Atlantic Sun Conference

[CoreyDavis]

There is talk around the South that the Atlantic Sun Conference will be adding football.

Jacksonville
Lipscomb
Mercer
Kennessaw State
East Tennessee State
Stetson

All of them already have programs or are in the talks about bringing back or adding a football program.

[TheValleyRaider]

I thought the potential program failed to get through at ETSU? xconfusedx

And would this be a non-scholly conference, because I'd be shocked if Jacksonville wanted to add schollys for this. The big advantage for them to an A-Sun conference would be reduced travel (no more potential trips to Dayton, San Diego, Marist, etc.), not increasing costs with scholarships

xtwocentsx

[Baldy]

There is talk around the South that the Atlantic Sun Conference will be adding football.

Jacksonville
Lipscomb
Mercer
Kennessaw State
East Tennessee State
Stetson

All of them already have programs or are in the talks about bringing back or adding a football program.

Lipscomb, Mercer, and Stetson...all tiny private schools adding scholarship (?) football?

Very doubtful at best...

But.....why worry about the A-Sun, all three could easily find a home inside the Southern Conference. xlolx xwhistlex xpeacex

[TwinTownBisonFan]

ETSU voted it down recently, and just ended football a few years back.

Stetson would have to build a stadium... not cheap. They also don't really have somewhere to draw a crowd... Deland isn't that big.
Jacksonville... smallish school

I think you'd have better luck getting North Florida to add a Socon program

[Sly Fox]

There were whispers that Jacksonville was talking with the Big South a year ago when Stony Brook agreed to join the league. While their facilities and budget aren't much, they seem to recognize the value of having a scholie program in that market. And certainly they would rather their longest trip be to Lexington in the Big South than all the far-flung Pioneer locations. But I agree that talk is cheap and Jacksonville may be dreaming.

[mathman]

Kennesaw State and Georgia State went public about their intention of adding football around the same time. KSU got a positive response to its student survey about raising the athletic fee substantially but their president reported that private fundraising was disappointing. KSU insists that its football stadium must be on campus so that will be a big hurdle because the State of Georgia will not pay for it. Unless there is some sort of budgetary downturn, Georgia State will beat KSU in starting a program. I'm not sure how having both an FCS and FBS program already in Atlanta will affect KSU's prospects.

[Model Citizen]

This is not news.

Putting every non-schollie team into the PFL is becoming an intolerable strain for some schools. It's hard to budget for these fuel prices. Getting the JU football team to the midwest without a charter is a logistical nightmare. Situation will only get worse. Something's got to give.

Keep an eye on Mercer this summer.

[bluehenbillk]

Isn't Florida Gulf Coast in that league? It wouldn't shock me if they started up football given their location and the size of their school.

[BearsCountry]

I'm pretty sure this has been rumored for a while now.