FB: USA South Athletic Conference

[Ralph Turner]

I am away from the computer for a day and the earth quakes everywhere.

Shenandoah to the ODAC and that is an eight-team football.

I really hope that the USA South takes the entire GSAC.  Yes, narch, you could have divisions easily.  This also assures an AQ many sports.

The GSAC sponsors:

Fall:  M&W XC and Soccer and VB.  (Murvul, Huntingdon and LaGrange sponsor football.  Huntingdon does not sponsor XC.  That may be the least expensive sport to add.)

Winter:  Men's and Women's Basketball (LaGrange sponsors M&W Swimming)

Spring:  Baseball/Softball, M&W Tennis  (Piedmont, Huntingdon and LaGrange sponsor Men's Golf; Piedmont, Women's Golf)

USA South sponsors:

M&W Soccer and XC, FB and VB (except NCWC Men's XC) (CNU sponsors Field Hockey.)

Winter:  Men's and Women's Basketball (Greensboro sponsors women's swimming)

Spring:  Women's Lacrosse; M&W Tennis, Men's Golf and Baseball/Softball. (CNU sponsors Sailing and M&W T&F and Men's Lacrosse.  Greensboro sponsors Men's Lacrosse.  Methodist sponsors Women's Golf and M&W T&F.)

Hypothetically, adding the GSAC-4 covers all of the losses incurred by Shenandoah's leaving, and one other team as well in the men's sports.  The New Southern Women's Conference could go with XC, Soccer, VB, Hoops and Softball and align as an affiliate in the USA South where it was appropriate, e.g. Women's Lacrosse.)

I think that CNU is vulnerable to being asked to join the Capital AC, especially with the distances that we are discussing.  The Capital AC offers Men's Lacrosse and M&W Track & Field.  The departure of Catholic and Goucher puts the Women's Track & Field in jeopardy as a formal sport.  The Capital AC also loses Catholic and Goucher Men's Lacrosse, so CNU helps there.

The southern division of the USA South is an attractive AQ alternative, if/when the travel budget for Oglethorpe in the SCAC or theoretical sports sponsorship requirements become too onerous.

[CNU85]

Ralph,

not sure if you were aware of this, or how it affects your scenario....CNU is in the Mason Dixon conference for Track.

[Pat Coleman]

Lots of teams have joint membership in the Mason-Dixon conference for track. If the GSAC four push the USAC to add track, it wouldn't be a problem.

I think CNU in the CAC along with York would be an issue. The league is a marriage of geographic convenience, and travel is the only thing those schools really have in common. CNU would skew that group.

[Ralph Turner]

Lots of teams have joint membership in the Mason-Dixon conference for track. If the GSAC four push the USAC to add track, it wouldn't be a problem.

I think CNU in the CAC along with York would be an issue. The league is a marriage of geographic convenience, and travel is the only thing those schools really have in common. CNU would skew that group.

Is there any value in York to a MAC conference?  I have no idea about those mission and vision things.

[SU97]

I think that CNU is vulnerable to being asked to join the Capital AC, especially with the distances that we are discussing.  The Capital AC offers Men's Lacrosse and M&W Track & Field.  The departure of Catholic and Goucher puts the Women's Track & Field in jeopardy as a formal sport.  The Capital AC also loses Catholic and Goucher Men's Lacrosse, so CNU helps there.

On the surface, the Capital seems a natural fit for CNU.  Mary Wash, St. Mary's & Salisbury are all state supported institutions, as are the Captains. Good fit there. Problem is that only Catholic, Salisbury, GU & Wesley have football...  no AQ.  No way in H that Trible would move in that direction.  Then the travel issue comes up... but they might not have much of an option. 

[Ralph Turner]

Catholic is going to the Landmark, and already plays football as an ODAC affiliate.

Maybe CNU stays as a football affiliate of the USA South.

Gallaudet just announced that it is going to the North Atlantic Conference as a football affiliate.   

This is a real mess! Wesley, Frostburg and Salisbury are looking at big holes in the schedules.

