(01-14-2021 09:08 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Another Southland defection. Central Arkansas says bye. Atlantic Sun says howdy.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021...tic-sun-c/

Giving Coog's post its own thread

If ASUN Commish sees this title, he’ll come on and say it’s false.

This still doesn’t make sense—the Southland was still in ok shape after the Texas 4. Being in a LA based conference makes a heck of a lot more sense for UCA than the giant ASUN footprint.

Now we wait and see if/when the OVC duo of EKU and Jax State makes the move

(01-14-2021 09:25 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 09:08 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Another Southland defection. Central Arkansas says bye. Atlantic Sun says howdy.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021...tic-sun-c/

Giving Coog's post its own thread

I wonder why CA is leaving for the A-Sun? The Southland seems much more geographically sane.

Makes no sense for the Atlantic Sun unless they are expecting to lose schools. They are way out of the footprint which is basically between I-65 and I-75.

(01-14-2021 10:21 PM)bullet Wrote:  Makes no sense for the Atlantic Sun unless they are expecting to lose schools. They are way out of the footprint which is basically between I-65 and I-75.

Yes, not much "Atlantic" about Central Arkansas, LOL.

(01-14-2021 09:41 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  This still doesn’t make sense—the Southland was still in ok shape after the Texas 4. Being in a LA based conference makes a heck of a lot more sense for UCA than the giant ASUN footprint.

That tells you the kind of schools that are left in the SLC. And they think they’re going to be able to pull current D1 schools there too!

(01-14-2021 10:26 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 09:41 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  This still doesn’t make sense—the Southland was still in ok shape after the Texas 4. Being in a LA based conference makes a heck of a lot more sense for UCA than the giant ASUN footprint.

That tells you the kind of schools that are left in the SLC. And they think they’re going to be able to pull current D1 schools there too!

This discussion reminds me of the old saying about street gang and academia politics - "the battles are so brutal because the stakes are so small". Meaning, if there are two hungry people and one slice of bread, that slice of bread will become the object of serious struggle.

Distinctions between the "kinds of schools" in conferences like the Southland, WAC and Atlantic Sun seem ridonculous from an outsider point of view - they are all penny-ante athletic schools - but I guess within that domain, micro-differences become magnified to big things worth repositioning over.

(01-14-2021 09:41 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  This still doesn’t make sense—the Southland was still in ok shape after the Texas 4. Being in a LA based conference makes a heck of a lot more sense for UCA than the giant ASUN footprint.

If ASun has goals to go FBS in the next 10 years it makes perfect sense. Sometimes geography isn’t what’s best when those close to you are okay with being “meh”.

(01-14-2021 10:37 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:26 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 09:41 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  This still doesn’t make sense—the Southland was still in ok shape after the Texas 4. Being in a LA based conference makes a heck of a lot more sense for UCA than the giant ASUN footprint.

That tells you the kind of schools that are left in the SLC. And they think they’re going to be able to pull current D1 schools there too!

This discussion reminds me of the old saying about street gang and academia politics - "the battles are so brutal because the stakes are so small". Meaning, if there are two hungry people and one slice of bread, that slice of bread will become the object of serious struggle.

Distinctions between the "kinds of schools" in conferences like the Southland, WAC and Atlantic Sun seem ridonculous from an outsider point of view - they are all penny-ante athletic schools - but I guess within that domain, micro-differences become magnified to big things worth repositioning over.

I think that is pretty apt. Its more about ego and optics than anything else.

(01-14-2021 10:25 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:21 PM)bullet Wrote:  Makes no sense for the Atlantic Sun unless they are expecting to lose schools. They are way out of the footprint which is basically between I-65 and I-75.

Yes, not much "Atlantic" about Central Arkansas, LOL.

Not much "Atlantic" about Saint Louis either. Not much "Atlantic Coast" about Notre Dame. Not much "East" about Creighton, DePaul, or Marquette. And what's the name of the "Big" conference with 10 teams again?

WELCOME
UNIVERSITY of
CENTRAL
ARKANSAS


Looking forward to an announcement of EKU and Jax St. comin’ soon..... I hope.

