Do you believe there are any other teams out there that may be invited to the A-Sun? I know 9 is a pretty good number for round robin basketball schedules. Are there any other BSC teams that might be attractive? Are there any other Div. I or II teams that would work?

Personally, if the conference was going to grow some more, I’d like to see Belarmine University in Louisville, KY added. The A-Sun already set the precident for allowing a DII to move up. Belarmine is in a big market that is one if the nations best sports markets for college athletics. They already have 1 or 2 DI sports. It’d be a border state for Lipscomb and Liberty. Plus, I am biased. It’s my home town. Size wise, I believe the school fits with many of the A-Sun programs. They have a great men’s basket program.

If there are any BSC programs worth asking, I’d take one from NC and one from SC... maybe UNC Ashville or High Point and Chuck South or Winthrop.

Is there any truth to the rumor High Point may join the A-Sun?

(05-18-2018 07:26 AM)army56mike Wrote:  Do you believe there are any other teams out there that may be invited to the A-Sun? I know 9 is a pretty good number for round robin basketball schedules. Are there any other BSC teams that might be attractive? Are there any other Div. I or II teams that would work?

Personally, if the conference was going to grow some more, I’d like to see Belarmine University in Louisville, KY added. The A-Sun already set the precident for allowing a DII to move up. Belarmine is in a big market that is one if the nations best sports markets for college athletics. They already have 1 or 2 DI sports. It’d be a border state for Lipscomb and Liberty. Plus, I am biased. It’s my home town. Size wise, I believe the school fits with many of the A-Sun programs. They have a great men’s basket program.

If there are any BSC programs worth asking, I’d take one from NC and one from SC... maybe UNC Ashville or High Point and Chuck South or Winthrop.

Is there any truth to the rumor High Point may join the A-Sun?

The SC schools aren’t going to leave. Belarmine is not what the ASUN should do (I lived in Louisville for a few years). Honestly the only schools that I see as realistic possibilities that would help would be High Point and UNCA.

(05-18-2018 09:04 AM)Ewglenn Wrote:  The SC schools aren’t going to leave. Belarmine is not what the ASUN should do (I lived in Louisville for a few years). Honestly the only schools that I see as realistic possibilities that would help would be High Point and UNCA.

I’m not disagreeing with you, but why don’t you thonk an SC school would move? Too little vision? To small budget? Loyalty to BSC? Both are decent markets. Charleston and Winthrop isn’t too far from Charlotte (25 min.) They would fit right in with the 4 FL schools and GA school. And at least Winthrop has been competitive on a regular basis.

What makes you think Bellarmine would be a wrong move for the conf. They’d fit into a nice little geographic area with Lipscomb and N. Bama, plus be a border state to us. I lived my first 30+ years in Louisville and know Bellarmine has a good number of local fans and has poured tons of money into their campus.

I also agree that it seems the best choices would be Ashville or High Point and probably Ashville.

I don't think the A-Sun invites High Point. Not that it wouldn't help the A-Sun or that High Point don't "fit" the conference, but the A-Sun needs to keep the deal with the Big South football in tacked. Inviting another Big South school would seriously jeopardize the agreement. And it would not be worth losing 2 schools to gain 1.

I think there are a few schools that are realizing that a conference outside of the FBS with more than 10 schools is overkill and could possibly hurt the individual schools from potential money from the NCAA when it is split more than 10 ways. I do know the A-Sun wants to be at a Stable 10 members. That may mean they go with 11 just in case NJIT finds a better for for them. But no more than 10 is the goal.

Yep 10 teams is a good size for the A-Sun. It’d make for a nice 18 game round robin schedule. I don’t really like playing teams twice a year. I’d rather play once, but we don’t have the clout or firepower to have a 16 team conference. We could even stick with 9 teams and be fine.

Are we even sure the A-Sun is going to, or wants to, invite one more team other than Liberty. Or is it strictly message board banter and conjecture?

(05-22-2018 07:21 AM)army56mike Wrote:  Yep 10 teams is a good size for the A-Sun. It’d make for a nice 18 game round robin schedule. I don’t really like playing teams twice a year. I’d rather play once, but we don’t have the clout or firepower to have a 16 team conference. We could even stick with 9 teams and be fine.

Are we even sure the A-Sun is going to, or wants to, invite one more team other than Liberty. Or is it strictly message board banter and conjecture?

I have talked to several A-Sun officials, UNA officials and even the Commissioner himself. The gist is that the A-Sun would like to have 10 full members to make scheduling easier only. But it has to be the right 10. 9 is fine if it is the best for the conference.

The A-Sun is in a part of the country where football is a huge deal, they don't want to lose members because of football anymore.

