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Post by gomocs57 on Jul 5, 2023 7:39:27 GMT -6
First thanks for letting me post. I run the Chattanooga board: www.tapatalk.com/groups/mocnation/Would UNA have any interest in joining the SoCon given the recent history of the ASUN? You would have Samford and Chattanooga as your closest schools. SoCon has been extremely stable and probably would only want schools not looking to move or jump. Just asking. Thanks. |
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Post by brandon on Jul 5, 2023 8:11:20 GMT -6
First thanks for letting me post. I run the Chattanooga board: www.tapatalk.com/groups/mocnation/Would UNA have any interest in joining the SoCon given the recent history of the ASUN? You would have Samford and Chattanooga as your closest schools. SoCon has been extremely stable and probably would only want schools not looking to move or jump. Just asking. Thanks. Glad your posting... welcome. Long answer is probably... Short answer is maybe... I have talked to AD and president of UNA about the SoCon and yes there is interest from UNA. But there is also interest in the ASUN. Since the ASUN has expanded with EKU, APSU and UCA, we have close "peer" institutions in the ASUN. But, we would love to have a stable home because as you know, everyone in the UAC has expressed interest in FBS except for UNA and a few WAC schools. I have heard that we are willing to go to FBS if a better FCS choice (SoCon) is not available and I highly doubt UNA would make a move to the OVC given our history and what it has turned into. Personally I think UNA would be a good fit in the SoCon and to make it even I would bring Lipscomb as well. It would be nice to be able to play Chattanooga, Samford, and Mercer every year. Honestly those are the only schools that probably interest our fan base. But as long as this ASUN and UAC group stays together and if the NCAA ups the entry fee to FBS to 5 million, I think we will probably stay with the group we are with. |
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Post by gomocs57 on Jul 5, 2023 8:24:20 GMT -6
I have wanted the SoCon to poach Lipscomb for basketball for years. Get into the Nashville market.
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Post by brandon on Jul 5, 2023 8:31:54 GMT -6
I have wanted the SoCon to poach Lipscomb for basketball for years. Get into the Nashville market. I think Lipscomb and UNA would be a great pair to add to the SoCon and that's not just a bias thought. Nashville market is a good thing, and Huntsville (UNA is actually in the Huntsville market) is the fastest growing city in Alabama and it kinda runs into Chattanoogas market. What do you think the chances of the SoCon expanding is with a new commissioner? |
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Post by gomocs57 on Jul 5, 2023 8:35:39 GMT -6
I have wanted the SoCon to poach Lipscomb for basketball for years. Get into the Nashville market. I think Lipscomb and UNA would be a great pair to add to the SoCon and that's not just a bias thought. Nashville market is a good thing, and Huntsville (UNA is actually in the Huntsville market) is the fastest growing city in Alabama and it kinda runs into Chattanoogas market. What do you think the chances of the SoCon expanding is with a new commissioner? Having a new commissioner is what is prompting the discussion amongst fanbases. Past commissioners seemed to just be happy maintaining status quo. The SoCon recently doubled their exit fee to $2 million. They want a stable conference. I actually live in Huntsville and have since 1988. |
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Post by brandon on Jul 5, 2023 9:26:36 GMT -6
I think Lipscomb and UNA would be a great pair to add to the SoCon and that's not just a bias thought. Nashville market is a good thing, and Huntsville (UNA is actually in the Huntsville market) is the fastest growing city in Alabama and it kinda runs into Chattanoogas market. What do you think the chances of the SoCon expanding is with a new commissioner? Having a new commissioner is what is prompting the discussion amongst fanbases. Past commissioners seemed to just be happy maintaining status quo. The SoCon recently doubled their exit fee to $2 million. They want a stable conference. I actually live in Huntsville and have since 1988. Awesome... We have a lot of alum in Chattanooga actually, and I'm sure you know we have a lot in Huntsville. We actually have a big group in Nashville as well. The exit fee is a good thing in my opinion, but I also think it's time for the SoCon to get a little bigger. I don't know how much bigger, but at least by two. I think UNA and Lipscomb would be great for the western schools such as Chattanooga, Samford Mercer and even ETSU. I know on the Jay and Keith show, they have talked about it, but usually put UNA on the bottom of the list. |
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Post by mocs123 on Jul 5, 2023 11:14:21 GMT -6
There would be a few long road trips (VMI, The Citadel, UNCG come to mind) but the travel may not be worse than it is in the A-Sun already, but the SoCon would have to decide it wants to go that far west, something they may or may not want to do, though it would be good for UTC, Samford, and Mercer for sure.
