reliable SoCon bartender has told me...

[catamount man]

...that in 2014 Mercer will host both Furman and Western Carolina. Thought the 2014 schedules were set to be released this month? Furman vs Mercer poses much intrigue with Lamb and Fowler. GO CATS!

[Reign of Terrier]

I would think the replacing schools would take up the same home/away schedules that Elon/App/GSU leave behind

[catamount man]

I would think the replacing schools would take up the same home/away schedules that Elon/App/GSU leave behind But with a tweak. You guys are coming back to Cullowhee next year. Good luck against Samford. Should be a good game.

[DoWe]

What's a "reliable SoCon bartender"?

[thirdgendin]

Furman's game notes list the Paladins first four games of 2014 as...
vs. Gardner-Webb
@ Mercer
@ Presbyterian
@ South Carolina State

I'm 99% sure those dates will be Aug. 30 - Sept. 20. So unless Mercer has a SoCon game to open the season, Furman, in Macon, will be its first.

The replacing schools are not necessarily just filling the slots of the departed schools, especially since there are only 8 teams next year instead of 9. The league is completely redoing the schedules, starting in 2014. So I don't think we can use this year's schedule to determine where we will play opponents next year.

[walliver]

I suspect the "tweak" to the schedule was to spread the "premium games" around. In odd years, Wofford's big draws have been ASU and GSU, with FU and Citadel in even years. Without a tweak, our odd years would be VMI, Mercer, ETSU and Samford. Maybe we will develop rivalries against Sammy and Mercer, but for now, there would be no big draw games at home in odd years.