(12-07-2021 08:07 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(12-07-2021 01:36 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  OVC expansion targets WIU, USI and LMU all have men's soccer, as do current members EIU and SIU-E. And there is always Chicago State.

Actually men's soccer is going to shake up considerably with CUSA losing it in 2023 (likely survives for one year reduced in 2022) the MAC losing it's affiliates Georgia State and Georgia Southern to the new SBC soccer. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out. Somebody is going to get the very excellent FIU soccer program (which the SBC seems to not want).

I’m wondering why Western Illinois would be interested in the OVC anymore at this point. The OVC isn’t the same league as 3 months ago when the WIU rumors were circulating and it’s going to get worse if Murray State is heading to the MVC. If anything, maybe WIU pushes to get Eastern Illinois (the biggest rivalry reason they’d be interested in the OVC) into the MVFC for football (along with Murray State) and the Summit League for all other sports. Just throwing it out there.

Not sure the Summit would want Eastern Illinois. They've got a "state flagships (Dakotas), big city privates(Denver, St Thomas, Oral Roberts) , big-city-state-school thing (Omaha, UMKC)" going.

(12-07-2021 08:36 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(12-07-2021 08:07 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(12-07-2021 01:36 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  OVC expansion targets WIU, USI and LMU all have men's soccer, as do current members EIU and SIU-E. And there is always Chicago State.

Actually men's soccer is going to shake up considerably with CUSA losing it in 2023 (likely survives for one year reduced in 2022) the MAC losing it's affiliates Georgia State and Georgia Southern to the new SBC soccer. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out. Somebody is going to get the very excellent FIU soccer program (which the SBC seems to not want).

I’m wondering why Western Illinois would be interested in the OVC anymore at this point. The OVC isn’t the same league as 3 months ago when the WIU rumors were circulating and it’s going to get worse if Murray State is heading to the MVC. If anything, maybe WIU pushes to get Eastern Illinois (the biggest rivalry reason they’d be interested in the OVC) into the MVFC for football (along with Murray State) and the Summit League for all other sports. Just throwing it out there.

Not sure the Summit would want Eastern Illinois. They've got a "state flagships (Dakotas), big city privates(Denver, St Thomas, Oral Roberts) , big-city-state-school thing (Omaha, UMKC)" going.

Oh - I definitely understand that here. WIU is in a tough bind. They’ve become an outlier in the Summit League (both location and institutional fit, as you’ve mentioned) and would be better off in today’s OVC for non-football sports (where they at least have geographic rivals Eastern Illinois and SIU-Edwardsville), but the issue now is that the OVC is so unstable and WIU is in one of the strongest FCS football leagues (the MVFC). WIU can’t risk giving up a spot in the MVFC for an OVC football league that’s in survival mode, yet the main reason why the OVC would want WIU is for football much more than for basketball or other non-football sports.

The rumors of another Arkansas school planning to join the OVC along with Little Rock have me wondering about the viability of A-Sun football. If the rumors are true and that school is in fact Central Arkansas (UAPB makes no sense), that gives the OVC a FB replacement to keep them at 6 members in case Murray State leaves. This would leave the A-Sun at 5 FB members for 2022.

At the same time, if Jacksonville State is able to move up their transition to FBS and CUSA to 2022, the A-Sun would be even shorter on FB members with 4. I think in such a scenario, the Big South is a better short-term option than the WAC for the remaining FB programs in the A-Sun (which at that point would be just APSU and EKU, since KSU and UNA are already Big South FB affiliates).

With no A-Sun FB programs playing in the WAC, as they did this year, that leaves the WAC with 7 FB members, 2 of which of are still transitioning to D1 and ineligible for the postseason until 2024. But if the NCAA is handing out waivers like candy (e.g., for JMU, JSU, and SHSU to move to FBS a year early), why shouldn't the WAC get one? The Southland is already going to need one for next year as TAMU Commerce is starting its transition to D1.

