http://www.roanoke.com/sports/colleges/1...rence.html

The SoCon has been hit hard, losing the College of Charleston to the CAA and App and Ga Southern to the Sun Belt...rumors continue to put Davidson with the A-10, which may mean these potential adds aren't the end.

Kennesaw St. has also been mentioned quite a bit as someone the SoCon is looking at. Just yesterday on the csi board, UNCA was talking about discussing realignment at their next meeting about joining a conf. "like" the SoCon. So I wonder if UNCG may be on the CAA list. Davidson would be the 4th to bail, you figure KSU would replace them but UNCA may mean a 5th is looking at leaving.

(05-03-2013 03:09 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  Kennesaw St. has also been mentioned quite a bit as someone the SoCon is looking at. Just yesterday on the csi board, UNCA was talking about discussing realignment at their next meeting about joining a conf. "like" the SoCon. So I wonder if UNCG may be on the CAA list. Davidson would be the 4th to bail, you figure KSU would replace them but UNCA may mean a 5th is looking at leaving.

If VMI is leaving the Big South, KSU will at least get a football bid from the Big South. A replacement for Davidson in the SoCon would likely be a private, maybe High Point. Saw an article an Asheville getting an inquiry from the SoCon, but it didn't sound real serious. CoC wanted another Carolina partner other than UNCW, and a private like Elon is probably preferred over UNCG by the Hofstra's, NE's, Drexel, etc.

If the ASun isn't getting hit with defections until 2014, that may give it time to gets its house in order and get NKU fully DI before any grace period runs out.

The real question is whether the SoCon loses Davidson and Elon - if that happens the SoCon probably takes Kennesaw State all sports and possibly goes after another Big South school like UNC-Asheville (doesn't play football, but Davidson wasn't a SoCon member in football) or High Point (same situation).

The SoCon is still heavy in South Carolina so that likely hurts Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, and Winthrop; although in some ways keeping a fourth South Carolina school might clean up the divisional alignment.

Liberty could sneak into the SoCon mix if they are willing to concede any short-term or medium-term FBS ambitions, and if a travel partner for VMI is desired.

North Division:
VMI/UNCG (or Liberty)
Chattanooga/ETSU
Western Carolina/High Point (or UNCG if Liberty is added)

South Division:
Furman/Wofford
The Citadel/Mercer
Samford/Kennesaw State

If the Big South loses Liberty and VMI, it would take them down to 5 in football counting associate member Monmouth-Campbell may be forced to leave the Pioneer League to help out their own conference. High Point does not play football so the Big South would be safe there.

The Atlantic Sun would be down to the 4 Florida schools, Lipscomb, NKU, and USC Upstate. NJIT would be off the board if Albany leaves America East, so so their targets would likely be IUPUI, IPFW, and Western Illinois. They could then target Bellarmine (KY) and Georgia Regents (nee Augusta State) from Division II to get to two divisions:

North - WIU, Lipscomb, IUPUI, IPFW, NKU, Bellarmine
South - USCU, GRU, FGCU, Stetson, Jacksonville, UNF

The A-Sun could also try to lure Chicago State from the WAC instead of Bellarmine, which would allow the remaining 5 Summit schools to move to the WAC as a group.

We can't get out of the ASUN quick enough. Glad that Mercer is coming with us. They are a program on the rise.

I would love to see Campbell move to the Southern.

(05-03-2013 07:29 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  The real question is whether the SoCon loses Davidson and Elon - if that happens the SoCon probably takes Kennesaw State all sports and possibly goes after another Big South school like UNC-Asheville (doesn't play football, but Davidson wasn't a SoCon member in football) or High Point (same situation).

The SoCon is still heavy in South Carolina so that likely hurts Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, and Winthrop; although in some ways keeping a fourth South Carolina school might clean up the divisional alignment.

Liberty could sneak into the SoCon mix if they are willing to concede any short-term or medium-term FBS ambitions, and if a travel partner for VMI is desired.

North Division:
VMI/UNCG (or Liberty)
Chattanooga/ETSU
Western Carolina/High Point (or UNCG if Liberty is added)

South Division:
Furman/Wofford
The Citadel/Mercer
Samford/Kennesaw State

If the Big South loses Liberty and VMI, it would take them down to 5 in football counting associate member Monmouth-Campbell may be forced to leave the Pioneer League to help out their own conference. High Point does not play football so the Big South would be safe there.

