(11-05-2011 09:03 AM)OldGrayDog Wrote:  I admit that I haven't read through the entire thread so the following my redundant. It may also be irrelevant, but I'm used to that position. I think that a move upwards would probably have to be to the SoCon if we want to do it within in the next 3 or 4 years simply based on facilities and fan base. I say 3 or 4 rather than 1 or 2 for one reason. It will take some time to re-establish a relationship with the other schools in the SoCon. Boring as it may be I'll share one story from the history of our leaving the SoCon. About a year before ETSU dropped football I had the occasion to visit with the president of Georgia Southern. I mentioned that he must know Paul Stanton since the SoCon presidents meet regularly. He told me that he had only met Stanton once but knew Wayne Andrews very well because Andrews always came to the meetings on behalf of the president. Roll ahead to when ETSU dropped football and then tired to stay in the SoCon. The SoCon's decision was made by one group and one group only - the presidents of the SoCon schools. Stanton went to their meeting asking to stay in citing Davidson as an example of a SoCon school without football. We know how that turned out. Perhaps if there had been a personal relationship with the other presidents things would have gone differently.

Bingo. Thank you for validating what I've been saying for 8 years. I know we'll both be accused of this being "our perception" but I'm glad to see that someone other than the 4 people I talked with from other SoCon schools and the Conference office also elaborated on details.