It looks like the new AD is hitting the ground immediately, searching for a conference that sponsors football. He's had preliminary discussions with the Ohio Valley and Southern Conferences...

http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story...ws_bullets

In a separate article yesterday, the MDJ cited "multiple sources" stating that Kevin Cantwell is the leading candidate for the head coaching position. I don't know how much stock I'd put in that -- perhaps Williams will take the search in a new direction. Cantwell would be a bizarre choice given how long he's been away from coaching (and since I'm not originally from the Atlanta area, I had to look him up to figure out who he is).

Not really excited about Cantwell to be honest. He is a retread that did not have much success as a head coach. I think we can do much better than that.

The Southern is the place to go....God that would be hilarious

Southern would be a good fit. We have what they want in Atlanta, they have what we want in a competitive basketball and football conference. Would be a good fit. One thing I don't like to see is for us to get pie in the sky with talks of Big East. That is crazy to talk about. The Southern conference would be a good fit for us, and hopefully that is where we end up.

The problem is, as far as I can tell, in order to get into the Southern someone is going to have to leave. Appalachian State would have to move up which they are considering. Otherwise I don't see that there is any room in the Southern. This leads me to think the OVC is the most likely of choices....which is still a better place to be than the A-sun.....but the Southern is definitely the desired location at this point.

I believe Gold is right, that getting into the SoCon could be tricky. However I don't believe it would be impossible. All we would need is to bring another school with us that the SoCon would certify as a worthy addition. The SoCon currently sits at 10/12 and could easily expand to 12/14. It would make the other sports scheduling a little tricky, but it would certainly be doable.

Possibly try working with Jacksonville State out of the OVC or Coastal Carolina or Winthrop out of the Big South. JSU and Coastal being the two you go to first. This keeps the conference local and gives both schools some geographical rivals. JSU (Samford, KSU) Coastal (Citadel and C of C)
While this scenario might be as KB says "a pie in the sky" dream in and of its self, it is a possibility.

The other conference that I would love to see us go into if we do not make the southern is the Colonial. If we are going to be traveling all over creation to play in the OVC or Big South, why not push for a conference with the potential to make a major rival out of Georgia State. Think we could sell them out every other year at our place, and then buy more tickets then their own fans in that vacant dome of theirs the next year. On top of that the CAA is about to lose a football member in Rhode Island. It also would give us the option of staying in the A-Sun for the rest of our sports and keeping things local if need be, or the better option in my opinion to go all sports and move up to the league with far better basketball schools than even the Southern.

That being said, these are more personal dreams and musings than anything. If I am being honest with myself I believe that the most logical places we will end up are the OVC and Big South. These are the conferences that would be more likely to take a risk on us and give us an invitation.

I believe the ovc would certainly offer. The big south is in my opinion undesirable.

I would be happy with the Southern Conference, although I reckon we'd get the %$*# kicked out of us in basketball for a while, probably wouldn't be quite so much a learning curve in other sports, especially baseball and the girls' soccer. It doesn't much matter where the football team plays, they'll definitely find the going tough in the first few years, and playing in a competitive conference might be the best way to attract recruits and get some good games into players.

Interesting to see where all this leads.

The step up in conference would lead to a step up in recruits. Couple that with Atlanta, and hopefully a dynamic new coach and I don't see our basketball competitiveness being a problem.

Agreed. As someone who has been around the SoCon for many years I can tell you the big difference between the SoCon and the A-sun is size and athletic ability. Kennesaw should start recruiting with that in mind right now. Personally, I think the AD hiring was a move in the right direction on this and I suspect the head coach he will hire will be someone who isn't on any of the early lists we've been debating over the last month. Could be wrong but that's what I suspect will happen.

I understand why you guys would like to join the SoCon. That's obviously the number one choice.

But I don't understand why you guys would consider the OVC over the Big South? Jacksonville State is looking to leave the OVC as soon as they can. If/when they do the conference will be made up of four teams in TN, but the rest will be in KY or IL. Wouldn't you guys rather play schools that are within driving distance for away games? Right now there are 3 VA schools in the Big South, but the rest of the schools are in NC and SC. All much more "driveable" than IL or KY.

I know this sounds weird coming from a fan who's team will be playing football in the CAA - and closest opponents will be in VA and farthest opponents being up in Maine. But, we aren't in a position to change decisions that were made before we added football. But if I could I would. But you guys are, so why not the Big South?

I think that we should honestly be Southern Conference or bust. OVC and Big South are both very undesirable to me for many reasons. The Southern is the perfect fit for us, and to be honest I think we are the perfect fit for them.

GSP, good seeing you again. How are things on campus now that football is at GSU? Any noticeable changes in student life? I'd like to see KSU get a good uptick in publicity like your school has enjoyed from AJC and others.

KB, the only problem with the SoCon is that they already have an even number teams making for easy scheduling. They also have a precedent of only taking schools with established football programs. That is why I only think that they will take us if they can find another member to join with us. They are also the premier name in FCS football. They hold all the cards, and can do as they please.

That is not saying that i am against moving to the SoCon. In fact I believe that would be our best option. I also know that I will be happy no matter where we end up our first few years, as long as we have footballs on Saturday at KSU.

Quote:They also have a precedent of only taking schools with established football programs

Samford and Elon had established football programs? They were the last 2 teams that the SoCon has taken in and they were nobodys.

(04-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nick M Wrote:  GSP, good seeing you again. How are things on campus now that football is at GSU? Any noticeable changes in student life? I'd like to see KSU get a good uptick in publicity like your school has enjoyed from AJC and others.

Well, as an alum I'm not really on campus much anymore, but from what I am hearing things are really good. We had a good showing for our second spring game, and things seem to be going in the direction at State. I like our coverage in the AJC, 5 years ago I would have never imagined getting what we are getting today.

Anyway, I saw a column about the article on SBNation - you guys have a page there - http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/...aw-st-owls - and thought I would come over here to see you guys' reactions. Was also curious as to why everyone seems to be down on the Big South? Especially compared to the option of the OVC?

ETSUfan

I should have clarified what I meant by established. They are going to want to know that a school has sticking power in football. They seem to be a little skeptical after a certain program backed out on them. They also know that while that program was established already, that new programs are even more susceptible to quitting. So it is not about how good a program is, its commitment to the future that they are worried about.

KB is right that it would be Southern or bust if I was in charge. Which would probably mean you have to develop football and wait it out for a while. Big South and OVC are noticeable step downs from the A-Sun. You could argue Big South is more lateral, but not the OVC.

Ovc the conference who has posted consecutive wins in ncaa a step down? I call horse dung.

Assuming that Jacksonville State leaves which is what some people are suggesting, the OVC is full of teams significantly north of Kennesaw. We are a southern school. That is part of our identity. We have no common thread with schools in Illinois, or with a conference named Ohio Valley - yet they have no schools in Ohio in the conference.

It is key to maintain your identity as a school and not reach just because a conference might be a little better competition (cough Georgia State joining the Colonial). We wait, play football as an independent and figure out a way to work into the Southern in my opinion. We are just as desirable to them as they are to us. It won't take long to find a workable solution. We give them something that no other school outside of Georgia State can offer...access to the Atlanta market. It is a huge pull.