[Blessed1]

Big South Conference commissioner Kyle Kallander wouldn't comment on any members, but said he has had "good dialogue with a number of commissioners that have been involved in the ongoing realignment story, including Tom Yeager. We've had good conversations about a number of things."

"There is still a lot of fluidity and a lot of issues involved in the decision-making process of institutions," Kallander said. "We'll see where things are going. I feel pretty good about where the conference is and where we're going to be moving forward."
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/20 ... r-2053536/

Schools like Stony Brook and Coastal Carolina have constantly been mentioned in expansion talks. If Kallander (aka K.K.) was smart enough, he would see the need to expand. I know we all have FBS on our minds, but the fact of the matter is Liberty is still a member of the Big South.

I wonder if Campbell will be asked to "move up" to replace Stony Brook. IMO, other candidates that may be considered for Big South membership are:

Kennesaw St (will start football in 2014)
Valdosta St (http://www.d2football.com/stadiums/valdostastate/t33/)
West Georgia (http://www.d2football.com/stadiums/westgeorgia/t35/)
Florida Tech (will start football in 2013)
West Florida (will start football in 2015)
North Alabama (http://www.d2football.com/stadiums/northalabama/t30/)
(announced intentions to move up to Division 1- http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/ ... on-I_n.htm).

[RVAparks]

Campbell is a client of mine and I've been repeatedly told that have ZERO interest in playing scholarship football. Kennesaw State remains an interesting school in this whole mix to me.

[Purple Haize]

I believe UMBC was once a member of the Big South.
Not sure why KK would want to take a team that has already stated their intentions of moving up ASAP. I mean, he is at least THAT smart.

[Blessed1]

I believe UMBC was once a member of the Big South.
Not sure why KK would want to take a team that has already stated their intentions of moving up ASAP. I mean, he is at least THAT smart.

UMBC was already a member? Really?... Well maybe they want to be on an island then.

I think N. Alabama would be a great addition. If the Big South takes UNA, they should also invite Valdosta St. so they can extend their footprint into Georgia and Alabama. However, I'm not sure if Valdosta St would want to move up. They have a great football tradition, but seem content where they are.

[RVAparks]

Yea UMBC was a member from 92-98. I think UMBC may eventually head to the MAAC as a traveling partner for Loyola.

[Blessed1]

Yea UMBC was a member from 92-98. I think UMBC may eventually head to the MAAC as a traveling partner for Loyola.

Well if Campbell showed us anything, I guess they showed us that you can always come back home.

As for UMBC going to the MAAC. That wouldn't be a bad move for them. Even though Maryland is considered a Southern by most, we act more like a Northern state. This may explain why both Loyola and UMBC are both comfortable in northeastern conferences.

[ATrain]

Yea UMBC was a member from 92-98. I think UMBC may eventually head to the MAAC as a traveling partner for Loyola.

Well if Campbell showed us anything, I guess they showed us that you can always come back home.

As for UMBC going to the MAAC. That wouldn't be a bad move for them. Even though Maryland is considered a Southern by most, we act more like a Northern state. This may explain why both Loyola and UMBC are both comfortable in northeastern conferences.

I don't know of anyone who considers Maryland a Southern state. Y'all weren't on our side in The War.

[jbock13]

In fairness, Maryland wanted to secede but Lincoln essentially took over the state to prevent the Union government being surrounded in DC.

Anyway, I don't like Maryland

[Kolzilla41]

Yea UMBC was a member from 92-98. I think UMBC may eventually head to the MAAC as a traveling partner for Loyola.

Well if Campbell showed us anything, I guess they showed us that you can always come back home.

As for UMBC going to the MAAC. That wouldn't be a bad move for them. Even though Maryland is considered a Southern by most, we act more like a Northern state. This may explain why both Loyola and UMBC are both comfortable in northeastern conferences.

I don't know of anyone who considers Maryland a Southern state. Y'all weren't on our side in The War.

Actually , they were. My great grandfather (x4) was a sniper for the Confederate army. Lincoln just arrested everyone if they left the Union army.

[ATrain]

Officially Maryland was still in the Union, and I don't know anyone who would consider it a Southern state today.

[RVAparks]

You know an interesting school that doesn't get brought up often is New Orleans. They were reclassifying to move down from D1 but stopped the move and are now going to remain D1. As of right now they are independent. I don't know if they would simply slip back into the Sun Belt (they were a charter member), explore the WAC, or maybe even look the A-Sun.

