Perhaps the Southland should look at men's volleyball if they need a new team sport? Surely they can come up with what, 4.5 scholarships for it?? Might be a cheap alternative for tennis.

They are fine on team sports.

The MEAC is the one short, as they don't have a 3rd men's team sport

(06-23-2021 07:38 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  They are fine on team sports.

The MEAC is the one short, as they don't have a 3rd men's team sport

Right—and the sport they are short in, baseball, is sponsored by 31 out of 32 DI conferences. It’s awfully hard to find associate members to get back to 6 when there’s no one looking for a conference home. Sacramento St is happily in the WAC; N Colorado just became the Summit’s 6th baseball school.

(06-23-2021 07:38 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  They are fine on team sports.

The MEAC is the one short, as they don't have a 3rd men's team sport

But if the Southland loses another football school and is forced to become a non-football conference then they will need to add another team sport. That's where the men's volleyball comment comes in. It's probably easier for the conference to start men's volleyball from scratch than it would be to add the needed men's soccer teams to the two the SLC already has.

(06-23-2021 08:55 PM)AZcats Wrote:  

(06-23-2021 07:38 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  They are fine on team sports.

The MEAC is the one short, as they don't have a 3rd men's team sport

But if the Southland loses another football school and is forced to become a non-football conference then they will need to add another team sport. That's where the men's volleyball comment comes in. It's probably easier for the conference to start men's volleyball from scratch than it would be to add the needed men's soccer teams to the two the SLC already has.

No SLC schools have Men's Volleyball. Non starter.

If you are truly looking for an insurance sport, Men's Soccer makes more sense. UIW and HBU already sponsor the sport and several more schools have women's soccer already, so it's easier and cheaper to start. You don't impact the gym schedule, since it's outdoors. I would suggest an OVC partnership, as Belmont, EIU and SIUE have the sport playing in other conferences. You only need a couple of the Louisiana schools to start it to get to 6.

If you lose another football school the conference probably scatters anyway. You'll quickly see one or two of the remaining going to the OVC or ASUN. After that probably one or two of the orphans left behind will simply drop to D-II, and one or two try to soldier on as an Independent. So what's the point?

The good news is nobody really has much interest in any SLC schools. There is pretty much zero confidence in the Louisiana school system to financially support them, and the small privates are not of much interest either. Maybe if the OVC gets raided again there will be some interest, but right now pretty much zero. That means there is time to work on a D-II move up.

Better to spend time figuring out how to get Golf, Tennis and Beach Volleyball back to AQ numbers (look at OVC again for Beach Volleyball, as two are Independents). Golf I think is the easiest, as there are some unattached schools you can invite to your conference golf tournament. Men's Tennis is the tough one.

(06-24-2021 02:10 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  

(06-23-2021 08:55 PM)AZcats Wrote:  

(06-23-2021 07:38 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  They are fine on team sports.

The MEAC is the one short, as they don't have a 3rd men's team sport

But if the Southland loses another football school and is forced to become a non-football conference then they will need to add another team sport. That's where the men's volleyball comment comes in. It's probably easier for the conference to start men's volleyball from scratch than it would be to add the needed men's soccer teams to the two the SLC already has.

No SLC schools have Men's Volleyball. Non starter.

If you are truly looking for an insurance sport, Men's Soccer makes more sense. UIW and HBU already sponsor the sport and several more schools have women's soccer already, so it's easier and cheaper to start. You don't impact the gym schedule, since it's outdoors. I would suggest an OVC partnership, as Belmont, EIU and SIUE have the sport playing in other conferences. You only need a couple of the Louisiana schools to start it to get to 6.

If you lose another football school the conference probably scatters anyway. You'll quickly see one or two of the remaining going to the OVC or ASUN. After that probably one or two of the orphans left behind will simply drop to D-II, and oe or two try to soldier on as an Independent. So what's the point?

The good news is nobody really has much interest in any SLC schools. There is pretty much zero confidence in the Louisiana school system to financially support them, and the small privates are not of much interest either. Maybe if the OVC gets raided again there will be some interest, but right now pretty much zero. That means there is time to work on a D-II move up.

Better to spend time figuring out how to get Golf, Tennis and Beach Volleyball back to AQ numbers (look at OVC again for Beach Volleyball, as two are Independents). Golf I think is the easiest, as there are some unattached schools you can invite to your conference golf tournament. Men's Tennis is the tough one.

