|
|
Post by The Cats on Jun 14, 2020 10:46:24 GMT -5
There is going to be movement of schools in the southeast, maybe to the UAC or the breakup of MEAC, but something is coming. I hope the SoCon will be forward-thinking and take advantage to add schools rather than lose schools.
I know that 9 football members are a good size for a football league, but with the rise of basketball, should the SoCon consider more members for basketball and Olympic sports? how about another one or two good football schools as well?
|
|
|
|
Post by WesternFan on Jun 14, 2020 16:45:45 GMT -5
I don't think we want to be like the Big South.  |
|
|
|
Post by wcatradio75 on Jun 15, 2020 19:58:20 GMT -5
If it appears consolidation (or realignment) is occurring, the OVC and SoCon have pretty similar footprints geographically, and similar strength top to bottom.
|
|
wcu1
Walkon
Posts: 94
|
Post by wcu1 on Jun 17, 2020 21:01:01 GMT -5
Yes!
Kennesaw purely for football would be a great addition.
To me that one for us makes the most sense.
It would tougher but maybe the Citadel would want CSU in.
Personally I would love to get Richmond and William & Mary back. But lots of things to jump though to get to that point. Jmu, mason, ODU and the current climate of finance and budgets come into play.
Hard pass on High Point, Asheville, Blue Hose and App State...ha!
|
|
|
|
Post by wcugrad95 on Jun 18, 2020 8:50:51 GMT -5
Always fun to talk about, but the SoCon has trended towards smaller private schools as the ones being added. Given that fact, it would make more sense for schools like WCU, ETSU, UTC, Kennesaw, Jax State, etc. to form a "big school" conference and the SoCon would add the smaller schools (Campbell, GWU, etc.). If the same 9 schools stay in the SoCon, I'm not sure there is a ton of interest by the conference to add more - and I am pretty sure Kennesaw was a "no" when they started football, and CSU would still be a "no" from the small, private schools who have to vote.
So with the same 9 members, I'd expect if expansion is being considered it would be looking at schools like Campbell or similar given the pull Wofford and Furman seem to have. Between the expanded Big South, SoCon, and OVC it seems like there would be a way to make 3 better-aligned conferences, but it takes a whole lot of votes and politicking to add a single school to a conference like ours so making wholesale changes across multiple conferences seems almost impossible.
|
|
|
|
Post by whitey on Jun 18, 2020 18:52:53 GMT -5
The only way the SoCon will expand is with a private school and a public school coming in together. The privates do not want ot lose their balance in voting on issues and probably the same can be said for the publics. I not sure what public schools are out there that would be a good fit and acceptable to the privates. Campbell and Gardner-Webb would love to be in the SoCon. Kennesaw (size, budget) scares the SoCon publics and privates. James Madison would be great, but they would be interested only if some other Virginia schools (William & Mary, Richmond) would make the move...and that would make Elon a possibility. All kinds of scenarios out there, but I don't see any thirst for SoCon expansion.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Cats on Jun 19, 2020 6:18:14 GMT -5
I would like to see the conference add Jacksonville State and maybe Campbell, I think both would be a good fit and would keep the balance between privates and publics.
|
|
|
|
Post by scottbeach on Jun 21, 2020 17:53:36 GMT -5
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't we already pass on Kennesaw a few years ago?
|
|
|
|
Post by wcu72 on Jun 21, 2020 22:31:19 GMT -5
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't we already pass on Kennesaw a few years ago? I'm not sure we turned them down, or if they made an application. I think when ETSU, Mercer, & VMI came in, we needed 3 teams and didn't want to look past that at the time of all that turmoil. It's certainly a different time now, and there's schools out there that could help. I think we can forget about JMU, ODU, Richmond and the like returning to the Southern, unless the CAA folds. |
|
|
|
Post by catamountalum04 on Jun 22, 2020 7:40:11 GMT -5
If JMU came to the Socon it would be like the old days were either app or gsu won the socon and then there was everyone else. If JMU won we would never even have a thought about winning the socon unless things in cullowhee changed in a major way
|
|
