Davidson to A-10

[GoAppsGo92]

I will say that this last year 2013-2014, will be a fun one with everyone together for one last time. Heck everyone needs to make the trip to Asheville for this years SoCon Tourney. It will be a good time before the bolting begins.

Most folks on this board have known that in the beginning I was very highly against the move to FBS, I got lukewarm toward the idea as things started to progress because I wanted whats best for the school. Now with the SoCon becoming a disaster area, while I might have hoped for something better that the Sun Belt, the FBS is clearly where we need to be. Thank the lord we high tailed out of this crap. Its time to move on. I would be surprised if the SoCon even still exists at this rate in 2015.

Thanks for the sober and honest post. I think Peacock and company knew the lay of the land long before all of this, and now that the great plan has played out, I think we can thank the wisdom of our leaders to make the move. I have warmed up to the SunBelt considerably after learning more about the schools, their football attendance, and the facilities they have. Much, much more in line with who were are today. The SoCon will go on, but it will go on as a lesser conference that "could have been"... but that in a nutshell is the history of that league. Grateful of our years in the SoCon, but glad to have matriculated out to bigger and better things.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I will say that this last year 2013-2014, will be a fun one with everyone together for one last time. Heck everyone needs to make the trip to Asheville for this years SoCon Tourney. It will be a good time before the bolting begins.

Most folks on this board have known that in the beginning I was very highly against the move to FBS, I got lukewarm toward the idea as things started to progress because I wanted whats best for the school. Now with the SoCon becoming a disaster area, while I might have hoped for something better that the Sun Belt, the FBS is clearly where we need to be. Thank the lord we high tailed out of this crap. Its time to move on. I would be surprised if the SoCon even still exists at this rate in 2015.

Thanks for the sober and honest post. I think Peacock and company knew the lay of the land long before all of this, and now that the great plan has played out, I think we can thank the wisdom of our leaders to make the move. I have warmed up to the SunBelt considerably after learning more about the schools, their football attendance, and the facilities they have. Much, much more in line with who were are today. The SoCon will go on, but it will go on as a lesser conference that "could have been"... but that in a nutshell is the history of that league. Grateful of our years in the SoCon, but glad to have matriculated out to bigger and better things.

I don't think the SoCON is going to fold. There are what, 1000+ 4-year colleges in the US. Take out a few hundred NAIA schools. Take out 300 DIII schools that don't care to play scholly athletics. A few DII schools want to move up and the SoCON can grab some of those if need be. But there are 300+ D-I schools. The SoCon is not now nor will be the bottom of the barrel so a few schools see the SoCon as a move up, maybe not many but some do in this area of the country. They can fill empty spots with those schools. Maybe not the exact same caliber as what is leaving but the empty spot can be filled. The only way I ee the SoCon going out of business is if over 1/2 of the schools decide to leave at once and a quorum can't be found to vote in new members. The Big South has more to worry about than the SoCon in my view in existing in 5 years. Where does the Big South draw from to fill spots?

As long as the SoCon is not at the bottom of the pecking order, and it is not, then it will continue to exist and function.

[appsfan]

I think the SoCon leadership will attempt to maintain the status quo (in their mind) by adding VMI, ETSU, and Mercer. It would not surprise me to see Winthrop added as a Davidson replacement (to keep exposure to the Charlotte market ) The problem with this approach is a resulting weaker conference as compared to having ASU, GaSou, C of C, and DC...

[AtlAppMan]

I want everyone that criticized App for leaving the SoCon to say Uncle. This situation didn't happen overnight. We have been growing as a university throughout our history and have long outgrown the SoCon. The SoCon is now just a 40 yr placeholder in ASU's history books.

[moehler]

I think what this shows is this wasnt a case of whether or not App SHOULD move up, but rather, App had no choice but to move up. The move is going to present a whole new set of problems that we didnt experience in the FCS, I just hope as fans we will be patent, understanding of the process, and support the team as strongly tens years from now, as we do today.