So for 2022, maybe we see something like this:

A-Sun
NFB (11): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FB (5+6): Austin Peay*, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky*, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Kennesaw State*, Monmouth*, NC A&T, North Alabama*, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

OVC
FB (6): Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (3): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

WAC
FB (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

(12-17-2021 12:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  The rumors of another Arkansas school planning to join the OVC along with Little Rock have me wondering about the viability of A-Sun football. If the rumors are true and that school is in fact Central Arkansas (UAPB makes no sense), that gives the OVC a FB replacement to keep them at 6 members in case Murray State leaves. This would leave the A-Sun at 5 FB members for 2022.

At the same time, if Jacksonville State is able to move up their transition to FBS and CUSA to 2022, the A-Sun would be even shorter on FB members with 4. I think in such a scenario, the Big South is a better short-term option than the WAC for the remaining FB programs in the A-Sun (which at that point would be just APSU and EKU, since KSU and UNA are already Big South FB affiliates).

With no A-Sun FB programs playing in the WAC, as they did this year, that leaves the WAC with 7 FB members, 2 of which of are still transitioning to D1 and ineligible for the postseason until 2024. But if the NCAA is handing out waivers like candy (e.g., for JMU, JSU, and SHSU to move to FBS a year early), why shouldn't the WAC get one? The Southland is already going to need one for next year as TAMU Commerce is starting its transition to D1.

So for 2022, maybe we see something like this:

A-Sun
NFB (11): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FB (5+6): Austin Peay*, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky*, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Kennesaw State*, Monmouth*, NC A&T, North Alabama*, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

OVC
FB (6): Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (3): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

WAC
FB (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

If I'm Central Arkansas, the OVC is looking awful appealing with Little Rock as a travel partner, especially now that the ASun experiment is on shaky ground

(12-17-2021 12:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  The rumors of another Arkansas school planning to join the OVC along with Little Rock have me wondering about the viability of A-Sun football. If the rumors are true and that school is in fact Central Arkansas (UAPB makes no sense), that gives the OVC a FB replacement to keep them at 6 members in case Murray State leaves. This would leave the A-Sun at 5 FB members for 2022.

At the same time, if Jacksonville State is able to move up their transition to FBS and CUSA to 2022, the A-Sun would be even shorter on FB members with 4. I think in such a scenario, the Big South is a better short-term option than the WAC for the remaining FB programs in the A-Sun (which at that point would be just APSU and EKU, since KSU and UNA are already Big South FB affiliates).

With no A-Sun FB programs playing in the WAC, as they did this year, that leaves the WAC with 7 FB members, 2 of which of are still transitioning to D1 and ineligible for the postseason until 2024. But if the NCAA is handing out waivers like candy (e.g., for JMU, JSU, and SHSU to move to FBS a year early), why shouldn't the WAC get one? The Southland is already going to need one for next year as TAMU Commerce is starting its transition to D1.

So for 2022, maybe we see something like this:

A-Sun
NFB (11): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FB (5+6): Austin Peay*, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky*, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Kennesaw State*, Monmouth*, NC A&T, North Alabama*, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

OVC
FB (6): Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (3): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

WAC
FB (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

I really want ASUN football to work. But that big south looks pretty fun. I imagine the ASUN teams would all be in the same division with either Charleston or Webb. That's a fun group and getting one of the HBCU's or Monmouth every year cross division.

(12-17-2021 12:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  The rumors of another Arkansas school planning to join the OVC along with Little Rock have me wondering about the viability of A-Sun football. If the rumors are true and that school is in fact Central Arkansas (UAPB makes no sense), that gives the OVC a FB replacement to keep them at 6 members in case Murray State leaves. This would leave the A-Sun at 5 FB members for 2022.

At the same time, if Jacksonville State is able to move up their transition to FBS and CUSA to 2022, the A-Sun would be even shorter on FB members with 4. I think in such a scenario, the Big South is a better short-term option than the WAC for the remaining FB programs in the A-Sun (which at that point would be just APSU and EKU, since KSU and UNA are already Big South FB affiliates).