Excellent thought!!

Working with the OVC is a great idea to survive if needbe since both are on or near the brink

If push came to shove the Southland could sponsor football and the OVC could sponsor soccer.

This would allow the OVC to focus on more basketball focuses schools that may not sponsor football to please Belmont

If needed a Southland-OVC alliance makes a lot of sense

Ok, I concede; ^^^ those are top solutions. On a D2 joining the SLC, it may happen but the chances are pretty slim.

Looks like the Southland has shored up their golf shortcomings on the men’s side. Still need another school in women’s golf and one more school in men’s tennis

MEAC Men's Golf was:

Augusta (affiliate)
Howard
UMES
NC Central
NC A&T (gone)
BCU (gone)
Florida A&M (gone)

Howard's women's golf is already going to affiliate with the NEC - men's probably would be welcomed.
Not sure if they would take UMES and NC Central as well, or maybe those will join the Southland as affiliates. Only need to show up for conference tournament.

I called it on MEAC women's golf and Francis Marion Men's Golf.

Now they only need one more Men's Tennis affiliate.

Hum, looks like MEAC Men's Golf joins the dead pile. Augusta was an associate member. They're down to three schools: Howard, UMES and NC Central. My guess is Howard's agreement with the NEC will likely see Men's Golf joining that conference. Not sure where UMEC and NC Central will park their Men's Golf. They must have a landing spot in mind, as I'm sure the SLC approached the MEAC schools as a whole.

I suspect the SLC will next target Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin for Beach Volleyball. No idea where they get a 6th for Men's Tennis.

The MEAC is in trouble, they need to find two more Baseball schools soon, or else the ones they have will look for homes elsewhere. And that leaves them one Men's team sport short of NCAA requirements for D-I conferences.

(06-27-2021 11:39 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Hum, looks like MEAC Men's Golf joins the dead pile. Augusta was an associate member. They're down to three schools: Howard, UMES and NC Central. My guess is Howard's agreement with the NEC will likely see Men's Golf joining that conference. Not sure where UMEC and NC Central will park their Men's Golf. They must have a landing spot in mind, as I'm sure the SLC approached the MEAC schools as a whole.

I suspect the SLC will next target Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin for Beach Volleyball. No idea where they get a 6th for Men's Tennis.

The MEAC is in trouble, they need to find two more schools soon, or else the ones they have will look for homes elsewhere. And that leaves them one Men's team sport short of NCAA requirements for D-I conferences.

Golf and tennis aren't team sports. The MEAC is technically fine as is in terms of men's team sports with 6 football schools and 8 men's basketball schools. Although if they do lose another FB member, they need two more men's team sports besides basketball, and they of course do not have any others.

I forgot the word baseball for the sport with only four schools. corrected it.

MEAC has only Football and Men's Basketball as team sports. They need a 3rd Men's team sport.

(06-28-2021 12:18 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(06-27-2021 11:39 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Hum, looks like MEAC Men's Golf joins the dead pile. Augusta was an associate member. They're down to three schools: Howard, UMES and NC Central. My guess is Howard's agreement with the NEC will likely see Men's Golf joining that conference. Not sure where UMEC and NC Central will park their Men's Golf. They must have a landing spot in mind, as I'm sure the SLC approached the MEAC schools as a whole.

I suspect the SLC will next target Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin for Beach Volleyball. No idea where they get a 6th for Men's Tennis.

The MEAC is in trouble, they need to find two more schools soon, or else the ones they have will look for homes elsewhere. And that leaves them one Men's team sport short of NCAA requirements for D-I conferences.

Golf and tennis aren't team sports. The MEAC is technically fine as is in terms of men's team sports with 6 football schools and 8 men's basketball schools. Although if they do lose another FB member, they need two more men's team sports besides basketball, and they of course do not have any others.

Exactly.

Which is why Chicago State is useless as even a warm body

1 more football school departure and the MEAC is in a terrible spot that I don't see how they overcome.

Howard, Delaware State, NC Central, Norfolk State and South Carolina State are all potential flight risks.

Morgan State is probably the only football school that is not a flight risk along with the non football schools of Coppin State and UMES

(06-24-2021 02:39 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Excellent thought!!

Working with the OVC is a great idea to survive if needbe since both are on or near the brink

If push came to shove the Southland could sponsor football and the OVC could sponsor soccer.