[luvyosef]

Now the CCU rumors will grow more strongly, much to Furman's chagrin. LOL!

[AppinVA]

Tom Sorrenson weighs in on Davidson's move, and he acknowledges App has a big presence in the Charlotte area.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... hoice.html

I love the Southern Conference’s members, traditions, rivalries and geography. There’s something wonderful and these days rare about schools that stretch from Carolinas mountains to the Low Country getting on a bus and getting together to play.

The Southern Conference ceased to be the Southern Conference as we know it when football powers Appalachian State and Georgia Southern announced their departure and understudy basketball power College of Charleston did the same.

Davidson was presented with a challenge. Stay in the conference, continue to dominate basketball and hope to win an occasional NCAA men’s tournament game.

Or head north to compete against schools with bigger gyms, bigger budgets and bigger big men.

The Wildcats will announce today that they chose the latter. They will join the Atlantic 10, the conference the Charlotte 49ers (and Temple and Xavier and Butler and maybe others) are leaving.

I don’t see an option.

Without the Mountaineers, the Southern Conference loses a great football program and a fantastic fan base.

Walk into a popular Charlotte bar, announce that you’ll buy a drink for every Davidson graduate in the house and you can usually get by with $20. Cut the same deal for graduates of Appalachian State and you better bring plastic....

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... rylink=cpy

[Maddog1956]

Tom Sorrenson weighs in on Davidson's move, and he acknowledges App has a big presence in the Charlotte area.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... hoice.html

A good read!

[hapapp]

Neither the 49ers nor their fans figured out the A-10. Despite the traditions and the quality of the basketball, Charlotte fans never embraced it. The 49ers never were able to compete.

Davidson fans, who are more likely to come to campus from places outside the Carolinas, will better appreciate their new digs.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... rylink=cpy

I'm sure that comment was well received by the Charlotte folks.

[Gonzo]

Neither the 49ers nor their fans figured out the A-10. Despite the traditions and the quality of the basketball, Charlotte fans never embraced it. The 49ers never were able to compete.

Davidson fans, who are more likely to come to campus from places outside the Carolinas, will better appreciate their new digs.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... rylink=cpy

I'm sure that comment was well received by the Charlotte folks.

I can't see how they can deny it. They sucked in the A-10. Kind of hard to embrace a team if it's in the cellar of any conference.

[NWA49]

Neither the 49ers nor their fans figured out the A-10. Despite the traditions and the quality of the basketball, Charlotte fans never embraced it. The 49ers never were able to compete.

Davidson fans, who are more likely to come to campus from places outside the Carolinas, will better appreciate their new digs.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... rylink=cpy

I'm sure that comment was well received by the Charlotte folks.

As a Charlotte fan - this is 100% correct and true and I can't argue against it. We were never a fit in the conference. While we dominated most sports not named basketball, basketball is the only one people care about and for whatever reason - style of play, coaches, recruiting, it never worked for us. After having the second highest winning % in CUSA 1.0 vs much better teams the fan base never grew to accept struggling against lesser competition. Hell I am a huge fan and it was really hard for me to give 2 shits about any of the teams we played. At least in CUSA we are back with some former CUSA schools and some old Sunbelt schools we have history with and geographically it is a far better fit.

It will be interesting to see how Davidson does. Their annual run through the conf and NCAA bids will be much harder to come by. McKillop is a heck of a coach though. The positive for us is that the annual game with them picks up a little more heat.

The biggest thing about all this realignment is it just doesn't stop. App was lucky to have a solid home for so many years. In my time as a 49ers I have seen the SunBelt, the METRO, CUSA 1.0, A10 and now CUSA3.0. Each move was a challenge both for the teams and the fans. Welcome to the Merry Go Round guys!

[afinerniner]

Neither the 49ers nor their fans figured out the A-10. Despite the traditions and the quality of the basketball, Charlotte fans never embraced it. The 49ers never were able to compete.