With no A-Sun FB programs playing in the WAC, as they did this year, that leaves the WAC with 7 FB members, 2 of which of are still transitioning to D1 and ineligible for the postseason until 2024. But if the NCAA is handing out waivers like candy (e.g., for JMU, JSU, and SHSU to move to FBS a year early), why shouldn't the WAC get one? The Southland is already going to need one for next year as TAMU Commerce is starting its transition to D1.

So for 2022, maybe we see something like this:

A-Sun
NFB (11): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FB (5+6): Austin Peay*, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky*, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Kennesaw State*, Monmouth*, NC A&T, North Alabama*, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

OVC
FB (6): Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (3): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

WAC
FB (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

If I'm Liberty, I'm looking for a way to get into CUSA a year early. Since they have already gotten through the door and since money is no issue for them, they should be able to make this happen.

(12-17-2021 12:52 PM)Hootyhoo Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 12:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  The rumors of another Arkansas school planning to join the OVC along with Little Rock have me wondering about the viability of A-Sun football. If the rumors are true and that school is in fact Central Arkansas (UAPB makes no sense), that gives the OVC a FB replacement to keep them at 6 members in case Murray State leaves. This would leave the A-Sun at 5 FB members for 2022.

At the same time, if Jacksonville State is able to move up their transition to FBS and CUSA to 2022, the A-Sun would be even shorter on FB members with 4. I think in such a scenario, the Big South is a better short-term option than the WAC for the remaining FB programs in the A-Sun (which at that point would be just APSU and EKU, since KSU and UNA are already Big South FB affiliates).

With no A-Sun FB programs playing in the WAC, as they did this year, that leaves the WAC with 7 FB members, 2 of which of are still transitioning to D1 and ineligible for the postseason until 2024. But if the NCAA is handing out waivers like candy (e.g., for JMU, JSU, and SHSU to move to FBS a year early), why shouldn't the WAC get one? The Southland is already going to need one for next year as TAMU Commerce is starting its transition to D1.

So for 2022, maybe we see something like this:

A-Sun
NFB (11): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FB (5+6): Austin Peay*, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky*, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Kennesaw State*, Monmouth*, NC A&T, North Alabama*, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

OVC
FB (6): Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (3): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

WAC
FB (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

I really want ASUN football to work. But that big south looks pretty fun. I imagine the ASUN teams would all be in the same division with either Charleston or Webb. That's a fun group and getting one of the HBCU's or Monmouth every year cross division.

I kind of agree. I’d like to see the ASUN add a few more teams and do this thing by ourselves, but having that Big South lineup to fall back on wouldn’t be terrible. Plus I suppose we could always revisit starting ASUN football down the line, if/when schools like Valdosta, West Georgia, and West Florida decide to move up. Hopefully no bridges have been burned with the BS if UCA leaves or JSU bails on us for next season.

(12-17-2021 12:41 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 12:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  The rumors of another Arkansas school planning to join the OVC along with Little Rock have me wondering about the viability of A-Sun football. If the rumors are true and that school is in fact Central Arkansas (UAPB makes no sense), that gives the OVC a FB replacement to keep them at 6 members in case Murray State leaves. This would leave the A-Sun at 5 FB members for 2022.

At the same time, if Jacksonville State is able to move up their transition to FBS and CUSA to 2022, the A-Sun would be even shorter on FB members with 4. I think in such a scenario, the Big South is a better short-term option than the WAC for the remaining FB programs in the A-Sun (which at that point would be just APSU and EKU, since KSU and UNA are already Big South FB affiliates).

With no A-Sun FB programs playing in the WAC, as they did this year, that leaves the WAC with 7 FB members, 2 of which of are still transitioning to D1 and ineligible for the postseason until 2024. But if the NCAA is handing out waivers like candy (e.g., for JMU, JSU, and SHSU to move to FBS a year early), why shouldn't the WAC get one? The Southland is already going to need one for next year as TAMU Commerce is starting its transition to D1.

