FB: USA South Athletic Conference

[narch]

if m'ville sticks around, even as an associate member, the usasac doesn't need svu, though - i don't see any upside to adding svu

[hasanova]

if m'ville sticks around, even as an associate member, the usasac doesn't need svu, though - i don't see any upside to adding svu

I think the USASAC (and the ODAC, for that matter) need eight football schools.  It just makes scheduling so much easier, especially late in the season.  With Shenandoah, the ODAC will have eight, but Catholic is, in my opinion, "iffy" long-term.  For the USASAC, Lagrange will get the league back to eight with SU's loss, but I just don't see CNU in the league much longer.  Maryville needs to make a decision - they're in no-man's land in east Tennessee as far as the DIII landscape is concerned.  SVU?  Not sure where they belong, but I'm 99.99% sure the ODAC is not an option for the Knights.  The only way they would benefit the USASAC is if the USA South is out of options on the 7th football team for AQ.  It should be interesting the next few months to see how this shakes out.

[narch]

I think the USASAC (and the ODAC, for that matter) need eight football schools.  It just makes scheduling so much easier, especially late in the season.

'nova - i don't think that the folks that i've talked to in the usasac share this opinion...i don't think the usasac is trying to get any bigger, they just want to make sure that they keep aq status

if catholic bolts the odac, i would gladly insert mu (on an all-sports basis) - honestly, i think that mu is more closely aligned now with the odac than the usasac from an academic profile standpoint, especially when/if shenandoah and cnu depart and if maryville doesn't become a full member (which seems somewhat unlikely, given that no announcement has been made yet and the deadline is sunday)

[hasanova]

I think the USASAC (and the ODAC, for that matter) need eight football schools.  It just makes scheduling so much easier, especially late in the season.

'nova - i don't think that the folks that i've talked to in the usasac share this opinion...i don't think the usasac is trying to get any bigger, they just want to make sure that they keep aq status

if catholic bolts the odac, i would gladly insert mu (on an all-sports basis) - honestly, i think that mu is more closely aligned now with the odac than the usasac from an academic profile standpoint, especially when/if shenandoah and cnu depart and if maryville doesn't become a full member (which seems somewhat unlikely, given that no announcement has been made yet and the deadline is sunday)

I agree that the first goal for both conferences is to keep the AQ, but eight (or any even number) schools does make it so much simpler to schedule, especially late in the season.  The last day of the regular season, for example, there should be four conference games instead of three with one team already finished or looking for a late-season non-conference game.  I agree also that MU's probably a better fit for the ODAC than the USASAC, but with Shenandoah making 12 for many sports, I'm not sure when another opportunity will arise.  Things have been changing fast in DI, maybe it will in DIII as well.  Maryville's decisison will be closely watched.

[Ralph Turner]

Respectfully, I have ask "where would Catholic go?"  All of the Landmark Conference schools that play football have affiliated with schools in other conferences that are sufficiently "like-minded".  Those Landmark schools are helping to keep the AQ in those other conferences.

Merchant Marine  is in the Liberty League. Juniata, Moravian and Susquehanna are in the Centennial.  Catholic in the ODAC.

The travel savings are apparent.

Those are good points about having an even-numbered membership participating in the conference.

[hasanova]

Respectfully, I have ask "where would Catholic go?"  All of the Landmark Conference schools that play football have affiliated with schools in other conferences that are sufficiently "like-minded".  Those Landmark schools are helping to keep the AQ in those other conferences.

Merchant Marine  is in the Liberty League. Juniata, Moravian and Susquehanna are in the Centennial.  Catholic in the ODAC.

The travel savings are apparent.

Those are good points about having an even-numbered membership participating in the conference.

Regarding Catholic, your points are valid.  Their longest conference road trips are to E&H and Guilford - and they only have to make those once every two years.  With Shenandoah joining, there's another conference game right in their own backyard, so to speak.

