- April 13th, 2006, 10:55 am
#11407
We have made overtures to the A-10 several times over the years but have been rebuffed each time. Try convincing a bunch of Catholic bishops to let Jerry Falwell's school into their precious league.
The CAA would obviously be the best league for us overall in all sports based on its geographic makeup and its high standing across the board. But they would have to have a number of defections for us to come into play. UNC-W allegedly is considering hopping over to the SoCon. But it would probably take a couple more schools before they would consider us.
The SoCon has made it patently clear to us since we applied to them in the Late '80s after we stepped up to Division I that they have no interest in bringing us aboard. I believe this has as much to do with our elitist (read theologically & socially to the left of us) Baptist brothers in that league who have never wanted to be lumped in with JF's school. Then you factor in the state schools not wanting any more privates in their league and you can see why it has never been a match.
I honestly believe we are going to eventually wind up being in a football league as an affiliate member and having the rest of our sports in a different conference. That full member conference might wind up being the Big South in the long run. That's why we need to make sure our conference continues to get stronger across the board (and why I am so vehemently against Longwood or Sav State being admitted).
Our open declarations that we intend to go I-A are actually inhibiting our short term goals of getting in a better league. Nobody wants to be used as a stepping stone and we'll likely have this thrown back in our face in any efforts to join a league that sponsors I-AA football.
Unless there is a major I-AA realignment shift in the next couple of years, I fully anticipate our next conference move to be when we link up with someone at the I-A level. Right now I couldn't tell you who that might be. But I honestly believe that by the time we approach making the leap, there will be some partners for us either in an existing league or building a new one. There are a bunch of I-AAs in our region right now who are giving I-A membership serious consideration in the next decade. Let's just say that three of them decide to move up together along with us and join two existing I-A schools you would have the foundation for a new conference. Think that sounds impossible? For sake of argument, let's say Delaware, JMU and William & Mary all decide to keep their tight bond and move up together and they bring us along for the ride to build a core of four. Add in geographically challenged East Carolina from C-USA and you are up to five. If this fledgling league were really fortunate they might be able to convince Navy to come onboard. If we stopped at six we would have five league game leaving plenty of room for the Midshipment ot get in all of their traditional matchups that they issues scheduling when they were in C-USA. I know this is all pie in the sky dreaming, but I;m just showing you how things could fall into place under the right circumstances.
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