[flames1971]

Yep, I'm just happy I only had to make that trip once

I wonder why they got all the way up to D1 but then moved back to D3. Was it because we beat them too much and they got tired of it?

It was almost totally financial. Scholarships are expensive.

Thanks! I was wondering, since it is a great thing to be D1, and since they got all the way up I didn't think they would go back.

[Chad4Life]

I wonder why they got all the way up to D1 but then moved back to D3. Was it because we beat them too much and they got tired of it?

It was almost totally financial. Scholarships are expensive.

Thanks! I was wondering, since it is a great thing to be D1, and since they got all the way up I didn't think they would go back.

Part of the issue was their endowment. They actually have (or had at the time that they came into the Big South Conference.) a sizeable endowment. From what I was told by someone who would know, that endowment played a big part in the conference accepting them. However, there arose a division on the Birmingham Southern campus about using the endowment for athletic purposes. The president of the college at the time the decision was made to go DI had left and had been replaced by a man who had been president at a D 3 school. While I don't think he was the frontrunner in the decision to go to D 3, his presence was felt.

Another reason was the lack of like schools in their area. In Alabama/Georgia/Mississippi, there are few DI schools that are private (there are none in Alabama and Mississippi and only Mercer in Georgia.) They looked at the schools like them in that area and saw that they were D3. Since these were the schools that they competed with for students, they decided they would compete with them on the athletic fields as well.

Some people have criticized them for the change, but I say if they weren't comfortable for whatever reason(s) (finances, travel time, schools in the area), I applaud them for making the move rather than stay and cause further problems.

[4everfsu]

Isn't Samford in Al a private D1 school?

[Chad4Life]

Isn't Samford in Al a private D1 school?

You are correct; I was in error with my statement.

Still wasn't a lot (if you added Tennessee, going up I-65, you would have Vandy, Belmont and Lipscomb.)

[flamesfilmguy]

I think things are going to get really interesting in the next few years. The landscape of FCS football and conferences in general is going to be a lot different in the next 5 years.

[uncafan]

I'm a little late here and this thread may already be dead but....was cruising around seeing what i've missed over the last few months and this caught me eye.

I'm actually very familiar with campbell since i did go there for a year (back in the day) but I know a lot of alums and some of the coaches...... Just some thoughts from a different perspective...

First from CU's perspective its purely financial. I think this was in a press release but the furthest drive for Campbell in the Big South is closer than their closest opponent in the A-Sun. Back in the day trips to FLA, Alabama (Troy), and other places made sense for campbell because they were going to FAU, UCF, Troy...pretty good schools. Now they are traveling to Florida to play Florida Gulf Coast? Other than in baseball -- why? Football has been mentioned and covered...no need for me to further that. Campbell brings in a solid middle-upper basketball program, great mid-major non-revenue sports (Top 40 Golf, regional respect in mens soccer, good track & field programs,) and should be pretty competitve.

I get that a lot of you seem to think this is marginal addition for the conference .... taking the wait and see attitude. Let me make a brief case for why you are wrong. Money. Campbell has a lot of it. They just built a gorgeous (smaller, yes, but I saw it about 2 months ago...beautiful building) new basketball arena... Their soccer facilities rival ACC schools in the area -- and they should, womens team is down but the mens team competes with regional mid-major powers and usually pulls off an ACC upset every year... But they spend money and have a lot of it. Unless the policy is changed the school has a rule that construction can't begin on a project until 100% of the money has been raised to build it. They just spent $70 million on a basketball facility (http://www.falconengineers.com/clients/ ... ball-arena ) not to mention the football facilities.... And if you've been there (which i'm sure many of you haven't) they just decided the campus needs a 'better entrance' so they tore up the existing entry roads from route 421 and are wasting millions making some grand brick entrance to campus. Smart? I dunno...But they will bring a lot of money, a growing campus, and a growing region into the Big South... They have tons of money to spend -- and for the most part their athletic facilities will come in and be right at the top of the BSC in every sport (basketball, baseball is above average...older field but indoor hitting facility, good playing surface.... Soccer, softball are beautiful, gorgeous championship golf course, the old gym is a nice volleyball venue... )... Whoever made the comment about Charleston Southern? With the exception of the Baseball stadiums which are similar... (but campbell has a huge indoor baseball/softball facility) I would say Campbell's athletic spending is closer to Winthrop/LU range....than CSU. They spend a loooot of money and it shows.... Charleston Southern's budget is less than a lot of High School's.... I don't know of many high schools that can build $70 million dollar basketball arenas Not quite the same campbell that left the conference...

