[ballcoach15]

I agree with Purple's Post above. It is a step up. As for attendance, our attendance is bad now in every sport, even for home games. The ASUN schools are bigger name schools than most in BSC.

I rather go to Florida than Farmville any day of the week.

ASUN will be a stronger softball conference than BSC. ( more on that later)

[olldflame]

This is absolutely an upgrade over the Big South. How it can be questioned otherwise is a head scratcher. Especially for hoops. Lipscomb is a traditionally well known hoops and everyone knows FGC is betting the farm on becoming a hoops powerhouse in MBB and WBB. Larger schools with more resources etc. larger recruiting potential footprints and basically everything JON already wrote. LU is not a fit for the BIG SOUTH anymore and vice versa. Not a bad thing it just is. Nice stepping stone to move up All Sports to another Conference within a decade or so. Plus, with most of LU games being televised who cares how LU fans travel?

Gunna call on being an upgrade in hoops. Only the MEAC and SWAC had worse basketball RPIs than the A-Sun. BSC is 6 spots higher. Swapping UNC-Upstate for Liberty will make it somewhat closer. I'm not against the move and it does have some real positives, but better hoops is not one of them.

Lipscomb is a historical program and FGC made an incredible run a few years ago. That alone makes it better than the Big South. How many Tournament games have Big South Teams won? How many marketing movements have been launched by Big South teams? How many Honorable Mention All Americans in the Big South? This is one where numbers like the RPI don’t tell the entire story.
You have programs willing to put money into their programs and it’s a Conference, hoops wise, that is certainly on the rise. Meanwhile, the Big South is stuck in neutral. There is a buzz and excitement around hoops at the ASUN.

I think the BSC will be down next year, with several teams losing key players, so like Jon said, it could be a wash for the immediate future. I don't know much about the A-Suns status except they have unloaded Upstate, which automatically makes them better. The coach who engineered FGCUs tourney run is at USC. They are still better than anyone in the BSC, but most of the rest of the teams are pretty weak. Lipscomb's history doesn't mean a can of beans, but they did upset FGC in the tourney final this year to go to the dance for the first time in this millenium.

[jinxy]

Any truth to the rumor that there may be a second team from the carolinas making the move as well as a travel partner. I havent heard that lately but heard a decent amount of noise about it a year or so Ago. I have no idea who it was but i was told it was not a big south team so i dont know.

[ballah09]

I know High Point wants out but thats a Big South school. I'm assuming it would have to be a MEAC school as I don't see any of the Carolinas wanting to leave the CAA/SoCon.

[Have_a_Gansett_2011]

This is absolutely an upgrade for all the reasons Purple and JC mentioned, and probably more.

I think there are 2 things that will quickly follow this:

expanded service to LYH (this clearly is more enticing for an airline with markets in the ASUN). As someone who watches planes land at Dulles from my living room, I hope the United deal to Dulles goes through.

A travel partner. I'm not sure who it would be/could be, but I think there needs to be a second more northern to help improve the footprint and connect the dots. HPU comes to mind, esp with their new basketball coach and willingness to invest in athletics.

[ballah09]

Yeah now to think, High Point with their budget and facilities will be the odd man out. This move might entice them to make the switch for a potential traveling partner.

Also I think we might find out what sports will be added as well. ASUN sponsors beach volleyball. A sport that the Big South doesn't sponsor. WGOLF, BVBALL, WGYM

[jinxy]

I would be ok with high point. They are the most consistent team left in the big south as they are solid in pretty much all the other sports that matter.

Surprised at how bad ksu has been at basketball. They are solid in both baseball and softball and really did well quick in football. Mbb on the other hand has been atrocious.

Upon further review....usc upstate reallllly sucks. Thats another longwood going in the big south. That was going to really dilute the play even more. I actually think if a high point hampton could come along this would be much better.

