I would love for App to reinstated MSOC, but I seriously doubt it happens unless there's serious alum movement.

The pandemic cuts reasoning always seemed like cover. I think part of it was Title IX (two other App men's sports were cut as well) and that App just didn't want the sport anymore.

The former App coach is now the head coach at Robert Morris, but he helped start a minor league soccer team, Appalachian FC, that plays during the summer in the same stadium.

If the argument was that dropping MSOC would help focus on WSOC, well WSOC just finished last in the Sun Belt, although they lost a ton of games by one goal.

I don't think anyone has straight-up asked the App admins or gotten an answer about what it would take to bring back MSOC.

Our athletic director just said all our CUSA teams would be moving to the Sun Belt (and our teams in other conferences would be allowed to stay there). This sounds like Soccer in the Sun Belt is a go

Update on the Sunbelt Sponsoring Mens Soccer....Now hearing that not only is UCF joining but FIU is likely coming as well. FIU is another top 20 program. So the lineup now looks like this:

1. Marshall
2. WVU
3. UK
4. South Carolina
5. ODU
6. JMU
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Georgia State
9. Georgia Southern
10. UCF
11. FIU

Wow....what a powerhouse of a conference! Get one more and we can have two equal divisions. We really need App or some other current Sunbelt member to pickup soccer again so we can get this to 12 teams.

(11-19-2021 11:45 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  Update on the Sunbelt Sponsoring Mens Soccer....Now hearing that not only is UCF joining but FIU is likely coming as well. FIU is another top 20 program. So the lineup now looks like this:

1. Marshall
2. WVU
3. UK
4. South Carolina
5. ODU
6. JMU
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Georgia State
9. Georgia Southern
10. UCF
11. FIU

Wow....what a powerhouse of a conference! Get one more and we can have two equal divisions. We really need App or some other current Sunbelt member to pickup soccer again so we can get this to 12 teams.

So I guess Liberty goes to the MAC or stays in the ASUN and CUSA no longer sponsors it? Or is Liberty No. 12?

Curious what the ESPN deal will look like for SBC men's soccer.

(11-19-2021 01:11 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  Curious what the ESPN deal will look like for SBC men's soccer.

Probably all games on ESPN+. There are a few games that probably should be pushed to at least ESPNU like Kentucky/Marshall, Kentucky/WVU, Marshall/WVU, South Carolina/Coastal Carolina.

The WVU Marshall game in Huntington earlier in the season drew 3,033 people.

(11-19-2021 11:45 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  Update on the Sunbelt Sponsoring Mens Soccer....Now hearing that not only is UCF joining but FIU is likely coming as well. FIU is another top 20 program. So the lineup now looks like this:

1. Marshall
2. WVU
3. UK
4. South Carolina
5. ODU
6. JMU
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Georgia State
9. Georgia Southern
10. UCF
11. FIU

Wow....what a powerhouse of a conference! Get one more and we can have two equal divisions. We really need App or some other current Sunbelt member to pickup soccer again so we can get this to 12 teams.

I don't see App restarting Soccer and that would be a tough conference to try and rebuild around. We could be vastly improved and still be in the bottom half for a decade.

(11-19-2021 01:41 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 11:45 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  Update on the Sunbelt Sponsoring Mens Soccer....Now hearing that not only is UCF joining but FIU is likely coming as well. FIU is another top 20 program. So the lineup now looks like this:

1. Marshall
2. WVU
3. UK
4. South Carolina
5. ODU
6. JMU
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Georgia State
9. Georgia Southern
10. UCF
11. FIU

Wow....what a powerhouse of a conference! Get one more and we can have two equal divisions. We really need App or some other current Sunbelt member to pickup soccer again so we can get this to 12 teams.

I don't see App restarting Soccer and that would be a tough conference to try and rebuild around. We could be vastly improved and still be in the bottom half for a decade.

The right hire is everything. That and a nice facility. Before Chris Grassie Marshall had only 12 winning seasons since the start of the program in 1979. Our coach before Chris Grassie was Bob Gray. Coach Gray was already soccer mainstay in WV before he took the Marshall job in 1995. He had coached and played at Alderson-Broaddus 23 years (4 player 19 as a coach, NAIA in WV now DII), and at the University of Mobile 4 years, both NAIA at the time and he took both to the NAIA Championship game. Even though a lot of his squads overachieved at Marshall coach Gray just didn't have the connections and for 18 of his 22 years the facility to be successful.

Also if I was an AD at a DI school looking for a soccer coach I would be keeping my eye on Daniel Smee at the University of Charleston. That is where Coach Chris Grassie, Dan Stratford (WVU HC) and now Coach Smee have cut their teeth as HC. Both Stratford and Smee were asst. under Grassie at UC.

(11-19-2021 02:06 PM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 01:41 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 11:45 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  Update on the Sunbelt Sponsoring Mens Soccer....Now hearing that not only is UCF joining but FIU is likely coming as well. FIU is another top 20 program. So the lineup now looks like this:

1. Marshall
2. WVU
3. UK
4. South Carolina
5. ODU
6. JMU
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Georgia State
9. Georgia Southern
10. UCF
11. FIU

Wow....what a powerhouse of a conference! Get one more and we can have two equal divisions. We really need App or some other current Sunbelt member to pickup soccer again so we can get this to 12 teams.

I don't see App restarting Soccer and that would be a tough conference to try and rebuild around. We could be vastly improved and still be in the bottom half for a decade.

