That is a harsh reaction but that is also how many administrations and fanbases think these days. This is why so many conferences have screwed up geography now. The ideal place for Georgia State, if they can get a football program going, is probably the Southern Conference. There is no reason for the CAA to stretch from Boston to Atlanta. The amount of "market share" a Division I-FCS league can get, in the shadow of the ACC and SEC, is not worth having such a stretched out configuration.

Imagine if the Southern Conference and CAA leaders could actually sit down and trade schools to improve both leagues. Do you really think Georgia State can develop any true rivalries in the CAA? Can any CAA rivalry come close to what could possibly develop between Georgia State and Georgia Southern if they were both in the Southern Conference? Does the Southern Conference need five North Carolina schools? The CAA and UNC Wilmington could benefit from having UNC Greensboro instead.

IMAGINARY RESHUFFLED SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Samford / Tennessee-Chattanooga
Western Carolina / Appalachian State
Elon / Davidson
Furman / Wofford
Citadel / Charleston
Georgia State / Georgia Southern

Even if Georgia State never ends up adding football this, in my opinion, would have been a better geographic mix for the Southern Conference. The number of North Carolina schools gets cut to four, instead of five, and the divisions line up better. While 10 schools makes the football schedule somewhat tougher, if a full round-robin is played, they could also have opted to skip one opponent every year, like the Pac-10 used to do, and just have occasional ties for the title if Georgia State gets football.

IMAGINARY RESHUFFLED COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Northeastern / Hofstra
Drexel / Delaware
Towson / George Mason
James Madison / Virginia Commonwealth
William & Mary / Old Dominion
UNC Greensboro / UNC Wilmington

I think having North Carolina as the southernmost state in the CAA footprint, rather than Georgia, would have made more sense for the CAA. I also think there is more rivalry potential for UNC Wilmington with UNC Greensboro rather than Georgia State. I know that Greensboro is not the same "major market" that Atlanta is but this should not matter so much at the Division I-FCS level. Of course, I do not know the individual histories between these schools and leagues, and things like that always matter.

Then again, I also think the A-10 and CAA should trade Richmond and Drexel, but that will probably definitely not ever happen. If the leaders of the CAA schools are anything like their fanbases then Richmond will never be forgiven for the way they left that league a few years ago. Even getting another full-time football member in the CAA does not make a reunion worth it according to those people. So, like the above post regarding Georgia State and the A-Sun schools, the same old routine will keep playing.

MercerFan Wrote:

GaStPanthers Wrote:

KennesawBasketball Wrote:Farmville, VA is sure a long ways away to stay in the ASun footprint. To be honest Georgia State would be a lot better off rejoining the Atlantic Sun. They would be a great fit, and would be a nice rounding out of the conference.

Georgia State would rather puke all over itself before it moves
A) To any conference with Kennesaw State, or
B) back to the A-Sun.


Well...that's my opinion at least.

How quickly they forget! Ga State had success in the A-Sun and even won an NCAA Tournament game. So sorry you'd rather puke on yourself than possibly enjoy that again. Kennesaw will be in the NCAA's before Ga State is again.

When will Kennesaw even be eligible for the post season? Another 2 or 3 years?

The CAA has had two bids to the dance for the last 2 years straight, and multiple bids to the NIT. With Barnes coming to GSU and rebuilding what Perry destroyed GSU will be in the NIT soon, and the NCAA's soon thereafter.

Meanwhile, when Kennesaw is actually eligible for the postseason, they will be fighting for one bid supremacy in a conference with a conference RPI so low that the only way to make it in the NIT is through the new "autobid" process.

To think that a Mercer fan is challenging that KSU will be in the NCAA's before Georgia State will be in the NCAA's? Instead of encouraging KSU to get to the NCAA's before GSU, you should be more worried about getting Mercer to the NCAA's.

Krocker Krapp Wrote:That is a harsh reaction but that is also how many administrations and fanbases think these days. This is why so many conferences have screwed up geography now. The ideal place for Georgia State, if they can get a football program going, is probably the Southern Conference. There is no reason for the CAA to stretch from Boston to Atlanta. The amount of "market share" a Division I-FCS league can get, in the shadow of the ACC and SEC, is not worth having such a stretched out configuration.

Imagine if the Southern Conference and CAA leaders could actually sit down and trade schools to improve both leagues. Do you really think Georgia State can develop any true rivalries in the CAA? Can any CAA rivalry come close to what could possibly develop between Georgia State and Georgia Southern if they were both in the Southern Conference? Does the Southern Conference need five North Carolina schools? The CAA and UNC Wilmington could benefit from having UNC Greensboro instead.

