Quote:During a conference call Thursday that lasted about 20 minutes, the Southern Conference made major progress toward adding new members to replace the departing College of Charleston, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.

Commissioner John Iamarino was upbeat during a post-meeting phone interview. He said the presidents and chancellors selected three schools for campus visits.

According to sources familiar with the SoCon's membership search, those three schools are Virginia Military Institute, Mercer and East Tennessee State.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/...rtscollege

Quote:The Southern Conference is expected to add three schools to its membership by the end of this month, but UNC Asheville isn’t on the list.

SoCon commissioner John Iamarino said Asheville was considered and discussed during a conference call with league presidents on Thursday, but the decision was made to make official visits to East Tennessee State, Mercer and Virginia Military.

Those visits over the next couple of weeks are expected to be followed by invitations to join the league, invitations that could be issued at the end of May during the SoCon spring meetings at Hilton Head.

http://blogs2.citizen-times.com/jarrett/

I'm ready!! Looking forward to the official announcement. I really believe this will benefit both Mercer and the SoCon. Exciting times!

Macon Telegraph Article has a clear-cut bombshell: "Mercer’s invitation would be contingent on committing to becoming a scholarship program" http://www.macon.com/2013/05/03/2465263/...icials.htm

We're approaching the end of May, and hopefully an invitation from the SoCon. The more I read about the CAA vs. SoCon, the more I want to be in the SoCon. Now, I know the CAA is probably not interested in Mercer... but hypothetically if they were, I'd still prefer the SoCon. Geographically it's terrible, I prefer the teams in the SoCon, and I don't like a conference with a long list of associate members. I really believe a conference with primarily all sports members is the best fit for Mercer.

SoCon is visiting Mercer's campus on Friday May 17.

Any updates on today's visit?

I just don't understand VMI. ETSU makes sense. Mercer makes sense as the SoCon needs a presence in Georgia. But VMI is the cowards choice to automatically give the remaining members guaranteed wins in most every sport.

VMI does have SoCon history. We can't be too short-sighted. Yes, they are horrific in sports...but times change and nothing is forever. Teams rise and teams fall.

Hope Socon plans on sponsoring lacrosse soon !

(05-30-2013 09:30 PM)mufootballfan Wrote:  Hope Socon plans on sponsoring lacrosse soon !

That would be nice! Don't a few SoCon schools already play?

(05-30-2013 10:27 PM)MercerFan Wrote:  

(05-30-2013 09:30 PM)mufootballfan Wrote:  Hope Socon plans on sponsoring lacrosse soon !

That would be nice! Don't a few SoCon schools already play?

Furman has poured a lot of money into a lacrosse program beginning this coming year (I think). Many of the ASun programs are more centrally located to the SoCon (like High Point, Richmond, Furman, etc), so you may see these schools simply change conference affiliation.