Football and Basketball drive the NCAA and the money in it, in that order. So If they can profit from football maybe it can help the other sports if they don't want to focus on just one.

Bellarmine and N.Kentucky have expressed interest in D-I. Would the A-Sun move that far to the North East to Louisville and just below Cincinnati? If not Longwood is the next one in.

What do you guys think?

MercerFan Wrote:I really like the Campbell posters on here, so hope I don't come off as a jerk here.... but Campbell needs to work on basketball and baseball before any football additions. They haven't had a winning record in basketball since 1995-96 and baseball had 11 wins this year. I like Campbell, but if they're gonna bolt on the A-Sun, I would open the door for them. The A-Sun has been nice to them by not forcing them to play on Sundays.

Basketball is being worked on and anything that happens with football will not affect it or it's budget at all.

Baseball took a huge step in the right direction with the new coach hire and the commitment to upgrade the facilities.

When you look at Campbell leaving the A-Sun for the Big South you only have to look at how much better the travel schedule would be. Also, with the additions of Upstate, FGCU, Kennesaw, ETSU and UNF, the small privates (which include Mercer) are going to have problems in this league especially if the presidents continue to limit the number of teams that make the tournaments.

Let's not forget that CU is opening a new gym next year which will do nothing but help all of the sports programs at the university.

Fresno St. Alum Wrote:Football and Basketball drive the NCAA and the money in it, in that order. So If they can profit from football maybe it can help the other sports if they don't want to focus on just one.

That's one way to justify it.

Fresno St. Alum Wrote:Bellarmine and N.Kentucky have expressed interest in D-I. Would the A-Sun move that far to the North East to Louisville and just below Cincinnati? If not Longwood is the next one in.

What do you guys think?

No more non D1's!!! They took 2 or 3 too many already. They have to take a current DI or just leave the league at 11 teams.

The A-Sun is the Summit League in the south. You guys always get the southern start ups that don't have football. I agree that you take Longwood or get a non-fb school like Radford in the Big South over another D-II

the Big Camel Wrote:Basketball is being worked on and anything that happens with football will not affect it or it's budget at all.

Baseball took a huge step in the right direction with the new coach hire and the commitment to upgrade the facilities.

When you look at Campbell leaving the A-Sun for the Big South you only have to look at how much better the travel schedule would be. Also, with the additions of Upstate, FGCU, Kennesaw, ETSU and UNF, the small privates (which include Mercer) are going to have problems in this league especially if the presidents continue to limit the number of teams that make the tournaments.

Let's not forget that CU is opening a new gym next year which will do nothing but help all of the sports programs at the university.

Which tournaments are getting tighter on the # that make it? And you're right about your new gym, that will help a lot with recruiting and all.

Fresno St. Alum Wrote:The A-Sun is the Summit League in the south. You guys always get the southern start ups that don't have football. I agree that you take Longwood or get a non-fb school like Radford in the Big South over another D-II

I'll keep saying my dream pick, Winthrop, who is the perfect example of how to be successful without football.

MSoc, WSoc, VB, BB, SB, Tennis all will have just half of the teams qualifying for their respective tournament, while basketball will have just 8-of-12

Winthop would only move to the CAA if they ever had an opening

the Big Camel Wrote:MSoc, WSoc, VB, BB, SB, Tennis all will have just half of the teams qualifying for their respective tournament, while basketball will have just 8-of-12

I think it's perfect that way. You shouldn't make it to the tourney if you suck in the regular season.

That's a GREAT idea, Mercer!

PittsburghBucs Wrote:That's a GREAT idea, Mercer!

Which idea, Pitt?

Nick M Wrote:This seems like a transition conference and unfortunately, there's not a lot happening to stop that. You have to admire the schools sticking around since inception but there's not a lot of staying power. No football, not a flagship sport (baseball but come on, it seems this argument is waning) and not that much as far as publicity (television, radio) dollars coming from the center office.

Actually, only one A-Sun member (Mercer) has been part of the conference from the very beginning. There's a long list of former A-Sun schools that have moved on: Centenary, FAU, FIU, Georgia State, Troy, Samford, College of Charleston, Jacksonville State, etc. The A-Sun has indeed seen much transition.

As UCF was getting ready to leave the A-Sun, I remember hearing that the A-Sun was going to focus on having more private school members than public ones. How many of the A-Sun's latest additions are private and how many are public?

They really don't have much choice they have to take who they can get in the area public or private. I do enjoy watch the A-sun all the new teams coming in from D-II/NAIA. Same for the Summit.

SC desperately needs another big public college. USC Upstate is probably the best fit. They are the only public of note in Greenville-Spartanburg. It's in the heart of the I-85 corridor. Campus size has probably doubled in the last decade. It has the best nursing program in the state of SC. They just about broke out of the USC system. They were beginning to push their own curriculum, and butt heads with USC Columbia. Columbia didn't want them to show up their own nursing program further by offering a graduate nursing program too. USC Spartanburg (as it was called at the time) started making moves to do a nursing graduate program anyway, and that was when Columbia told them to fall in line -- curriculum and all -- or their funding would be cut. Thus there was a complete make over and curriculum overhaul -- and USC Upstate was born. Upstate will eventually leave the USC system and become the desperately needed third big public in this state. It's only a question of when.

FWIW -- Upstate should help ASun baseball.
South Carolina : college baseball :: Florida : college football

It wasn't that long ago that Furman, Winthrop, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, South Carolina, Clemson, and Wofford were all playing in post season regionals in the same season.

It will be interesting to see Upstate, FGCU, UNF, and KSU do battle. See who rules the DII transitioners.

There ya go, Mercer. You've figured out the divisions in the ASun:

I-AAA

II+

^^what about Jax and CU?

or do they not count cuz its not scholarship football

kevster Wrote:There ya go, Mercer. You've figured out the divisions in the ASun:

I-AAA

II+

Good one Kev, lol. Let's see, in 2011 we'll all be full I-AAA. That's kinda a long time.

Owlzfan84 Wrote:^^what about Jax and CU?

or do they not count cuz its not scholarship football

OK, that's true. JU & G Webb are I-AA. CU I suppose will be once they get football off the ground.