College of Charleston making their move to the CAA official earlier got me thinking about the various possibilities for ETSU, and, really, we could end up anywhere, even assuming that FBS is off the table for the foreseeable future. All of the conferences that ETSU could realistically hope to get into have or will have openings for teams in the near future. The possible promise of an extra football school just makes ETSU that much more enticing to another conference, IMO (and I don't think that's a unique opinion here or anywhere else).

So, with all of that said, and with all of the options laid out in front of you, which conference is the best fit for ETSU? I've listed them and their memberships below, noting geography where it isn't obvious. Non-football schools are (in parentheses), and non-scholarship schools are noted where applicable. Football-only members are noted with an asterisk (*). The schools are listed in no particular order, though I did try to group non-football schools together.

Source for football.
Source for basketball (as of 12/7/12).
Source for baseball (for 2011-12 season).

Colonial Athletic Association
Football NPI - 71.69, 2nd of 13
Basketball RPI - 0.4713, 24th of 33
Baseball RPI - 0.4973, 18th of 32

Delaware
William & Mary, Virginia
James Madison, Virginia
Towson, Maryland
(George Mason)
(Hofstra, New York)
(North Carolina-Wilmington)
(Northeastern, Massachusetts)
(Drexel, Pennsylvania)
(College of Charleston, South Carolina)
Albany, New York*
Stony Brook, New York*
Villanova, Pennsylvania*
New Hampshire*
Maine*
Rhode Island*
Richmond, Virginia*

Southern Conference
Football NPI - 70.48, 4th
Basketball RPI - 0.4206, 29th
Baseball RPI - 0.5247, 7th

Appalachian State, North Carolina
Georgia Southern
Wofford, South Carolina
Furman, South Carolina
Elon, North Carolina
Citadel, South Carolina
Western Carolina, North Carolina
Tennessee-Chattanooga
Samford, Alabama
Davidson, North Carolina (Non-Scholarship)
(North Carolina-Greensboro)


Big South Conference
Football NPI - 61.58, 13th
Basketball RPI - 0.3973, 32nd
Baseball RPI - 0.4986, 17th

Charleston Southern, South Carolina
Coastal Carolina, South Carolina
Gardner-Webb, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
Liberty, Virginia
Presbyterian, South Carolina
Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
Campbell, North Carolina (Non-Scholarship)
(Winthrop, South Carolina)
(Longwood, Virginia)
(Radford, Virginia)
(North Carolina-Asheville)


Ohio Valley Conference
Football NPI - 69.16, 6th
Basketball RPI - 0.4837, 17th
Baseball RPI - 0.4784, 20th

Murray State, Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky
Morehead State, Kentucky (Non-Scholarship)
Austin Peay State, Tennessee
Tennessee-Martin
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee State
Jacksonville State, Alabama
Eastern Illinois
Southeast Missouri State
(Southern Illinois-Edwardsville)
(Belmont, Tennessee)


Atlantic Sun Conference
Football NPI - No Football Championship
Basketball RPI - 0.4375, 26th
Baseball RPI - 0.5177, 10th

Kennesaw State, Georgia
Mercer, Georgia (Non-Scholarship)
Stetson, Florida (Non-Scholarship)
Jacksonvllle, Florida (Non-Scholarship)
(Florida Gulf Coast)
(Northern Kentucky)
(Lipscomb, Tennessee)
(South Carolina-Upstate)
(North Florida)

(12-08-2012 01:49 AM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  College of Charleston making their move to the CAA official earlier got me thinking about the various possibilities for ETSU, and, really, we could end up anywhere, even assuming that FBS is off the table for the foreseeable future. All of the conferences that ETSU could realistically hope to get into have or will have openings for teams in the near future. The possible promise of an extra football school just makes ETSU that much more enticing to another conference, IMO (and I don't think that's a unique opinion here or anywhere else).

So, with all of that said, and with all of the options laid out in front of you, which conference is the best fit for ETSU? I've listed them and their memberships below, noting geography where it isn't obvious. Non-football schools are (in parentheses), and non-scholarship schools are noted where applicable. Football-only members are noted with an asterisk (*). The schools are listed in no particular order, though I did try to group non-football schools together.

Source for football.
Source for basketball (as of 12/7/12).
Source for baseball (for 2011-12 season).

