Brown says UC will stay in Southern Conference (T-FP)

[chattanoogamocs]

Full story on Mocfans.com
http://p197.ezboard.com/fmoctalkfrm9.showMessage?topicID=538.topic
(since this board is so well travelled, I will just post it here and let the viral nature of the internet spread it through the boards of the SoCon and OVC :))

By Wesley Rucker Staff Writer
Chattanooga Times-Free Press

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga chancellor Roger Brown said Tuesday that the school’s athletic department has turned down inquiries from the Ohio Valley Conference and will remain in the Southern Conference.

UTC has been in the SoCon since moving up to NCAA Division I athletics in 1977, but Dr. Brown and several school administrators and coaches were intrigued by the shorter traveling distances to much of the OVC.

"The bottom line is that the Southern Conference is one of the most competitive mid-major conferences in the country, and it has one of the best academic reputations of any conference in the country, and we just didn’t see a need for change at this time," Brown said.

UTC athletic director Rick Hart said he didn’t want to go into details until this afternoon’s news conference about the issue, but he was "very comfortable with the decision.

"It was a combination of factors," Hart added. "There wasn’t a ‘light bulb’ moment where something specific happened and we made the decision, but the more research we did, the less compelling the argument for change became."

Four Tennessee schools — Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, Austin Peay and UT-Martin — are in the OVC. Alabama’s Jacksonville State and Samford are also closer than most of the Carolinas-centered SoCon. Brown said UTC would try to remedy its travel-budget concerns and create closer geographical rivalries "from within the Southern Conference."

"We’re looking for another western travel partner," Brown said. "We would love for Samford to join the Southern Conference, or for ETSU to come back.

"Of course, I can’t emphasize enough that I haven’t spoken with either school about it."

Brown said he was also going to schedule meetings with the Tennessee State administration about "building a long-term athletic relationship across the board.

"We already have a great relationship with Tennessee Tech, and it would be wonderful to have the same with Tennessee State," he said. "I think it would be wonderful for both schools." Mocs football coach Rodney Allison and women’s basketball coach Wes Moore said they supported the decision. "I love the competitiveness and the stature of this conference," Allison said. "It’s unparallelled. I’ve said since I’ve been here that this league is the SEC of Division I-AA football, and I like that. I like competing at the highest level."

[Keeper]

Good that UofC came to their senses.
The Southern is a premier and historic league.
I don't think the travel considerations were that problematic.
If they feel the need to grow some rivalries, then beating
the ASUs, WCUs, GSUs and Furmans will do something for that.
Actually the SoCon should consider adding EKU and JaxState.
The OVC simply is not as good as it used to be and suffers
from too much replacement.
(Why is it called Ohio Valley anyway? How many schools
are in Ohio or even near the Ohio River? How does the
Great Rivers Conference sound?)

[chattanoogamocs]

If they feel the need to grow some rivalries, then beating
the ASUs, WCUs, GSUs and Furmans will do something for that.


As many have said all along, if it was a football only discussion, well...there would be no discussion (I don't think anyone would argue that the SoCon is not better).

But the argument for moving wasn't for football only, there are 16 other sports to consider...we need to grow rivalries in all sports and that group above doesn't exactly inspire big rivalries outside of football (not meant as an insult to the schools)...basketball is our money sport. There are a hardcore group (myself included) that will follow Mocs football no matter what, but it is a tough frickin' sell in this town...under the all-oxygen smothering blanket of gawd awful peroxide orange in Tennessee. :lol

But, I have said all along, I have never been unhappy with the SoCon, so it was a no lose situation for me. I like that the AD and Chancellor were smart enough to realize that the fans want to play the teams close by and seem to be making a concerted effort to schedule more Tennessee teams. :thumbsup:

...and, let's be honest, whether they were serious or not, this had to put UC in the position of "power", at least for a short time with the SoCon, so hopefully they used the leverage to try and get a travel partner out of it (I would much prefer Jax St to Samford though).

Heaven forbid the SoCon actually expands the footprint (as opposed to shrinking it). Now, I just hope GSU or ASU don't decide to bolt in the near future.

[OL FU]

Glad you are staying.
Hopefully we will convince some Alabama or Tenn Teams to join.

[thirdgendin]

Glad you are staying as well, and I agree that Jacksonville State would be a great SoCon addition.

[JSU02]

Glad you are staying.
Hopefully we will convince some Alabama or Tenn Teams to join.

Unless you waive our joining fees and pay our OVC exit fees, I don't see that happening at all for either JSU or Samford. JSU would like to play the likes of GSU and FU in football, but that isn't too hard to do now, and in the other sports, the SoCon offers no advantage over the OVC.