[SU97]

As an aside, SU has been trying to get in the ODAC since the early-mid 1980's.  When we joined the Dixie, it was around the time we didn't get into the ODAC in the 1990's.  It's really been no secret that SU has applied a number of times to join and never hit paydirt.  Kind of like our offense in the red zone. 

But I think SU would add some positive aspects to the academic landscape of the ODAC.  SU is listed by U.S. News & World Report as a "Masters University - Top Southern" category, which is different from all but Lynchburg (which by the way, SU is ranked two places higher than LC on the list) and W&L. I think that adds some breadth. The school has really benefitted overall from the emerging reputation of the graduate education SU offers in the allied health fields.  It would seem to be a nice complement to the ODAC's liberal arts background.

The gym is bad at SU but its only a matter of time till they announce the new athletic center to be built next to Shentel. They now have a picture of it up at the entrance of Shentel along with some other projects showing what future buildings will be on campus.

Seems to me the school has had it in the plans for 10 years...  even plans to have built a hoops facility on the field behind the gym and the area that is now the parking garage.  Let's just say that the student union center was discussed in the early 1990's and it is just finishing now. 

But a hoops facility is not the only problem, as SU lacks practice facilities for M&W Lacrosse, Field Hockey, M&W Soccer, and obviously Track & Field. Most ODAC schools have great practice and competition facilities for their student-athletes. I wonder how much the ODAC looks at that kind of issue when considering the commitment level to athletics of a school applying for membership.

[Pat Coleman]

I believe York felt insulted by the way the MAC treated it when the dominoes first started falling.

[hasanova]

I think we all know that GC football and the #2 soccer team(GC) in the country play at seperate fields.

Another thing with GC out of town, I will still get my d3football, I will be at the AU-Guilford game.  Who do I root for in this game? If anyone will be there, well let me know.

Soccer and Football are played on the same field at Averett. (That includes Womens and Mens soccer) Therefore the field takes a beating. Averett is on the road the whole month of Sept and won't step on the field until Oct. Just think what condition the field will be in by then. Plus I was told via the Grapevine that they were late getting grass sowed this year. When I saw the field 2nd week of August, it appeared to be greening up but looked very thin and tender in spots.

Pride.........go with your heart. If you feel like you need to pull for Guilford because of your Greensboro ties, do it; or pull for Averett and support the USA  South. Which ever, just have fun.

Hey, you might want to wear your Greensboro colors and get everyone's attention.

Yeah, kind of like that Longhorn fan wearing his Texas shirt in a bar in Oklahoma City a few days ago? 

[Uncle Jessie]

Here is a great article on SU senior middle linebacker Wes Fry from the Star this morning. "My mom instilled so much in me," said Fry, who was second on the team in tackles last year with 63. "She always made sure if I did something, I did it all the way. I remember in high school and even in college, if I got a "B" she'd get mad at me because she knew I had more in me. So that strength just carries over. If you're going to do something, give it everything you have and make sure you get everything out of it that you can. I'm just taking that and running with it, and that's how I live my life."By Robert Niedzwiecki
The Winchester Star

http://www.winchesterstar.com/article_details.php?ArticleID=1091

[Old Ref]

Thanks Uncle Jesse, it is always nice to hear good stories such as that. This kid will go along  way after football if he just continues with that attitude.

[SU97]

SU wins tomorrow.  Last minute field goal.  17-14.

[abnrgr]

NARCH AND PAPI
I was at the Air Force/TCU game last night. Imagine 4th and 1 at your own 29 and you go (pitch) to the option on 71 yard run to tie and than win in OT.  Wow.

The AF kicker nailed a 57 yarder too, with about 7 yards to spare.

Sorry to break the conversation guys. forgive......

[Smith Reed]

How come no scores or predictions? E & H vs. NCWC grudge match
tomorrow. NCWC  34 -  E & H 20.  Should be a good one. Old Ref, I'll
look for you. I'll have on a black, yellow & white plaid shirt; you won't
miss me.

[AdmiralPapi]

Sounds like it was a great game even if it did involved watching a bunch of "zoomies"