Jon is right on about the locations for sure. Also those pining about losing folks that travel from raddy or lwood etc. cmon. I never saw more than 25 or 30 folks at home games at any sports for those teams because they suck and have no fan base. It cant get any worse. Vmi was the only school that i ever remember having any following outside of ccu baseball in the big south.

Im hearing we made the choice not the big south and thats internal and from a radford guy i know.

For those more in the know. Who was our primary opposition to staying in the big south in terms of admins.

[ballcoach15]

Hampton would bring more to ASUN than High Point.

This move will improve our recruiting landscape from Day 1.

[Purple Haize]

LONGWOOD would bring more to ASUN than High Point.

This move will improve our recruiting landscape from Day 1.

FIFY

[Jonathan Carone]

I can’t rememver what I’ve posted where, so forgive me if I’ve already said pieces of this.

Last year we tried to get in the ASun but were short three votes. One story goes that it was going to be us, Hampton, and High Point. For whatever reason, it fell through at the last minute.

This year we approached them again and we had the votes. Obviously Hampton isn’t going because they’re joining the Big South. I don’t know if there’s interest on either side in High Point any more.

[jinxy]

Ok so hampton wasnt in big south at that point when i heard this so that makes sense about them now. That would be a great scenario. Would love to see it revived.

[jack_sparrow81]

This is great news for us in Florida. Allegiant actually has had flights for awhile now between Sanford (Stetson) and Roanoke for real cheap but I believe it's only specific days like Thursday's and Sunday's. Not sure what flies into Fort Myers, but Allegiant is moving into the Sarasota airport.

[thepostman]

Allegiant is also the worst airline I have ever flown on. They are cheap though. That's true.

[Cider Jim]

I rather go to Florida than Farmville any day of the week.

But those hour-long road trips sure were fun.

[ballcoach15]

For me, an hour long road trip is almost same as a home game.

As for softball, based on latest ranking I can find. The ASUN is ranked 11th, the BSC 19th. Take LU out, and BSC drops even lower. ASUN will rise with LU in conference.

[Sly Fox]

Now if we can just get the A-Sun to invite a Texas school ...

[JK37]

NJ to TX? Wow, that would be awful.

I’m thinking ASun goes looking for travel partners for NJIT and/or Liberty. Anything from DC to NYC could fit. The possibilities seem endless.

[ballcoach15]

I have dreamed of Liberty becoming a travel partner for West Virginia in the Big 12.

[JK37]

But I thought you were an SEC guy? There was actually a push to send WVU there several years ago during one round of realignment. Also the ACC, but that will NEVER happen.

[JK37]

Are you being sarcastic, or do you really need an explanation?

[Class of 20Something]

I’ve been around college athletics for a while now and I still have no idea what people actually mean by “travel partner”.

Lets just say HPU joins as our Travel Partner.

Conference schedulers would then attempt to schedule HPU and LU on the road in Florida at the same time. They can cut the cost of a shared plane to a central location. The schools can go to their designated opponents, switch opponents and share the plane back.

Additionally, a travel partner will likely use conference votes in a beneficial way in the future for things that protect the "outlying region."

[ballcoach15]

I hope High Point stays in BSC. I cannot see them adding value to any conference. Sort of like a Longwood University.

[Ewglenn]

So NJIT spent over 100 million on their new basketball arena

[flamehunter]

I understand the idea that it’s nice to have geographically close teams, but outside of that I think the value is so overstated that it is ridiculous.

I’ve been around college athletics for a while now and I still have no idea what people actually mean by “travel partner”.

Lets just say HPU joins as our Travel Partner.

Conference schedulers would then attempt to schedule HPU and LU on the road in Florida at the same time. They can cut the cost of a shared plane to a central location. The schools can go to their designated opponents, switch opponents and share the plane back.

Additionally, a travel partner will likely use conference votes in a beneficial way in the future for things that protect the "outlying region."

I think you prove his point.

[Purple Haize]

So NJIT spent over 100 million on their new basketball arena

But only $5 million went to Construction costs. The rest went to various other ‘Entities’ in the NJ area.