(09-26-2022 09:58 AM)unalions Wrote:  

(09-25-2022 10:36 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  

(09-25-2022 11:16 AM)unalions Wrote:  

(09-24-2022 08:55 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Are there no OVC openings? Are there no big south spots?

-- Some can't go there and some would rather die.

-- Then let them do it and decrease the surplus (of teams) population.

- Charles Dickens

Teams have been fleeing those conferences left and right. No reason to jump the ASUN ship as long as the WAC deal exists.

If the WAC gets bigger/stronger they will give the ASUN deal the boot after a short grace period.

If the ASUN gets bigger/stronger they will give the WAC deal the boot after a short grace period.

Your point? Lol. Are you lost from another forum?

IMO the WAC appears to have more members and potential members. The only other possibility (not mentioned lately) would be a full football merger with the WAC-- a permanent FB alliance.

If I were UNA I would be a little nervous. Much respect to the Lions-- don't want to see them in a hard spot.

(09-26-2022 04:20 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  

(09-26-2022 09:58 AM)unalions Wrote:  

(09-25-2022 10:36 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  

(09-25-2022 11:16 AM)unalions Wrote:  

(09-24-2022 08:55 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Are there no OVC openings? Are there no big south spots?

-- Some can't go there and some would rather die.

-- Then let them do it and decrease the surplus (of teams) population.

- Charles Dickens

Teams have been fleeing those conferences left and right. No reason to jump the ASUN ship as long as the WAC deal exists.

If the WAC gets bigger/stronger they will give the ASUN deal the boot after a short grace period.

If the ASUN gets bigger/stronger they will give the WAC deal the boot after a short grace period.

Your point? Lol. Are you lost from another forum?

IMO the WAC appears to have more members and potential members. The only other possibility (not mentioned lately) would be a full football merger with the WAC-- a permanent FB alliance.

If I were UNA I would be a little nervous. Much respect to the Lions-- don't want to see them in a hard spot.

I would think UNA would go to the OVC/Big South or maybe C-USA.

(09-26-2022 04:20 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  

(09-26-2022 09:58 AM)unalions Wrote:  

(09-25-2022 10:36 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  

(09-25-2022 11:16 AM)unalions Wrote:  

(09-24-2022 08:55 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Are there no OVC openings? Are there no big south spots?

-- Some can't go there and some would rather die.

-- Then let them do it and decrease the surplus (of teams) population.

- Charles Dickens

Teams have been fleeing those conferences left and right. No reason to jump the ASUN ship as long as the WAC deal exists.

If the WAC gets bigger/stronger they will give the ASUN deal the boot after a short grace period.

If the ASUN gets bigger/stronger they will give the WAC deal the boot after a short grace period.

Your point? Lol. Are you lost from another forum?

IMO the WAC appears to have more members and potential members. The only other possibility (not mentioned lately) would be a full football merger with the WAC-- a permanent FB alliance.

If I were UNA I would be a little nervous. Much respect to the Lions-- don't want to see them in a hard spot.

The ASUN is a solid conference overall even if football has to find an affiliate home. UNA and KSU just spent several seasons playing football in the Big South. Won’t be an issue.

(09-26-2022 11:55 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  Immediately became concerned about the ASUN when JSU accepted CUSA invite. Don’t blame them one bit, we would have been gone also.

I think it's fair to say most teams would have. EKU, definitely. KSU may have been taken aback by such a sudden invitation, but I doubt they would've turned it down.

UCA would give their left arm to get an FBS invite.

Even UNA would've probably accepted an invitation, and they're not even where they want to be in D-I/FCS at this point.

The only one I'm not sure about is Peay. I know they wanted out of the OVC, and they want to be more of a force on the national scene in football (which they're doing well at now), but I've never heard a peep out of Clarksville about wanting to move up to FBS. That said, I bet they would've accepted as well.

Unless some major shifts happen (such as UTEP/NMSU to the MWC, or FIU getting an AAC bid) I don't think more than one or two ASUN teams would be in line for a future invite to CUSA. That likely means KSU and/or EKU. The other probable candidates are all to our west.

That would leave 3-4 teams in ASUN Football without much of a chance of upward mobility for the foreseeable future. Not a great situation.

But I don't think it's fatal. There are still a few solid expansion candidates in D-II, and there are a couple of current FCS teams (notably SELA and TTU) who might have some interest in moving to a more stable incarnation of the ASUN. And there's always the remote chance one of the non-football Florida teams decides to add the sport.

I can't say it's an enviable situation for those left behind, but I think they'll be OK. And once everything shakes out, it might actually be pretty great.

