(09-20-2021 11:20 PM)PicksUp Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 10:01 PM)Shannon Panther Wrote:  I spoke to a Belmont baseball player this weekend. He said they are hearing this is the last season in the OVC. Not sure where they are going, but they are packing. He said they thought the MAC may be a possibility.

MAC? Zero chance.

Im sure its the MVC. Kids in college dont know the difference.

Yeah, I bet the kid - not being very knowledgeable - mixed up the MAC and MVC.

MVC, SoCon, Horizon Should all be offering Belmont a spot right now.

If Belmont goes to the SoCon, they likely need to have a 12th school who is public, but doesn’t play football. I wonder who they might add that would fit the bill?

I have to wonder what Tenn St’s disposition is right now. If Belmont and potentially Murray St leave, do they warm up to the SWAC?

(09-21-2021 06:45 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Belmont goes to the SoCon, they likely need to have a 12th school who is public, but doesn’t play football. I wonder who they might add that would fit the bill?

Morehead St would fit that bill. Here are some in the current conference footprint:

UNCW - CAA
UNCA - Big South
Radford - Big South


However if Belmont doesn't go to SoCon I have a feeling Bellarmine could be courted. Them + Moorhead St would get the SoCon a travel pair in Kentucky.

(09-21-2021 06:54 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I have to wonder what Tenn St’s disposition is right now. If Belmont and potentially Murray St leave, do they warm up to the SWAC?

If I'm Tenn. St. the SWAC looks really attractive but the travel costs would go up. However so would the opportunities such as hosting a PAC 12 school and playing on ESPN against other HBCU schools in a big name classic

(09-21-2021 07:29 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 06:45 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Belmont goes to the SoCon, they likely need to have a 12th school who is public, but doesn’t play football. I wonder who they might add that would fit the bill?

Morehead St would fit that bill. Here are some in the current conference footprint:

UNCW - CAA
UNCA - Big South
Radford - Big South


However if Belmont doesn't go to SoCon I have a feeling Bellarmine could be courted. Them + Moorhead St would get the SoCon a travel pair in Kentucky.

Campbell would make a ton of sense if the SoCon was willing to give up the full round Robin in football. That school is well within the footprint, close to Raleigh, Durham, and Fayetteville, for what that's worth, and both athletically and academically, it is very much on the rise.

Campbell is on deck for when the SoCon needs/wants a FB team. Campbell already participates in the SoCon in Wrestling and have a solid rivalry in that sport with UTC and App St.

(09-21-2021 06:45 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Belmont goes to the SoCon, they likely need to have a 12th school who is public, but doesn’t play football. I wonder who they might add that would fit the bill?

Tangent:
Its crazy to think about how different things would be had the SoCon expanded with Jax St instead of Samford and Kennesaw instead of Mercer

(09-21-2021 07:44 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 06:45 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Belmont goes to the SoCon, they likely need to have a 12th school who is public, but doesn’t play football. I wonder who they might add that would fit the bill?

Tangent:
Its crazy to think about how different things would be had the SoCon expanded with Jax St instead of Samford and Kennesaw instead of Mercer

60% of the conference is private or a senior military school.

It doesn't "have" to be 50/50.


There will be a push to get an HBCU or two in conference if there are defections


Mainly Howard and NCA&T

Belmont and UNC Asheville to the southern ?

Morehead St and UNC Asheville have MBB budgets in the 321-330 range.

(09-21-2021 08:45 AM)bluesox Wrote:  Belmont and UNC Asheville to the southern ?

Id take Belmont and UNCW in a heartbeat!

I would miss CoC but if we could get into the SoCon at this point, we have to take it

(09-21-2021 07:35 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 06:54 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I have to wonder what Tenn St’s disposition is right now. If Belmont and potentially Murray St leave, do they warm up to the SWAC?

If I'm Tenn. St. the SWAC looks really attractive but the travel costs would go up. However so would the opportunities such as hosting a PAC 12 school and playing on ESPN against other HBCU schools in a big name classic

The problem is SWAC means ditching 35 years of branding effort to not be pigeonholed as only an HBCU but a land grant serving a large metro area’s needs.

(09-21-2021 09:14 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 07:35 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 06:54 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I have to wonder what Tenn St’s disposition is right now. If Belmont and potentially Murray St leave, do they warm up to the SWAC?

If I'm Tenn. St. the SWAC looks really attractive but the travel costs would go up. However so would the opportunities such as hosting a PAC 12 school and playing on ESPN against other HBCU schools in a big name classic

The problem is SWAC means ditching 35 years of branding effort to not be pigeonholed as only an HBCU but a land grant serving a large metro area’s needs.

There is no perfect solution

If it were me I'd stick with the OVC. Less football schools means more games against HBCU's while maintaining bus league travel for non revenue sports. They seem to be a football school so keep costs down and excel at the sport you care about.

If you don't want to be an HBCU then the OVC is there best bet

(09-21-2021 09:31 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 09:14 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 07:35 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 06:54 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I have to wonder what Tenn St’s disposition is right now. If Belmont and potentially Murray St leave, do they warm up to the SWAC?