So for 2022, maybe we see something like this:

A-Sun
NFB (11): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FB (5+6): Austin Peay*, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky*, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Kennesaw State*, Monmouth*, NC A&T, North Alabama*, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

OVC
FB (6): Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (3): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

WAC
FB (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

If I'm Central Arkansas, the OVC is looking awful appealing with Little Rock as a travel partner, especially now that the ASun experiment is on shaky ground

If you can get Central Arkansas to join the OVC, I think you got to try to get Western Illinois to secure Football and get the league overall up to 10 (assuming Murray St. leaves).

(12-17-2021 01:05 PM)whittx Wrote:  If I'm Liberty, I'm looking for a way to get into CUSA a year early. Since they have already gotten through the door and since money is no issue for them, they should be able to make this happen.

It could happen. I figured they'd just as well prefer to wait until 2023 so they don't have to buy out as many FB games. But it would even out numbers in 2022 for both the A-Sun and CUSA in this scenario (assuming Marshall/ODU/USM to the Sun Belt in 2022).

CUSA
FB East (7): Charlotte, FAU, FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky
FB West (7): Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston, UAB, UTSA, UTEP

(12-17-2021 01:12 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  If you can get Central Arkansas to join the OVC, I think you got to try to get Western Illinois to secure Football and get the league overall up to 10 (assuming Murray St. leaves).

I don't think Western Illinois joins the OVC as long as the conference sponsors football, unless they would permit WIU to join as non-football. Doesn't seem especially prudent to pull their FB out of the top FCS conference. But it could happen.

I expect a D2 call-up like Southern Indiana to bolster the non-FB ranks in the OVC.

(12-07-2021 08:36 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(12-07-2021 08:07 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(12-07-2021 01:36 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  OVC expansion targets WIU, USI and LMU all have men's soccer, as do current members EIU and SIU-E. And there is always Chicago State.

Actually men's soccer is going to shake up considerably with CUSA losing it in 2023 (likely survives for one year reduced in 2022) the MAC losing it's affiliates Georgia State and Georgia Southern to the new SBC soccer. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out. Somebody is going to get the very excellent FIU soccer program (which the SBC seems to not want).

I’m wondering why Western Illinois would be interested in the OVC anymore at this point. The OVC isn’t the same league as 3 months ago when the WIU rumors were circulating and it’s going to get worse if Murray State is heading to the MVC. If anything, maybe WIU pushes to get Eastern Illinois (the biggest rivalry reason they’d be interested in the OVC) into the MVFC for football (along with Murray State) and the Summit League for all other sports. Just throwing it out there.

Not sure the Summit would want Eastern Illinois. They've got a "state flagships (Dakotas), big city privates(Denver, St Thomas, Oral Roberts) , big-city-state-school thing (Omaha, UMKC)" going.

Summit's basically keeping the footprint the old NCC had, with some changes to reflect the roster of schools in D1. I think they'll accept anyone that keeps their sports tourney-eligible without threatening the two Dakota States' control of the league too much or stretching the footprint too far from them. If they lose UMKC, I don't know how choosy they can really afford to be. Aiming for EIU and Edwardsville would be a good contingency plan for if UMKC bolts.

(12-17-2021 01:15 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 01:12 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  If you can get Central Arkansas to join the OVC, I think you got to try to get Western Illinois to secure Football and get the league overall up to 10 (assuming Murray St. leaves).

I don't think Western Illinois joins the OVC as long as the conference sponsors football, unless they would permit WIU to join as non-football. Doesn't seem especially prudent to pull their FB out of the top FCS conference. But it could happen.

This seems like the logical course of action to me. I think Murray St (MVC/MVFC), and Tenn Tech (ASUN) are pretty much gone. That just leaves just 4 for football and continuing to sponsor the sport becomes an impediment to getting programs like WIU to join. Figure out a plan to get those other schools a football home, and then you can rebuild as an Olympic sports league.

