Football Landscape

[The Jackal]

The Big South and OVC have now made an "association" for 2023. https://ovcsports.com/news/2022/12/5/bi ... edule.aspx

I'm putting this here because these sorts of machinations, I believe, directly impact Furman Football. I assume that this will perhaps reduce the number of auto-bids by at least one.

With the ASUN/WAC moving to the FBS and the OVC/Big South hemorrhaging members, what is the future of the SoCon?

I'd buy lunch for anyone that could have told me without looking what teams will be in the OVC or Big South next season. I'd have gotten maybe three correct.

[The Jackal]

I used to be a hard-liner on conference affiliations. I thought most schools would be privileged to be in the SoCon.

I'm pretty convinced now that unless the SoCon schools have all sworn a blood oath to one another, the SoCon should try and pick up whatever available FCS football programs are left in the Deep South. I'm sure any of these schools being yo-yoed around would appreciate the stability of the SoCon.

I have to think that every SoCon institution is considering what might happen if the wolf shows back up at the door.

[FU Hoopla]

What schools do you have in mind?

[FU Hoopla]

Its becoming evident to me that Furman Basketball and Furman Football may very well be on course to land in separate conferences one of these days.

Much like the Villanova model, Basketball lands in the best conference it can to try and be in a multi-bid NCAA tourney league, ie. A10 (Need renovated arena first however, which is on the way).
Also like Villanova, Football places itself in whichever FCS conference makes the most sense for the program.

[Sad Din]

ACC is going to be needing members soon. That would be a good place to land.

[FUBeAR]

ACC is going to be needing members soon. That would be a good place to land.

Nah…Football should wait for an SEC slot to open up

[Affirm]

The Big South and OVC have now made an "association" for 2023. https://ovcsports.com/news/2022/12/5/bi ... edule.aspx

I'm putting this here because these sorts of machinations, I believe, directly impact Furman Football. I assume that this will perhaps reduce the number of auto-bids by at least one.

With the ASUN/WAC moving to the FBS and the OVC/Big South hemorrhaging members, what is the future of the SoCon?

I'd buy lunch for anyone that could have told me without looking what teams will be in the OVC or Big South next season. I'd have gotten maybe three correct.

How many OOC games have we played against those 10 schools combined over the last decade? Do we depend upon those schools much for our OOC games? A few games, or a lot of games? Is this going to make our OOC scheduling significantly more difficult? Will we be playing more Division 2 schools to fill out our schedules? Will we be playing more distant FCS schools frequently? Will we be trying to get more games against CAA schools?

[The Jackal]

We've played at least three of them relatively recently (Charleston Southern, GWU, and Tenn. Tech)

Even if Furman isn't scheduling these schools directly, there is a ripple effect in scheduling. SoCon schools play a bunch of these programs with fair regularity.

[Affirm]

We've played at least three of them relatively recently (Charleston Southern, GWU, and Tenn. Tech)

Even if Furman isn't scheduling these schools directly, there is a ripple effect in scheduling. SoCon schools play a bunch of these programs with fair regularity.

The OVC/Big South football arrangement will have schools as distant from one another as Charleston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Massachusetts (actually Rhode Island, but Bryant is only 22 miles from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA) playing regular season games against one another.

[apaladin]

We've played at least three of them relatively recently (Charleston Southern, GWU, and Tenn. Tech)

Even if Furman isn't scheduling these schools directly, there is a ripple effect in scheduling. SoCon schools play a bunch of these programs with fair regularity.

Hard to believe it’s been 8 years since we played GWebb. These teams are only playing 6 conference games so they will have plenty of room for ooc games. My only hope is that we never go back to CSU. Play them here or not at all,

[gofurman]

The Big South and OVC have now made an "association" for 2023. https://ovcsports.com/news/2022/12/5/bi ... edule.aspx

I'm putting this here because these sorts of machinations, I believe, directly impact Furman Football. I assume that this will perhaps reduce the number of auto-bids by at least one.

With the ASUN/WAC moving to the FBS and the OVC/Big South hemorrhaging members, what is the future of the SoCon?

I'd buy lunch for anyone that could have told me without looking what teams will be in the OVC or Big South next season. I'd have gotten maybe three correct.

well that is good if one more auto-bid.

EDIT. I meant one more at large. That is a good thing if on bubble