begin play in 2013.

“We didn’t vote on it or make any kind of decision,” University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletic director Rick Hart said. “I anticipate that it’s something the [presidents] will take up and vote amongst themselves. As ADs, I think we’re comfortable and happy with where we are in terms of membership.”

Iamarino said the presidents are scheduled to meet on June 16 and a vote on Charlotte will likely be done then. He said the 12-member SoCon is “already fairly diverse when it comes to not only football, but the entire membership. There are questions of do we want to add to that diversity by taking an associate in a high-profile sport.”

I hope they join the Big South

Doesn't sound too promising....

My excitement level for either a yes or no vote on this is near zero.

I thought they'd go CAA

I'm interested to see if Jeff Mullen's offense is better in Charlotte than it was in Morgantown. For their sake, I hope so...

Hello, Charlotte?
This is the Big East calling!

(06-03-2011 05:23 AM)Dman Wrote:  http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/...ops-boost/

SoCon seeks hoops boost

by John Frierson


On Thursday, officials from UNC Charlotte made a presentation regarding its new football program and possibly joining the SoCon as an associate member, in football only. Charlotte will begin play in 2013.

Huh?

(06-05-2011 11:12 AM)gosports1 Wrote:  Hello, Charlotte?
This is the Big East calling!

If they had a football program currently in place I bet they would be in discussions...

(06-05-2011 03:49 PM)Chappy Wrote:  

(06-03-2011 05:23 AM)Dman Wrote:  http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/...ops-boost/

SoCon seeks hoops boost

by John Frierson


On Thursday, officials from UNC Charlotte made a presentation regarding its new football program and possibly joining the SoCon as an associate member, in football only. Charlotte will begin play in 2013.

Huh?

It's one of these new catch-all articles. The 2 things have nothing to do with each other except both were discussed at that SoCon meeting.

(06-05-2011 04:01 PM)beacherpirate Wrote:  

(06-05-2011 11:12 AM)gosports1 Wrote:  Hello, Charlotte?
This is the Big East calling!

If they had a football program currently in place I bet they would be in discussions...

Judy wouldn't hangup if she got that call.

(06-05-2011 03:38 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  My excitement level for either a yes or no vote on this is near zero.

I'm surprised Charlotte isn't looking at the MAC.

With an NFL stadium in town at its disposal, Charlotte could get by in the MAC with a 15,300 seat on campus stadium and 1 game a year in the NFL facility.

Charlotte could move up to FBS by 2014 along with James Madison as MAC Football only members.

Then at 16 football playing members, the MAC could renegotiate its TV contract, either something much more lucrative with ESPN or going the Versus/NBC route.

(06-05-2011 10:45 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I'm interested to see if Jeff Mullen's offense is better in Charlotte than it was in Morgantown. For their sake, I hope so...

The offense is going to flop like a dying fish. I guarantee it.

(06-05-2011 05:28 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(06-05-2011 03:38 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  My excitement level for either a yes or no vote on this is near zero.

I'm surprised Charlotte isn't looking at the MAC.

With an NFL stadium in town at its disposal, Charlotte could get by in the MAC with a 15,300 seat on campus stadium and 1 game a year in the NFL facility.

Charlotte could move up to FBS by 2014 along with James Madison as MAC Football only members.

Then at 16 football playing members, the MAC could renegotiate its TV contract, either something much more lucrative with ESPN or going the Versus/NBC route.

2014 would be our 2nd football season. Even if we could get a special dispensation like UTSA did, we'd be backing out of a lot of return games from our first season and we'd be no where ready recruit-wise to play any FBS team.

(06-05-2011 06:01 PM)ADAMantium Wrote:  

(06-05-2011 10:45 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I'm interested to see if Jeff Mullen's offense is better in Charlotte than it was in Morgantown. For their sake, I hope so...

The offense is going to flop like a dying fish. I guarantee it.

I'm thinking his offense will go a bit better at the FCS level.

(06-05-2011 06:05 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I'm thinking his offense will go a bit better at the FCS level.

Maybe. It did work for us, but how he'll do in the FCS remains to be seen.

(06-05-2011 06:05 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  

(06-05-2011 06:01 PM)ADAMantium Wrote:  

(06-05-2011 10:45 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I'm interested to see if Jeff Mullen's offense is better in Charlotte than it was in Morgantown. For their sake, I hope so...

The offense is going to flop like a dying fish. I guarantee it.

I'm thinking his offense will go a bit better at the FCS level.

I think it depends on how much time a QB has under Mullen's system. Pat White, Jarrett Brown, and Geno Smith all only had one year as the starter under him. WVU really hasn't seen a QB with a handle on his offense. Every QB he had for us was one and done, until Geno. But we'll never know what he would do in year 2 as a starter under Mullen. His offense may do well at Charlotte. We shall see...

(06-03-2011 05:23 AM)Dman Wrote:  http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/...ops-boost/

SoCon seeks hoops boost

by John Frierson


On Thursday, officials from UNC Charlotte made a presentation regarding its new football program and possibly joining the SoCon as an associate member, in football only. Charlotte will begin play in 2013.

“We didn’t vote on it or make any kind of decision,” University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletic director Rick Hart said. “I anticipate that it’s something the [presidents] will take up and vote amongst themselves. As ADs, I think we’re comfortable and happy with where we are in terms of membership.”