The comment was made they are 40 miles from Raleigh but no one knows they exist.... Its not quite that far but actually there are a LOT of Campbell grads in Raleigh. The campbell law school has been moved and is now in downtown raleigh, and the school exerts a fair amount of influence in Raleigh. Raleigh will always be a split NCSU/UNC town but bringing Campbell in DOES bring the Raleigh market into play. In Raleigh its UNC/NCSU and then campbell is the annoying little step-brother... but at least he has a spot at the table. For instance....decent article about joining the Big South again in the News & observer.... No its not front page news, but its press that the Big South wouldn't have in a decent sized market -- so I don't see it being bad at all....

Finally, didn't see an answer to this but...The Campbell board of trustees reaffirmed (when the announcement was made) that the school will maintain its ban on Sunday play (this means Double Headers for baseball on Saturday...no sunday basketball games etc.) but they made provisions for possible exceptions regarding make-up games, conference tourny games, and NCAA games...

[bigsmooth]

all good points UNCA. some on the board were not at LU when campbell was last in the big south. the LU/Campbell rivalry was a healthy one and their improved facilities and academic reputation are a plus. and yes im sure they spend more than CSU, but the fact is CSU has always hung in there with the BSC. i do not mind the addition, but i wish the big south was adding a school for football.

[RagingTireFire]

... I would say Campbell's athletic spending is closer to Winthrop/LU range....than CSU.

Winthrop, yes. LU, no.

According to data available here, Campbell's athletic spending for 2007-2008 was roughly equivalent to that of Big South members PC, VMI and Winthrop and was roughly 25% more than that of Radford, 50% more than that of CSU and nearly 300% more than UNCA. However, it was around 75% less than what Coastal spent and it was less than half of what LU's expenditures were. Granted, the enrollment numbers at CCU and LU are double and quadruple CU's numbers respectively but G-W spent significantly more on athletics than Campbell did with 2/3 the enrollment.

Also, in 07-08, Campbell spent just under $750,000 to start their football program which, by most standards, is not a huge commitment.

I say all that to say this: Stony Brook was a huge "get" for the Big South. It was a bit of a weird addition, yes, but SBU brought a lot to the table in terms of market, demographics and financial commitment to athletics (SBU is the only BSC school from the above data that spent more on athletics than LU). Campbell, on the other hand, is an average pickup at best. They don't expand the conference geographically and/or demographically nor do they strengthen it athletcially in the key sports of football and men's basketball. This smells more like the Big South hedging their bets against conference attrition than anything else.

[ATrain]

... I would say Campbell's athletic spending is closer to Winthrop/LU range....than CSU.

Winthrop, yes. LU, no.

According to data available here, Campbell's athletic spending for 2007-2008 was roughly equivalent to that of Big South members PC, VMI and Winthrop and was roughly 25% more than that of Radford, 50% more than that of CSU and nearly 300% more than UNCA. However, it was around 75% less than what Coastal spent and it was less than half of what LU's expenditures were. Granted, the enrollment numbers at CCU and LU are double and quadruple CU's numbers respectively but G-W spent significantly more on athletics than Campbell did with 2/3 the enrollment.

Also, in 07-08, Campbell spent just under $750,000 to start their football program which, by most standards, is not a huge commitment.

I say all that to say this: Stony Brook was a huge "get" for the Big South. It was a bit of a weird addition, yes, but SBU brought a lot to the table in terms of market, demographics and financial commitment to athletics (SBU is the only BSC school from the above data that spent more on athletics than LU). Campbell, on the other hand, is an average pickup at best. They don't expand the conference geographically and/or demographically nor do they strengthen it athletcially in the key sports of football and men's basketball. This smells more like the Big South hedging their bets against conference attrition than anything else.

While I can agree with that, who in the Big South is wanted by another conference? CCU got rejected by the SoCon in favor of Samford, and the CAA is not interested in expansion at this point.

[olldflame]

I would think attrition would be more likely on the other end of the spectrum (as in moving DOWN). With the financial woes of CSU, it's unsure if they can continue to support a D1 athletic program (especially football). UNCA has done it on a shoestring for a long time, but shoestrings can break.

[uncafan]

... I would say Campbell's athletic spending is closer to Winthrop/LU range....than CSU.

Winthrop, yes. LU, no.

According to data available here, Campbell's athletic spending for 2007-2008 was roughly equivalent to that of Big South members PC, VMI and Winthrop and was roughly 25% more than that of Radford, 50% more than that of CSU and nearly 300% more than UNCA. However, it was around 75% less than what Coastal spent and it was less than half of what LU's expenditures were. Granted, the enrollment numbers at CCU and LU are double and quadruple CU's numbers respectively but G-W spent significantly more on athletics than Campbell did with 2/3 the enrollment.

