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Actually we do have some Lehigh obligations but I get the feeling they could be pushed back a year or so.
As for Jacksonville, I talked to one of the TV sports guys over there that we work with. And he had no idea this would be going down. In fact, he was shocked by the news. He told me that JU started up football in order to try to keep the school going when they were having trouble attracting students. They've been in bad financial shape for some time but they just sold a big chunk of valuable real estate on the riverfront. That's probably where the money is coming from to fund the scholarships.
If JU can be financially stable, I think this is great news. It would certainly help in our in roads recruiting the Sunshine State and Jacksonville is a big LU alumni town.
That is a shame. That is the only team I can see doing the conference any good at all unless all of the teams talked obout "ramp up" considerably to what they already have. Jacksonville is in Florida which is always a plus but they have to pull a Florida Atlantic or Florida International to get to a competitive level. It might take a while and they probably have the resources. The question is do they have the interest of the BOD. Not sure about Stony Brook but it looks they are making an effort. Need to stay away from Savannah State. Not sure if the others are realistic. It would be good to get ETSU to join since they have had past success and nice facilities and have been to the playoffs in the past. Hampton or SC State would be okay but I think that they will stay in the MEAC unless their philosophies change. I will have to wait and see what happens but right now it is not looking too promising.
Ditto on the VMI board. Apparently, there's quite a few posters over there who think there's no point to VMI going along with this move b/c the SoCon is going to take them back any day now.
"I invite all the young champions on Liberty Mountain to come up and rub my woolly mustache."
The problem with some of the older VMI alumni is they forget the reason they left in the first place. Its more applicable now than ever. Although we are squeezing them out of that scheduling flexibility in football with today's moves.
Stony Brook is it...No Jacksonville...I was told that there was only going to be 2 guests on the conference call and First was the AD and the 2nd is the head football coach
Stony Brook to Join the Big South Conference in 2008 as an Associate Member in the Sport of Football
Seawolves to join conference in 2008
March 20, 2007
Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University will join the Big South Conference as an associate member in the sport of football beginning in Fall 2008, Director of Athletics Jim Fiore announced today. Stony Brook will become the conference's sixth member along with Charleston Southern University, Coastal Carolina University, Gardner-Webb University, Liberty University and Virginia Military Institute following one season as an Independent in 2007.
"Joining the Big South Conference is the right move for the Stony Brook football program. As with everything we do at this University, our goal is to compete and be successful at the highest levels," Fiore said. "Under the leadership of Coach Chuck Priore, I am confident our football program will continue its growth process and ultimately prosper as a member of the competitive Big South Conference and as a strong member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision."
The Big South Conference is coming off its fifth season of football in 2006 and its most successful campaign to date. Nationally-ranked Coastal Carolina became the first Big South team to clinch a berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs; Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina were ranked in the Top 25 in the same week, another conference first. The Big South will be eligible to qualify for an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs beginning in 2010.
"The Big South Conference is thrilled to welcome Stony Brook University as a football member," said Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander. "The Conference is guided by the principle of growing with excellence. Stony Brook's personnel, facilities and commitment to FCS football, will have it competing for Conference championships right away, and enhance the Big South's national competitiveness."
Big South members appeared on the ESPN family of networks on four different occasions; Coastal's Tyler Thigpen was the Conference's first finalist for the Walter Payton Award; Big South members won a League-record 21 non-conference games; and the League enjoyed a record-breaking season at the gate, as the five football members averaged a combined 6,838 fans per game.
"This is the right time and the right conference at this moment in our history for the Stony Brook football program," said Stony Brook President Shirley Strum Kenny. "We are excited about the opportunity to showcase our student-athletes and our athletic program against a highly competitive national schedule."
Stony Brook, which has competed at the FCS level as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) since 1999, recently completed its first season with limited scholarships. The program continues to add scholarships and recently signed a strong recruiting class which includes several Division I-A transfers as well as top high school graduates. The Seawolves captured the 2005 NEC title and finished as the runner-up in 2006.
"Having the opportunity to join such a respected conference will foster the growth of our program," said Priore. "Balancing the Big South Conference schedule with an extremely challenging non-conference schedule in the Northeast region will greatly benefit our recruiting efforts. This will allow us to develop and ultimately compete with the top NCAA Football Championship Subdivision programs in the country."
The Big South Conference schedule will also provide balance to Stony Brook's non-conference schedule. Conference affiliation guarantees outstanding match-ups with teams from the south that will complement a non-conference schedule that includes many of the most established programs in the Northeast. Stony Brook's contracted non-conference schedule in the next few years includes Hofstra University, University of Maine, Youngstown State, Colgate University, Brown University, University of Massachusetts, University of Richmond, Bucknell University, Georgetown University, University at Albany, Central Connecticut State University, Monmouth University and Elon University.
Stony Brook sponsors 20 intercollegiate sports, 19 of which compete as a member of the America East Conference.
*yawn*-ok, so we got Stony Brook and provided we can keep everyone together will be eligible in 2010. How much longer before the SoCon panics at the thought of losing an at-large and takes Coastal? (happened with Elon, and yes I know they just added Samford).
Trying to figure out if sentence 1 is related to sentence 2.
- By olldflame