(01-14-2021 11:18 PM)NJMark Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:25 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:21 PM)bullet Wrote:  Makes no sense for the Atlantic Sun unless they are expecting to lose schools. They are way out of the footprint which is basically between I-65 and I-75.

Yes, not much "Atlantic" about Central Arkansas, LOL.

Not much "Atlantic" about Saint Louis either. Not much "Atlantic Coast" about Notre Dame. Not much "East" about Creighton, DePaul, or Marquette. And what's the name of the "Big" conference with 10 teams again?

Or the SEC being as far west as Texas and as far north as Kentucky. How many teams are in the Big 10?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet."

This is the unofficial ASUN football league.

--Kennesaw St.
-- North Alabama
-- EKU (Eastern Ky. Univ.)
-- Jacksonville State
-- Central Ark.

You need six to qualify for FCS. Who else joins?

Lipscomb is close to all three new schools, closest to Central Arkansas, well less than 90 minutes apart. So they are within footprint.

If I had to guess the 6th school, by the principle of low lying fruit, it would be Monmouth as an affiliate. Robert Morris just signed a contract with the Big South starting in 2021 season that would carry them through the 2024 season as a typical 4 year period of length. However Monmouth's contract will end after the 2021 season, so they would be a free agent able to join the ASUN in 2022 season, which would coincide with the entry of UCA, EKU and Jacksonville State.

(01-15-2021 05:43 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Lipscomb is close to all three new schools, closest to Central Arkansas, well less than 90 minutes apart. So they are within footprint.

If I had to guess the 6th school, by the principle of low lying fruit, it would be Monmouth as an affiliate. Robert Morris just signed a contract with the Big South starting in 2021 season that would carry them through the 2024 season as a typical 4 year period of length. However Monmouth's contract will end after the 2021 season, so they would be a free agent able to join the ASUN in 2022 season, which would coincide with the entry of UCA, EKU and Jacksonville State.

That would make sense. Big South and ASun each have 5 full members with 1 non geographic affiliate so that each conference can sponsor football and get an auto bid. They can continue their strong relationship helping each other out with OOC games since their leagues are smaller.

(01-14-2021 11:12 PM)Todor Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:37 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:26 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 09:41 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  This still doesn’t make sense—the Southland was still in ok shape after the Texas 4. Being in a LA based conference makes a heck of a lot more sense for UCA than the giant ASUN footprint.

That tells you the kind of schools that are left in the SLC. And they think they’re going to be able to pull current D1 schools there too!

This discussion reminds me of the old saying about street gang and academia politics - "the battles are so brutal because the stakes are so small". Meaning, if there are two hungry people and one slice of bread, that slice of bread will become the object of serious struggle.

Distinctions between the "kinds of schools" in conferences like the Southland, WAC and Atlantic Sun seem ridonculous from an outsider point of view - they are all penny-ante athletic schools - but I guess within that domain, micro-differences become magnified to big things worth repositioning over.

I think that is pretty apt. Its more about ego and optics than anything else.

Is it much different than the kind of gridlock that existed in the MVC over the public/private divide, or the resistance to the IUPU’s in the Horizon until the private schools left?

At these other schools who have been in the D1 game for as long as they’ve been, these other system campuses run as afterthoughts to the main campus. If these “scraps” are attempting to find their way to be equals to regional brethren, when we have these enrollment fights, it strikes a blow to their (those already in D1) competitive advantages.

And maybe there is something to building better basketball? If even just marginally better?

(01-14-2021 11:25 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 11:18 PM)NJMark Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:25 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:21 PM)bullet Wrote:  Makes no sense for the Atlantic Sun unless they are expecting to lose schools. They are way out of the footprint which is basically between I-65 and I-75.

Yes, not much "Atlantic" about Central Arkansas, LOL.

Not much "Atlantic" about Saint Louis either. Not much "Atlantic Coast" about Notre Dame. Not much "East" about Creighton, DePaul, or Marquette. And what's the name of the "Big" conference with 10 teams again?

Or the SEC being as far west as Texas and as far north as Kentucky. How many teams are in the Big 10?

The SEC is a poor example, as Kentucky and the part of Texas that AM is have close cultural ties to the southeast and border immediately on it.

No comparison between that and an "Atlantic" conference in Arkansas, LOL.