I'd be for looking at adding UNA and EKU on the FB side and Lipscomb and maybe CoC on the basketball side. I'd be for Austin Peay too for that matter.
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Post by brandon on Jul 5, 2023 12:55:07 GMT -6
There would be a few long road trips (VMI, The Citadel, UNCG come to mind) but the travel may not be worse than it is in the A-Sun already, but the SoCon would have to decide it wants to go that far west, something they may or may not want to do, though it would be good for UTC, Samford, and Mercer for sure. I'd be for looking at adding UNA and EKU on the FB side and Lipscomb and maybe CoC on the basketball side. I'd be for Austin Peay too for that matter. I would be curious on how far they may want to expand. It would be easy to pick off all the football schools in the ASUN but of course the SoCon is big on 1 for 1 public and private. I would go EKU, Bellarmine, UNA, Lipscomb, Austin Peay, C of Charleston. That puts football at 12 All sports at 16 I think that's the trend but I know some would buck at that idea. |
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Post by unafied on Jul 6, 2023 6:10:44 GMT -6
Here's a biased opinion, since I live in Chattanooga (and have for 15 years)...
Sure! I'd love to be in the SoCon. I think while it's easy to love the thought of FBS, it's just... I just don't think we are anywhere close to being ready. Jacksonville State is our oldest rival and a direct comparison. While I think UNA has a lot of advantages JSU doesn't, the fact is, they got a ~25 year head start on moving to where they are now (they moved to FCS in the early 90s). To try to make that jump to FBS while we are still working to get a stadium built and our feet under us in D1 as a whole - I just think it's too much.
The SoCon likely has no intentions of making that FBS move. While we'd be on the edge of the conference, I really don't think the travel would be overall that bad, especially if we are making flights to southern Utah in the UAC.
Whether the move ever happens or not, I hope we continue to play the Mocs every few years. Especially since JSU and Kennesaw State are no longer good options for Chattanooga in non-conference.
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Post by mocs123 on Jul 6, 2023 6:54:13 GMT -6
You could probably talk me into FBS, but in a lot of ways I think the general public (even football fans) don't know the difference between the majority of the G5 and FCS. I've always said the average Chattanoogan (which 90% of are UTK, Bama, UGA, Auburn, etc. fans) doesn't know the difference between MTSU, UTC, and Carson Newman. To them they are all "D2", so I'm not sure moving up to C-USA or the Sun Belt buys you much respect or notoriety from the general public.
Personally, I'm not sure UTC could afford to move up, and I wouldn't want to move up unless we can be successful/competitive in FB, MBB, WBB at least. Now if the P5 (or P4) ever break apart from the NCAA or any other significant landscape changes, my opinion may change, but currently I'd be fine being a nationally relevant FCS program. I know lots of schools have dreams of moving up, but my guess is that if the resolution passes to add a $5M fee to move to FBS, then a lot of dreams may be crushed.
We had a great rivalry with JSU and should have had one with KSU, so Moc fans too hate to see them go FBS. I'm glad UNA moved up as geographically we make pretty good rivals even if we're not in the same conference, and quality, bus trip OOC opponents are getting harder and harder to find.
