When Georgia Southern and App St were in the SoCon the league had a pretty strong identity as a top level FCS conference but with this years' stellar year in men's basketball maybe it's time to rebrand as a southern basketball league. The league used to be a 9/12 hybrid league and they should go back to that model and lure in two good basketball schools like Belmont and Lipscomb. Maybe some of the private schools like Furman and Wofford should switch to non-scholarship football like Davidson in order divert more resources to basketball.

(03-18-2019 04:09 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  When Georgia Southern and App St were in the SoCon the league had a pretty strong identity as a top level FCS conference but with this years' stellar year in men's basketball maybe it's time to rebrand as a southern basketball league. The league used to be a 9/12 hybrid league and they should go back to that model and lure in two good basketball schools like Belmont and Lipscomb. Maybe some of the private schools like Furman and Wofford should switch to non-scholarship football like Davidson in order divert more resources to basketball.

Quote:The league used to be a 9/12 hybrid league and they should go back to that model

Well, it possibly could work out fine depending on who they would add in BBall only. The public/private school balance must be kept. Losing Davidson and College of Charleston was a brief hiccup in basketball RPI. The SoCon nosedived about 5 years ago to be one of the worst leagues in D1. The re-adding of ETSU and an upswing by UNCG and Wofford has helped go from 28/29 RPI to 10/11 RPI.

Right now there are 6 public schools in the SoCon for Bball. I can't imagining them adding any school that would be interesting for Oly/BBall (UNCA, Radford), but adding Belmont (They're already a SoCon afflilate) might be possible.

Quote:Maybe some of the private schools like Furman and Wofford should switch to non-scholarship football like Davidson in order divert more resources to basketball.

I don't see that ever happening.

Everyone should expand, always.

(03-18-2019 04:09 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  When Georgia Southern and App St were in the SoCon the league had a pretty strong identity as a top level FCS conference but with this years' stellar year in men's basketball maybe it's time to rebrand as a southern basketball league. The league used to be a 9/12 hybrid league and they should go back to that model and lure in two good basketball schools like Belmont and Lipscomb. Maybe some of the private schools like Furman and Wofford should switch to non-scholarship football like Davidson in order divert more resources to basketball.

Never going to happen. Furman and Wofford are highly competitive in FCS football. Downgrading to non-scholarship FCS would be a death sentence for both athletic departments.

Belmont would make sense as an add. Private, good at basketball, in a major market, travel makes sense.

I would love the combo of UNCW and a returning CoC to restore the 9/12 socon

(03-18-2019 05:39 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Belmont would make sense as an add. Private, good at basketball, in a major market, travel makes sense.

I would love the combo of UNCW and a returning CoC to restore the 9/12 socon

From what I understand from my friends who follow SoCon schools Lucifer will be wearing long johns before CofC is admitted back in the SoCon.

(03-18-2019 05:48 PM)Kaplony Wrote:  

(03-18-2019 05:39 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Belmont would make sense as an add. Private, good at basketball, in a major market, travel makes sense.

I would love the combo of UNCW and a returning CoC to restore the 9/12 socon

From what I understand from my friends who follow SoCon schools Lucifer will be wearing long johns before CofC is admitted back in the SoCon.

The exit didnt go down so well?

(03-18-2019 05:49 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-18-2019 05:48 PM)Kaplony Wrote:  

(03-18-2019 05:39 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Belmont would make sense as an add. Private, good at basketball, in a major market, travel makes sense.

I would love the combo of UNCW and a returning CoC to restore the 9/12 socon

From what I understand from my friends who follow SoCon schools Lucifer will be wearing long johns before CofC is admitted back in the SoCon.

The exit didnt go down so well?

LoL, no.

A Belmont, Lipscomb, UNCW/Radford would be a good 3 add for the SoCon.

Belmont would give them 3 in Tennessee

UNCW would add a 3rd in NC

Lips/Radord a 2nd in VA.

W&M or Richmond would be the crown jewel though. They each probably have an unspoken open invitation, even though they have FB, which would make their round robin conference play go away, they would be the only schools that the rest of the conference would vote in to do such..