[OL FU]

Unless you waive our joining fees and pay our OVC exit fees, I don't see that happening at all for either JSU or Samford. JSU would like to play the likes of GSU and FU in football, but that isn't too hard to do now, and in the other sports, the SoCon offers no advantage over the OVC.

Just because we say we want it to happen, doesn't mean we think it will. :smiley_wi


and PS, get your hands outta my pockets:p :D

[dbackjon]

Personally, I think UC should have joined the OVC :).


The OVC is still at 11 - will they try to get someone else to get to 12?

[gophoenix]

The OVC is at 11, and if Tenn St leaves, it is 10.

My guess is that in December, the SoCon will annouce three teams. One eastern (coastal or uncw), one western and a someone else.


and in the other sports, the SoCon offers no advantage over the OVC.

Are you kidding me? Men's Soccer, Both Tennis and Baseball are far superior to the OVC to say the least.


Unless you waive our joining fees and pay our OVC exit fees, I don't see that happening at all for either JSU or Samford.

Samford could afford it, ask their fans.

[Golden Eagle]

BAH HUMBUG. :nonono2:

[JaxSinfonian]

Chattanoogamocs, I'm sorry to hear this news. I think a move would have been good for UTC and the OVC. But it wasn't my decision to make.

Brown mentioned relationships with TSU and Tech and a desire to lure Samford to the SoCon. There was no mention of the current football series with Jax State. Given Rodney Allison's earlier comments ("I didn't come here to beat Jacksonville State.") I'm wondering if JSU was intentionally not mentioned. Is JSU off UTC's Christmas card list for some reason?

[JaxSinfonian]

Are you kidding me? Men's Soccer, Both Tennis and Baseball are far superior to the OVC to say the least.

There is no men's soccer in the OVC, so moot point there. I have no clue about tennis. But you're going to have to provide some evidence on that baseball statement. If you'd said "even" I wouldn't have questioned you, but "far superior?" Are you kidding me?

[OL FU]

Chattanoogamocs, I'm sorry to hear this news. I think a move would have been good for UTC and the OVC. But it wasn't my decision to make.

Brown mentioned relationships with TSU and Tech and a desire to lure Samford to the SoCon. There was no mention of the current football series with Jax State. Given Rodney Allison's earlier comments ("I didn't come here to beat Jacksonville State.") I'm wondering if JSU was intentionally not mentioned. Is JSU off UTC's Christmas card list for some reason?

Maybe he did not mention Jacksonville State because he knows they are not coming to the SoCon:(

[youwouldno]

There is no men's soccer in the OVC, so moot point there. I have no clue about tennis. But you're going to have to provide some evidence on that baseball statement. If you'd said "even" I wouldn't have questioned you, but "far superior?" Are you kidding me?

http://www.boydsworld.com/baseball/rpi/confrpi.html

The SoCon was 8th in RPI, the OVC 23rd. That's a pretty massive gap. By comparison, in basketball, where the OVC has an advantage, the OVC was 20th and the SoCon 23rd-- and it was the worst year for the SoCon in recent memory.

But even the conference RPI in baseball doesn't tell the whole story, because the SoCon had 2 teams finish in the top 25 (and go to the NCAAs).

So no, it really isn't a question that the SoCon is massively superior in baseball.

[JaxSinfonian]

http://www.boydsworld.com/baseball/rpi/confrpi.html

The SoCon was 8th in RPI, the OVC 23rd. That's a pretty massive gap. By comparison, in basketball, where the OVC has an advantage, the OVC was 20th and the SoCon 23rd-- and it was the worst year for the SoCon in recent memory.

But even the conference RPI in baseball doesn't tell the whole story, because the SoCon had 2 teams finish in the top 25 (and go to the NCAAs).

So no, it really isn't a question that the SoCon is massively superior in baseball.

Fair enough.

[chattanoogamocs]

Athletics to Remain in the SoCon (Chattanooga Sports Information)

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- UTC Chancellor Roger Brown and Athletics Director Richard Hart announced Wednesday that the athletics program would continue to compete in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the Southern Conference.

The Ohio Valley Conference approached UTC this past spring about joining its conference. UTC has been a member of the Southern Conference since 1977, when the campus moved to Division I athletics.

“Since my arrival in mid-July, Chancellor Brown and I have worked diligently to evaluate our conference affiliation,” Hart said Wednesday at a news conference. “After considerable discussion and review, we are pleased to announce that we will remain in the Southern Conference. We appreciate our 30-year partnership with the SoCon and look forward to adding to our proud history and tradition in the future.”