The right hire is everything. That and a nice facility. Before Chris Grassie Marshall had only 12 winning seasons since the start of the program in 1979. Our coach before Chris Grassie was Bob Gray. Coach Gray was already soccer mainstay in WV before he took the Marshall job in 1995. He had coached and played at Alderson-Broaddus 23 years (4 player 19 as a coach, NAIA in WV now DII), and at the University of Mobile 4 years, both NAIA at the time and he took both to the NAIA Championship game. Even though a lot of his squads overachieved at Marshall coach Gray just didn't have the connections and for 18 of his 22 years the facility to be successful.

Also if I was an AD at a DI school looking for a soccer coach I would be keeping my eye on Daniel Smee at the University of Charleston. That is where Coach Chris Grassie, Dan Stratford (WVU HC) and now Coach Smee have cut their teeth as HC. Both Stratford and Smee were asst. under Grassie at UC.

Soccer is also the fastest growing sport in the U.S.. It may be better to make the jump now, take your lumps, and then be good to go by the time ESPN deals start to ramp up, which I feel may end up happening.

This is so awesome. It's probably one of the biggest improvements/benefits to the SBC.

(11-19-2021 05:48 PM)trueeagle98 Wrote:  This is so awesome. It's probably one of the biggest improvements/benefits to the SBC.

I’d say Marshall football, ODU basketball, and USM baseball mean more than this. But it will be a really good conference.

So does the new soccer setup start next year or in 2023-24?

(11-19-2021 12:58 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 11:45 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  Update on the Sunbelt Sponsoring Mens Soccer....Now hearing that not only is UCF joining but FIU is likely coming as well. FIU is another top 20 program. So the lineup now looks like this:

1. Marshall
2. WVU
3. UK
4. South Carolina
5. ODU
6. JMU
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Georgia State
9. Georgia Southern
10. UCF
11. FIU

Wow....what a powerhouse of a conference! Get one more and we can have two equal divisions. We really need App or some other current Sunbelt member to pickup soccer again so we can get this to 12 teams.

So I guess Liberty goes to the MAC or stays in the ASUN and CUSA no longer sponsors it? Or is Liberty No. 12?

I've not heard anything on Liberty. My guess is that they stay in the ASUN for soccer. Every school in CUSA that played soccer are gone with the exception of FIU and they will be joining us for soccer only.

(11-19-2021 06:44 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  So does the new soccer setup start next year or in 2023-24?

All signs are pointing to it starting in August of 2022. Commissioner Gill is filing the paperwork with the NCAA sometime in January or February from what I heard.

That s good. We need to elevate our program in men s soccer and the new competition level will force us to do that

NM.

(11-19-2021 09:03 PM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 12:58 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 11:45 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  Update on the Sunbelt Sponsoring Mens Soccer....Now hearing that not only is UCF joining but FIU is likely coming as well. FIU is another top 20 program. So the lineup now looks like this:

1. Marshall
2. WVU
3. UK
4. South Carolina
5. ODU
6. JMU
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Georgia State
9. Georgia Southern
10. UCF
11. FIU

Wow....what a powerhouse of a conference! Get one more and we can have two equal divisions. We really need App or some other current Sunbelt member to pickup soccer again so we can get this to 12 teams.

So I guess Liberty goes to the MAC or stays in the ASUN and CUSA no longer sponsors it? Or is Liberty No. 12?

I've not heard anything on Liberty. My guess is that they stay in the ASUN for soccer. Every school in CUSA that played soccer are gone with the exception of FIU and they will be joining us for soccer only.

So does that mean the MAC stops sponsoring with just four teams and no available adds? If so, Akron as 12?

Chicago State and Liberty get you to six. Eastern Illinois would probably save money playing in the MAC instead of the Summit, too.

(11-19-2021 10:13 PM)TheMackAttack Wrote:  Chicago State and Liberty get you to six. Eastern Illinois would probably save money playing in the MAC instead of the Summit, too.

Chicago State who played their 1st year of soccer this year played as an independent but also played a WAC schedule and is expected to join the WAC in soccer next year.

That still only leaves Liberty and FIU as the 2 schools that could save the MAC. If the MAC loses its auto bid then Akron should be #12. They would be just as close as UCF (Orlando) and FIU (Miami).

(11-19-2021 09:53 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 09:03 PM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 12:58 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 11:45 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  Update on the Sunbelt Sponsoring Mens Soccer....Now hearing that not only is UCF joining but FIU is likely coming as well. FIU is another top 20 program. So the lineup now looks like this:

1. Marshall
2. WVU
3. UK
4. South Carolina
5. ODU
6. JMU
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Georgia State
9. Georgia Southern
10. UCF
11. FIU

Wow....what a powerhouse of a conference! Get one more and we can have two equal divisions. We really need App or some other current Sunbelt member to pickup soccer again so we can get this to 12 teams.

So I guess Liberty goes to the MAC or stays in the ASUN and CUSA no longer sponsors it? Or is Liberty No. 12?

I've not heard anything on Liberty. My guess is that they stay in the ASUN for soccer. Every school in CUSA that played soccer are gone with the exception of FIU and they will be joining us for soccer only.

So does that mean the MAC stops sponsoring with just four teams and no available adds? If so, Akron as 12?

Hard to say what happens with the MAC. You have to have a minimum of six teams to sponsor soccer. They will be down to four when the Sunbelt programs starts. And I cant imagine the Sunbelt wanting to go north of where we are to add a 12th team in Akron but I guess its possible.