[jhughes98]

As a CUA Alum, Catholic's relative distance to the other schools is one of the reasons for staying in the league.  The issue is that most CUA alums and present students don't come from Central or Southern Va.  The majority of the student body comes from the northeast.  It is hard for alums and parents to go to any away games.   This prompted the school to leave its old conference in other sports for the Landmark.  It is a much different school then the other ODAC colleges.  It is the only one in a major metropolitan area.  It draws nationally every year for its general student body.  Besides W&L it has the toughest admission standards in the league and the average student pays around 35G out of pocket to go there a year.  I bet if they had an offer from an established league with Northeast ties they would bolt in a second.

[CNU85]

Nice!  Night games!!!
http://cnusports.com/news/2011/5/10/FB_0510110210.aspx

[ProudFightingScot]

Maryville College just joined the USA-South in all sports on Friday.  Here's the article...

www.thedailytimes.com/Sports_News/story/Maryville_College_joins_USA_South_Athletic_Conference_id_011631

[kate]

Completely out of left field here, but Ralph, thanks for quoting "like minded".  I made a personal vow to never use those words again on D3, but couldn't help it in this instance. 

[Ralph Turner]

Completely out of left field here, but Ralph, thanks for quoting "like minded".  I made a personal vow to never use those words again on D3, but couldn't help it in this instance.  

Thanks, Kate.  It is the 800-lb gorilla in the room.

IMHO, the practical nature of most football fans, and the opinion that is held by the PC (and not Pat Coleman) crowd of football as a sport, e.g., Swarthmore, allow such arrangements.

The Landmark teams actually fulfill a reasonable function in having conference games in close proximity.

[PA_wesleyfan]

Completely out of left field here, but Ralph, thanks for quoting "like minded".  I made a personal vow to never use those words again on D3, but couldn't help it in this instance. 

Thanks, Kate.  It is the 800-lb gorilla in the room.

IMHO, the practical nature of most football fans, and the opinion that is held by the PC (and not Pat Coleman) crowd of football as a sport, e.g., Swarthmore, allow such arrangements.

The Landmark teams actually fulfill a reasonable function in having conference games in close proximity.

  It looks like this may be just the begining of some more shuffling of schools and conferences. I have heard that maybe there are a few more schools thinking about adding football along the East/South regional boarders

[Ralph Turner]

Completely out of left field here, but Ralph, thanks for quoting "like minded".  I made a personal vow to never use those words again on D3, but couldn't help it in this instance. 

Thanks, Kate.  It is the 800-lb gorilla in the room.

IMHO, the practical nature of most football fans, and the opinion that is held by the PC (and not Pat Coleman) crowd of football as a sport, e.g., Swarthmore, allow such arrangements.

The Landmark teams actually fulfill a reasonable function in having conference games in close proximity.

  It looks like this may be just the begining of some more shuffling of schools and conferences. I have heard that maybe there are a few more schools thinking about adding football along the East/South regional boarders

The Capital AC is my first thought, then the CSAC and finally schools in the MAC

[PA_wesleyfan]

Completely out of left field here, but Ralph, thanks for quoting "like minded".  I made a personal vow to never use those words again on D3, but couldn't help it in this instance. 

Thanks, Kate.  It is the 800-lb gorilla in the room.

IMHO, the practical nature of most football fans, and the opinion that is held by the PC (and not Pat Coleman) crowd of football as a sport, e.g., Swarthmore, allow such arrangements.

The Landmark teams actually fulfill a reasonable function in having conference games in close proximity.

  It looks like this may be just the begining of some more shuffling of schools and conferences. I have heard that maybe there are a few more schools thinking about adding football along the East/South regional boarders

The Capital AC is my first thought, then the CSAC and finally schools in the MAC

Ralph
I think so too, but I have heard things before that never materialized for one reason or another!!

[Allen C]

Pat,

It seems to me you referenced an article on the implications of SU leaving the USA South. ( If I remember right, it was on d3football.com) I cant find the article now....can you re post the link? I think it went through the potential loss of the aq scenario.....Thanks!