(09-27-2022 10:38 AM)whupemall Wrote:  

(09-26-2022 11:55 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  Immediately became concerned about the ASUN when JSU accepted CUSA invite. Don’t blame them one bit, we would have been gone also.

I think it's fair to say most teams would have. EKU, definitely. KSU may have been taken aback by such a sudden invitation, but I doubt they would've turned it down.

UCA would give their left arm to get an FBS invite.

Even UNA would've probably accepted an invitation, and they're not even where they want to be in D-I/FCS at this point.

The only one I'm not sure about is Peay. I know they wanted out of the OVC, and they want to be more of a force on the national scene in football (which they're doing well at now), but I've never heard a peep out of Clarksville about wanting to move up to FBS. That said, I bet they would've accepted as well.

Unless some major shifts happen (such as UTEP/NMSU to the MWC, or FIU getting an AAC bid) I don't think more than one or two ASUN teams would be in line for a future invite to CUSA. That likely means KSU and/or EKU. The other probable candidates are all to our west.

That would leave 3-4 teams in ASUN Football without much of a chance of upward mobility for the foreseeable future. Not a great situation.

But I don't think it's fatal. There are still a few solid expansion candidates in D-II, and there are a couple of current FCS teams (notably SELA and TTU) who might have some interest in moving to a more stable incarnation of the ASUN. And there's always the remote chance one of the non-football Florida teams decides to add the sport.

I can't say it's an enviable situation for those left behind, but I think they'll be OK. And once everything shakes out, it might actually be pretty great.

Thanks for your input. Just not interested in any of those scenarios.
I know it’s in the past, so we don’t need a reminder. But given our history and relationships with old rivals, just not excited about a conference with TTU, TSU or UT Martin, much less schools from D2 or new programs starting football. Maybe grasping at straws, only interested in CUSA or Sun Belt, maybe ??? MAC ( northern schools and playing on Thursday nights isn’t appealing).
If the worst happens, a move to the Southern Conf would be better than the OVC, but we know one of these conferences has to want us. I know we probably will not have a big choice. Just my opinion, and maybe no chance of this coming to fruition.

(09-27-2022 10:38 AM)whupemall Wrote:  

(09-26-2022 11:55 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  Immediately became concerned about the ASUN when JSU accepted CUSA invite. Don’t blame them one bit, we would have been gone also.

I think it's fair to say most teams would have. EKU, definitely. KSU may have been taken aback by such a sudden invitation, but I doubt they would've turned it down.

UCA would give their left arm to get an FBS invite.

Even UNA would've probably accepted an invitation, and they're not even where they want to be in D-I/FCS at this point.

The only one I'm not sure about is Peay. I know they wanted out of the OVC, and they want to be more of a force on the national scene in football (which they're doing well at now), but I've never heard a peep out of Clarksville about wanting to move up to FBS. That said, I bet they would've accepted as well.

Unless some major shifts happen (such as UTEP/NMSU to the MWC, or FIU getting an AAC bid) I don't think more than one or two ASUN teams would be in line for a future invite to CUSA. That likely means KSU and/or EKU. The other probable candidates are all to our west.

That would leave 3-4 teams in ASUN Football without much of a chance of upward mobility for the foreseeable future. Not a great situation.

But I don't think it's fatal. There are still a few solid expansion candidates in D-II, and there are a couple of current FCS teams (notably SELA and TTU) who might have some interest in moving to a more stable incarnation of the ASUN. And there's always the remote chance one of the non-football Florida teams decides to add the sport.

I can't say it's an enviable situation for those left behind, but I think they'll be OK. And once everything shakes out, it might actually be pretty great.

According to All for One, C-USA is looking at Kennesaw State and EKU. I don't know if it is true of not.

It looks pretty grim. Best case scenario is probably a football merger with the WAC. That would be a strong conference but also weird to schedule with that many teams and no conference championship week. Maybe after CUSA calls up whoever they bring up the WAC/ASUN lose enough schools where making a football only conference makes sense.

(09-26-2022 11:55 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  Thoughts regarding EKU and ASUN.
Immediately became concerned about the ASUN when JSU accepted CUSA invite. Don’t blame them one bit, we would have been gone also.
It said, never say never, but I don’t see EKU going back to the OVC unless there’s absolutely no other options and we are DESPERATE! There will be a lot of upset people if we have to back to that mess..
Considering the two above, I hope we aren’t stuck on a sinking ship, and boy has it started to look bleak! And please for all that’s good and kind, NO, NO, NO going back to the OVC!

My big worry when we joined the ASUN was that someone would get called up to FBS and we'd get left behind in a league with only 4-5 football members. Luckily we got the call but it could just as easily been you.

