(05-11-2018 11:30 AM)brock20 Wrote:  

(05-11-2018 11:03 AM)Buc66 Wrote:  

(05-10-2018 08:58 PM)Efan Wrote:  Not taking the time to look up stats, but I think the SoCon blows the socks off the OVC in basketball. Overall, closer schools, arguably a notch better in football too, I prefer the SoCon.

At this juncture— yes, the SoCon. This “small privates” argument is not that big of a deal anymore. There are some very good privates in the SoCon. I believe that ETSU fans are more in tune with playing Furman, Wofford, etc., plus UTC, Western, UNCG than anybody in the current OVC, including Belmont. Is it possible to jack the SoCon up a notch or two? As for ETSU, there’s little justification to aspire for the Sun Belt, for example — with relation to the money involved. No matter where ETSU is, as all know, the bottom line is WINNING to keep them interested and coming. The ideal outcome down the road would be a compact regional universities conference, obviously. But, until then, what realistic choice does ETSU have except the SoCon?

The Socon started to have a better RPI than the OVC right at the time we got back in. As etsubuc said, if us and UTC left for the OVC then the RPI's probably flip flop.

I think ETSU's best course of action is to stay in the socon right now. Thats not to say its perfect. We are playing a lot of schools who dont have very many fans.

It comes down to this: who do you see being ETSU's peers in the future; App State/Marshall/MTSU or Wofford/Mercer/Furman?

Like I sad, a more compact regional universities conference. Yea, Marshall, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, App State, UNCC, ODU, CCU, Ga Southern, Ga State, Jacksonville State, UTC, JMU, ETSU, Western Carolina, Kennesaw State, Middle Tennessee. (other possibilities overlooked?)

With the Sun Belt starting division play in football this fall, could the east division be the beginning of a new regional conference that could be attractive to ETSU and other regional universities when the next reshuffle occurs? The SBC is now taking on the shape of two rather natural looking geographic football conferences with this common sense move.