survivor Wrote:You would suggest that Charlotte should never create a football program from scratch and just expect to have basketball, etc. to be protected in future conference configurations?

No, but I am suggesting that Charlotte-- students, alums, fans, donors, etc.-- go into this with its eyes wide-open. And that goes for your wallets, too.

Quote:Charlotte should create a football program for the sake of creating a football program... Charlotte could be in a situation where it has incredibly successful basketball teams year after year ... but in the end, still get dumped in a suck-ass conference. ... Like Conference USA! ... ....only teasing.

Actually you're not far wrong. Making ends meet in C-USA, year-in and year-out, *is* a stiff challenge. To say nothing of the Sun Belt or the MAC or whatever. And if Charlotte would be okay with something like that, then by all means go ahead at full speed.

There is an upside to a college having a "big-time" football program. Those of us in the South, especially, understand this from childhood. But there is a downside, too. The rise of the Cartel has greatly magnified both halves of the equation, and for a university that is not yet committed one way or the other, the urgent necessity of studying all the pros and cons cannot be emphasized too strongly. That, really, is the advice I would give to Charlotte, or Georgia State, or ODU, or anyone else who is thinking about making this jump. It would be one thing if the Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference called Charlotte's Chancellor and said, "Let's do this starting in 2014" or whenever. But in the absence of such a promise, it really is a huge gamble. Make sure that you can afford to pay if it doesn't turn out like you hope.