(12-17-2021 01:24 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 01:15 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 01:12 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  If you can get Central Arkansas to join the OVC, I think you got to try to get Western Illinois to secure Football and get the league overall up to 10 (assuming Murray St. leaves).

I don't think Western Illinois joins the OVC as long as the conference sponsors football, unless they would permit WIU to join as non-football. Doesn't seem especially prudent to pull their FB out of the top FCS conference. But it could happen.

This seems like the logical course of action to me. I think Murray St (MVC/MVFC), and Tenn Tech (ASUN) are pretty much gone. That just leaves just 4 for football and continuing to sponsor the sport becomes an impediment to getting programs like WIU to join. Figure out a plan to get those other schools a football home, and then you can rebuild as an Olympic sports league.

I would quit sponsoring football and try and get WIU and Central Arkansas non football, allowing both to remain in their current football conference

(12-17-2021 01:27 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 01:24 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 01:15 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 01:12 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  If you can get Central Arkansas to join the OVC, I think you got to try to get Western Illinois to secure Football and get the league overall up to 10 (assuming Murray St. leaves).

I don't think Western Illinois joins the OVC as long as the conference sponsors football, unless they would permit WIU to join as non-football. Doesn't seem especially prudent to pull their FB out of the top FCS conference. But it could happen.

This seems like the logical course of action to me. I think Murray St (MVC/MVFC), and Tenn Tech (ASUN) are pretty much gone. That just leaves just 4 for football and continuing to sponsor the sport becomes an impediment to getting programs like WIU to join. Figure out a plan to get those other schools a football home, and then you can rebuild as an Olympic sports league.

I would quit sponsoring football and try and get WIU and Central Arkansas non football, allowing both to remain in their current football conference

If the A-Sun can recruit Tennessee Tech before the OVC can recruit Central Arkansas FB, then the balance does tip in the A-Sun's favor. In that case, perhaps the 4 remaining OVC football programs could shack up with the Southland for 2022. Then the Southland wouldn't even need a waiver.

A-Sun
FCS (6): Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Kennesaw State, North Alabama, Tennessee Tech
NFB (6): Bellarmine, FGCU, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FCS (5+2): Campbell, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Monmouth*, NC A&T, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

CUSA
FBS East (7): Charlotte, FAU, FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky
FBS West (7): Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston, UAB, UTSA, UTEP

OVC
NFB (≥8): Eastern Illinois, Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee-Martin, Western Illinois (+ Southern Indiana for 2022? 2023?)

Southland
FCS (6+4): Eastern Illinois*, Houston Baptist, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, SE Louisiana, Southeast Missouri*, TAMU Commerce, Tennessee State*, Tennessee-Martin*
NFB (2): New Orleans, TAMU Corpus Christi

WAC
FCS (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

I imagine Chicago State could worm its way in here somewhere, but whether it's the OVC, the Southland, or somewhere else, I dunno.

(12-17-2021 12:41 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 12:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  The rumors of another Arkansas school planning to join the OVC along with Little Rock have me wondering about the viability of A-Sun football. If the rumors are true and that school is in fact Central Arkansas (UAPB makes no sense), that gives the OVC a FB replacement to keep them at 6 members in case Murray State leaves. This would leave the A-Sun at 5 FB members for 2022.

At the same time, if Jacksonville State is able to move up their transition to FBS and CUSA to 2022, the A-Sun would be even shorter on FB members with 4. I think in such a scenario, the Big South is a better short-term option than the WAC for the remaining FB programs in the A-Sun (which at that point would be just APSU and EKU, since KSU and UNA are already Big South FB affiliates).

With no A-Sun FB programs playing in the WAC, as they did this year, that leaves the WAC with 7 FB members, 2 of which of are still transitioning to D1 and ineligible for the postseason until 2024. But if the NCAA is handing out waivers like candy (e.g., for JMU, JSU, and SHSU to move to FBS a year early), why shouldn't the WAC get one? The Southland is already going to need one for next year as TAMU Commerce is starting its transition to D1.