In retrospect I wish we had stayed in the OVC but what's done is done. I think Gumball sold us all a bill of goods he couldn't deliver. Now the ASUN is desperate for more football members while the OVC has seemed to stabilize.

I hated the OVC because of the non-football members. Gumball promised a split once we got enough football members but that doesn't seem likely now. I hope it works out for y'all.

Regionally related info: The Southland conference looks to be going to nine football teams. New Orleans (UNO) is expected to add FCS football (vote in Nov.) according to Matt Brown.

Quote:I hated the OVC because of the non-football members. Gumball promised a split once we got enough football members but that doesn't seem likely now. I hope it works out for y'all.

That was never promised. You're thinking of the original version of the ASUN plan that involved some maneuvering with two different conferences identities, but it was going to require a group of schools that had been together long enough to maintain two separate March Madness autobids. That went out the door when NJIT left the ASUN, which was before EKU, JSU, and UCA agreed to join. All three schools knew and understood that.

Things haven't worked out as we hoped, but many of these things could not have been predicted. I mean, two years ago no one thought that the Sun Belt would be the new destination G5 conference and that schools would be fleeing C-USA in massive numbers. Anyone who says they saw that coming thinks way to highly of themselves.

Besides, someone was going to leave the OVC. It's better to be choosing your destination than reacting to others doing the same.

Everyone is welcome to his own opinion, of course, but as for me, even if the CUSA invite hadn't come Jax State's way, I'd STILL be ecstatic that we'd left the OVC behind.

Stable or not, any football conference with KSU, EKU, Peay, UNA, and UCA is light years better than one featuring UTM, EIU, SEMO, TTU, TSU, and freaking Lindenwood. And that doesn't even factor in OLY sports, where the ASUN holds a huge advantage, especially with Murray and Belmont gone to greener pastures.

Over in the Southland, I do like McNeese and SELA, but that conference pales in comparison to ASUN football, and the Southland can't begin to hold the ASUN's water when it comes to OLY sports.

As for the SoCon, yeah, it's a solid and stable conference, but -- speaking purely from Jax State's perspective -- I don't like the geographical and cultural fit over there, especially with App State and Ga So gone. Samford's right down the road from us, but that rivalry never gained traction despite playing each other regularly for over a decade and even being conference mates in the OVC for 5 of those years. I don't think privates like Mercer, Wofford, and Furman would be any different. Western Carolina would be a cool rival for JSU's band, but athletically, there's not much there to fan the flames of a rivalry. ETSU is a bit too far from Jacksonville to build a strong rivalry against, to say nothing of VMI and The Citadel. That pretty much leaves UTC as the only real rival there, and we can hate them plenty without sharing a conference with them.

(In case anyone out there didn't notice, I think rivalries are important.)

EKU's mileage may vary, of course. The SoCon would be a decent geographical fit for the Colonels, with UTC, ETSU, and WCU all about 4-4.5 hours away. Not great, but much better than some of your alternatives.

That said, I'd much rather see you guys join us in CUSA.

Rivalries being important is the worst part of Jax state leaving. Ksu finally found something to call a rivalry in football, and it's over. Atleast we're about to send y'all out of fcs 0-4 against us all time. Hopefully we can find someone new to hate quickly.

(09-29-2022 02:34 PM)Hootyhoo Wrote:  Rivalries being important is the worst part of Jax state leaving. Ksu finally found something to call a rivalry in football, and it's over. Atleast we're about to send y'all out of fcs 0-4 against us all time. Hopefully we can find someone new to hate quickly.

Maybe KSU will be in C-USA in the future

If rivalries really are important then I wish someone would tell WKU, because they don't seem to share that opinion.

(09-30-2022 06:45 AM)eku05 Wrote:  If rivalries really are important then I wish someone would tell WKU, because they don't seem to share that opinion.

They should and C-USA should build there conference off of rivalries like the SBC

(09-30-2022 11:46 AM)jones682 Wrote:  

(09-30-2022 06:45 AM)eku05 Wrote:  If rivalries really are important then I wish someone would tell WKU, because they don't seem to share that opinion.

They should and C-USA should build there conference off of rivalries like the SBC

I agree.

EKU would renew the classic historical rivalry with WKU, continue a decent (if distant) rivalry with JSU, and provide a reasonably nearby rival for Liberty and MTSU.

KSU would continue the young but heated rivalry with JSU, and would provide another nearby rival for MTSU. WKU and EKU aren't too far away, either, as FBS rivals go.

If I were king of the world and could move teams around to different conferences and subdivisions at will, I'd make room for UNA as well. In the real world, that's not likely to happen for a decade or two, which really sucks.

