(08-12-2022 03:55 PM)Yosef181 Wrote:  

(08-12-2022 03:41 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(08-12-2022 03:19 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(08-09-2022 10:01 AM)Sitting bull Wrote:  If I were in the So Con, my only concern would be the opportunities lost between Campbell and NC A&T. They both could have been decent future adds for them. As is, they have a nice, solid league that is currently stable.

SoCon is at the forefront of any CAA criticism I have, and the "wait it out" bit. Because I suspect all is not well within SoCon. I don't know about A&T or Campbell (I know another NC football program wouldn't hurt), but Hampton was a miss for them, imo. I would also love to know if the conference tried at all to pull all of Belmont over at any time before this move to MVC, instead of just offering an associate membership for soccer. And if they passed on Belmont for full membership...just ew.

So, I just can't believe SoCon is that hard of a proverbial nut to crack for CAA. But, then again, I'm sure there's some ill will from current SoCon members against its former ones who went to CAA (I'm thinking more Elon than CoC). Or, since we've heard about politics within CAA, maybe the current southern schools want no part or see little value in SoCon schools (and can hold CAA membership above them)?

As for CAA splitting...I wonder, at the point. The full-membership backfills/growth have brought football and lacrosse. It's not a conference that necessarily needs affiliate members in those sports anymore, though the associate football members do make the conference better.

The SoCon is happy with what they are.

They don't want a new large App St/Ga Southern style public school

All the schools like playing each other and its virtually a bus league.

Furman, the school the CAA wanted the most, is at the center of the conference, so why leave?

They should have tried to add Belmont if Belmont was interested, but Belmont may have wanted MVC

UNCG and Furman have both been sought after by the CAA and have rejected the Colonial

Well, UNCG is in the wrong conference then.

UNCG would fit much better in the new CAA South

But with the SoCons recent success in basketball and the previous $1M now $2M exit fee, it just didn't make sense to switch.

Like ECU and the AAC it just makes more sense for UNCG to stay put despite likely having a better cultural fit elsewhere