Post by brandon on Dec 19, 2019 10:21:31 GMT -6
I have been pondering this since the news of Jacksonville dropping football.
If you remember, the ASUN/Big South football partnership was made for a few reasons.
1. To provide stability to both conferences. I'm not concerned with ASUN stability.
2. To provide a home for ASUN football playing schools.
3. So the ASUN can have more options when expansion is needed. (UNA)
The issue now is, what is Stetson going to do? Does it make sense for them to stay in the Pioneer League? Would they be more beneficial to add scholarship football and replace Presbyterian to remain at 8? Or should they also drop football?
The reason I ask these questions is, I feel like it's about to directly affect UNA.
Let's recap. Big South football was at 8 members, not a bad number considering how you can do your non conference games. And even 7 is okay as long as you know the 7 are stable. But is it stable?
Presbyterian just dropped out and went Pioneer.
JU, a program that I felt could add scholarships in the future and join us in the Big South, dropped football all together.
That brings me to Gardner Webb. I read their messages board and the talk is kinda grim. They dont directly say it, but the atmosphere on there is not good. There have been mention of dropping division. I dont think they do, but neither did Presbyterian and look what happened. Their Alumni is still fighting it.
All that being said. Is their an answer? Could there be a quick solution?
One that comes to mind is, and it's by no means perfect, a football only conference. I wish there were no football in mid major conferences, but instead have football only conferences in all of FCS.
But to start, for us, why not bring in Tarleton State? It is called the BIG SOUTH for heaven sake. It's not the Carolinas South and the rest.
If football only conferences were a thing, we could expect new, regional conferences, especially in the South.
A good one that comes to mind would be,
UNA
JSU
Samford
Chattanooga
UTM
Tennessee Tech
Austin Peay
KSU
Mercer
If you remember, the ASUN/Big South football partnership was made for a few reasons.
1. To provide stability to both conferences. I'm not concerned with ASUN stability.
2. To provide a home for ASUN football playing schools.
3. So the ASUN can have more options when expansion is needed. (UNA)
The issue now is, what is Stetson going to do? Does it make sense for them to stay in the Pioneer League? Would they be more beneficial to add scholarship football and replace Presbyterian to remain at 8? Or should they also drop football?
The reason I ask these questions is, I feel like it's about to directly affect UNA.
Let's recap. Big South football was at 8 members, not a bad number considering how you can do your non conference games. And even 7 is okay as long as you know the 7 are stable. But is it stable?
Presbyterian just dropped out and went Pioneer.
JU, a program that I felt could add scholarships in the future and join us in the Big South, dropped football all together.
That brings me to Gardner Webb. I read their messages board and the talk is kinda grim. They dont directly say it, but the atmosphere on there is not good. There have been mention of dropping division. I dont think they do, but neither did Presbyterian and look what happened. Their Alumni is still fighting it.
All that being said. Is their an answer? Could there be a quick solution?
One that comes to mind is, and it's by no means perfect, a football only conference. I wish there were no football in mid major conferences, but instead have football only conferences in all of FCS.
But to start, for us, why not bring in Tarleton State? It is called the BIG SOUTH for heaven sake. It's not the Carolinas South and the rest.
If football only conferences were a thing, we could expect new, regional conferences, especially in the South.
A good one that comes to mind would be,
UNA
JSU
Samford
Chattanooga
UTM
Tennessee Tech
Austin Peay
KSU
Mercer