The only other team on JSU's rivalry wish list would probably be UTC, but they don't seem too keen on leaving the SoCon.

(09-26-2022 02:25 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(09-26-2022 11:55 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  Thoughts regarding EKU and ASUN.
Immediately became concerned about the ASUN when JSU accepted CUSA invite. Don’t blame them one bit, we would have been gone also.
It said, never say never, but I don’t see EKU going back to the OVC unless there’s absolutely no other options and we are DESPERATE! There will be a lot of upset people if we have to back to that mess..
Considering the two above, I hope we aren’t stuck on a sinking ship, and boy has it started to look bleak! And please for all that’s good and kind, NO, NO, NO going back to the OVC!

EKU will be in C-USA. C-USA need teams and EKU wants to be in there conference

EKU likely won't go to the C-USA until WKU leaves for the MAC, if that ever happens. It is possible that the C-USA expands, but if they target EKU, WKU would have objections to it, and would try to block the add.

(09-29-2022 12:05 PM)whupemall Wrote:  Everyone is welcome to his own opinion, of course, but as for me, even if the CUSA invite hadn't come Jax State's way, I'd STILL be ecstatic that we'd left the OVC behind.

Stable or not, any football conference with KSU, EKU, Peay, UNA, and UCA is light years better than one featuring UTM, EIU, SEMO, TTU, TSU, and freaking Lindenwood. And that doesn't even factor in OLY sports, where the ASUN holds a huge advantage, especially with Murray and Belmont gone to greener pastures.

Over in the Southland, I do like McNeese and SELA, but that conference pales in comparison to ASUN football, and the Southland can't begin to hold the ASUN's water when it comes to OLY sports.

As for the SoCon, yeah, it's a solid and stable conference, but -- speaking purely from Jax State's perspective -- I don't like the geographical and cultural fit over there, especially with App State and Ga So gone. Samford's right down the road from us, but that rivalry never gained traction despite playing each other regularly for over a decade and even being conference mates in the OVC for 5 of those years. I don't think privates like Mercer, Wofford, and Furman would be any different. Western Carolina would be a cool rival for JSU's band, but athletically, there's not much there to fan the flames of a rivalry. ETSU is a bit too far from Jacksonville to build a strong rivalry against, to say nothing of VMI and The Citadel. That pretty much leaves UTC as the only real rival there, and we can hate them plenty without sharing a conference with them.

(In case anyone out there didn't notice, I think rivalries are important.)

EKU's mileage may vary, of course. The SoCon would be a decent geographical fit for the Colonels, with UTC, ETSU, and WCU all about 4-4.5 hours away. Not great, but much better than some of your alternatives.

That said, I'd much rather see you guys join us in CUSA.

The SoCon isn't looking to expand right now. They're happy with the round robin setup in football. However, they could benefit from adding a team like EKU, especially if it meant avoiding going back to the OVC for EKU.

(09-27-2022 10:38 AM)whupemall Wrote:  

(09-26-2022 11:55 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  Immediately became concerned about the ASUN when JSU accepted CUSA invite. Don’t blame them one bit, we would have been gone also.

I think it's fair to say most teams would have. EKU, definitely. KSU may have been taken aback by such a sudden invitation, but I doubt they would've turned it down.

UCA would give their left arm to get an FBS invite.

Even UNA would've probably accepted an invitation, and they're not even where they want to be in D-I/FCS at this point.

The only one I'm not sure about is Peay. I know they wanted out of the OVC, and they want to be more of a force on the national scene in football (which they're doing well at now), but I've never heard a peep out of Clarksville about wanting to move up to FBS. That said, I bet they would've accepted as well.

Unless some major shifts happen (such as UTEP/NMSU to the MWC, or FIU getting an AAC bid) I don't think more than one or two ASUN teams would be in line for a future invite to CUSA. That likely means KSU and/or EKU. The other probable candidates are all to our west.

That would leave 3-4 teams in ASUN Football without much of a chance of upward mobility for the foreseeable future. Not a great situation.

But I don't think it's fatal. There are still a few solid expansion candidates in D-II, and there are a couple of current FCS teams (notably SELA and TTU) who might have some interest in moving to a more stable incarnation of the ASUN. And there's always the remote chance one of the non-football Florida teams decides to add the sport.

I can't say it's an enviable situation for those left behind, but I think they'll be OK. And once everything shakes out, it might actually be pretty great.

Stetson has a football team, but they play in the non-scholarship Pioneer League. Jacksonville also had a football team that played in the PL, but they dropped football right before COVID hit the US. I'm not sure where UNF and FGCU stand on adding a football team, but they don't seem to be interested in adding one at this time.