Also, in 07-08, Campbell spent just under $750,000 to start their football program which, by most standards, is not a huge commitment.

I say all that to say this: Stony Brook was a huge "get" for the Big South. It was a bit of a weird addition, yes, but SBU brought a lot to the table in terms of market, demographics and financial commitment to athletics (SBU is the only BSC school from the above data that spent more on athletics than LU). Campbell, on the other hand, is an average pickup at best. They don't expand the conference geographically and/or demographically nor do they strengthen it athletcially in the key sports of football and men's basketball. This smells more like the Big South hedging their bets against conference attrition than anything else.

Great info... didn't even know that site existed. And also didn't realize how much LU & CCU spent (i know LU spent a lot but....dang).
And clearly this is athletic budgets... Not facilities. For instance they spent $750k to 'start the football program' but their football 'fieldhouse' facility was multiple millions, and the playing surface itself cost about a million dollars (field turf). Plus the press box facility, stands etc. etc. Obviously same thing with the basketball facility they opened this year... Not included in the budget for athletics because the funds came out of the capital improvements for the school.

Anyway, as for UNCA.... We do have an embarassing low budget but Janet Cone has done a great job with what she has....And that new arena is going to do wonders.... Not only going to be gorgeous but its going to bring a lot of money into campus as well and hopefully allow them to increase the budget significantly.

[olldflame]

Will you be in the new arena this year?

[RagingTireFire]

... I would say Campbell's athletic spending is closer to Winthrop/LU range....than CSU.

Winthrop, yes. LU, no.

According to data available here, Campbell's athletic spending for 2007-2008 was roughly equivalent to that of Big South members PC, VMI and Winthrop and was roughly 25% more than that of Radford, 50% more than that of CSU and nearly 300% more than UNCA. However, it was around 75% less than what Coastal spent and it was less than half of what LU's expenditures were. Granted, the enrollment numbers at CCU and LU are double and quadruple CU's numbers respectively but G-W spent significantly more on athletics than Campbell did with 2/3 the enrollment.

Also, in 07-08, Campbell spent just under $750,000 to start their football program which, by most standards, is not a huge commitment.

I say all that to say this: Stony Brook was a huge "get" for the Big South. It was a bit of a weird addition, yes, but SBU brought a lot to the table in terms of market, demographics and financial commitment to athletics (SBU is the only BSC school from the above data that spent more on athletics than LU). Campbell, on the other hand, is an average pickup at best. They don't expand the conference geographically and/or demographically nor do they strengthen it athletcially in the key sports of football and men's basketball. This smells more like the Big South hedging their bets against conference attrition than anything else.

While I can agree with that, who in the Big South is wanted by another conference? CCU got rejected by the SoCon in favor of Samford, and the CAA is not interested in expansion at this point.

The NCAA D1 movement moratorium lifting in 2011 -- which, incidentally, is when CU is scheduled to join the BSC -- will change everything if the economy doesn't change them sooner. There very well could be another conference option outside of the CAA, Socon or Big South.

[uncafan]

Will you be in the new arena this year?

No they just broke ground in the fall...and then construction was stopped over the winter and until about February I believe? http://www.uncafans.com/phpBB3/viewtopi ... &sk=t&sd=a there are artists renderings about half way down and then latest pics are down at the bottom -- shameless self plug...

Really they haven't done any construction yet but the plan calls for such drastic changes to the athletics area its going to take some time. They've also begun the new track complex and started 'phase one' of the baseball stadium (which is basically, built on the back of the track complex) so they have a lot of stuff going on in the area... I believe they are saying the track surface will be open by October (not sure about the news grandstands/concessions and the baseball stuff)... And then they are saying that the basketball arena (errrrr "Kimmel Arena & N.C. Center for Health and Wellness") next year so in Time for the 2010/11 basketball season.

[Sly Fox]

While I can agree with that, who in the Big South is wanted by another conference? CCU got rejected by the SoCon in favor of Samford, and the CAA is not interested in expansion at this point.

The NCAA D1 movement moratorium lifting in 2011 -- which, incidentally, is when CU is scheduled to join the BSC -- will change everything if the economy doesn't change them sooner. There very well could be another conference option outside of the CAA, Socon or Big South.

Careful, RTF. You are starting to sound a lot like yours truly.

[RagingTireFire]

Does this now get me in the Sly Fox Name Drop Thread?

[Sly Fox]

Touché