(08-19-2013 02:28 PM)mathenis89 Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 02:19 PM)ValleyBoy Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 01:50 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 01:19 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 12:39 PM)GaSouthern Wrote:  I really hope we keep Soccer because I think it will be a rising sport in the south east for the next few decades.

I don't think soccer will ever really make it in college. LAX is gaining so much faster. It is much more entertaining to watch. If anything makes it to a baseball level or maybe a little bit bigger, it will be LAX.

Soccer will continue to grow in the region. The MLS is gaining in popularity and plan to add four more clubs by 2020, there's a high likelihood three of the four will be Atlanta, Miami and Orlando.

I live on the Alabama, Georgia stateline and I do not know of any high schools that play LAX where as almost every high school has a boys soccer team. I do not see where LAX is gaining any ground in my neck of the woods.

Lacrosse tends to be a more Northern sport in my experience. I'm not sure why he is saying Lacrosse is more popular than Soccer here. I do not know of an American professional lacrosse league, but I do not of a relatively popular Soccer league.

I am not saying that it is bigger now, but I think it has a higher ceiling than soccer on the college level. It may not make it in professional leagues, but it will definitely become a great college sport if the interest in high school continues to grow at a high rate.

(08-19-2013 02:19 PM)ValleyBoy Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 01:50 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 01:19 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 12:39 PM)GaSouthern Wrote:  I really hope we keep Soccer because I think it will be a rising sport in the south east for the next few decades.

I don't think soccer will ever really make it in college. LAX is gaining so much faster. It is much more entertaining to watch. If anything makes it to a baseball level or maybe a little bit bigger, it will be LAX.

Soccer will continue to grow in the region. The MLS is gaining in popularity and plan to add four more clubs by 2020, there's a high likelihood three of the four will be Atlanta, Miami and Orlando.

I live on the Alabama, Georgia stateline and I do not know of any high schools that play LAX where as almost every high school has a boys soccer team. I do not see where LAX is gaining any ground in my neck of the woods.

I don't believe it would be too far fetched to say that LAX has surpassed soccer in Cobb and Fulton counties.

I am curious about something. Hypothetically, if James Madison joins the conference, that would give the SBC four teams that currently sponsor men's soccer, Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are the others. Would they consider sponsoring the sport. Belmont is an independent and hanging out there. Affiliate members of other conferences include Central Arkansas, who plays in the MVC, not sure if they would want to leave, Houston Baptist, the highest rated team in an underperforming WAC and Oral Roberts, in the Summit. One of those plus Belmont makes a league.

Don't really care otherwise, but I always think it is best to keep all sports under the same banner.

(10-05-2013 10:40 PM)FoUTASportscaster Wrote:  I am curious about something. Hypothetically, if James Madison joins the conference, that would give the SBC four teams that currently sponsor men's soccer, Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are the others. Would they consider sponsoring the sport. Belmont is an independent and hanging out there. Affiliate members of other conferences include Central Arkansas, who plays in the MVC, not sure if they would want to leave, Houston Baptist, the highest rated team in an underperforming WAC and Oral Roberts, in the Summit. One of those plus Belmont makes a league.

Don't really care otherwise, but I always think it is best to keep all sports under the same banner.

Would think that might work. Would give the Sun Belt another sport if some of the other schools ever wanted to add it at least.

If the Sun Belt sponsors it, it will be eligible for an automatic bid immediately since the Sun Belt is a multi-sport conference.

James Madison
Appalachian State
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
Houston Baptist (soccer from WAC)
Belmont (soccer from independent)
Howard (soccer from independent)
Oral Roberts (soccer from Summit)

The reason I included ORU is that I don't think the Summit League will survive as an all-sports entity after this year. This could make Eastern Illinois an option as well, although EIU would probably join the MAC or MVC. Howard may also be a stretch, but if America East were going to add them it would have happened already. Howard is also about 2 hours from JMU.

I have no idea where our soccer program is going next year. As I understand it the SoCon has basically told Ga. Southern soccer no as an affiliate member next year. So who knows where we are going to play.