So for 2022, maybe we see something like this:

A-Sun
NFB (11): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FB (5+6): Austin Peay*, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky*, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Kennesaw State*, Monmouth*, NC A&T, North Alabama*, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

OVC
FB (6): Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (3): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

WAC
FB (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

If I'm Central Arkansas, the OVC is looking awful appealing with Little Rock as a travel partner, especially now that the ASun experiment is on shaky ground

How does going to the OVC help UCA reach a stated goal of going FBS? Also, how does the OVC footprint match another stated point by Dr. Teague of being present in the Southeast?

(12-17-2021 02:10 PM)EKUSteve Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 12:41 PM)solohawks Wrote:  If I'm Central Arkansas, the OVC is looking awful appealing with Little Rock as a travel partner, especially now that the ASun experiment is on shaky ground

How does going to the OVC help UCA reach a stated goal of going FBS? Also, how does the OVC footprint match another stated point by Dr. Teague of being present in the Southeast?

Perhaps the situation changed with the impending departure of Jacksonville State and the shaky future for FB in the A-Sun.

The thing I continue to find myself wondering is why we(SFA & local friends) are playing Utah Valley and Seattle. I like the WAC better than the Southland, but I do wonder if we would be better off with a more regional league.

Something like the Texas WAC plus the FCS ASUN. Or some other combo of schools. Wonder if that might be a better long term fit.

This rumor of another Arkansas school to the OVC is just that-- a rumor-- AND it was UAPB NOT UCA. Some folks here have just flipped.

UCA has a desire to move toward FBS someday and is already a member of the ASUN.

There are strong indications that Tenn Tech is going to the ASUN and that Tenn St. is looking around. There is no FB leadership in the sinking OVC.

(12-17-2021 02:16 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 02:10 PM)EKUSteve Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 12:41 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(12-17-2021 12:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  The rumors of another Arkansas school planning to join the OVC along with Little Rock have me wondering about the viability of A-Sun football. If the rumors are true and that school is in fact Central Arkansas (UAPB makes no sense), that gives the OVC a FB replacement to keep them at 6 members in case Murray State leaves. This would leave the A-Sun at 5 FB members for 2022.

At the same time, if Jacksonville State is able to move up their transition to FBS and CUSA to 2022, the A-Sun would be even shorter on FB members with 4. I think in such a scenario, the Big South is a better short-term option than the WAC for the remaining FB programs in the A-Sun (which at that point would be just APSU and EKU, since KSU and UNA are already Big South FB affiliates).

With no A-Sun FB programs playing in the WAC, as they did this year, that leaves the WAC with 7 FB members, 2 of which of are still transitioning to D1 and ineligible for the postseason until 2024. But if the NCAA is handing out waivers like candy (e.g., for JMU, JSU, and SHSU to move to FBS a year early), why shouldn't the WAC get one? The Southland is already going to need one for next year as TAMU Commerce is starting its transition to D1.

So for 2022, maybe we see something like this:

A-Sun
NFB (11): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FB (5+6): Austin Peay*, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky*, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Kennesaw State*, Monmouth*, NC A&T, North Alabama*, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

OVC
FB (6): Central Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB (3): Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

WAC
FB (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (6 or 7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington(?), Utah Valley, UTRGV

If I'm Central Arkansas, the OVC is looking awful appealing with Little Rock as a travel partner, especially now that the ASun experiment is on shaky ground

How does going to the OVC help UCA reach a stated goal of going FBS? Also, how does the OVC footprint match another stated point by Dr. Teague of being present in the Southeast?

Perhaps the situation changed with the impending departure of Jacksonville State and the shaky future for FB in the A-Sun.

The only place I've seen saying ASUN football is shaky is this board.

Nerdlinger, the "shaky" future for fb is in the OVC.


NOT the ASUN.

UCA is solid in the ASUN with an excellent AD and a proactive conference commish.