Will the Sun Belt have enough Soccer Programs to reasonably jump start that sport?

If this can happen, and the Sun Belt manages to convince others to ditch C-USA for a tighter footprint (SEC schools), the Sun Belt could end up being the best G5 football program and the preeminent soccer conference (not sure where the ACC stands), I'd assume.

As a growing sport in the U.S., that would imply to me that Gill and Sun Belt Member Leadership have been playing Chess while everyone else was playing checkers. The ability to nab two good Mid-Major G5 programs, the defending National Champion in Soccer, programs with the history and growth potential of Southern Miss (their downfall coincided with the loss of ESPN), and the best FCS program with a nationally ranked softball team is all huge.

In terms of the ability for a G5 conference to better their athletics programs across the board, it doesn't get much better than that.

At one time, the Cajuns were independent in softball. The Cajuns have been an elite softball program for years. Instead of trying to farm out the softball team to another conference, the Cajuns and other schools that wanted softball made it a conference sport. At first it was bad (other than Louisiana,) but over the years it has morphed into a very nice softball league. It sounds like the same thing can happen with soccer.

Can we get Keith Gill an award for best conference commissioner? He's the Greg Sankey of the G5. It should be him holding up a sun while standing on a map of the US with one foot in San Marcos and one in Harrisonburg.

(10-22-2021 05:33 PM)lelandhardy Wrote:  Can we get Keith Gill an award for best conference commissioner? He's the Greg Sankey of the G5. It should be him holding up a sun while standing on a map of the US with one foot in San Marcos and one in Harrisonburg.

If all of this goes through, yes.

I'm not sure if any App fans know but is App State going to bring back men's soccer? It was cut due to COVID and perhaps once revenues have stabilized they can bring it back. I know it's not a money maker yet but Soccer is one of the fastest growing athletics activities in the U.S. and not having a team while residing in one of the premier soccer conferences would be a little strange.

If we can get UK/WVU/South Carolina to join with the 6 SBC schools then we would be anywhere from 2nd-4th best conference depending on the year. That's immediately by the way. Current Top 25 SBC teams under that scenario.

#3 Marshall
#4 UK
#23 JMU
#25 WVU

Coastal was ranked earlier in the year as well.

We could also potentially get FIU as an affiliate seeing as how CUSA soccer would be dead at that point. FIU is #17.

Then I'm 100% confident that Ga St will have a Top 25 program in the immediate future and possibly a Top 10 program in the future. The soccer facilities they just built are some of the best in the country, if not the very best.

(10-22-2021 05:42 PM)herdfan129 Wrote:  If we can get UK/WVU/South Carolina to join with the 6 SBC schools then we would be anywhere from 2nd-4th best conference depending on the year. That's immediately by the way. Current Top 25 SBC teams under that scenario.

#3 Marshall
#4 UK
#23 JMU
#25 WVU

Coastal was ranked earlier in the year as well.

We could also potentially get FIU as an affiliate seeing as how CUSA soccer would be dead at that point. FIU is #17.

Then I'm 100% confident that Ga St will have a Top 25 program in the immediate future and possibly a Top 10 program in the future. The soccer facilities they just built are some of the best in the country, if not the very best.

Does anyone have any sources to know what, if anything, is in play with Soccer? I feel that's been lost in the football hooplah. The Sun Belt would have a great footprint for Soccer with some traditional rivalries built in that may help drive fan interest.

There would be 6 core members sponsoring the sport...

Marshall
JMU
ODU
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State

Kentucky moved with Marshall from the MAC to CUSA soccer in the past. WVU had recently announced a move from the MAC to C-USA for next season, but that could be in jeopardy now if the MAC needs to find two members. Additionally, South Carolina would be a CUSA affiliate member needing to find a home from C-USA as well.

UCF and FIU are both perennial Top 25 soccer programs that are now currently homeless due to conference shifts. There are 5 really strong affiliates member candidates that are available that align closer than SunBelt geography than any other conference.