Colonial Athletic Association
Football NPI - 71.69, 2nd of 13
Basketball RPI - 0.4713, 24th of 33
Baseball RPI - 0.4973, 18th of 32

Delaware
William & Mary, Virginia
James Madison, Virginia
Towson, Maryland
(George Mason)
(Hofstra, New York)
(North Carolina-Wilmington)
(Northeastern, Massachusetts)
(Drexel, Pennsylvania)
(College of Charleston, South Carolina)
Albany, New York*
Stony Brook, New York*
Villanova, Pennsylvania*
New Hampshire*
Maine*
Rhode Island*
Richmond, Virginia*

Southern Conference
Football NPI - 70.48, 4th
Basketball RPI - 0.4206, 29th
Baseball RPI - 0.5247, 7th

Appalachian State, North Carolina
Georgia Southern
Wofford, South Carolina
Furman, South Carolina
Elon, North Carolina
Citadel, South Carolina
Western Carolina, North Carolina
Tennessee-Chattanooga
Samford, Alabama
Davidson, North Carolina (Non-Scholarship)
(North Carolina-Greensboro)


Big South Conference
Football NPI - 61.58, 13th
Basketball RPI - 0.3973, 32nd
Baseball RPI - 0.4986, 17th

Charleston Southern, South Carolina
Coastal Carolina, South Carolina
Gardner-Webb, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
Liberty, Virginia
Presbyterian, South Carolina
Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
Campbell, North Carolina (Non-Scholarship)
(Winthrop, South Carolina)
(Longwood, Virginia)
(Radford, Virginia)
(North Carolina-Asheville)


Ohio Valley Conference
Football NPI - 69.16, 6th
Basketball RPI - 0.4837, 17th
Baseball RPI - 0.4784, 20th

Murray State, Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky
Morehead State, Kentucky (Non-Scholarship)
Austin Peay State, Tennessee
Tennessee-Martin
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee State
Jacksonville State, Alabama
Eastern Illinois
Southeast Missouri State
(Southern Illinois-Edwardsville)
(Belmont, Tennessee)


Atlantic Sun Conference
Football NPI - No Football Championship
Basketball RPI - 0.4375, 26th
Baseball RPI - 0.5177, 10th

Kennesaw State, Georgia
Mercer, Georgia (Non-Scholarship)
Stetson, Florida (Non-Scholarship)
Jacksonvllle, Florida (Non-Scholarship)
(Florida Gulf Coast)
(Northern Kentucky)
(Lipscomb, Tennessee)
(South Carolina-Upstate)
(North Florida)

nice job with this!

going back to the socon would be the feel good option. but that conference is about to get blowed up with up to 5 leaving. ovc is stabel with strong competition in fball and bball. big south would be a couple steps up from asun only because of fball and geography not bball. caa---basketb yes,,,,,,,,,fball no thanks to travel to maine. asun is for stantonheads and mullinmorons

my vote is ovc if we get football back, caa if we mistakenly stay bball only

If the SoCon remained as-is, it would be the best realistic option. C-USA would be a good option for the big dreamers. CAA would be best if the SoCon exodus begins.

What conference would make ETSU the most money? What conference will put ETSU on TV the most? Last, which conference saves ETSU the most money in travel costs? Answer those questions and I think you will find the winner. I don't know the answer. Emotionally I would like to be involved with Appalachian and Chattanooga.

The SoCon is a feel good, nostalgic choice. It's not realistic. Ga. Southern and App are going to be gone, and gone very soon. When the Mountain West pulls the trigger on whatever combination of Rice/UTEP and Tulsa, C-USA will take two more from the Sun Belt (probably Western Kentucky and whoever else), then Ga. Southern and App move up. At that point, the conference is left with three public football playing schools, Western, UT-C and The Citadel (who really runs more like a private school). Maybe the Big South gets cherry picked, or maybe the OVC calls UT-C again and Western Carolina sees a chance to maybe get some wins in the Big South.
I guess to me, the horse is football on the field and improve basketball, the cart is conference affiliation. Fix basketball and get a real football program, not a team, but a program going, and conference affiliation will fix itself.

I've said for years how great it would be just to get back to the SoCon. Thats not the case anymore, the SoCon hasn't fallen that far yet, but it sure looks like it will very soon. I would say the OVC is actually a better landing place than the southern, at least for now. Who knows what any of this will look like in the next 2-3 years.

The Ohio Valley Conferenec is by far the best choice, except for those that are afraid of playing decent teams.

I still think the Socon is better than where we are but I agree it doesn't look as good as it once did, especially if App and GSU leave.

I think the OVC would be great choice however, if Noland is really trying to get us into the CAA like someone people are saying he is then I like that choice too, especially with the rumors of the CAA doing a North and South division.

I think ETSUs best bet would be joining the OVC. ETSU would have 5 in state rivals in Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee Martin, Tennesse State and Belmont.

The OVC is stable, only one member has eyes for IA football in Jacksonville State. I don't think thats going to be happening in the near future though. On the other hand the SoCon will most likely be losing Appy State and GA Southern in the next 4 months which means they will have to pull schools from the Big South. Who would that be Gardner Webb, Presbyterian, Coastal Carolina, maybe Mercer.