Iamarino said the presidents are scheduled to meet on June 16 and a vote on Charlotte will likely be done then. He said the 12-member SoCon is “already fairly diverse when it comes to not only football, but the entire membership. There are questions of do we want to add to that diversity by taking an associate in a high-profile sport.”

I'm surprised that this is so out in the open. Usually these votes come and go in secret, and you never hear about it unless it's an approval vote (always "unanimous" even if it isn't). If it's a "no" vote, everyone pretends that a vote was never taken.

What's more, I doubt that Charlotte thought they even had a 50% chance of getting invited to the SoCon and were just doing this as part of their due diligence, figuring that this news would be kept in-house as usual. Now they're being set up for a public rejection letter. In addition to being bad PR, it would make it more difficult for them to be invited to the CAA, because the CAA wants to maintain its image as the alpha dog of FCS. Would the Big Ten be more or less likely to invite a team that was rejected by the Big 12? Maybe the SoCon is Machiavellian enough to make this public for precisely that reason. They can simultaneously protect App State and block a CAA-Charlotte alliance.

To be honest, I dont understand why Charlotte wouldnt just move into the CAA in all sports. They used to play with VCU in the old Metro conference and fit right in with geography compared to the A-10. The CAA has a few legit basketball programs, Charlotte would compete for conference titles in many other sports, including baseball. And the CAA is in big markets just like the A-10. Playing games in Philly, NY, Boston, DC...good for exposure and not hurting recruiting.

To me, the CAA is the perfect stepping stone to FBS consideration down the line.

(06-06-2011 10:46 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  To be honest, I dont understand why Charlotte wouldnt just move into the CAA in all sports. They used to play with VCU in the old Metro conference and fit right in with geography compared to the A-10. The CAA has a few legit basketball programs, Charlotte would compete for conference titles in many other sports, including baseball. And the CAA is in big markets just like the A-10. Playing games in Philly, NY, Boston, DC...good for exposure and not hurting recruiting.

To me, the CAA is the perfect stepping stone to FBS consideration down the line.

A few reasons:

Moving conferences downward hurts programs.
Moving conferences downward often (only 6 years since Old CUSA died) hurts programs.
CAA is a one bid (last year is still just an exception) basketball conference and Charlotte won't change that.
Better to get a multi-bid conference's shares of the basketball tournament.
FCS playoffs lose money while NCAA basketball shares pay our bills.

If we're just doing our time in FCS before moving up I'd rather do it Independent.

(06-06-2011 11:48 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  

(06-06-2011 10:46 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  To be honest, I dont understand why Charlotte wouldnt just move into the CAA in all sports. They used to play with VCU in the old Metro conference and fit right in with geography compared to the A-10. The CAA has a few legit basketball programs, Charlotte would compete for conference titles in many other sports, including baseball. And the CAA is in big markets just like the A-10. Playing games in Philly, NY, Boston, DC...good for exposure and not hurting recruiting.

To me, the CAA is the perfect stepping stone to FBS consideration down the line.

A few reasons:

Moving conferences downward hurts programs.
Moving conferences downward often (only 6 years since Old CUSA died) hurts programs.
CAA is a one bid (last year is still just an exception) basketball conference and Charlotte won't change that.
Better to get a multi-bid conference's shares of the basketball tournament.
FCS playoffs lose money while NCAA basketball shares pay our bills.

If we're just doing our time in FCS before moving up I'd rather do it Independent.

I think Charlotte (and you) is overthinking this...the CAA is a Top 10 basketball league, it does have some dead weight at the bottom, but it is the best FCS football league. The CAA has had multi-bid basketball a number of times in the past five years, last year with three. The other non-revenue sports wouldnt be taking a step down from A-10, the CAA is a more southern conference and is better or the same in those sports.

Being in the CAA would also bridge the gap between Richmond and Georgia State (UNCW notwithstanding). Charlotte would also save on travel costs in those other sports, with some schools being bus rides.

No one in Charlotte gives a crap about the A-10(14)...with its football start-up, the school has a chance to start fresh. And it also seems like Charlotte basketball is getting worse in the A-10, not getting better.

(06-06-2011 11:48 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  

(06-06-2011 10:46 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  To be honest, I dont understand why Charlotte wouldnt just move into the CAA in all sports. They used to play with VCU in the old Metro conference and fit right in with geography compared to the A-10. The CAA has a few legit basketball programs, Charlotte would compete for conference titles in many other sports, including baseball. And the CAA is in big markets just like the A-10. Playing games in Philly, NY, Boston, DC...good for exposure and not hurting recruiting.

To me, the CAA is the perfect stepping stone to FBS consideration down the line.

A few reasons:

Moving conferences downward hurts programs.
Moving conferences downward often (only 6 years since Old CUSA died) hurts programs.
CAA is a one bid (last year is still just an exception) basketball conference and Charlotte won't change that.
Better to get a multi-bid conference's shares of the basketball tournament.
FCS playoffs lose money while NCAA basketball shares pay our bills.

If we're just doing our time in FCS before moving up I'd rather do it Independent.

Yeah I agree if you guys are coming up to FBS ASAP (which I imagine is the case) no way I would move basketball just to get in CAA football for a couple of years.