State of Tennessee colleges and universities in the Ohio Valley Conference include Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, Austin Peay State and Tennessee-Martin. The opportunities for in-state rivalries and shorter travel times were mentioned as benefits of UTC to the OVC.

Dr. Brown said that negotiations with the Southern Conference and Commissioner John Iamarino developed some ideas to address these, including travel partners and the expansion possibilities of new SoCon members which are in closer proximity to Chattanooga.

Brown said UTC has a playing relationship with Tennessee Tech, and he hopes that other Tennessee campuses, including Tennessee State, may be added to the Mocs’ schedules in the future.

“UTC has a proud heritage as a member of the Southern Conference,” Dr. Brown said. “The competition in the Southern Conference is among the best in mid-major conferences. The more we looked at this decision, the benefits of remaining in the Southern Conference became increasingly clear for our campus.

“I like the strong academic background of the schools in the Southern Conference. I like the mix of public and private institutions.”

Hart praised OVC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and the job he has done in that league.

“Jon Steinbrecher was extremely professional in all of our discussions,” Hart said. “Our decision is certainly not a knock on Jon or the OVC. We just determined that we are pleased with our current relationship with the Southern Conference and are expecting a bright future in this league. I can not point to one specific item that led to our decision.”

The UTC men’s programs won the 2005 Commissioner’s Cup for having the top all-around men’s athletics program in the SoCon. Both the men’s and women’s programs are consistently among the top three in the annual all-around trophy standings.

UTC earned SoCon championships in women’s basketball and wrestling in 2005-06 and claimed individual titles in both men’s and women’s cross country.

[Mr. C]

Sanity finally prevails in Chattanooga. This should have been a no brainer decision from the start.

[EKU05]

Personally, I think UC should have joined the OVC :).


The OVC is still at 11 - will they try to get someone else to get to 12?

The OVC wants to get to 12...we're not going to take someone who we don't think is a good fit...but we definitely want to get there. I'm not going to say it isn't possible, but I don't expect TSU to leave. Their AD, if you read her quotes, basically sounds like she's saying that she's looking into the SWAC to make the passify the alumni, but the OVC is better for almost anything other than football where both leagues have their advantages.

As far as other potential 12th teams....here are some that have been discusses on EKU/OVC message boards that I've read before even though none of these seem very likely at all.

ETSU--Wanted to be in the OVC since they were forced out of the SoCon, but the OVC only wants schools with football in terms of new membership. If ETSU brings back football they would certainly be an option...but in that case the SoCon may welcome them back anyway so it would be a moot point.

Northern Kentucky--Currently DII, but they have begun officially looking into moving to Division I. They are a good geographic fit, and would be the second largest school in the OVC (EKU is the biggest). Academically, they have a law school which is impressive. They also have plans to build a new 9K seat basketball arena. However, like ETSU they lack football...so I'd say this is a long shot as well.

Kentucky State--(Also currently DII) This is probably the most ridiculous of them all (even though I was the one that threw it out there just for the sake of discussion). First the positives...good geographic fit, they have football, and it would be a second HBCU to join TSU. The negatives however go even deeper...total enrollment is under 3K, so it would be even smaller than Samford (currently the smallest OVC school). Also, there has been no inclination that KSU is looking into Division I.

Outside of these three (none of which will actually happen)...I don't know where else we would look right now. I thought UC would have been a terrific fit (as long TO didn't come back to visit xlolx )

[Golden Eagle]

Outside of these three (none of which will actually happen)...I don't know where else we would look right now.

There are periodic mumblings from North Alabama as well.

[BearsCountry]

West Georgia is another D2 moving up as well.

[AndrewFU21]

This is excellent news. If, as Matt Daughrety says, the 12 game season is inevitable, we could not afford to drop to 7 football members, which would force each school to schedule 6 non-conference games. Now, I figure they'll add CCU in a few years, bringing the SoCon to 12 members and 9 football playing schools. Any more schools than that is less than ideal, imo.

[drjman]

I, for one, would like to see JSU in the SoCon--South Carolina is a two-team state as far as football is concerned (at least the public and news media would have you think so)--schools like FU and Woffy have been recruiting from "off" for years and a little Alabama exposure couldn't hurt.

JSU seems to be a solid program and have nearly beaten Furman at least twice in the past 3 years, it'd be nice to throw another SoCon team into the national mix come playoff time.

Just my humble opinion.

[AndrewFU21]

From a football standpoint, I would certainly like JSU. CCU does offer a very good baseball program and what seems to be an up and coming one in basketball as well, however, and I'm not exactly sure how JSU stacks up in other sports. JSU would be a nice addition in terms of expanding the conference, but who's to say they would leave the OVC? The fact that the SoCon is obviously in the market for a 12th school and that CCU would jump at the oppurtunity makes me think it will happen. I guess we'll see how CCU does in their 'audition' games this year against the SoCon. Losing to a team that was winless in the conference last year sure isn't a good start.