The Atlantic Sun would be down to the 4 Florida schools, Lipscomb, NKU, and USC Upstate. NJIT would be off the board if Albany leaves America East, so so their targets would likely be IUPUI, IPFW, and Western Illinois. They could then target Bellarmine (KY) and Georgia Regents (nee Augusta State) from Division II to get to two divisions:

North - WIU, Lipscomb, IUPUI, IPFW, NKU, Bellarmine
South - USCU, GRU, FGCU, Stetson, Jacksonville, UNF

The A-Sun could also try to lure Chicago State from the WAC instead of Bellarmine, which would allow the remaining 5 Summit schools to move to the WAC as a group.

Nothing says great fit for the Atlantic Sun better than Chicago State. That said, when a conference is in survival mode as the A-Sun apparently is close to, you go after anyone and everyone who would listen. I just can't imagine that Chicago State would leave the WAC without even playing one game there after the WAC threw them a D1 life preserver.

For what it's worth as far as Bellarmine and Georgia Regents are concerned - Bellarmine plays men's and women's soccer, Georgia Regents does not. Right now the league is fine as they have 9 men's teams (Kennesaw State the only school without one). But it could be important if the A-Sun is feeling the heat due to teams leaving. Remember that the A-Sun does not sponsor football so it needs men's soccer to remain a multisport conference.

It certainly looks like VMI is a serious candidate for the SoCon. Keep in mind VMI was a member of the SoCon for 80 years before leaving for the Big South.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/colleges/1...re-by.html

What about Valdosta State as a candidate for an invite to the conference?

(05-04-2013 06:47 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  What about Valdosta State as a candidate for an invite to the conference?

Valdosta State has rather adamant that DII is where it will stay. Columbus St and West Georgia are actively seeking DI invites, as is N Alabama. Football and olympics might require separate conferences for UNA and WGU.

(05-04-2013 06:56 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 06:47 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  What about Valdosta State as a candidate for an invite to the conference?

Valdosta State has rather adamant that DII is where it will stay. Columbus St and West Georgia are actively seeking DI invites, as is N Alabama. Football and olympics might require separate conferences for UNA and WGU.

I can't imagine Valdosta St. sicking around D-II if UNA, UWG, and maybe UWF move up. They're a better program than all of those and would be pretty isolated from the GSC members at that point.

(05-04-2013 09:32 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 06:56 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 06:47 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  What about Valdosta State as a candidate for an invite to the conference?

Valdosta State has rather adamant that DII is where it will stay. Columbus St and West Georgia are actively seeking DI invites, as is N Alabama. Football and olympics might require separate conferences for UNA and WGU.

I can't imagine Valdosta St. sicking around D-II if UNA, UWG, and maybe UWF move up. They're a better program than all of those and would be pretty isolated from the GSC members at that point.

Valdosta State plays in Valdosta High's 10,000 seat stadium that is decked out with High School colors and mascot on the turf. Valdosta High and Lowndes County (surrounds Valdosta) are like Odessa Permian vs Midland Lee.

Valdosta State wants to add three more women's programs over time (lacrosse, then golf, and maybe track and field) in order to deal with Title IX (and potential DI men's scholarship expansions).

http://valdostadailytimes.com/sports/x50...-to-expand

Quote:Moving forward at the Division II level, Valdosta State will have to continue to deal with the everlasting outcry from fans about the lack of a home football stadium for the university’s national championship winning team.

Currently, Valdosta State plays its home games at Valdosta High School’s Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, which features a Wildcat paw as the midfield logo, black and yellow seats and limited press box space that ranks well below facilities that in-state rival West Georgia unveiled in 2009.

(05-04-2013 11:57 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 09:32 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 06:56 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 06:47 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  What about Valdosta State as a candidate for an invite to the conference?

Valdosta State has rather adamant that DII is where it will stay. Columbus St and West Georgia are actively seeking DI invites, as is N Alabama. Football and olympics might require separate conferences for UNA and WGU.

I can't imagine Valdosta St. sicking around D-II if UNA, UWG, and maybe UWF move up. They're a better program than all of those and would be pretty isolated from the GSC members at that point.