I was told by A-Sun and UNA officials that there were several current D1 schools talking with the A-Sun about membership and a few D2 schools. But like what was said before, from now on, they have to be the right school for the conference.

What criteria will be used for possible expansion? These are some I would consider…

Strong basketball
Strong baseball
Strong softball
Healthy enrollment (+8,000)
Located in a good market/city
Possibly in a state currently not in the footprint but within in a reasonable distance (this is for expanded recruiting and exposure).

Those points would help strengthen the conference. Who fits these points?

(05-23-2018 05:28 PM)WesternSkillet Wrote:  What criteria will be used for possible expansion? These are some I would consider…

Strong basketball
Strong baseball
Strong softball
Healthy enrollment (+8,000)
Located in a good market/city
Possibly in a state currently not in the footprint but within in a reasonable distance (this is for expanded recruiting and exposure).

Those points would help strengthen the conference. Who fits these points?

I liked the idea of The University of Charleston, but their enrollment is low. But they are in the state capitol of West Virginia.

I also like New Orleans, but don't have Softball.

Well I’m guessing no more imminent expansion.

Probably none unless they announce an invite for a season or 3 seasons from now.

I suppose the High Point talk was just message board banter.

No more that would be eligible to start Conference play this fall.

When the ASUN have their meetings in the next few days they might announce someone for the future

(06-03-2018 02:47 PM)North Ala Supporter Wrote:  No more that would be eligible to start Conference play this fall.

When the ASUN have their meetings in the next few days they might announce someone for the future

Have the meetings happened yet? I have a feeling that NC A&T may be the next invite after Hampton joined the Big South and Liberty moved to the A-Sun. With the comments from NC A&T Offical, and the A-Sun no longer in the Carolinas, it may be a great move for both the A-Sun and North Carolina A&T.

(06-21-2018 10:28 AM)lion1983 Wrote:  

(06-03-2018 02:47 PM)North Ala Supporter Wrote:  No more that would be eligible to start Conference play this fall.

When the ASUN have their meetings in the next few days they might announce someone for the future

Have the meetings happened yet? I have a feeling that NC A&T may be the next invite after Hampton joined the Big South and Liberty moved to the A-Sun. With the comments from NC A&T Offical, and the A-Sun no longer in the Carolinas, it may be a great move for both the A-Sun and North Carolina A&T.

It would also add a more interesting and close football team to add to our schedule.

(06-21-2018 10:28 AM)lion1983 Wrote:  

(06-03-2018 02:47 PM)North Ala Supporter Wrote:  No more that would be eligible to start Conference play this fall.

When the ASUN have their meetings in the next few days they might announce someone for the future

Have the meetings happened yet? I have a feeling that NC A&T may be the next invite after Hampton joined the Big South and Liberty moved to the A-Sun. With the comments from NC A&T Offical, and the A-Sun no longer in the Carolinas, it may be a great move for both the A-Sun and North Carolina A&T.

I took a quick look on wiki and NC A&T has an enrollment of about 11,877.
Also, Greensboro is the 3rd-most populous city in North Carolina and the 68th-most populous city in the United States. So that fulfills three good criteria.
Healthy enrollment (+8,000)
Located in a good market/city
Possibly in a state currently not in the footprint but within in a reasonable distance (this is for expanded recruiting and exposure).


How is NC A&T with these sports criteria?
Strong basketball
Strong baseball
Strong softball

NC A&T seems to be a better choice than High Point.
Adding a NC school is a good thing. Wish there was a SC school out there worth getting. The only one close is Winthrop. Getting Howard could be an option... yes?

(06-25-2018 10:57 PM)army56mike Wrote:  NC A&T seems to be a better choice than High Point.
Adding a NC school is a good thing. Wish there was a SC school out there worth getting. The only one close is Winthrop. Getting Howard could be an option... yes?

Howard is meh. NCAT would be a nice add. SC doesn’t have much outside of Furman and Wofford but neither would be interested in moving.

I think if a South Carolina school is needed, North Greenville would be the only way to go. The problem is that they resemble more of the Big South than A-Sun.

Yes, Howard is... meh. It’s just a right sized school, in a big market, with great reputation as a school. But athletically..... I hear crickets.

Why do you think Furman, Wofford and Greenville are a better fit than Winthrop? Isn’t Winthrop bigger, closer to a big market, and have better athletics than most of the others?

I think it would hurt the football partnership if the A-Sun invited another Big South school. Liberty was in a different position. If they came to the A-Sun, the Big South could dissolve their football deal. Then the A-Sun would run the risk of loosing UNA and KSU because of football. Unless they could make a deal with another conference, but I don't see that happening.