[drjman]

CCU has nothing in common with any other SoCon outfit as far as I can see --then again...there's Elon. I guess my question would be what can they add or compliment in the SoCon?

The loss to Elon was rough for them, but they did beat JMU last year and likely "would've" made the playoffs if not for a last second debacle/heroics by CSU that cost them essentially their season--they still won the conference as co-champs but the entire schedule last year (and this) was built around garnering enough respect (read: quality I-AA wins as opposed to lesser competition and DII wins ie Charleston Southern) to make the playoffs.

[gophoenix]

Elon doesn't have anything in common with any other SoCon outfit? And neither does Coastal? How in the heck do you get that?

Elon is much alike to Furman, Wofford and Davidson. Has Academics better than all but 2 schools. And has good programs.

Coastal is very much like Western Carolina.

So, if Elon and Coastal are not like any other SoCon outfits, then tell me how App is like anyone else, or The Citadel, or how Wofford fits in, or how Western fits in being the smallest public school and so on.

[Saint3333]

I think I can hear the SoCon knocking on a couple of OVC member doors already.:hurray:

If we go to a 12 game season wouldn't it be nice to get two of three OVC schools (JSU, EKU, Samford in that order) and add UNCW for basketball. That would my best case scenerio.

[OL FU]

I, for one, would like to see JSU in the SoCon--South Carolina is a two-team state as far as football is concerned (at least the public and news media would have you think so)--schools like FU and Woffy have been recruiting from "off" for years and a little Alabama exposure couldn't hurt.

JSU seems to be a solid program and have nearly beaten Furman at least twice in the past 3 years, it'd be nice to throw another SoCon team into the national mix come playoff time.

Just my humble opinion.

drjman,

First Welcome. Nice to see another Buc
Second, I agree with Go Pheonix with respect to Elon.
Also, The Socon is one of the more diverse Conferences. Rare to find such a successful collection of small and large institutions.

[atlGAmocs]

I can't imagine that UTC decided to stay in the SoCon with CCU as another 7+ hour roadtrip. I really think their will be an Alabama school coming soon. My hope is Jax St, only 2 hours from Chattanooga. I think we might see some interesting annoucements at the conclusion of the football season.

[drjman]

Sorry didn't mean to offend anyone.

Opinions are...well you know what they are like....but I still haven't heard how Elon is "like" Furman or Woffy other than academics--nor how CCU is "like" Western (I maintain they're not).

BUT as pointed out above the SoCon is a hugely diverse conference especially considering the non-football playing schools. I guess all in all you can't pigeonhole it.

[OL FU]

Sorry didn't mean to offend anyone.

Opinions are...well you know what they are like....but I still haven't heard how Elon is "like" Furman or Woffy other than academics--nor how CCU is "like" Western (I maintain they're not).

BUT as pointed out above the SoCon is a hugely diverse conference especially considering the non-football playing schools. I guess all in all you can't pigeonhole it.

No offense taken.
We are hear to discuss.

:nod: :nod: :nod:
Now quit saying **** like that
xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[JaxSinfonian]

I appreciate all the SoCon fans who've mentioned they'd like to ee Jax State in the SoCon. Since it appears someone's geting added, please ring your school and conference officials' phones off the hook, please.

JSU would love to have gotten a SoCon invite back when it was looking to leave the Southland, but it didn't happen. Getting Samford to go to the OVC with us helped make that conference seem a little more like home. If the SoCon takes them, JSU is sort of down here on the southern fringe all alone ... the OVC suddenly becomes a lot less attractive. That's what happened with the Southland. Those punks at Troy moved up and left us alone way east of everyone else, so we looked for a better fit.

Likewise, I wonder if a JSU move to the SoCon would happen without Samford coming along. UTC is nearby, but as both conferences are currently constituted the average travel distance is actually a bit shorter in the OVC ... no real reason for us to move. A SoCon with Samford has an even shorter averag travel distance, though.

Life in the OVC has been good for Jax State, but if SoCon invites come to both JSU and Samford, I say let's go.

[youwouldno]

JSU + Samford would make sense from the public/private (and academic) perspective. The real question for the SoCon is how many football-playing members... I think there would be a lot of resistance to a divisional-type setup. Adding two makes sense in a 12-game scenario, as has been mentioned as a possibility.

With UTC staying, it will be interesting to see what happens. It presents an opportunity for improvement in both basketball and football if expansion is done right.