[ballcoach15]

In softball, we will now have 4 "home" conference series and 4 on the road. if my math is correct.

[ballcoach15]

Truth be known, I am having memories of "when Longwood joined Big South Conference".

[Lion1983]

Truth be known, I am having memories of "when Longwood joined Big South Conference".

Not being around the Big South, what do you mean by that?

[ballcoach15]

Truth be known, I am having memories of "when Longwood joined Big South Conference".

Not being around the Big South, what do you mean by that?

This was a deal where Longwood brought nothing to the BSC. Oh sure, they have a good softball team, but nothing else. It weakened BSC as a conference in my opinion.

[flamesfilmguy]

I wonder if this can open up a door for another Kentucky school? If NJIT gets a spot in another conference closer to them, I wonder if EKU would consider a move to the ASun? Or Morehead State?

No one is leaving the OVC for the Asun. that would be a step down in almost every sport with the exception being baseball and Maybe soccer.

[BlueBlood]

Never heard of them. WOW.

I know a bit about them from D2 (I'm a Cedarville guy, daughter is at Liberty). Well run athletic department. From what I can tell, this is more of an attempt to raise the profile of the entire school than just playing D1 sports. They seem to be tired of losing kids (regular students, not just student athletes) regionally to D1 schools like Xavier and Dayton. I said earlier that I see no reason that they can't be the Louisville version of a Lipscomb or Belmont. If you want to shoot for the moon, you could even point to Xavier or Butler as nearby examples of small private schools who have used athletics to significantly raise their institutional profile.

[Lion1983]

Truth be known, I am having memories of "when Longwood joined Big South Conference".

Not being around the Big South, what do you mean by that?

This was a deal where Longwood brought nothing to the BSC. Oh sure, they have a good softball team, but nothing else. It weakened BSC as a conference in my opinion.

Bellarmine has a good basketball program, and are in both a great basketball and baseball town.

Bellarmine wasnt my first choice, but I'm not upset about them either.

[Lion1983]

I wonder if this can open up a door for another Kentucky school? If NJIT gets a spot in another conference closer to them, I wonder if EKU would consider a move to the ASun? Or Morehead State?

No one is leaving the OVC for the Asun. that would be a step down in almost every sport with the exception being baseball and Maybe soccer.

I disagree about that, especially going forward over the next few years. If the core of the ASun stays on track (core is everyone not NJIT or Bellarmine) and keeps improving competition and facilities, it will be a very strong conference. And if I read right, the ASun now earns more money than the OVC so there is that.

[ballcoach15]

I'd like to see Jacksonville State leave OVC and join ASUN, but I doubt if it will ever happen because JSU is a "football school". But JSU would strengthen ASUN in most every sport.
I do not know the history of JSU and OVC, but my initial thought is JSU and the OVC are not a good fit. (Alabama and Ohio have nothing in common).

[Jonathan Carone]

Not being around the Big South, what do you mean by that?

This was a deal where Longwood brought nothing to the BSC. Oh sure, they have a good softball team, but nothing else. It weakened BSC as a conference in my opinion.

Bellarmine has a good basketball program, and are in both a great basketball and baseball town.

Bellarmine wasnt my first choice, but I'm not upset about them either.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, if ballcoach says something, there's a 76% chance it's wrong and 97% chance it's factless.

[flamesfilmguy]

I wonder if this can open up a door for another Kentucky school? If NJIT gets a spot in another conference closer to them, I wonder if EKU would consider a move to the ASun? Or Morehead State?

No one is leaving the OVC for the Asun. that would be a step down in almost every sport with the exception being baseball and Maybe soccer.

I disagree about that, especially going forward over the next few years. If the core of the ASun stays on track (core is everyone not NJIT or Bellarmine) and keeps improving competition and facilities, it will be a very strong conference. And if I read right, the ASun now earns more money than the OVC so there is that.

