Southern Conference Realignment Hinges On League Meetings

[superman7515]

http://saturdayblitz.com/2013/04/04/southern-conference-realignment/


GREENVILLE, S.C.–For a conference considered among the top football conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision, losing schools like Appalachian State and Georgia Southern could prove to be a knockout blow in maintaining such a status.


Just a few years ago, the SoCon was a formidable basketball conference that saw Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats captivate the nation with a run to the Elite Eight. Appalachian State won its third straight national championship and scored the biggest upset in FCS history. Times were good for the Southern Conference.

In a calendar year, Appalachian State had shocked No. 5 Michigan and won a third straight title, while the Wildcats downed Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin en route to that Elite Eight appearance. The league finished No. 15 out of 31 Division I conferences in RPI on the hardwood.

It was a good run of success for the Southern Conference for its two major revenue sports, but now a little over five years later, the conference finds itself at a cross-roads with plenty of question marks coming up when the conference office, along with the league’s athletic directors meet in Hilton Head for the annual spring meetings.

As members leave for other conference, the biggest question mark will obviously be membership. But while the obvious question of Southern Conference realignment is who the league should add, maybe the one that few are asking is for what reasons. Will it be more important for the SoCon to maintain its status as a power football conference, or will it be the main priority be to improve its status as a basketball conference. After all, the SoCon has seen a distinct drop-off in talent the past couple of seasons in terms of RPI, as the SoCon finished ranked 27 out of 31 conferences.

The SoCon has several options to move towards solving both problems in theory, but the league obviously won’t be the SoCon football power it was with Appalachian State and Georgia Southern anytime soon. If the league should hope to even approach the level that Appalachian State and Georgia Southern as a football conference would be to add a school like Coastal Carolina, who made no secrets about wanting to be apart of the SoCon back as early as 2006, when it was passed over in favor of Samford, which joined and began play in the SoCon a couple of years later....

[CID1990]

Meh.

CCU would have been middle of the pack in SoCon football AT BEST since 2006. Not sure how bringing them in is supposed to enhance football.

Life will go on.


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[fc97]

the commish seems to say they want to focus on basketball

[ccd494]

Stony Brook???? Was the author on hallucinogenic drugs while writing this article?

[CID1990]

the commish seems to say they want to focus on basketball

If he can find a way to do that without adversely affecting football then he'll do well.

But- football is the sacred cow of the SoCon and if it suffers, so will the Commish.


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[ETSUfan1]

Not sure where this guy is getting some of this stuff. He said at the bottom that ETSU will once again play in the dome, which is totally wrong. The dome hasn't even been discussed as a potential stadium going forward. A new facility is going to be constructed.

[Sandlapper Spike]

Not that any of us really know what the league is going to do (because there is a decent chance the SoCon brass itself doesn't know), I kind of wonder about this:


Coastal Carolina is also more in line with both Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, in that it is a state-supported school, and it would offset what many feel is now becoming a private school league with Furman, Elon, Wofford and Davidson in basketball...

...Adding Mercer would mean another private school for a conference that has added three private schools, in its last three additions, adding Wofford (1997), Elon (2003) and Samford (2008).

The reason that Mercer could become a member of the SoCon is because the league will be adding the private school with at least one other public school.

If the league's most recent additions have all been private schools, I am not sure there is evidence suggesting the league will feel compelled to add "at least one other public school" before bringing in Mercer (or in conjunction with Mercer).

I think that article does illustrate what a natural fit Bobby Lamb is at Mercer, though, and why a lot of people think Mercer has a lot of potential.

[walliver]

Not that any of us really know what the league is going to do (because there is a decent chance the SoCon brass itself doesn't know), I kind of wonder about this:



If the league's most recent additions have all been private schools, I am not sure there is evidence suggesting the league will feel compelled to add "at least one other public school" before bringing in Mercer (or in conjunction with Mercer).

I think that article does illustrate what a natural fit Bobby Lamb is at Mercer, though, and why a lot of people think Mercer has a lot of potential.

Actually Wofford was invited to join the conference at the same time as TWO public schools. The CofC scalawags won one basketball championship and left. As far as a know, the other public school hasn't added anything, despite not playing football.

It would appear that the SoCon's last two public additions have been failures.

[Sandlapper Spike]

You're right. It's the last 3 football-playing additions that have been private.

[PaladinFan]

I realize a lot of folks seem to think the SoCon should be a basketball conference, but what evidence is there that they would be? Davidson had one great player 6 or 7 years ago. Everyone else is terrible.

I would give the tea in China for the SoCon basketball programs to actually become decent before worrying about "being a basketball conference." Even Davidson, who has a name, would not win the A Sun.

[fc97]

davidson would've won the a-sun. probably charleston too. elon, the third best, would not have.

i think the socon is going the route of, to be a basketball conference means that you gotta get backetball schools, because the football schools just aren't getting it done overall

[proasu89]

Davidson....maybe, maybe not. CofC was certainly not better than FGCU or Mercer.

[Sandlapper Spike]

Davidson would have won the A-Sun. I don't think CofC was appreciably better than Mercer.

[seantaylor]

CofC is garbage. Still wonder why anyone from the Socon gives that program any credit. They have never won the Socon, despite putting all their eggs in one basket. At least Davy plays football.

[fc97]

Davidson....maybe, maybe not. CofC was certainly not better than FGCU or Mercer.

charleston rpi was higher at regular season end with more marquis wins inaconference rated higher

[The Eagle's Cliff]

Not sure if there is a chance, but luring William and Mary and Richmond back would be ideal. After that, Kennesaw State, Mercer, ETSU, VMI are good adds.

[CID1990]

Not sure if there is a chance, but luring William and Mary and Richmond back would be ideal. After that, Kennesaw State, Mercer, ETSU, VMI are good adds.

Even if it was a remote possibility, Richmond would be football only.


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[walliver]

CofC is garbage. Still wonder why anyone from the Socon gives that program any credit. They have never won the Socon, despite putting all their eggs in one basket. At least Davy plays football.

Actually CofC ran the table and won the tournament in their first year in the SoCon (1998-9). The SoCon quickly pulled them down to our level, and CofC never won another tournament title.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Southern_Conference_men's_basketball_champ ions

[RadioFan]

The SoCon doesn't want the A-Sun encroaching on it's territory and start Football. ETSU, Kennesaw State, Mercer, Jacksonville, Stetson all are getting football. It would be a good move for the SoCon to swoop up ETSU, KSU and Mercer. Then go after W&M, if JMU goes Sun Belt.

[CID1990]

Actually CofC ran the table and won the tournament in their first year in the SoCon (1998-9). The SoCon quickly pulled them down to our level, and CofC never won another tournament title.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Southern_Conference_men's_basketball_champ ions

I'm still with ST on cofc. They have absolutely nothing in common with any school in the SoCon on any level. TBH I don't see them fitting well in the CAA, either.


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[walliver]

I'm still with ST on cofc. They have absolutely nothing in common with any school in the SoCon on any level. TBH I don't see them fitting well in the CAA, either.


Sent from the center of the universe.

I agree. CofC's success was almost entirely due to Kress. Since he retired the program has gone downhill. If they have any really successful seasons in the future, any successful coach will be lured away.

[CID1990]

I agree. CofC's success was almost entirely due to Kress. Since he retired the program has gone downhill. If they have any really successful seasons in the future, any successful coach will be lured away.

Throw in the mercenary baseball program as well.


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