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Post by brandon on Jul 6, 2023 9:34:37 GMT -6
You could probably talk me into FBS, but in a lot of ways I think the general public (even football fans) don't know the difference between the majority of the G5 and FCS. I've always said the average Chattanoogan (which 90% of are UTK, Bama, UGA, Auburn, etc. fans) doesn't know the difference between MTSU, UTC, and Carson Newman. To them they are all "D2", so I'm not sure moving up to C-USA or the Sun Belt buys you much respect or notoriety from the general public. Personally, I'm not sure UTC could afford to move up, and I wouldn't want to move up unless we can be successful/competitive in FB, MBB, WBB at least. Now if the P5 (or P4) ever break apart from the NCAA or any other significant landscape changes, my opinion may change, but currently I'd be fine being a nationally relevant FCS program. I know lots of schools have dreams of moving up, but my guess is that if the resolution passes to add a $5M fee to move to FBS, then a lot of dreams may be crushed. We had a great rivalry with JSU and should have had one with KSU, so Moc fans too hate to see them go FBS. I'm glad UNA moved up as geographically we make pretty good rivals even if we're not in the same conference, and quality, bus trip OOC opponents are getting harder and harder to find. UNA should have moved in 96. But there is nothing we can do about it now. With the SoCon having a 2 million dollar exit fee and a possibility of a 5 million dollar FBS entrance fee, I don't see Chattanooga going FBS. Just the 5 mil alone is going to stop most the UAC schools. So this is where I am at the moment. If the SoCon does expand, that's where I want to see UNA, Lipscomb, EKU and Bellarmine. I actually think the 4 have SoCon written all over them. All 4 would bring in good basketball, 2 would bring in great football tradition. EKU has shown they can play baseball (hopefully UNA keeps improving) and UNA brings great Softball. I think the WAC can pull in Central Arkansas and I don't know where APSU can go. I'd love to see them with us in the SoCon, but there would probably have to be a private school to go along with them. So back to the hypothetical SoCon, u think it would make basketball and football stronger. And honestly. If some of the possibilities of splitting D1 football more, I think this is what needs to happen for the SoCon not to be pushed down a level, it could actually put the SoCon, MVFC, Big Sky and maybe the CAA up to "FBS non P5" As for basketball, it provides more quality conference games and you won't have to rely on D2, NAIA or whatever games to fill a schedule. May even put the SoCon into a traditional muli bid league. But anyway, unless there is pressure put on the commissioner, I doubt the SoCon decides to make any move... |
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Post by brandon on Jul 6, 2023 19:42:55 GMT -6
There would be a few long road trips (VMI, The Citadel, UNCG come to mind) but the travel may not be worse than it is in the A-Sun already, but the SoCon would have to decide it wants to go that far west, something they may or may not want to do, though it would be good for UTC, Samford, and Mercer for sure. I'd be for looking at adding UNA and EKU on the FB side and Lipscomb and maybe CoC on the basketball side. I'd be for Austin Peay too for that matter. I would be curious on how far they may want to expand. It would be easy to pick off all the football schools in the ASUN but of course the SoCon is big on 1 for 1 public and private. I would go EKU, Bellarmine, UNA, Lipscomb, Austin Peay, C of Charleston. That puts football at 12 All sports at 16 I think that's the trend but I know some would buck at that idea. Just for what it could look like West APSU Lipscomb* UNA Samford Bellarmine* EKU Chattanooga Mercer East ETSU Western Carolina Wofford Furman UNCG* VMI Citadel College of Charleston* I think this would be perfect for travel and competitive balance. The only thing I have a problem with is baseball... why don't Chattanooga have baseball? Chattanooga is a baseball city... |
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Post by mocs123 on Jul 10, 2023 4:38:14 GMT -6
Chattanooga dropped baseball in ~'1984 to comply with Title IX. We kept wrestling instead of baseball.
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Post by unafied on Jul 10, 2023 7:36:41 GMT -6
Chattanooga dropped baseball in ~'1984 to comply with Title IX. We kept wrestling instead of baseball. I understand the limitations, but it's too bad there's not a way to bring baseball back AND have the team play at Engel Stadium. I'd love to have the opportunity to see a game there. |
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Post by mocs123 on Jul 10, 2023 7:51:58 GMT -6
There has been talk, at least among fans, of bringing football back, and though in poor condition, Engel Stadium does belong to UTC, so we have a venue. I think the issue is the cost of bringing back the program as well as the cost of the women's sport(s) you'd have to add to offset it.
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