This needs to be one of the first things that the new AD has to explore. Our basketball program is now a by-product of our current affiliation. The A-Sun has finally caught up to us. There is absolutely no prestige with being involved in that conference and I'll guarantee you their automatic bid to the NCAA National Tournament will go by the wayside and they will have to play their way to get in. I'm sure that President Nolan is aware and this is high on his athletic agenda. But what conference?

With the universities current acceptance rate there are a lot of university presidents that would turn up their nose at us. The Southern will be changing with Appy, Charleston and Georgia Southern weighing in on venturing out. Geographically the OVC isn't a good destination any longer with schools in Missouri and Illinois. It is going to be hard to find a conference at this juncture that State would fit into.

So what is everyone elses take on moving to a new conference?

We are moving....it is a done deal. Everything Atlantic Sun has been removed from the dome.

One thing at a time, though I'm sure that's been discussed at length already.

1. A.D. change - get the permanent one in place.
2. Football announcement (hopefully after the Super Bowl, but maybe after the NFC Championship)
3. Make necessary personnel changes in the department.

(01-14-2013 09:29 AM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  One thing at a time, though I'm sure that's been discussed at length already.

1. A.D. change - get the permanent one in place.
2. Football announcement (hopefully after the Super Bowl, but maybe after the NFC Championship)
3. Make necessary personnel changes in the department.

My question was what conference would we fit into? We have to go somewhere now. Football at best is 2 plus years down the road. A new AD will make changes in the department.

(01-14-2013 09:23 AM)ETSUAlumni Wrote:  We are moving....it is a done deal. Everything Atlantic Sun has been removed from the dome.

Apparently you know something no one else knows. So where are we going?

At this point our options are slim as we have no football and a basketball program that is on the decline. Hopefully whereever we go we can build our football and basketball programs and use that conference as a stepping stone to even bigger and better things. I believe it is possible with an AD that is willing to focus on major sports instead of tennis,softball, and soccer.

We are going to the SoCon. As long as we bring back football, the Southern will be happy (save one) to have us. Travel-wise, it's a no brainer. Basketball-wise, OVC is clearly better. Hell, right now the ASun is better in RPI (26th vs. 29th for the SoCon). But the community and students will be happier in the SoCon.

And hell, the conference tournament is back in Asheville (Beer City USA). I for one like that a lot!

I am happy about the changes taking place at ETSU, but I just can't get excited about the conferences that have been mentioned here over the last year or so. The conference landscape over the country has changed (and continues to change) so I will just wait to see what happens in regards to ETSU's new conference home.

The SoCon will need atleast one, if not two football playing schools and a basketball school soon. As soon as the Hot Mess known as the Big East sorts out, the MWC will make its' moves, C-USA will do its' thing, then the Sun Belt.
Also, if MT and whichever of FAU/FIU it is that's leaving for C-USA goes this year, the Sun Belt will take App/Ga. Southern.
Grab a cold Coors Light and some popcorn. This is about to get really fun.
BartowZone, you can be positive now.

Just as long as it's not the Big South....

I will say I think this is a down year for the Socon in basketball. Davidson will continue to get stronger and I believe UTC will get stronger once they get a new coach. It would be nice if GSU and ASU stay but that probably won't happen. I just hope the Socon will find quality replacements for those schools that leave.

(01-14-2013 09:23 AM)ETSUAlumni Wrote:  We are moving....it is a done deal. Everything Atlantic Sun has been removed from the dome.

I was at the game Saturday and I noticed that...the only thing A-Sun was on was the court and the unis, which won't change until its official

(01-14-2013 09:43 AM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  We are going to the SoCon. As long as we bring back football, the Southern will be happy (save one) to have us. Travel-wise, it's a no brainer. Basketball-wise, OVC is clearly better. Hell, right now the ASun is better in RPI (26th vs. 29th for the SoCon). But the community and students will be happier in the SoCon.

And hell, the conference tournament is back in Asheville (Beer City USA). I for one like that a lot!

Go, is this your opinion or have you heard from insiders that we are going back to SoCon? Not doubting you, just curious if it has been leaked or anything yet.

SoCon. To everybody that wanted more we were lucky to get to go to the SoCon. We are not as valuable as we used to be. I hope that will change in the next 5 years or so.

If the Socon can replace GSU and ASU with Coastal Carolina and Liberty/Jax/Mercer, they will be a suitable replacement until we take the next step up.

Off topic: Why doesn't Davidson play SoCon football? are they non-scholarship?

It'll take 10. Rebuilding this nightmare of a basketball program along with establishing a football program, not a team but a program takes time.
Whoever it is, I hope they immediately go to every high school from Knoxville to Roanoke and:
1. Build a positive relationship with those staffs
2. Lay out a plan for being able to recruit their players. Set some expectations and let those kids know what is needed from them to be a part of the program.
3. Start building relationships all over the state. The Nashville area is quickly becoming an area where athletes are being churned out. Probably has something to do with the Nissan plants, GM plant, more people moving here, etc... so it's time to get in the doors and be a viable option for these kids.

Off topic: Why doesn't Davidson play SoCon football? are they non-scholarship?
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Yes, they are members of the Pioneer League.

In a way I'm a bit disapointed with the SoCon. I would have liked for a bold try forward instead of returning to where ETSU was.

Granted, it's better than no football and the A-Sun, but I have to wonder if ASU and GSU are going to stay.

If ETSU returns, this is a major sales coup for the administration, however. And it likely would not have happened had Mullins been allowed to retire and not been "reassigned" with how they feel about him there.

One last thing. Believe it or not, I could actually see the arguement for the A-Sun for a period of time. For instance, we saw how the men's basketball team was able to win the conference with relative ease in 2009 and 2010. Without Belmont, it would be easier.

All I'm saying is that the move to a stronger conference might be possible if the basketball team was a champion and not a loser, as it is now. You would likely have more options after a 20-victory season and an NCAA berth than a losing record, which is the case now. And building a 20-game winner would be a lot easier in the A-Sun than in another conference.

One final thought, the A-Sun had so much Mullins written all over it. It's my belief ETSU could have gone Big South when they changed conferences but they didn't want the football issue on the table, and that's why the OVC was turned down as well.

The A-Sun is a conference for country club or "sunshine" sports, and the athletic facilities were built for the needs of the A-Sun (golf, soccer, softball, baseball, tennis scoreboard) instead of the community (new arena).

Sander has ties that run deep with the CAA. Not saying that is going to happen, but its worth throwing out there.

And I know that there's been grumbling about the CAA on this board, since Noland is from the DC area and such.

I'd love it. But you have to ask if the schools in the league are a match for ETSU.

If it did happen, I can tell you the northeastern schools would look at ETSU as the hicks from the stick. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, every school has their own identity, and it would make for some pretty fair rivalries.

If we can just pull ourselves from the KSU rivalry that was supposed to be so fierce . . . .

(01-14-2013 10:21 AM)ETSUAlumni Wrote:  Off topic: Why doesn't Davidson play SoCon football? are they non-scholarship?

Yes, they are members of the Pioneer League.
[/quote]

Davidson was scholarship years ago I believe. They left the SoCon for a time over football then came back.