IMAGINARY RESHUFFLED SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Samford / Tennessee-Chattanooga
Western Carolina / Appalachian State
Elon / Davidson
Furman / Wofford
Citadel / Charleston
Georgia State / Georgia Southern

Even if Georgia State never ends up adding football this, in my opinion, would have been a better geographic mix for the Southern Conference. The number of North Carolina schools gets cut to four, instead of five, and the divisions line up better. While 10 schools makes the football schedule somewhat tougher, if a full round-robin is played, they could also have opted to skip one opponent every year, like the Pac-10 used to do, and just have occasional ties for the title if Georgia State gets football.

IMAGINARY RESHUFFLED COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Northeastern / Hofstra
Drexel / Delaware
Towson / George Mason
James Madison / Virginia Commonwealth
William & Mary / Old Dominion
UNC Greensboro / UNC Wilmington

I think having North Carolina as the southernmost state in the CAA footprint, rather than Georgia, would have made more sense for the CAA. I also think there is more rivalry potential for UNC Wilmington with UNC Greensboro rather than Georgia State. I know that Greensboro is not the same "major market" that Atlanta is but this should not matter so much at the Division I-FCS level. Of course, I do not know the individual histories between these schools and leagues, and things like that always matter.

Then again, I also think the A-10 and CAA should trade Richmond and Drexel, but that will probably definitely not ever happen. If the leaders of the CAA schools are anything like their fanbases then Richmond will never be forgiven for the way they left that league a few years ago. Even getting another full-time football member in the CAA does not make a reunion worth it according to those people. So, like the above post regarding Georgia State and the A-Sun schools, the same old routine will keep playing.

To an extent I agree with you. The SoCon would have been better then the Colonial, geography wise. However the SoCon, who just abandoned ETSU, because they dropped football wasn't interested in us. At this time GSU's administration wasn't interested in football.

The Colonial needed someone in the south to appease the southern schools while they added NU. They went to College of Charleston, and a few others but no one else was interested in exchanging what was then a "one bid league" for another "one bid league."

Meanwhile, Georgia State was itching to get out the A-Sun and join a conference that pairs better with GSU's institutional identity. The CAA came a knocking, and GSU took the first ticket it could out of the A-Sun.

I don't think the RPI for the ASun could get any lower but I did have 20 bucks on Michegan this year vs App State with the spread. I only lost by roughly 50 pts.

Kennesaw's off probation in 2 years ('09-10).

MFan is good guy, I'm sure he has his wants for Mercer but he's joining the KSU/GSU discussion. To add to the fun, I hope Mercer wins the play in game this year. lol

Nick M Wrote:MFan is good guy, I'm sure he has his wants for Mercer but he's joining the KSU/GSU discussion. To add to the fun, I hope Mercer wins the play in game this year. lol

Your right he is a good guy, and I've enjoyed his post and comments throughout this forum.

Thanks guys. I was just spiking up a debate. Mercer's working on it this year hopefully. We all miss the short trip to ATL to Ga State for a road game. That gym was one of a kind being in a crowded downtown and on a 2nd floor.

Nick M Wrote:To add to the fun, I hope Mercer wins the play in game this year. lol

lol thanks

GaStPanthers Wrote:To an extent I agree with you. The SoCon would have been better then the Colonial, geography wise. However the SoCon, who just abandoned ETSU, because they dropped football wasn't interested in us. At this time GSU's administration wasn't interested in football.

The Colonial needed someone in the south to appease the southern schools while they added NU. They went to College of Charleston, and a few others but no one else was interested in exchanging what was then a "one bid league" for another "one bid league."

Meanwhile, Georgia State was itching to get out the A-Sun and join a conference that pairs better with GSU's institutional identity. The CAA came a knocking, and GSU took the first ticket it could out of the A-Sun.

I understand that is what the situation was in 2004. This is why the addition of football is so important to Georgia State now. I also know the situation with UNC Wilmington, and the CAA, as far as wanting another Southern school.

For the future, though, I think what I proposed makes perfect sense. Georgia State would be better off in the Southern Conference and UNC Greensboro would be a fair replacement in the CAA. It is also no longer a one bid league.

I think the CAA matches up better with Georgia State's institutional identity, as you stated, but the Southern Conference, and a rivalry with Georgia Southern, would match up better with Georgia State's emerging sports identity.

