MBB: Great South Athletic Conference

[Ralph Turner]

they are in the transition process from NAIA to D2, that is how they were able to hire Brandan Wright's high school coach.  they will be in the SAC in D2.

Matt , thanks!  +1.

[batteredbard]

A few days late but for some extra incite on GSAC futures ...
The conversations I've had on the subject with several USAS admins and GSAC admins is being played as travel the biggest obstacle to any kind of organized merger. (Not ruling out a summer split that sees several GSAC schools playing follow the leader to USA South) LaGrange's addition of football has made the deal more attractive but nobody is anxious to take on the headache that for example Centre has where they are flying to Texas and Colorado  for conference games. It's a long haul from Newport News, Va. to Montgomerey, Ala.

The GSAC was planning an meet and greet with any d3 within a three hour drive of atlanta but if it happened and if there was any interest hasn't been mentioned that I know of.

Figure that the GSAC will see how spring sports play out and how the NCAA goes on keeping the AQ for women (its only 7 teams without Fisk so getting the AQ was saved by a ruling on allowing conf to keep AQ if they had 8 and lost a team).

But besides travel considerations imagine the enormous amount of exceptions that a complete USAS and GSAC merger brings about. 10 football schools with 3 of them 500 to 800 miles away from the northern contingent. Plus you'd have 16 women's programs in most sports which would make a good north-south divide but 13 men's teams with four still a hike south from everybody else that would make a north south divide not only difficult but it wouldn't match up with men's. So you'd end up with say Greensboro that would be south div men, north div for women and in the general melee for football. Even if some current USAS schools jumped out and unintentionally helped balance the men's equation, it complicates the women's.

Basic format would say a merger is just too complicated too pull off in whole but if the negatives pile up from the NCAA or somebody getting antsy and leaving then you might see one or two indians go north to the south and a few more either recongeal or latching on elsewhere.

[Spencer Beaty]

That is some good insight you got there batterbard.  You must be randy lambert or at least some great prophet.

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks, bard

A few days late but for some extra incite on GSAC futures ...
The conversations I've had on the subject with several USAS admins and GSAC admins is being played as travel the biggest obstacle to any kind of organized merger. (Not ruling out a summer split that sees several GSAC schools playing follow the leader to USA South) LaGrange's addition of football has made the deal more attractive but nobody is anxious to take on the headache that for example Centre has where they are flying to Texas and Colorado  for conference games. It's a long haul from Newport News, Va. to Montgomerey, Ala.

True, and makes sense.

The GSAC was planning an meet and greet with any d3 within a three hour drive of atlanta but if it happened and if there was any interest hasn't been mentioned that I know of.

(Who is within 3 hours of Atlanta by auto?  SCAC--OU, Sewanee, BSC;  Fisk; Emory; GSAC; USAC.  That's all.  All NAIA schools are at least 5-6 years away.)

Figure that the GSAC will see how spring sports play out and how the NCAA goes on keeping the AQ for women (its only 7 teams without Fisk so getting the AQ was saved by a ruling on allowing conf to keep AQ if they had 8 and lost a team).

(Actually, the minimum for a Pool A bid is 7.  The GSAC is okay for now, if all 7 women's schools field a team.)

But besides travel considerations imagine the enormous amount of exceptions that a complete USAS and GSAC merger brings about. 10 football schools with 3 of them 500 to 800 miles away from the northern contingent. Plus you'd have 16 women's programs (actually 17 in 2007, Mary Baldwin and Meredith making 10 in the USAC plus the GSAC 7) in most sports which would make a good north-south divide but 13 men's teams  (actually only 11 men's teams in the 2 conferences 7 + 4)  with four still a hike south from everybody else that would make a north south divide not only difficult but it wouldn't match up with men's. So you'd end up with say Greensboro that would be south div men, north div for women and in the general melee for football. Even if some current USAS schools jumped out and unintentionally helped balance the men's equation, it complicates the women's.

My only concern for the integrity of the USAC is any theoretical vulnerability on the northern end from raids by conferences in that part of the country who are plucking members from other conferences to gain AQ's (if the Captial AC wanted football, adding a CNU as a full and Shenandoah as a football affiliate) or keeping AQ's in the face of lost members to other conferences, e.g., MAC-Commonwealth, the MAC-Freedom, or the Pennsylvania AC.  The theoretical loss of a CNU or a Shenandoah, being on the geographical periphery of the USAC, prompts that consideration.  Losing those two would give the new USAC 8 women's teams in the North and 7 in the South.  The Men would be 5 in the North and 4 in the South.  That preserves the AQ, and 8 play football.

Basic format would say a merger is just too complicated too pull off in whole but if the negatives pile up from the NCAA or somebody getting antsy and leaving then you might see one or two indians go north to the south and a few more either recongeal or latching on elsewhere.

My comments above are in italics!  Thanks. 

[hasanova]

Dear Abby and dear Pat (Coleman),

If a certain poster on the GSAC board insists on smiting another poster daily even though he has no logical reason to do so, how long can he do this childish behavior before he uses up his "smite allotment" for one person?  I figure he's done it at least 55-60 times so far.  In a feeble-minded attempt to cover his tracks, he generally waits until after bedtime and while his victim is not on the computer.  He's been asked privately to stop, but he persists even though he's been caught red-handed and confronted more than once.  It's unfortunate a certain 20-year old 6'7" forward did not transfer to the college he wanted him to attend, but that's life.  This sort of behavior, however, verifies that the young man's judgment was sound.  This "Smiterman" is generally avoided and was even given a couple of karma as a sign of goodwill (and befitting his superhero status!) when he was asked to stop.  Short of publicly calling him a jerk and driving to a southern state between South Carolina and Florida to kick his a$$, what do you think should be done?

