(03-25-2020 10:49 PM)BePcr07 Wrote: It could be a new sport or sports but I guess its a conference move. The MEAC is slowly dissipating. Florida A&M could be following Hampton and North Carolina A&T to the Big South but I think it could be the SWAC, SoCon, or OVC.
I don't think they're going to a non-football conference, like the Atlantic Sun, and putting football in the Big South. I think the Atlantic Sun would be a terrible fit.
The SWAC would obviously be a similar fit to the MEAC and they'd be contiguous so that's a decent possibility. They'd be #11.
The SoCon would be a good, tight geographical fit. The conference currently has 10 members and 9 play football. I think this is very likely.
The OVC is an interesting option. There have been rumors about Murray St and perhaps a 2nd school heading to the MVC. The conference currently has 12 members and 9 play football in the conference. If only Murray St left, then Florida A&M would be school #12 and football member #9. For what its worth, Tennessee St (an OVC member) is an HBCU school.
[B]I think the SoCon is the most likely option[/b[ followed by the SWAC then the Big South then the OVC but the OVC would be the most interesting IMO.
I would be pretty shocked if the SoCon is where FAMU goes, if they do go anywhere. The SoCon todat is comprised of four fairly small private schools; two small military colleges which align and vote more like a private school than a public; and four traditional, "regional" public universities.
Adding a larger public school would buck the trend of how the SoCon has evolved over the past 25 years or so, which is smaller and more private and/or more military college.
In 1995, the SoCon had 10 colleges, same number as today, but its composition was 2 military colleges, 2 private colleges, and six traditional public colleges.
Today it is 2 military colleges, 4 private colleges, and 4 public colleges.
When public school Marshall left after the 96-97 season, private school Wofford took its place.
When military college VMI left in 2001-02, private school Elon took its place.
When public school ETSU left (final football season in '03, final SoCon non football season the next year), private school Samford took its place a few years later.
When public, non football school C of Charleston left after the 2012-13 season, no school took their place. (No school replaced departing private, non football Davidson College the next year, to be fair, either.)
When private Elon left after the '13-'14 season, military college VMI returned back in their place.
When public Georgia Southern left after the '13-'14 season, private Mercer took their place.
When public App State left after the '13-'14 season, for once a public school ETSU, returning to its roots, finally filled in for a public school's absence.
I don't see those four private schools and two military colleges approving of another public school, based on the trends.
The SWAC seems much more likely, and I could certainly envision a Big South football-only/ASun non-football arrangement. The OVC? Too far.