I agree KK. If the Southern Conference had considered adding Georgia State 5 years ago it would have been an ideal situation. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for us a lot has changed. Their leadership obviously has a different direction for the conference than in years past. In previous decades when schools left, a mix of privates and large publics were added to balance stalwarts Citadel, Furman, and Davisdon. They are no longer "refilling" those slots with schools such as Marshall, East Carolina, a ETSU (all gone) but with Wofford, Elon, and Samford (not bashing on small privates, it just is what it is). Just visit the AppSt and GaSo boards to see their frustration. If any two conferences need to reshuffle amongst one another it's the SoCon and Big South (heck, throw in A-Sun and make it a threesome). One can host the Carolina Privates or "Magnolia League", one can cater to the Basketball/1-AAA schools, and the other can go back to being...well...the Southern Conference. If not look for Georgia Southern and Appalachian State to bolt the first chance they get too.
BTW I think the High Point-Longwood switch makes too much sense to happen, but great idea.
As for Georgia State's direction, most are grateful that we're on the CAA train, but I don't think it's the best track for us. We're not done moving yet and I'm hoping when we do it will be on a nice new train with a much faster track.

Viva le revolution! Let's dump all the conferences and have the BCS computers figure it out.

Nick M Wrote:have the BCS computers figure it out.

Forget the BCS computers, I'll figure it out.....at least partially. There are some schools that I think really SHOULD be alligned with each other (based on history, demographics, location, and "institutional identity"):

KUDZO CONFERENCE - might require a few to add scholarship fb
Elon
Davidson
Campbell
Wofford
Furman
Mercer
Samford
Stetson
maybe Belmont and/or Richmond (I think UofR is/was Baptist, not sure)


CONFERENCE X (mid-size publics w/o fb)
East Tenn State
Winthrop
UNC Greensboro
UNC Wilmington
Coll of Charleston
maybe Georgia State, others?

Probably will never happen, though.

A-Sun and Big South meetings are this week and next. If there is any news, it might come next week. A-Sun adding a 12th school would be a big surprise to me, though.

If anybody would create new conferences, why not just have every school playing football at the same level to begin with? It seems to me that it is unrealistic to say "these schools should be in a conference and some need to add scholarships or start a football program" no matter how institutionally similar they are otherwise. I see no need to blow up existing conferences if the new conferences are still a mix and match mess as far as having football or not having football are concerned.

ChooChoo Wrote:I agree KK. If the Southern Conference had considered adding Georgia State 5 years ago it would have been an ideal situation. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for us a lot has changed. Their leadership obviously has a different direction for the conference than in years past. In previous decades when schools left, a mix of privates and large publics were added to balance stalwarts Citadel, Furman, and Davisdon. They are no longer "refilling" those slots with schools such as Marshall, East Carolina, a ETSU (all gone) but with Wofford, Elon, and Samford (not bashing on small privates, it just is what it is). Just visit the AppSt and GaSo boards to see their frustration. If any two conferences need to reshuffle amongst one another it's the SoCon and Big South (heck, throw in A-Sun and make it a threesome). One can host the Carolina Privates or "Magnolia League", one can cater to the Basketball/1-AAA schools, and the other can go back to being...well...the Southern Conference. If not look for Georgia Southern and Appalachian State to bolt the first chance they get too.
BTW I think the High Point-Longwood switch makes too much sense to happen, but great idea.
As for Georgia State's direction, most are grateful that we're on the CAA train, but I don't think it's the best track for us. We're not done moving yet and I'm hoping when we do it will be on a nice new train with a much faster track.

I think a High Point / Longwood switch makes perfect sense. I also think a Georgia State / UNC Greensboro switch makes perfect sense if y'all can get a football program started and, as I also mentioned, a Richmond / Drexel switch too. Overblown egos and stupid agendas, unfortunately, tend to get in the way of common sense too often in the world of college athletics. I don't think switching Georgia State / UNC Greensboro should matter since both are public schools. I wish y'all luck.

Since there's no incentive to really expand beyond seven schools for football in Division I FCS (only 6 required for an automatic bid, but 7 schools gives you 3 home games and 3 away games), we'll probably see less movement with regards to football. Some conferences may start sponsoring football (like the America East and Atlantic Sun), or stop admitting football-only members (CAA), but you'll probably see fewer moves for all sports-especially if the Division I FCS playoffs are expanded.

How can the Atlantic Sun Conference start sponsoring football? Right now only two members - Jacksonville and Campbell - have, or will have, football programs. Both are set to play in the Division I-FCS non-scholarship Pioneer League.

Even though Kennesaw State and Mercer are reportedly studying the sport, and would be in the early phases of doing so, that is a long way from thinking the Atlantic Sun Conference will be able to start sponsoring football in a few years.

There have been statements of interest from Lipscomb and North Florida, too, but that would still only be six Atlantic Sun Conference members. Plus there is the issue of whether schools want scholarship football or non-scholarship football.