Valdosta State plays in Valdosta High's 10,000 seat stadium that is decked out with High School colors and mascot on the turf. Valdosta High and Lowndes County (surrounds Valdosta) are like Odessa Permian vs Midland Lee.

Valdosta State wants to add three more women's programs over time (lacrosse, then golf, and maybe track and field) in order to deal with Title IX (and potential DI men's scholarship expansions).

http://valdostadailytimes.com/sports/x50...-to-expand

Quote:Moving forward at the Division II level, Valdosta State will have to continue to deal with the everlasting outcry from fans about the lack of a home football stadium for the university’s national championship winning team.

Currently, Valdosta State plays its home games at Valdosta High School’s Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, which features a Wildcat paw as the midfield logo, black and yellow seats and limited press box space that ranks well below facilities that in-state rival West Georgia unveiled in 2009.

I know they play there, it's better than some FCS stadiums, are they not allowed to play off campus if they move up, other schools do at the FBS level. If all there near by rivals leave than they either need to be okay w/ play at a high school and move up or get an on campus stadium.

I guess this is pretty much the end of the SoCon being a multiple bid FCS playoff league. Adding two start-up football programs and one that sucked when they left the SoCon for competitive reasons, and has sucked thier entire time in the Big South.

IMO Mercer is a good add as I think they have the commitment athletically. ETSU is only revisiting football because of alumni pressure and the fact that they see an easier path in basketball in the SoCon than the A-Sun. They were barely competitive in their last stint in the SoCon, and I expect them to be much worse this time around.

(05-05-2013 12:25 AM)Kaplony Wrote:  ETSU is only revisiting football because of alumni pressure and the fact that they see an easier path in basketball in the SoCon than the A-Sun. They were barely competitive in their last stint in the SoCon, and I expect them to be much worse this time around.

2 out of the last 3 years we were in the SoCon, we won the league in MBB and made it to the tournament. And we don't want to go to the SoCon because of an easier basketball route. We want traditional rivalries back. The ASUN is nothing but DI newbies and never beens. Before FGCU made a run in the NCAA's, nobody had ever heard of them. They didn't even win the ASUN regular season and ETSU beat them. ETSU had a terrible year this year in basketball, but besides that we have been fine over the past 15 years.

Now, if you are talking about football, its true that we were around a .500 team every year, but that was because our president didn't want football and took away scholarships and funding, not giving us a chance to compete, and an excuse to cut the program. Our new president actually wants football and is going to fully fund the program. What on earth makes you think football would be worse this time around? With a new facility and a fully funded program that doesnt have to recruit 80% of it's players from the state of Tennessee, there is great potential for the program.

(05-05-2013 12:09 AM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 11:57 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 09:32 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 06:56 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 06:47 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  What about Valdosta State as a candidate for an invite to the conference?

Valdosta State has rather adamant that DII is where it will stay. Columbus St and West Georgia are actively seeking DI invites, as is N Alabama. Football and olympics might require separate conferences for UNA and WGU.

I can't imagine Valdosta St. sicking around D-II if UNA, UWG, and maybe UWF move up. They're a better program than all of those and would be pretty isolated from the GSC members at that point.

Valdosta State plays in Valdosta High's 10,000 seat stadium that is decked out with High School colors and mascot on the turf. Valdosta High and Lowndes County (surrounds Valdosta) are like Odessa Permian vs Midland Lee.

Valdosta State wants to add three more women's programs over time (lacrosse, then golf, and maybe track and field) in order to deal with Title IX (and potential DI men's scholarship expansions).

http://valdostadailytimes.com/sports/x50...-to-expand

Quote:Moving forward at the Division II level, Valdosta State will have to continue to deal with the everlasting outcry from fans about the lack of a home football stadium for the university’s national championship winning team.

Currently, Valdosta State plays its home games at Valdosta High School’s Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, which features a Wildcat paw as the midfield logo, black and yellow seats and limited press box space that ranks well below facilities that in-state rival West Georgia unveiled in 2009.

I know they play there, it's better than some FCS stadiums, are they not allowed to play off campus if they move up, other schools do at the FBS level. If all there near by rivals leave than they either need to be okay w/ play at a high school and move up or get an on campus stadium.