Belmont and UNCW would allow for travel partners

Samford-Mercer
Chattanooga-Western Carolina
Belmont-ETSU
Furman-Wofford
UNCG-VMI
UNCW-The Citadel

In a dream scenario, VCU, Davidson, Richmond, Charleston, UNC-W, UNC-G, Belmont, Libscomb, Furman, and Wofford all under one roof would make a neat league.

(03-18-2019 07:09 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  In a dream scenario, VCU, Davidson, Richmond, Charleston, UNC-W, UNC-G, Belmont, Libscomb, Furman, and Wofford all under one roof would make a neat league.

William and Mary would want in on that league

Southern Conference could grow into a mega-conference like they did in the old days. It might get more bids if they look at who they get.

A-Sun:
Liberty highly not likely
Lipscomb
FGCO
UNF
North Alabama (once a strong football and basketball school in D2 at one time)
The Florida schools would get them back in the state when this conference used to had Florida, Florida State and Miami at one time.

Big South:
Campbell
Radford
Gardner-Webb

MEAC:
North Carolina A&T with their football.

OVC:
Murray State
Belmont
Jacksonville State with their 24 wins season.

D2:
Bellarmine strong D2 men's program, already a SoCon's Men's LAX affiliate.
Lincoln Memorial strong D2 men's program.
University of Charleston would get them back into West Virginia. Similar private school like Samford and Furman.
Those three schools seem to have some better facilities than some D1 lower level schools. Bellarmine dumped a lot of money in upgrading their facilities to go D1.

Only thing is would be how many schools are willing to go D1 at the moment

(03-18-2019 06:00 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Belmont would give them 3 in Tennessee

UNCW would add a 3rd in NC

Lips/Radord a 2nd in VA.

W&M or Richmond would be the crown jewel though. They each probably have an unspoken open invitation, even though they have FB, which would make their round robin conference play go away, they would be the only schools that the rest of the conference would vote in to do such..

CAA to SoCon is a bit of a downgrade, though, no?

Yeah, we'd definitely rather be in the CAA than the SoCon

(03-18-2019 08:10 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(03-18-2019 06:00 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Belmont would give them 3 in Tennessee

UNCW would add a 3rd in NC

Lips/Radord a 2nd in VA.

W&M or Richmond would be the crown jewel though. They each probably have an unspoken open invitation, even though they have FB, which would make their round robin conference play go away, they would be the only schools that the rest of the conference would vote in to do such..

CAA to SoCon is a bit of a downgrade, though, no?

If I ran UNCW I'd rather be in the SoCon at this point. A round Robin 1 bid conference from Boston to Charleston is DUMB.

(03-18-2019 06:00 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Belmont would give them 3 in Tennessee

UNCW would add a 3rd in NC

Lips/Radord a 2nd in VA.

W&M or Richmond would be the crown jewel though. They each probably have an unspoken open invitation, even though they have FB, which would make their round robin conference play go away, they would be the only schools that the rest of the conference would vote in to do such..

Lipscomb, like Belmont, is in Nashville so adding the former wouldn’t increase the number of Virginia schools, nor do I think the SoCon would want both.

Add Belmont and UNC-Asheville and you get two additional non football schools in desirable tourist cities that are close to schools in the league already, UNCA to ETSU, Wofford, Furman and WCU would be super convenient and Belmont to Chattanooga, ETSU, Samford would also be easy.

(03-18-2019 08:35 PM)TDenverFan Wrote:  Yeah, we'd definitely rather be in the CAA than the SoCon

Even if JMU left??? SoCon might look pretty good then.

If not, here are a couple of other ideas:

See if they can pry Murray St. away from the OVC before the Horizon or the MVC has a chance to; or

Roll the dice with Norfolk State. It gets the SoCon into Virginia, albeit with an HBCU. The Big South pulled it off with Hampton, so it’s not without precedent though.

(03-18-2019 04:32 PM)Scoochpooch1 Wrote:  Everyone should expand, always.

There should be a 345 team conference.