Big South football

[Sader87]

Just curious where this conference is headed moving forward.

Are schools joining, leaving etc. in the near future?

Apologies if this is redundant to many....league is sort out of my footprint, save for Monmouth, so I haven't heard much info on it.

[KSUFAN]

Just curious where this conference is headed moving forward.

Are schools joining, leaving etc. in the near future?

Apologies if this is redundant to many....league is sort out of my footprint, save for Monmouth, so I haven't heard much info on it.

Yes it's changing and has been changing since Kennesaw joined the conference 5 years ago. The conference has recently(last year) had Campbell, Hampton and North Alabama join the conference. Presbyterian is playing their last season in the Big South and headed to the PL. In the last 3 years Coastal Carolina, Liberty left for the FBS. North Alabama won't be eligible for a couple more years as they transition from D2.

[HootyHoo]

The Big South is in transition after Coastal Carolina and Liberty left the conference for the FBS. The future will depend on KSU and North Alabama. Obviously having two associate members leading the conference is not ideal. If the Owls decide to leave for the SOCON or FBS, it could be the end of the Big South. The good news is that Kennesaw State plans to stick around for awhile to build up the athletic department infrastructure.

[Sader87]

Thanks.so next year and moving forward it will consist of for football: KSU, Gardner-Webb, Charleston So., Monmouth, Campbell, Hampton and N.
Alabama?

7 schools and a playoff bid?

[DFW HOYA]

Just curious where this conference is headed moving forward.

Are schools joining, leaving etc. in the near future?

Apologies if this is redundant to many....league is sort out of my footprint, save for Monmouth, so I haven't heard much info on it.

Big South added Hampton and North Alabama in 2019, Presbyterian leaves after 2019 for Pioneer.

The scorecard so far:

Added
Kennesaw State (2015)
Campbell (2018)
Hampton (2019)
North Alabama (2019)


Lost
Coastal Carolina (2016 for Sun Belt)
Liberty (2018 for I-A independent)
Presbyterian (2020 for Pioneer)

Meanwhile, no one wants to join the Patriot League.

[UNHWildcat18]

I feel bad for Monmouth
-kicked from NEC
-not "smart" enough for PL
-Stadium too small for CAA

[Reign of Terrier]

The Big South will get better. Monmouth wants to be better, Campbell is already better than they were last year, Charleston Southern has it in them to be decent again, and Gardner Webb has shown flashes of decency this year.

I think they get a second playoff bid this year bc of politics. I don't think they'll deserve one until 2021 though.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Baron Sardonicus]

No doubt Big South fans are breathlessly anticipating the Stetson/JU game. World's smallest cocktail party.

Thought they'd be gone from the Pioneer by now. Instead, Presbyterian is leaving the Big South...for the PFL. Curious.

[walliver]

The Big South should be stable for now.
Kennesaw State, although once considered for a non-football spot in the SoCon, really needs to step up their other sports to become attractive to other conferences. The Sun Belt won't take them as long as Georgia State is there. And the SoCon is not in expansion mode.
UNA may eventually find a home in the OVC, but I don't keep up with OVC politics.
Monmouth doesn't seem to have anywhere to go.
For full members: Campbell is up and coming and may eventually be attractive to the SoCon, but there doesn't seem to be any desire to expand.
Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern don't really have any D-I football options at the scholarship level.
If Hampton is successful, there is a chance they could bring in another HBCU, although I suspect their goal is the CAA.

To be honest, unless the CAA decides to split as a football conference, I don't see many schools in the southeast changing conferences anytime soon.

[BurialGround]

Kennesaw State, although once considered for a non-football spot in the SoCon, really needs to step up their other sports to become attractive to other conferences.

I keep seeing this said again and again. Is the definition of "other sports" on here synonymous with "men's basketball" or what?

[bonarae]

I keep seeing this said again and again. Is the definition of "other sports" on here synonymous with "men's basketball" or what?

Not really. Men's basketball is sometimes the "kicker" sport in order to be attractive... xcoffeex

[PaladinFan]

The Big South should be stable for now.
Kennesaw State, although once considered for a non-football spot in the SoCon, really needs to step up their other sports to become attractive to other conferences. The Sun Belt won't take them as long as Georgia State is there. And the SoCon is not in expansion mode.
UNA may eventually find a home in the OVC, but I don't keep up with OVC politics.
Monmouth doesn't seem to have anywhere to go.
For full members: Campbell is up and coming and may eventually be attractive to the SoCon, but there doesn't seem to be any desire to expand.
Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern don't really have any D-I football options at the scholarship level.
If Hampton is successful, there is a chance they could bring in another HBCU, although I suspect their goal is the CAA.

To be honest, unless the CAA decides to split as a football conference, I don't see many schools in the southeast changing conferences anytime soon.

There are teams I'd be interested in seeing in the SoCon, but it's also hard to screw with a 9 team football conference.

8 conference games, play everyone, 4 home, 4 road is just about perfect.

[kdinva]

....but it's also hard to screw with a 9 team football conference.

8 conference games, play everyone, 4 home, 4 road is just about perfect.

AMEN, brother.

Look at the "mess" that is CAA and Big Sky football. always "arguments" about who played who, or who misses who, who had a tougher schedule.

[Lion1983]

Campbell is doing good, Monmouth seems good, and of course KSU is good. Hopefully UNA will get better towards the end of the transition and contend for the conference after.

Charlston Southern will get better under new head coach, and Gardner Webb and Hampton will be ok.