This would allow the OVC to focus on more basketball focuses schools that may not sponsor football to please Belmont

If needed a Southland-OVC alliance makes a lot of sense

Since the OVC will be down to 7 football schools and the Southland with just six --- it would also not be a bad idea for the six non-TSU (they have plenty of "classic options") schools in the OVC to play two games vs. the Southland. Would help both tremendously.

The best D2 move up idea/fit to me for the SLC would be West Florida. But they have supposedly been public that they are not interested

(06-27-2021 11:39 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Hum, looks like MEAC Men's Golf joins the dead pile. Augusta was an associate member. They're down to three schools: Howard, UMES and NC Central. My guess is Howard's agreement with the NEC will likely see Men's Golf joining that conference. Not sure where UMEC and NC Central will park their Men's Golf. They must have a landing spot in mind, as I'm sure the SLC approached the MEAC schools as a whole.

I suspect the SLC will next target Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin for Beach Volleyball. No idea where they get a 6th for Men's Tennis.

The MEAC is in trouble, they need to find two more Baseball schools soon, or else the ones they have will look for homes elsewhere. And that leaves them one Men's team sport short of NCAA requirements for D-I conferences.

The Big Sky will need more golf affiliates soon, with Southern Utah leaving and Hartford going D3.

(06-28-2021 09:28 AM)MemTGRS Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 02:39 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Excellent thought!!

Working with the OVC is a great idea to survive if needbe since both are on or near the brink

If push came to shove the Southland could sponsor football and the OVC could sponsor soccer.

This would allow the OVC to focus on more basketball focuses schools that may not sponsor football to please Belmont

If needed a Southland-OVC alliance makes a lot of sense

Since the OVC will be down to 7 football schools and the Southland with just six --- it would also not be a bad idea for the six non-TSU (they have plenty of "classic options") schools in the OVC to play two games vs. the Southland. Would help both tremendously.

The best D2 move up idea/fit to me for the SLC would be West Florida. But they have supposedly been public that they are not interested

That’s a great plan for the OVC and SLC. Everyone plays a home game and an away game in the deal,

(06-28-2021 09:58 AM)Inkblot Wrote:  

(06-27-2021 11:39 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Hum, looks like MEAC Men's Golf joins the dead pile. Augusta was an associate member. They're down to three schools: Howard, UMES and NC Central. My guess is Howard's agreement with the NEC will likely see Men's Golf joining that conference. Not sure where UMEC and NC Central will park their Men's Golf. They must have a landing spot in mind, as I'm sure the SLC approached the MEAC schools as a whole.

I suspect the SLC will next target Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin for Beach Volleyball. No idea where they get a 6th for Men's Tennis.

The MEAC is in trouble, they need to find two more Baseball schools soon, or else the ones they have will look for homes elsewhere. And that leaves them one Men's team sport short of NCAA requirements for D-I conferences.

The Big Sky will need more golf affiliates soon, with Southern Utah leaving and Hartford going D3.

Idaho, Sac St, Weber St, and N Colorado plus Binghamton, UMES, and NC Central for men’s golf would work. The 3 East Coast schools would only have to participate in the tournament.

I think Southland Men’s golf will be at the 6 team minimum.

(06-28-2021 12:39 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Bet on UMass-Lowell for the Big Sky Golf. They are also in the AEC as are Binghamton and exiting Hartford.

UMES might be a target of the MAAC which is also going down to 5 in women's golf with Hartford exiting D-I after this year. It's easier to find one conference home for both men and women -- one fewer meeting for the AD to attend.

UMass Lowell doesn't have men's golf, unless I missed the announcement.

(06-28-2021 01:11 PM)Inkblot Wrote:  

(06-28-2021 12:39 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Bet on UMass-Lowell for the Big Sky Golf. They are also in the AEC as are Binghamton and exiting Hartford.

UMES might be a target of the MAAC which is also going down to 5 in women's golf with Hartford exiting D-I after this year. It's easier to find one conference home for both men and women -- one fewer meeting for the AD to attend.

UMass Lowell doesn't have men's golf, unless I missed the announcement.

Your correct. I checked their athletic website, no golf. Looks like an error on my spreadsheet, my bad. MAAC also still has 7 women's golf, as they had a couple affiliates (Albany, Dayton) I didn't realize they had.

Yeah the Big Sky will have to do something next year. We'll see who's an orphan a year from now.