Just posted on EKU athletic website is this ASUN FAQ
https://ekusports.com/sports/2021/1/24/a...rence-faqs
They will be looking for a 6th school in the next phase of expansion to start football.
"Liberty will remain an FBS independent. Stetson will remain a member of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League (PFL). No ASUN member has plans to add football. "
Good for the ASun getting this first step done.
My gut is now they begin to work on UTC and any other SoCon publics that want to join too.
This part will be a bit tougher as UTC has already turned down the SunBelt and the OVC in the past.
What the OVC does next will be very interesting
Well, I guess WIU is going to the OVC now. I wonder who the other replacement will be?
(01-25-2021 07:25 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]Well, I guess WIU is going to the OVC now. I wonder who the other replacement will be?
There are no other good football school additions
If I were Belmont I would push for WIU and a Lipscomb/Robert Morris football affiliate combo.
1 for the Western flank and 1 for the central TN schools. Football remains at 9.
(01-25-2021 07:29 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:25 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]Well, I guess WIU is going to the OVC now. I wonder who the other replacement will be?
There are no other good football school additions
If I were Belmont I would push for WIU and a Lipscomb/Robert Morris football affiliate combo.
1 for the Western flank and 1 for the central TN schools. Football remains at 9.
If I were Belmont, I'd be begging the MVC for a lifeline.
Belmont and Murray St will most likely be the ones leading the replacement search (or at least be the ones with the loudest voices). I expect them to make basketball oriented moves. I do think they need to bring in a football school to keep football participation at 8 or more.
I also wonder if any of this new OVC instability is causing Tenn St to rethink their position—either in terms of joining the SWAC or ASUN.
I don't think the OVC is in that bad shape for the SWAC to be an upgrade over it.
(01-25-2021 07:56 AM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:29 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:25 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]Well, I guess WIU is going to the OVC now. I wonder who the other replacement will be?
There are no other good football school additions
If I were Belmont I would push for WIU and a Lipscomb/Robert Morris football affiliate combo.
1 for the Western flank and 1 for the central TN schools. Football remains at 9.
If I were Belmont, I'd be begging the MVC for a lifeline.
Belmont already turned down the MVC.
They like their bus league.
Keeping Belmont happy means keeping both Belmont and Murray St from the MVC.
(01-25-2021 07:56 AM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:29 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:25 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]Well, I guess WIU is going to the OVC now. I wonder who the other replacement will be?
There are no other good football school additions
If I were Belmont I would push for WIU and a Lipscomb/Robert Morris football affiliate combo.
1 for the Western flank and 1 for the central TN schools. Football remains at 9.
If I were Belmont, I'd be begging the MVC for a lifeline.
That’s a good point—this hit might be enough for Belmont and Murray St to finally go to the MVC.
This would drop the OVC to 6 fb/8 Olympic. At that point, I think you have a lot of schools feeling worried, and a few, like Tenn St, in a position to improve their situation.
A demise of the OVC may be the scenario the MEAC schools have hoped to happen.
This is pretty big when Eastern Kentucky has played in the OVC since 1948 decides to make a jump as founding member of the OVC to another conference.
They must think a chance at FBS in the ASun is very real.
Jacksonville St hasn't been in the OVC nearly as long, is on the edge of the conference geographically and is not as much of a conference symbol.
Liberty must feel much better about its ASun membership with the addition of these to the ASun roster. Them with UCA brings ASun membership up to 12.
(01-25-2021 08:20 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:56 AM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:29 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:25 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]Well, I guess WIU is going to the OVC now. I wonder who the other replacement will be?
There are no other good football school additions
If I were Belmont I would push for WIU and a Lipscomb/Robert Morris football affiliate combo.
1 for the Western flank and 1 for the central TN schools. Football remains at 9.
If I were Belmont, I'd be begging the MVC for a lifeline.
That’s a good point—this hit might be enough for Belmont and Murray St to finally go to the MVC.
This would drop the OVC to 6 fb/8 Olympic. At that point, I think you have a lot of schools feeling worried, and a few, like Tenn St, in a position to improve their situation.
I wouldnt think so. Jax St. was the outlier and a school that prioritized football. Losing EKU stings, but from a certain point of view it could be an opportunity for Belmont
(01-25-2021 07:09 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ]Good for the ASun getting this first step done.
My gut is now they begin to work on UTC and any other SoCon publics that want to join too.
This part will be a bit tougher as UTC has already turned down the SunBelt and the OVC in the past.
What the OVC does next will be very interesting
I can’t figure out why a move would benefit UTC. Kennesaw and Lipscomb are a couple hours away each, but the SoCon holds more prestige.
(01-25-2021 08:49 AM)esayem Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:09 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ]Good for the ASun getting this first step done.
My gut is now they begin to work on UTC and any other SoCon publics that want to join too.
This part will be a bit tougher as UTC has already turned down the SunBelt and the OVC in the past.
What the OVC does next will be very interesting
I can’t figure out why a move would benefit UTC. Kennesaw and Lipscomb are a couple hours away each, but the SoCon holds more prestige.
It will be a tough sell for sure, especially since the SoCon is booming right now.
(01-25-2021 08:49 AM)esayem Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 07:09 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ]Good for the ASun getting this first step done.
My gut is now they begin to work on UTC and any other SoCon publics that want to join too.
This part will be a bit tougher as UTC has already turned down the SunBelt and the OVC in the past.
What the OVC does next will be very interesting
I can’t figure out why a move would benefit UTC. Kennesaw and Lipscomb are a couple hours away each, but the SoCon holds more prestige.
Prestige in the bottom leagues is only known by junkies if it exist at all.
Basketball may have a few more than football with prestige but the P5 is where it starts and ends with the causal fan.
Time for Belmont to go to the SoCon
(01-25-2021 06:57 AM)Stugray2 Wrote: [ -> ]Just posted on EKU athletic website is this ASUN FAQ
https://ekusports.com/sports/2021/1/24/a...rence-faqs
They will be looking for a 6th school in the next phase of expansion to start football.
"Liberty will remain an FBS independent. Stetson will remain a member of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League (PFL). No ASUN member has plans to add football. "
That link is a big fat 404.
(01-25-2021 06:57 AM)Stugray2 Wrote: [ -> ]Just posted on EKU athletic website is this ASUN FAQ
https://ekusports.com/sports/2021/1/24/a...rence-faqs
They will be looking for a 6th school in the next phase of expansion to start football.
"Liberty will remain an FBS independent. Stetson will remain a member of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League (PFL). No ASUN member has plans to add football. "
If that was on the EKU website, it's gone now.......
(01-25-2021 09:41 AM)The Cats Wrote: [ -> ] (01-25-2021 06:57 AM)Stugray2 Wrote: [ -> ]Just posted on EKU athletic website is this ASUN FAQ
https://ekusports.com/sports/2021/1/24/a...rence-faqs
They will be looking for a 6th school in the next phase of expansion to start football.
"Liberty will remain an FBS independent. Stetson will remain a member of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League (PFL). No ASUN member has plans to add football. "
If that was on the EKU website, it's gone now.......
Is this "April Fools Day"?????????
I also noticed it was gone now. Perhaps EKU pulled the trigger a bit early? Is there a confirmation elsewhere? I can only find stories about UCA realigning from their AD's comments last week after the WAC announcement.