[soccer7]

I dont like the addition for the reasons every one else has stated. The only real good sport they have is mens soccer! I love my sport but lets get real. The mens basketball team is ok and they dont have football. Is that not what the BSC is trying to improve? If not then I of all people will have to jump on the "we need to change conferences" band wagon. That being said...if they ever added Longwood then I would not have any respect for those calling the shots for the BSC.

[SuperJon]

I'm trying to get inside the heads of the people making the decisions, and I just can't come up with how this helps us.

[4everfsu]

My 2 cents worth. Bad pickup for BSC. I would have preferred Jax U at least they have football.

[Sly Fox]

Jacksonville plays in the same football conference with Campbell. Both play non-scholarship football in the PFL. The difference appears to be Jax seems more interested in upgrading to scholie football.

[truedrewdawg87]

I have a buddy that's an intern in the SID office at Campbell. He told me recently that while Campbell doesn't plan to move up to scholarship football in the next few years that eventually the school would like to move in that direction. So, if they stay in the conference long enough maybe they'll one day become a football member as well.

[Chad4Life]

Right now, they're just excited to have football at Campbell, whether it's scholarship or non-scholarship. Give them a few years and see if they're as excited as playing Morehead State, Valparaiso, and Butler. I wouldn't be surprised if they attempted a move to scholarship football. That's just my opinion.

One thing that 11 schools does allow is 20 Conference Games for Men's Basketball. thus eliminating the need for 2 OOC games. I agree, though, that a 12 team, 2 division format is what shold be shot for, but with the Big South, who knows?

Men's Soccer has been the strongest sport at Campbell, but the golf programs have been successful in the Atlantic Sun and the softball program has won the conference 2 straight years.

The basketball arena is really nice. Seats over 3,000 and that's fine for Campbell. It is a definite improvement over Carter Gym, although a tent over an outside court would have probably have been an improvement. The men's basketball program has improved, although I would say they would be a middle of the road team in the Big South at best, although this upcoming season will be an important one for Coach Robbie Laing. The women's program would also be in the midst of the other programs in the Big South, outside of Liberty. They did beat High Point at Buies Creek this year, and High Point was the 2nd place team in the conference.

For Campbell, a great move; for the Big South, a wait and see attitude should prevail.

[Chad4Life]

And regarding the Sunday play, I imagine some sort of compromise could be worked out (maybe no play during the regular season except for make up games) and playoffs (maybe if Campbell is hosting, no Sunday play except for championship games and those games start no sooner than 3:00 pm.) Something can be worked out.

Personally, rather than showing patience 15 years ago and work something out with the conference that would be acceptable to both Campbell and the BSC (and both sides are at fault), Campbell pulled out of the conference and really screwed up their athletic program, especially the men's program for a number of years. They shouldn't be faulted for taking a stand, but really, it was more of a "taking my ball because I'm not happy and going home" stand. It blindsided the AD, the coaches, and the fans and took a long time to overcome.

[Chris Lang]

This opens the door for Longwood to come in as a 12th member and go to divisions for all of the sports except football.

I could see it being:

North
Liberty
VMI
Radford
Longwood
High Point
Asheville/Gardner-Webb

South
Gardner-Webb/Asheville
Campbell
Winthrop
Presbyterian
Coastal
Charleston Southern

Play every team in your division twice (10 games) and the other division teams once (6 games).

It would be smarter to put Campbell in the North and keep Gardner-Webb and Asheville together in the south. GWU and UNCA are like 75 miles from each other and are logical travel partners.

Travel partners would be:
Liberty-Longwood
VMI-Radford
High Point-Campbell
UNCA-GWU
Winthrop-PC
Coastal-CSU

If say ETSU would be the 12th rather than Longwood, then swap it out and make Liberty-VMI one trip and Radford-ETSU one trip.

[SuperJon]

Yeah I wasn't sure about a few of them. Just threw it out there.

[RagingTireFire]

All good points from Chad, who I believe is the first Camel fan in FlameFans history.

(Good God, I'm channelling Sly!)

Incidentally, UNCA is actually closer to ETSU than to G-W.

[Chad4Life]

All good points from Chad, who I believe is the first Camel fan in FlameFans history.

(Good God, I'm channelling Sly!)

Incidentally, UNCA is actually closer to ETSU than to G-W.

I actually am both a High Point fan (my dad taught there for over 30 years and I attended a number of High Point basketball games growing up) and a Campbell alumnus, so I'm a hybrid, in a way.

By the way, even as a Campbell fan, I understand some of the reticence of many of the posters about Campbell returning, and can understand why some old-timers may have a grudge, considering how Campbell's leaving was abrupt and put the conference in a bad situation. And I am surprised about the return, not looking at it from Campbell's perspective, but from the Big South's perspective, especially on the football side.

It will be interesting to see what happens, especially once the DI moratorium is lifted.

I will mention that the trip from Greensboro to Buies Creek has become a little easier down US 421 if that's how you come (from Siler City to Sanford, it is now 4 lanes with a median and turning lanes (not an expressway or freeway, but a definite improvement.) There is also a partial bypass around Sanford; unfortunately, it does not connect to 421 on either side, but maybe by the time Campbell's in the conference, it will be complete. About the only 2 lane portion is between Sanford and Lillington.

[Chad4Life]

I do think one potential solution to the football issue could be resolved once the DI moratorium is lifted and we see what D II teams make the move up. It may be that the Atlantic Sun conference becomes a Georgia/Florida type conference and schools such as West Georgia and Valdosta State move up to DI and become members of that conference for the basketball and non-revenue sports and yet for football, they, as well as Jacksonville, if they decided to become scholarship in football, join the Big South as an associate member in football.