Davidson fans, who are more likely to come to campus from places outside the Carolinas, will better appreciate their new digs.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... rylink=cpy

I'm sure that comment was well received by the Charlotte folks.

Pretty hard to deny when it is the truth. Our first year in the league was our best when we finished 2nd. CUSA may not be the basketball league that the A-10 once was but our fans would rather see us play ODU, WKU, and UAB instead of La Salle, Fordham, and URI. Other than Xavier/Dayton and the Big 5 in Philly, not sure what other traditions Tom thinks the league has.


Couple a lack of interest in the conference along with a program rebuild, to say our time in the A-10 was great would be an outright lie.

[hapapp]

Hard to argue against the quality of teams in the A10 this past year though. But, you are right there is something to be said for stability and familiarity of the opposition. Change can be beneficial and I certainly believe our move to the SBC fits that, but too much movement does it make it hard to establish rivalries.

[NWA49]

too much movement does it make it hard to establish rivalries.

Yup and that has been our life for the last 20 years. When davidson basketball is the closest thing to a rivalry you have it pretty much sucks.

[AppinVA]

too much movement does it make it hard to establish rivalries.

Yup and that has been our life for the last 20 years. When davidson basketball is the closest thing to a rivalry you have it pretty much sucks.

Yeah, that could be our line (for basketball) after East Tennessee left the league.

[JTApps1]

I took a look on AGS to check the mood of SoCon posters, and I was shocked to see how upbeat most of them were about the possibility of adding teams like VMI, Mercer, and UNCA. With ETSU bringing football back they make sense, but its hard to believe fans from Furman, UTC, WCU, and Citadel would want these schools. In just over 15 years they've gone from playing Marshall, App, and GSU to this... WOW! I'll go ahead and predict the SoCon won't have another National Champion within the next 10 (maybe 15) years.

It's hard to feel sorry for them when they are genuinely excited about these additions. We got out just in time boys and girls.

[AppinVA]

I took a look on AGS to check the mood of SoCon posters, and I was shocked to see how upbeat most of them were about the possibility of adding teams like VMI, Mercer, and UNCA. With ETSU bringing football back they make sense, but its hard to believe fans from Furman, UTC, WCU, and Citadel would want these schools. In just over 15 years they've gone from playing Marshall, App, and GSU to this... WOW! I'll go ahead and predict the SoCon won't have another National Champion within the next 10 (maybe 15) years.

It's hard to feel sorry for them when they are genuinely excited about these additions. We got out just in time boys and girls.

I'd be hopping on the Kennesaw State and Coastal Carolina bandwagon, myself, and I can't believe UTC and Western aren't pushing harder for them.

[asumike83]

I'll go ahead and predict the SoCon won't have another National Champion within the next 10 (maybe 15) years.

10-15 years might be optimistic. Unless Furman rises back to prominence, their best chance is Chatty which is a sad truth.

[Longrifle28]

I hate to say this, but it seems Western is more intent on not being the bottom of the ladder, than worrying where the conference is headed.

Citadel, Western and Wofford people seem to be okay with the direction. Furman, UTC, and Samford seem to be a little worried.

The SoCon Commissioner seems to be on cruise control. Maybe he can find some more small private schools to fill the void, then get the games shown on ESPN8. I didn't think it could get any worse, but dayummm....

[firemoose]

I hate to say this, but it seems Western is more intent on not being the bottom of the ladder, than worrying where the conference is headed.

Citadel, Western and Wofford people seem to be okay with the direction. Furman, UTC, and Samford seem to be a little worried.

The SoCon Commissioner seems to be on cruise control. Maybe he can find some more small private schools to fill the void, then get the games shown on ESPN8. I didn't think it could get any worse, but dayummm....

Or heavy medication. I guess they do let him out of his padded room for a few minutes each day to play but the straight jacket must make that hard.