Signed, confused and slightly peeved in NC

PS  I know people on Guilford's football team.  lol

[scottiedoug]

Hasanova:   Funny you should mention the oversmite issue as I was wondering what I had done to "merit" smiting even when not posting.  I think this kind of bs means the whole system really is meaningless since anyone can trash everyone.  I would prefer that people state their reactions/objections to others' postings in words and not anonymously.

[ohyeah]

Dear Abby and dear Pat (Coleman),

If a certain poster on the GSAC board insists on smiting another poster daily even though he has no logical reason to do so, how long can he do this childish behavior before he uses up his "smite allotment" for one person?  I figure he's done it at least 55-60 times so far.  In a feeble-minded attempt to cover his tracks, he generally waits until after bedtime and while his victim is not on the computer.  He's been asked privately to stop, but he persists even though he's been caught red-handed and confronted more than once.  It's unfortunate a certain 20-year old 6'7" forward did not transfer to the college he wanted him to attend, but that's life.  This sort of behavior, however, verifies that the young man's judgment was sound.  This "Smiterman" is generally avoided and was even given a couple of karma as a sign of goodwill (and befitting his superhero status!) when he was asked to stop.  Short of publicly calling him a jerk and driving to a southern state between South Carolina and Florida to kick his a$$, what do you think should be done?

Signed, confused and slightly peeved in NC

PS  I know people on Guilford's football team.  lol

If you dont mind me asking, how can you tell who smites you?  I would love to know whom clicks my smite button on a daily basis.  Also, does it really matter when you get smited?  Do you get kicked off for a certain #?  If so, it appears I will be gone pretty soon.

[Pat Coleman]

There is nowhere on the site that tells you. Hasanova has done a lot of detective work to figure it out.

Two people have smited you in the past 24 hours, btw.

[hasanova]

There is nowhere on the site that tells you. Hasanova has done a lot of detective work to figure it out.

Two people have smited you in the past 24 hours, btw.

As I've said many times before, I understand smites and expect them when there's a halfway legitimate reason, but I'm tired of what's happened and is still happening in this case.  Enough is enough.

[Spencer Beaty]

what has happened to our good down-home message board for people who want to just talk about some basketball?

[mattgrubb]

well i just smited OhYeah b/c he looked like he needed another smite.  Although i did applaud spencer beaty b/c he is a legend and we need to be talking basketball. 
I am anxious to see if the scots defensive trend continues against a very talented King College team.
Go Scots

[hasanova]

well i just smited OhYeah b/c he looked like he needed another smite.  Although i did applaud spencer beaty b/c he is a legend and we need to be talking basketball. 
I am anxious to see if the scots defensive trend continues against a very talented King College team.   Go Scots

Yeah, I agree, the board needs to be about basketball.  lol   So how well do the teams in the GSAC do on attendance.  Then number 25 Guilford hosted then #4 Virginia Wesleyan in a key ODAC game on Sunday and drew 850 fans.  I'd like to see more, but that's pretty good for Guilford.  How does this compare to other DIII schools in the region?

[mattgrubb]

maryville ranked #9 in attendance last year in D3.  usually their will be about 850 to 1000 fans there.  for a rivalry game like a Carson Newman (D2) the place will fill all 2000 seats and there will be  people standing.  Nothing like a hope/calvin but not bad for the south.  Conference games are always good for attendance and the scots have a good following from their community and alumni.

And by the way, Pat get ready cause Randall D. Lambert currently has 494 career victories in D3 and we are going to go nuts when he gets 500 and we know that you like Randy as much as we do and you are going to do one of your phenomenal feature stories on him.

Go Scots

[hasanova]

maryville ranked #9 in attendance last year in D3.  usually their will be about 850 to 1000 fans there.  for a rivalry game like a Carson Newman (D2) the place will fill all 2000 seats and there will be  people standing.  Nothing like a hope/calvin but not bad for the south.  Conference games are always good for attendance and the scots have a good following from their community and alumni.

And by the way, Pat get ready cause Randall D. Lambert currently has 494 career victories in D3 and we are going to go nuts when he gets 500 and we know that you like Randy as much as we do and you are going to do one of your phenomenal feature stories on him.

Go Scots

I'd love to go to a DIII game with a huge crowd, but I'd rather attend a sold out game in a 2000 seat gym than see a game with 2500 spectators in a 10,000 seat arena.  I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but that's what it feels like for DIII games at the 20,000 seat Greensboro Coliseum.  I'd rather see a full house in the gyms on campus.

Wow!   Four ninety four and counting is quite an accomplishment.  I hope he gets 500 this season!  Congratulations.

[Pat Coleman]

And by the way, Pat get ready cause Randall D. Lambert currently has 494 career victories in D3 and we are going to go nuts when he gets 500 and we know that you like Randy as much as we do and you are going to do one of your phenomenal feature stories on him.

Thanks for the heads-up. Hope it happens this season.