If I'm Tenn. St. the SWAC looks really attractive but the travel costs would go up. However so would the opportunities such as hosting a PAC 12 school and playing on ESPN against other HBCU schools in a big name classic

The problem is SWAC means ditching 35 years of branding effort to not be pigeonholed as only an HBCU but a land grant serving a large metro area’s needs.

There is no perfect solution

If it were me I'd stick with the OVC. Less football schools means more games against HBCU's while maintaining bus league travel for non revenue sports. They seem to be a football school so keep costs down and excel at the sport you care about.

If you don't want to be an HBCU then the OVC is there best bet

Another consideration for TSU (and on this theme): The university wants to have a certain "Northern" component (as opposed to a "Deep South vibe" like the SWAC). TSU (I once taught there part-time) gets lots of students from Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, etc. It is looking to start a hockey program. And, of course, it is located in a relatively large, progressive and cosmopolitan city.

TSU, in simple terms, is a bit different from many of the other HBCUs.

Having said all that, and if Belmont and Murray leave the OVC, I would not be surprised to see TSU and the SWAC unite.

(09-21-2021 12:05 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 09:31 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 09:14 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 07:35 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 06:54 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I have to wonder what Tenn St’s disposition is right now. If Belmont and potentially Murray St leave, do they warm up to the SWAC?

If I'm Tenn. St. the SWAC looks really attractive but the travel costs would go up. However so would the opportunities such as hosting a PAC 12 school and playing on ESPN against other HBCU schools in a big name classic

The problem is SWAC means ditching 35 years of branding effort to not be pigeonholed as only an HBCU but a land grant serving a large metro area’s needs.

There is no perfect solution

If it were me I'd stick with the OVC. Less football schools means more games against HBCU's while maintaining bus league travel for non revenue sports. They seem to be a football school so keep costs down and excel at the sport you care about.

If you don't want to be an HBCU then the OVC is there best bet

Another consideration for TSU (and on this theme): The university wants to have a certain "Northern" component (as opposed to a "Deep South vibe" like the SWAC). TSU (I once taught there part-time) gets lots of students from Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, etc. It is looking to start a hockey program. And, of course, it is located in a relatively large, progressive and cosmopolitan city.

TSU, in simple terms, is a bit different from many of the other HBCUs.

Having said all that, and if Belmont and Murray leave the OVC, I would not be surprised to see TSU and the SWAC unite.

Thanks for the info! Hockey would be fascinating

Between them and Belmont liking a bus league, there seems to be room to rebuild the OVC into a regional conference with a basketball focus. Minimal conference games that lower membership would provide would give TN State scheduling flexibility as well in their money sport.

(09-21-2021 12:05 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 09:31 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 09:14 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 07:35 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 06:54 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I have to wonder what Tenn St’s disposition is right now. If Belmont and potentially Murray St leave, do they warm up to the SWAC?

If I'm Tenn. St. the SWAC looks really attractive but the travel costs would go up. However so would the opportunities such as hosting a PAC 12 school and playing on ESPN against other HBCU schools in a big name classic

The problem is SWAC means ditching 35 years of branding effort to not be pigeonholed as only an HBCU but a land grant serving a large metro area’s needs.

There is no perfect solution

If it were me I'd stick with the OVC. Less football schools means more games against HBCU's while maintaining bus league travel for non revenue sports. They seem to be a football school so keep costs down and excel at the sport you care about.

If you don't want to be an HBCU then the OVC is there best bet

Another consideration for TSU (and on this theme): The university wants to have a certain "Northern" component (as opposed to a "Deep South vibe" like the SWAC). TSU (I once taught there part-time) gets lots of students from Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, etc. It is looking to start a hockey program. And, of course, it is located in a relatively large, progressive and cosmopolitan city.

TSU, in simple terms, is a bit different from many of the other HBCUs.

Having said all that, and if Belmont and Murray leave the OVC, I would not be surprised to see TSU and the SWAC unite.

It would be a little odd, but I wonder if the A10 would seriously consider giving Tennessee State a look. The more "northern" component is what makes me think that, btw. Or maybe have the A10 as a goal, and move to the Horizon in the meantime...

(09-21-2021 07:29 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 06:45 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Belmont goes to the SoCon, they likely need to have a 12th school who is public, but doesn’t play football. I wonder who they might add that would fit the bill?

Morehead St would fit that bill. Here are some in the current conference footprint:

UNCW - CAA
UNCA - Big South
Radford - Big South


However if Belmont doesn't go to SoCon I have a feeling Bellarmine could be courted. Them + Moorhead St would get the SoCon a travel pair in Kentucky.

The University of Montevallo doesn't have quite the resume Morehead St. does, but it does offer at least a sliver of the Birmingham market, IMHO.

(09-21-2021 05:48 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  It would be a little odd, but I wonder if the A10 would seriously consider giving Tennessee State a look. The more "northern" component is what makes me think that, btw. Or maybe have the A10 as a goal, and move to the Horizon in the meantime...

The lowest MBB budget in the A10 ranks 135th.

Why would the A10 consider the 317th ranked MBB budget that’s 323rd in NET?