I just believe that with the downturn in the economy, some of these conferences that are spread out over a wide portion of the Southeast or the Midwest may have to make some choices with regard to travel and the distances they are willing to go. The ACC can be spread up the entire Eastern Seaboard; they have a lot bigger TV contract than the Atlantic Sun or the Big South. They may be able to better afford sending a volleyball team from Boston to Miami. I doubt the Big South schools could do so or really want to.

In a couple of years, the moratorium will supposedly be lifted and then we'll see what changes occur, and if they make the Big South stronger or if it causes major changes in the Big South.

[g-webb1994]

For reference, it is a whole lot easier to get to Johnson City from here now. That new stretch of I-26 from Asheville up to Johnson City is great road, not heavily travelled, and actually really scenic. Made the trip myself the last mens hoops game we played up in the Memorial Center (aka mini-dome) there.

[soccer7]

My 2 cents worth. Bad pickup for BSC. I would have preferred Jax U at least they have football.

and they have Lax and Crew!!

[soccer7]

I have a buddy that's an intern in the SID office at Campbell. He told me recently that while Campbell doesn't plan to move up to scholarship football in the next few years that eventually the school would like to move in that direction. So, if they stay in the conference long enough maybe they'll one day become a football member as well.

That does not help us now and by the time they do make that change hopefully we will have moved on to bigger and better things. Keep up the good work LU!

[g-webb1994]

Also, and any of you experts might can help me verify this (Sly, SuperJon, Lang, etc.), when Stony Brook came into the conference, wasn't it mentioned that they are leaving around the 2011-12 academic year, or was that just conjecture?

If SB leaving be fact, then the Big South needs to focus on getting football playing schools if we are ever to get/maintain an auto-bid.

I'm going to go over to AGS to mention the SB leaving angle, see if any of the SB people there can shed light on it, I don't think we have any SB people here, correct? Heck, we don't have any other G-W people here from what I can tell.

[Chris Lang]

I think it was sort of "wink, wink" conjecture. When I talked to the Stony Brook AD at last year's football meetings, he said there were no plans to explore other conference options four years down the road. But considering how quickly the landscape changes any more, it would be shocking if SBU didn't look around. If some sort of America East Conference forms, you bet Stony Brook would want to be there.

[jcmanson]

Anyone think that maybe a current member of the Big South has offers or is being courted by another conference?

[matshark]

at this point i could only see Coastal or LU being courted by another conference. the rest i just dont see as good enough to move up to a bigger conference, and im not sure why they would want to move down.

interestingly enough, i didn't realize campbell was near fayetteville. im quite familiar with 421 and Sanford having driven it several times while pops was commuting b/w the burg and fayette-nam.

[ATrain]

Anyone think that maybe a current member of the Big South has offers or is being courted by another conference?

Maybe the A-Sun is trying to take Radford again

But seriously though, who would it be? The CAA is already at 12 and, barring UNCW or Georgia State leaving (rumbling amongst their fans is that the SoCon has had their eye on those two, especially Georgia State since they're adding football), or Northeastern or Hofstra leaving, isn't going to add anyone new. The SoCon took Samford over Coastal, and now they're cutting down on tourney participants in Olympic sports to save on costs. The only other news I can remember reading is the Patriot League might be interested in VMI???

[soccer7]

Anyone think that maybe a current member of the Big South has offers or is being courted by another conference?

Maybe the A-Sun is trying to take Radford again

But seriously though, who would it be? The CAA is already at 12 and, barring UNCW or Georgia State leaving (rumbling amongst their fans is that the SoCon has had their eye on those two, especially Georgia State since they're adding football), or Northeastern or Hofstra leaving, isn't going to add anyone new. The SoCon took Samford over Coastal, and now they're cutting down on tourney participants in Olympic sports to save on costs. The only other news I can remember reading is the Patriot League might be interested in VMI???

Interesting note about VMI! I am surprised that VMI would go to non scholly football. Iwould love to see Georgia State come to the BSC since they are adding football. Another school that would be a great addition but would never leave the CAA would be VCU. I know they want to add football but the CAA has put a hold on adding football for anyone until five or six years from now.

[Cider Jim]

I guess it would be against the Liberty Way to chant, "Smoke the Camels."

Oh, I have a good friend on the faculty there, so a road trip would be fun. Wondering if Campbell has a Quiz Bowl team...

[flames1971]

Anyone think that maybe a current member of the Big South has offers or is being courted by another conference?

Maybe the A-Sun is trying to take Radford again
But seriously though, who would it be? The CAA is already at 12 and, barring UNCW or Georgia State leaving (rumbling amongst their fans is that the SoCon has had their eye on those two, especially Georgia State since they're adding football), or Northeastern or Hofstra leaving, isn't going to add anyone new. The SoCon took Samford over Coastal, and now they're cutting down on tourney participants in Olympic sports to save on costs. The only other news I can remember reading is the Patriot League might be interested in VMI???

Good one.

I was suprised about this announcement because I never thought that former members would come back- I thought they left because this conference was not good enough for them. Then again, there are other reasons.

Oh, and SJ, I liked your idea about splitting up the conference and each division plays their teams twice and the other division's once.

[bigsmooth]

welcome back campbell. LU had a good rivalry back in the day with the camels, and their new arena is really nice. i believe former AD Kim Graham is there as well.

[LUconn]

Is he their AD? A coach's agent? Both? No just kidding. Surely that's not possible.