The high school stadium pretty much is on campus, or at least within a block. Seems like Valdosta State's goal is for the HS to build a new stadium elsewhere, and then Valdosta St take over the HS stadium and refurbish it with suites, etc.

(05-05-2013 03:59 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 12:09 AM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 11:57 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 09:32 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 06:56 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Valdosta State has rather adamant that DII is where it will stay. Columbus St and West Georgia are actively seeking DI invites, as is N Alabama. Football and olympics might require separate conferences for UNA and WGU.

I can't imagine Valdosta St. sicking around D-II if UNA, UWG, and maybe UWF move up. They're a better program than all of those and would be pretty isolated from the GSC members at that point.

Valdosta State plays in Valdosta High's 10,000 seat stadium that is decked out with High School colors and mascot on the turf. Valdosta High and Lowndes County (surrounds Valdosta) are like Odessa Permian vs Midland Lee.

Valdosta State wants to add three more women's programs over time (lacrosse, then golf, and maybe track and field) in order to deal with Title IX (and potential DI men's scholarship expansions).

http://valdostadailytimes.com/sports/x50...-to-expand

Quote:Moving forward at the Division II level, Valdosta State will have to continue to deal with the everlasting outcry from fans about the lack of a home football stadium for the university’s national championship winning team.

Currently, Valdosta State plays its home games at Valdosta High School’s Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, which features a Wildcat paw as the midfield logo, black and yellow seats and limited press box space that ranks well below facilities that in-state rival West Georgia unveiled in 2009.

I know they play there, it's better than some FCS stadiums, are they not allowed to play off campus if they move up, other schools do at the FBS level. If all there near by rivals leave than they either need to be okay w/ play at a high school and move up or get an on campus stadium.

The high school stadium pretty much is on campus, or at least within a block. Seems like Valdosta State's goal is for the HS to build a new stadium elsewhere, and then Valdosta St take over the HS stadium and refurbish it with suites, etc.

Sounds like a great idea.

SoCon visiting VMI, ETSU, Mercer

Quote:Iamarino said the visits will be scheduled within the next three weeks, and each will take about half a day. The Southern Conference meetings are May 28-31 in Hilton Head, S.C. That committee will make a recommendation to the executive committee, which will then vote on extending invitations.

Mercer’s invitation would be contingent on committing to becoming a scholarship program, most likely for the 2014 football season. FCS programs can offer 63 full scholarships, but scholarships can be divided to cover more than one player.

Quote:“We had an in-person meeting in Charlotte in mid-April,” Iamarino said. “I had hoped to come out of that meeting with a clear direction, and my recommendation was to add these three particular schools.”

Word of Davidson’s possible departure surfaced, and Southern Conference athletics directors were tentative about following Iamarino’s recommendations.

On Thursday, the schools voted unanimously in a conference call to visit the three potential members.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2013/05/03/2465263/...rylink=cpy

Weird to think that this is the same conference that once had most the legacy ACC/SEC programs in it.

(05-05-2013 01:44 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 12:25 AM)Kaplony Wrote:  ETSU is only revisiting football because of alumni pressure and the fact that they see an easier path in basketball in the SoCon than the A-Sun. They were barely competitive in their last stint in the SoCon, and I expect them to be much worse this time around.

2 out of the last 3 years we were in the SoCon, we won the league in MBB and made it to the tournament. And we don't want to go to the SoCon because of an easier basketball route. We want traditional rivalries back. The ASUN is nothing but DI newbies and never beens. Before FGCU made a run in the NCAA's, nobody had ever heard of them. They didn't even win the ASUN regular season and ETSU beat them. ETSU had a terrible year this year in basketball, but besides that we have been fine over the past 15 years.

Now, if you are talking about football, its true that we were around a .500 team every year, but that was because our president didn't want football and took away scholarships and funding, not giving us a chance to compete, and an excuse to cut the program. Our new president actually wants football and is going to fully fund the program. What on earth makes you think football would be worse this time around? With a new facility and a fully funded program that doesnt have to recruit 80% of it's players from the state of Tennessee, there is great potential for the program.

Good luck to ETSU. Always hated that they dropped football. How are they going to handle the millions in funding for football - raise student fees?