I was wondering if any Southern Miss fans recall when the school was invited into the Metro Conference? I know it was 1982 and they replaced St. Louis, but I haven't found many articles on the subject. I know USM was an independent before that. I'm just curious as to the story behind joining the league.

Also, I noticed from 1962 to 1973 straight, USM hosted Richmond in football (actually '72 and '73 were at Richmond). The teams met four more times in the late 70's and early 80's. I think it's a strange annual match-up because the two programs aren't located anywhere near each other and weren't in the same conference. Were the coaches friends or something? They haven't met in basketball as far as I know.

How AD Roland Dale pulled that off, I have no idea, but it was huge.

Who was that great Richmond running back back then? Oh yeah, Barry Redden. Different era of football, but Richmond was somewhat good back then.

The Spiders did have a head coach from Southern Miss (Jim Tait). He may have had a hand in that...

BTW I was at the UorR UNC Football upset of 1978 (@ Richmond). Jeff Nixon had a big game. Richmond was 3 - 8 that year with wins over UNC and Cincinnati. Times have changed.

(04-04-2019 02:23 PM)esayem Wrote:  I was wondering if any Southern Miss fans recall when the school was invited into the Metro Conference? I know it was 1982 and they replaced St. Louis, but I haven't found many articles on the subject. I know USM was an independent before that. I'm just curious as to the story behind joining the league.

Also, I noticed from 1962 to 1973 straight, USM hosted Richmond in football (actually '72 and '73 were at Richmond). The teams met four more times in the late 70's and early 80's. I think it's a strange annual match-up because the two programs aren't located anywhere near each other and weren't in the same conference. Were the coaches friends or something? They haven't met in basketball as far as I know.

From what I've heard/been told over the years, the Southern Miss AD at the time was good drinking buddies with an AD or 2 of other Metro conference teams and it was sort of a good ole boys networking deal.

Metro Conference (1982 thru 1991)
Southern Miss
Florida State
Tulane
Louisville
Memphis State
Cincinnati
South Carolina (joined 1983)

(04-04-2019 02:23 PM)esayem Wrote:  I was wondering if any Southern Miss fans recall when the school was invited into the Metro Conference? I know it was 1982 and they replaced St. Louis, but I haven't found many articles on the subject. I know USM was an independent before that. I'm just curious as to the story behind joining the league.

Also, I noticed from 1962 to 1973 straight, USM hosted Richmond in football (actually '72 and '73 were at Richmond). The teams met four more times in the late 70's and early 80's. I think it's a strange annual match-up because the two programs aren't located anywhere near each other and weren't in the same conference. Were the coaches friends or something? They haven't met in basketball as far as I know.

Back in those days the schools were organized primarily into what was called "major" and "small college". To be classified as "major" a school had to play at least six or seven of what was then a ten game schedule against other "major" colleges. The Southern Conference, of which Richmond was a member, was classified as major and included the likes of Richmond, Citadel, Va Tech, VMI, George Washington, William & Mary, etal. USM scheduled and played a lot of those schools a lot of the time in order to meet the standards. We were up and coming like Memphis State at the time (fact is we played Memphis twice in one season-they needed us as major so they could meet their schedule requirements).

Actually, we played Memphis State twice because both of us couldn’t find anyone who would play us then...

(04-04-2019 08:35 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  Actually, we played Memphis State twice because both of us couldn’t find anyone who would play us then...

We couldnt find any "major" teams to play. There were plenty of lower level teams that chomped at the bits to schedule us but they wouldnt help us maintain the major team class.

Thanks for the info!

(04-04-2019 03:31 PM)Bleacher Eagle Wrote:  Metro Conference (1982 thru 1991)
Southern Miss
Florida State
Tulane
Louisville
Memphis State
Cincinnati
South Carolina (joined 1983)

VA Tech was part of the Metro, right?

(04-05-2019 12:12 PM)va-eagle Wrote:  

(04-04-2019 03:31 PM)Bleacher Eagle Wrote:  Metro Conference (1982 thru 1991)
Southern Miss
Florida State
Tulane
Louisville
Memphis State
Cincinnati
South Carolina (joined 1983)

VA Tech was part of the Metro, right?

Yes they were. Southern Miss had some very memorable basketball games vs the Hokies when they had Bimbo Coles and Wally Lancaster in the late 80s.

(04-05-2019 01:02 PM)Eagleholic Wrote:  

(04-05-2019 12:12 PM)va-eagle Wrote:  

(04-04-2019 03:31 PM)Bleacher Eagle Wrote:  Metro Conference (1982 thru 1991)
Southern Miss
Florida State
Tulane
Louisville
Memphis State
Cincinnati
South Carolina (joined 1983)

VA Tech was part of the Metro, right?

Yes they were. Southern Miss had some very memorable basketball games vs the Hokies when they had Bimbo Coles and Wally Lancaster in the late 80s.

article from 2013
http://inside.hokiesports.com/issues/5.7...214aab.php

It was the winter of 1988, and both Louisville and Memphis State dominated Metro Conference basketball attention. It was the era of great players like Louisville’s Pervis Ellison and Memphis State’s Elliot Perry, with their high-profile, well-known coaches Denny Crum and Larry Finch.

So many expected just another ordinary conference game when Tech and Southern Miss got together on a February afternoon at Cassell Coliseum. But the two programs were out to make points:

Literally and figuratively.

On a chilly Saturday afternoon, the game between the Hokies and the Golden Eagles turned into a near four-hour sprint that bordered on insanity. Points were scored at a dizzying pace, and the wild action left players, coaches and fans exhausted at its conclusion.

It also left those in attendance near speechless. Words used to describe the game were “terrific,” “awesome,” “unbelievable,” and “great.” Yet those adjectives fail miserably to capture a performance that saw at least 13 records fall and one that has never been duplicated. In fact, no Tech team has come close.

On Feb. 6, 1988, the Hokies outlasted Southern Miss 141-133 in double overtime. The game turned out to be the highest-scoring game in Tech history.

Twenty-five years later, it still is – and the records set that day, quite honestly, may never be broken.

The Hokies looked to be in trouble, though. Just a few weeks earlier, the Golden Eagles blew out Tech in Hattiesburg, Miss., by a 127-102 count. At the time, the 127 points tied for the most ever allowed by a Tech team.

Lancaster fouled out at the 3:33 mark of the first overtime, with the Hokies trailing by two. The redshirt junior scored a career-high 39 points, hitting 13 of 29 from the floor, including five 3-pointers.
Coles finished with a career-high 51 points – just one short of Allan Bristow’s single-game record of 52 points (vs. George Washington in 1973). Thirty-nine of those points came in the second half and the two overtimes and 10 came after Lancaster fouled out. Coles hit 16 of 30 from the floor for the game, including a 3-pointer. He made 18 of 27 from the free-throw line. For good measure, he dished out 11 assists, thus accounting for 73 of the Hokies’ 141 points.

I remember watching that game on TV. USM had one of our finest teams. Keys, Fischer, Hamilton, and White could hit from anywhere. Best 3-point-shooting team we've probably ever had.

I still have the 127-102 game on vhs. Wildest Saturday afternoon ever at the Yurt.