[TH Spangler]

With all this talk about an FBS elite 60, being "raptured" way from the rest .... might there be some interest by those "left behind" to form something altogether new. A group of left behind FBS teams and the top FCS teams forming a second tier ..... and maybe the Big South or CAA want to be players? ........... I know this is way out there

[Sly Fox]

You know an interesting school that doesn't get brought up often is New Orleans. They were reclassifying to move down from D1 but stopped the move and are now going to remain D1. As of right now they are independent. I don't know if they would simply slip back into the Sun Belt (they were a charter member), explore the WAC, or maybe even look the A-Sun.

They are in talks with the Southland Conference.

[RVAparks]

That makes sense I always forget about the Southland. Especially w/ four other Louisiana schools.

[jbock13]

Officially Maryland was still in the Union, and I don't know anyone who would consider it a Southern state today.

Maryland was in the Union, but it's citizens weren't.

I know, potato or potatoe it doesn't really matter

[LUconn]

I saw this thread and thought it was a pretty smart idea until I realized how they're expanding. I like the conference being proactive, but they're doing it in a sense to replace the teams they plan to lose in the future. Which in a sense is still reactive. Why not prey on established schools in conferences that are on shaky ground due to rumors of their conference mates leaving? Obviously the BSC is not atractive to a team in the socon or CAA right now, but if you can start bundling stable FCS teams together, it would set them up nicely in the future.

[Blessed1]

I saw this thread and thought it was a pretty smart idea until I realized how they're expanding. I like the conference being proactive, but they're doing it in a sense to replace the teams they plan to lose in the future. Which in a sense is still reactive. Why not prey on established schools in conferences that are on shaky ground due to rumors of their conference mates leaving? Obviously the BSC is not atractive to a team in the socon or CAA right now, but if you can start bundling stable FCS teams together, it would set them up nicely in the future.

+1

If you noticed most of the schools I named are 1) in Division II and 2) in the Gulf South Conference. The Gulf South had a massive conference shift when ALL of its Arkansas schools left to form the Great American Conference with Oklahoma-based schools. Their purpose in doing that was to be more regional.

Now, since the Big South is not a world-beater and the Gulf South is vulnerable right now, why not expand with two traditionally football-strong Division II schools in N. Alabama and Valdosta St.? Who else can the Big South get from the FCS? I would think probably Albany and give them some sort of a 'Stony Brook' football-only deal. That's about it.

[Purple Haize]

With all this talk about an FBS elite 60, being "raptured" way from the rest .... might there be some interest by those "left behind" to form something altogether new. A group of left behind FBS teams and the top FCS teams forming a second tier ..... and maybe the Big South or CAA wants to be players? ........... I know this is way out there

I remember a sage professor many moons ago who espoused this position....

[TH Spangler]

Good discussion going on here .... http://forums.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=451&f ... 141459&p=1

The NCAA isn't in the business of doing any favors to the mid-majors. Rules are written to favor the Big Five conferences, not the CAA, or Big Sky, or Southern conferences.

IMHO, the NCAA changed the rules to grandfather in the WAC - knowing that the WAC would have difficulty returning to 8 FBS schools - so it wouldn't be subject to a lawsuit.

An FCS conference or an individual school could sue the NCAA to move up and probably win- but it would take a long time and get ugly and take a lot of money. FCS schools simply don't have the money to file suit against the NCAA, as the suit would more than double the cost of moving to FBS. No FCS school could afford it.

A conference that could end up as FBS is the CAA. For example, if James Madison, Delaware, Liberty, Ga Southern, Jacksonville St, Coastal Carolina all get added to a WAC east, then in two or three years they could move football back to the CAA. Adding FAU and UMass, and voila, the CAA has 8 FBS members.

That's somewhat how the Sun Belt FBS status was created. North Texas, La Tech, La-La, Ark St were floating around as independents/Big West. NMSU and Idaho joined them (for a short time). La-Monroe and MTSU moved up as FBS independents. La-Monroe was only a member of the Sunbelt for football (as was Idaho) for a time until La Tech moved ou. Troy then moved up and later was added full time. FIU was a Sun Belt member, but moved up its transition to FBS. FAU moved up its transition to FBS, even though it was still an Atlantic Sun member. WKU move up as a Sun Belt member (although its football was in the MVFC), and then USA started football.

[jbock13]

JMU isn't going FBS.

[Cider Jim]

I remember a sage professor many moons ago who espoused this position....

I resemble that remark.

[Purple Haize]

I remember a sage professor many moons ago who espoused this position....

I resemble that remark.

Translation- I've worked hard to try to achieve equality of greatness of this scholar from the past. Plus he was a lot better looking!- Hey Now!

[BJWilliams]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012 ... lacks.html How come we havent gotten these guys on the phone?

[thepostman]

As you would say, "how do you know they haven't been contacted bud!". All of this with a very angry tone!

[BJWilliams]

har har har...for someone called postman you need to work on your delivery my friend