North Alabama To The OVC?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Looks like the OVC has someone on their shopping list already now that Samford is gone...

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=north-alabama-turstees-get-pros-and-cons&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1


The Lions have had success in Division II through the years, most notably with three football and two men’s basketball national championships.

The presentation outlined how UNA compares to other schools in the Gulf South Conference, top Division II programs nationwide and to Division I schools that participate in the Ohio Valley Conference and Southland Conference.

When compared to the top 10 football-playing schools in Division II, UNA’s athletic budget of $4.03 million is 29 percent below the average $5.67 million budget. UNA’s budget ranked second in the Gulf South Conference, behind Delta State.

Williams said UNA would need to raise its athletic budget to at least the Ohio Valley Conference of $7.4 million to be competitive in Division I.

OVC, right? Or is it close enough to the SLC's footprint to warrant discussion about going there?

Discuss.

[Purple Pride]

They've always complained about traveling to the Arkansas schools in the GSC. I wouldn't think they'd be interested at all in traveling to Texas, or any of the Southland schools for that matter.

[Gamecocks99]

Looks like the OVC has someone on their shopping list already now that Samford is gone...

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=north-alabama-turstees-get-pros-and-cons&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1



OVC, right? Or is it close enough to the SLC's footprint to warrant discussion about going there?

Discuss.

These few lines in the article says it all. they will go to the OVC if they go at all

The proposal pointed out several UNA strengths that would make a move to Division I easier. Among those strengths are the tradition of the program, the support and size of the community, institutional support, good facilities and membership interest from the Ohio Valley Conference.

Williams also pointed out that a move to Division I would allow UNA to renew rivalries with teams such as Jacksonville State, Troy and Alabama A&M, which would almost certainly increase ticket sales.

“UNA doesn’t really have a big rival now that most of the old GSC teams have gone Division I,” Williams said. “When I played at UNA, the Jacksonville State game was huge. With Samford leaving, the OVC is looking for another team and UNA would be a great fit geographically for the conference.”

[TexasTerror]

I do not think we'll see them head to the Southland. OVC makes more sense. If the SLC goes anywhere outside of Texas-Louisiana-Arkansas, it'd be into Mississippi or Oklahoma. As the article notes, they got some teams in the OVC that would be better fits rival-wise.

[EKU05]

I think the OVC is very much a possibility, but it would be several years down the road seeing as how they can't even start the transitional process until at least 2011.

[Killtoppers90]

Williams also pointed out that a move to Division I would allow UNA to renew rivalries with teams such as Jacksonville State, Troy and Alabama A&M, which would almost certainly increase ticket sales.[/B]

With the advent of the new "no 1-AA teams" rule in the SBC, I doubt that Troy will be in their sights.

[dakotadan]

I'm sure the fact that South Alabama is adding football may make a few more boosters push the idea.

[EKU05]

With the advent of the new "no 1-AA teams" rule in the SBC, I doubt that Troy will be in their sights.

The article is about their athletics program moving to Division I...that woudl affect a lot of sports other than just I-AA football.

[catdaddy2402]

With the advent of the new "no 1-AA teams" rule in the SBC, I doubt that Troy will be in their sights.

They could still play Troy without being FBS or in the Sun Belt. Maybe not in football every year, but I imagine they would face off in every other sport yearly.

[Eyes of Old Main]

I see the OVC as a good fit for UNA from a travel and member mix standpoint.

UNA has nice facilities from what I've seen and heard about, they are committed to winning, and they are in a nice (albeit somewhat secluded) area.

[JohnStOnge]

With the advent of the new "no 1-AA teams" rule in the SBC, I doubt that Troy will be in their sights.

What? Did they get tired of getting frequently beaten by I-AA/FCS teams?

Tell us about this rule. Are you saying the SBC is saying its teams can't play FCS teams after some date?

If that's true, that's pretty pathetic.

[Franks Tanks]

What? Did they get tired of getting frequently beaten by I-AA/FCS teams?

Tell us about this rule. Are you saying the SBC is saying its teams can't play FCS teams after some date?

If that's true, that's pretty pathetic.

There is a rule in the Sun Belt that they cannot play at an FCS team, is that what he may be referring too? I couldnt imagine totally banning FCS games, sometimes an FBS just has to play one to fill out the schedule even if they dont necessarily want to. A rule like that can really handicap scheduling.

[dakotadan]

I thought that they decided only 1 FCS team per season and that it must be at home.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I thought that they decided only 1 FCS team per season and that it must be at home.

I think that's right.. you may as well call that the "EKU rule". Basically, WKU isn't allowed to play at EKU to keep up their historic rivalry. To me, it's a thinly veiled attempt to prevent one of their members from losing to EKU. (Of course, you could also call it the McNeese rule too... xsmiley_wix )

[JaxSinfonian]

I think that's right.. you may as well call that the "EKU rule". Basically, WKU isn't allowed to play at EKU to keep up their historic rivalry. To me, it's a thinly veiled attempt to prevent one of their members from losing to EKU.

Yep. The rule came not all that long after WKU and Eastern had announced a 10-year agreement to keep the rivalry going on a home-and-home basis, with administrators at both schools talking about what a great thing it was for both institutions and the state of Kentucky, and how important it was to keep it going. Apparently the marketing needs of some Sun Belt schools in a few other states trumped those concerns.

You could call it the Troy rule. For years, JSU fans have told our friends in the "Ugliest Village on the Plains" we'd be happy to resume our series, if it was home-and-home. Troy fans responded simply that "I-As don't play at I-AAs." (I don't know if the same conversations were had by school officials.) They couldn't very well make that argument with a straight face if the newest member of their conference had a standing deal to visit an FCS school every other year with the stated aim of keeping a storied in-state rivalry alive.

It's a subtle branding thing. The Sun Belt folks desperately need an underclass to show there's something "beneath" them if they're going to have to put up with always playing on the road against the BCS elite. Admitting that there's not really all that much difference between their conference and the top third of FCS doesn't help them create the illusion they're looking for. Never mind that these programs are jettisoning chances to continue headline-grabbing traditional rivalry games and increase their exposure in other corners of their home states while maintaining an on-field edge in scholarships. It's all about their definition of "big time."