Big South

[Michael in Raleigh]

I'm interested in what you all think about the way that the Big South has managed to get up to NINE football members, starting in 2021.

After losing Stony Brook, VMI, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, and Presbyterian between 2013 (or so) and today, I'd have thought Big South football would be done. (They also lost Elon early in their existence as a FB league to the SoCon, but that was way back around '02 or '03.)

They brought back Campbell as a non-football member in 2011. The Camels started non scholarship football in the Pioneer Football League, and later switched to scholarship football and Big South football membership.

They added associate members Kennesaw, North Alabama, Monmouth, and, next year, Robert Morris. To much of the college sports world's surprise, they brought in Hampton a couple of years ago, and in 2021, NC A&T.

The only constants have been Charleston Southern and Gardner Webb.

(Side note: I realize the way I listed the schools joining was not chronological; it was supposed to be more categorical.)

I don't think the Big South is going to be a powerhouse in FCS football just because they've gotten up to nine, with four of those football football-only affiliates. I think it's clear that geography and institutional fit are out the window, compared to, well, the SoCon. I just find it really impressive there were even enough warm bodies to get to nine. The crown jewel, football wise, is probably NC A&T, though Kennesaw may have something to say about it.

Anyway, I just can't believe Big South football still exists, let alone will be at its largest membership count to date.

I still think SoCon schools ought to dominate Big South schools. There's more stability and tradition on the side of the SoCon. But I would like to know what you all's reaction is.
....

BTW, I'm really sorry Furman decided to cut baseball and men's lacrosse. I really do hate that. My alma mater, App State, cut men's tennis, men's soccer, and men's indoor track and field. The entire athletic department is also getting furloughed for 90 days, though I'm not sure if that means no pay/work at all for 3 months or something like a reduction to 3-4 work days/week. It just stinks.

[The Jackal]

If the BSC was stable, you'd expect not to see the constant influx and outflow of programs. The SoCon, unfortunately, has taken its fair share of knocks from the Big South in recent years, and Furman has a number of those poor performances.

I still think the SoCon could raid the Big South. I know the SoCon likes its balance of teams, but I also am still a bit raw from the last round of "realignment" where the SoCon was sort of left holding the bag.

If there's anything I've learned from the last 10 years of Furman football is that there is grave risk in continuing to do what you've always done as the rest of your competitors think further into the future.

[Affirm]

I'm interested in what you all think about the way that the Big South has managed to get up to NINE football members, starting in 2021.

After losing Stony Brook, VMI, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, and Presbyterian between 2013 (or so) and today, I'd have thought Big South football would be done. (They also lost Elon early in their existence as a FB league to the SoCon, but that was way back around '02 or '03.)

They brought back Campbell as a non-football member in 2011. The Camels started non scholarship football in the Pioneer Football League, and later switched to scholarship football and Big South football membership.

They added associate members Kennesaw, North Alabama, Monmouth, and, next year, Robert Morris. To much of the college sports world's surprise, they brought in Hampton a couple of years ago, and in 2021, NC A&T.

The only constants have been Charleston Southern and Gardner Webb.

(Side note: I realize the way I listed the schools joining was not chronological; it was supposed to be more categorical.)

I don't think the Big South is going to be a powerhouse in FCS football just because they've gotten up to nine, with four of those football football-only affiliates. I think it's clear that geography and institutional fit are out the window, compared to, well, the SoCon. I just find it really impressive there were even enough warm bodies to get to nine. The crown jewel, football wise, is probably NC A&T, though Kennesaw may have something to say about it.

Anyway, I just can't believe Big South football still exists, let alone will be at its largest membership count to date.

I still think SoCon schools ought to dominate Big South schools. There's more stability and tradition on the side of the SoCon. But I would like to know what you all's reaction is.
....

BTW, I'm really sorry Furman decided to cut baseball and men's lacrosse. I really do hate that. My alma mater, App State, cut men's tennis, men's soccer, and men's indoor track and field. The entire athletic department is also getting furloughed for 90 days, though I'm not sure if that means no pay/work at all for 3 months or something like a reduction to 3-4 work days/week. It just stinks.

... In addition to ASU’s cuts, I believe ECU has done some cuts also. I’m somewhat more surprised about both of those particular schools having cuts than about relatively tiny Furman.
... Regarding Big South:
1. I wonder if BS & SoCon will merge at some point, maybe in just football.
2. I think the additions give some added legitimacy to Furman’s playing G-W & CSU so often. At the same time, we should of course have KSU & NCA&TSU & Campbell on the schedule some due to proximity; but we should also be having games over the next several years with not only North Alabama & Hampton, but also Robert Morris & Monmouth. Get the Furman name out there, to some extent, and whatever publicity, in Pittsburgh (RMU) and in NJ (Monmouth). Of course, it may be that schools in such a “large conference” as BS is becoming will have little need and little incentive to line up games with Furman, so we have to get even lesser-known and lesser-quality OOC’s for football to fill out our home schedules. Glad we are playing (I believe we are) NCA&TSU in the near future.
... In other posts, I have already indicated also my wish for Furman to play schools that I consider Furman peers, which, in addition to SoCon Wofford & VMI as conference regular opponents, include OOC Richmond, Colgate, Bucknell, Lafayette, Holy Cross, and (yes) Davidson once in a while & (yes) Presbyterian once in a while.
... I think we have W&M sometime soon. Great!
... I wish we’d get Georgetown University on our schedule a couple of times every 10-12 years.
... I suppose these (above) OOC FCS schools are not easy to schedule far ahead, due to, I presume, them wanting to wait around to see who they can contract with for a big-money FBS game.
... And I wish Army, Navy, and Air Force each would give us a game (maybe each one of those academies over a 20-year period). I realize those academies 3 would be tough competition, expensive travel, and possibly not enough “contract guarantee“; but even so, I wish it would work out.

[apaladin]

A merger of the SoCon and the Big South makes zero sense for very obvious reasons.