Name a single OVC school that would leave the OVC to join the Asun and allow their football program to enter the big south. There isn't one. All of those OVC schools are football schools with the exception of murray state. Belmont LEFT the Asun for the OVC. its a better overall conference.

[ballcoach15]

Flamefilmsguy, Very true. But personally I just don't like the name of the "Ohio" Valley Conference. Sounds too northern and too much cold weather.

[Dalegarz1]

Ballcoach-would you rather have "Dixie" played before games or "The Star Spangled Banner"?

[ballah09]

I think the ASUN is on the verge of surpassing the OVC. Just about every school is investing in facility upgrades. Basketball should be really good once Bellarmine gets settled.

[Cider Jim]

I just read that Bellarmine is a Roman Catholic school, and their library houses the Thomas Merton Center.

[Lion1983]

No one is leaving the OVC for the Asun. that would be a step down in almost every sport with the exception being baseball and Maybe soccer.

I disagree about that, especially going forward over the next few years. If the core of the ASun stays on track (core is everyone not NJIT or Bellarmine) and keeps improving competition and facilities, it will be a very strong conference. And if I read right, the ASun now earns more money than the OVC so there is that.

Name a single OVC school that would leave the OVC to join the Asun and allow their football program to enter the big south. There isn't one. All of those OVC schools are football schools with the exception of murray state. Belmont LEFT the Asun for the OVC. its a better overall conference.

Morehead State, because they dont play football in the OVC...

JSU because UNA and KSU... a historical rivalry with UNA and a proximity rivalry with KSU.

[ballcoach15]

Which sport did Merton play ?

[ballcoach15]

If it wasn't for some connections I have in Jacksonville, I doubt if I would have ever heard of OVC.

UNA and KSU are real close to JSU.

[Cider Jim]

Which sport did Merton play ?

Ballcoach, there is more to education than college sports. Merton was one of the greatest Christian thinkers and writers of his generation, sort of a Catholic version of C.S. Lewis.

http://merton.org/

[Lion1983]

I disagree about that, especially going forward over the next few years. If the core of the ASun stays on track (core is everyone not NJIT or Bellarmine) and keeps improving competition and facilities, it will be a very strong conference. And if I read right, the ASun now earns more money than the OVC so there is that.

Name a single OVC school that would leave the OVC to join the Asun and allow their football program to enter the big south. There isn't one. All of those OVC schools are football schools with the exception of murray state. Belmont LEFT the Asun for the OVC. its a better overall conference.

Morehead State, because they dont play football in the OVC...

JSU because UNA and KSU... a historical rivalry with UNA and a proximity rivalry with KSU.

Not to mention, JSU officials were very upset with the OVC when they lied and didnt invite UNA. And was told EKU was upset about not inviting NKU at the same time.

[CapnMac]

I'm moving to Kentucky this weekend, so I'm excited to see this. Will be able to attend a lot of LU sporting events at Bellarmine.

Although I live overseas and have limited opportunities to attend games in person regardless, adding Bellermine to our schedule in all sports but football will significantly increase those opportunities. When I am in the states, I stay with my sister in Bloomington, IN, which is just a couple of hours away from Louisville.

I'm very familiar with Bloomington, my dad was born there and had a lot of friends go to school there. I was born and raised a few hours north in a much superior city #IUSucks

[ballcoach15]

Ballcoach-would you rather have "Dixie" played before games or "The Star Spangled Banner"?

Both

[ballcoach15]

Which sport did Merton play ?

Ballcoach, there is more to education than college sports. Merton was one of the greatest Christian thinkers and writers of his generation, sort of a Catholic version of C.S. Lewis.

http://merton.org/

That question was a joke. I do recall the name from when I was researching the school.

[Cider Jim]

Ballcoach, for jokes, you need to use the little smiley face that is winking.

[ballcoach15]

It's better to coach people up on their sense of humor, I.e. seeing who can distinguish difference between a joke and a factual post.