Overall, the Big South looks to be heading upward.

[KSUFAN]

Campbell is doing good, Monmouth seems good, and of course KSU is good. Hopefully UNA will get better towards the end of the transition and contend for the conference after.

Charlston Southern will get better under new head coach, and Gardner Webb and Hampton will be ok.

Overall, the Big South looks to be heading upward.

You see finish of Campbell/Gardner Webb game from this past weekend! Crazy
https://youtu.be/TrX_UoRAttg

[Lion1983]

You see finish of Campbell/Gardner Webb game from this past weekend! Crazy
https://youtu.be/TrX_UoRAttg

Yeah, I bet the punter is kicking himself (no pun intended)

[HootyHoo]

The Big South should be stable for now.
Kennesaw State, although once considered for a non-football spot in the SoCon, really needs to step up their other sports to become attractive to other conferences. The Sun Belt won't take them as long as Georgia State is there. And the SoCon is not in expansion mode.
UNA may eventually find a home in the OVC, but I don't keep up with OVC politics.
Monmouth doesn't seem to have anywhere to go.
For full members: Campbell is up and coming and may eventually be attractive to the SoCon, but there doesn't seem to be any desire to expand.
Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern don't really have any D-I football options at the scholarship level.
If Hampton is successful, there is a chance they could bring in another HBCU, although I suspect their goal is the CAA.

To be honest, unless the CAA decides to split as a football conference, I don't see many schools in the southeast changing conferences anytime soon.

Kennesaw State is 34th in the nation in Basketball recruiting right now. Amir Abdur-Rahim has got it going on. KSU athletics is on the rise. Honestly, there really isn't an incentive for the Owls to move to the Socon. It's an overrated conference living off it's historical achievements and full of mediocre middle of the road teams.

[Lion1983]

And UNA will never go to the OVC unless it's the only option for some unfortunate reason. The OVC lied to UNA and NKU when both were trying to get in. And the only real reason for UNA to consider the OVC is JSU.

I wish NJIT would find a better place for them and JSU join the ASUN/Big South with UNA and KSU. Need someone to replace Presbyterian in football anyway.

[FU_Paladin08]

Obviously individual teams schedule home/home with other teams, but I’d like to see more of that conference-wide between the Big South and SoCon. Not sure if conferences have that sway over the teams, but seems like it would be good for both conferences to boast each other’s schedules with regional OOC games. CSU gets passed around a good bit, but would like to see more of the other Big South teams. Something like each team is required to play a team from the other conference for the next three years or something?

[Lion1983]

Obviously individual teams schedule home/home with other teams, but I’d like to see more of that conference-wide between the Big South and SoCon. Not sure if conferences have that sway over the teams, but seems like it would be good for both conferences to boast each other’s schedules with regional OOC games. CSU gets passed around a good bit, but would like to see more of the other Big South teams. Something like each team is required to play a team from the other conference for the next three years or something?

UNA will start a 4 year deal with Chattanooga next year.

[JacksFan40]

Kennesaw State is 34th in the nation in Basketball recruiting right now. Amir Abdur-Rahim has got it going on. KSU athletics is on the rise. Honestly, there really isn't an incentive for the Owls to move to the Socon. It's an overrated conference living off it's historical achievements and full of mediocre middle of the road teams.
You guys went 6-26 last year. Having the 34th ranked class is impressive but don’t get overconfident until you start seeing results.

[kdinva]

Kennesaw State is 34th in the nation in Basketball recruiting right now. Amir Abdur-Rahim has got it going on. KSU athletics is on the rise. Honestly, there really isn't an incentive for the Owls to move to the Socon. It's an overrated conference living off it's historical achievements and full of mediocre middle of the road teams.

Last winter's Hoops Conf. RPI figures:

SoCOn: #12
Big South: #23

[Mocs123]

SoCon is a pretty big step up in both MBB and FB from the Big South. Take away Kennesaw State and I'm not sure what the Big South has. I do think UNA was a good addition and will be good in FB in a few years. They have a lot of history there.

Kennesaw State should be on the rise, they have more resources availible than 90% of FCS schools, it's a huge school.

[KSUFAN]

Last winter's Hoops Conf. RPI figures:

SoCOn: #12
Big South: #23

Kennesaw plays basketball out of the ASUN which isn't much better than Big South from RPI perspective(21).

[ksu_owls]

Obviously individual teams schedule home/home with other teams, but I’d like to see more of that conference-wide between the Big South and SoCon. Not sure if conferences have that sway over the teams, but seems like it would be good for both conferences to boast each other’s schedules with regional OOC games. CSU gets passed around a good bit, but would like to see more of the other Big South teams. Something like each team is required to play a team from the other conference for the next three years or something?

You may be on to something here.... (understand I am not comparing the two conferences to the SEC, this is just conceptual) It would be like the SEC West and SEC East, without a title game, of course. The SEC West being the SoCon since they have more than one good team and the not so big south being the weak SEC East. Maybe I should drink more coffee and then come share my ideas lol

[Mocs123]

Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, and Charleston Southern have been mainstays for some SoCon schools. We play UNA twice in the next couple of years.

[Lion1983]

Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, and Charleston Southern have been mainstays for some SoCon schools. We play UNA twice in the next couple of years.

Next 4 years Chattanooga and UNA

I like this game, close proximity, both citys are on the river and the TVA thing. Not to mention the Trail of Tears Memorial motorcycle ride that starts in Chattanooga and ends in Florence/Waterloo.