Looks like our Men's soccer program will move to the Sun Belt too.

http://www.sunbeltsports.org/news/2014/ ... 45401.aspx

Here's the App article. Pretty much the same.

http://www.appstatesports.com/ViewArtic ... =209403273

kiddbrewer wrote:Looks like our Men's soccer program will move to the Sun Belt too.

http://www.sunbeltsports.org/news/2014/ ... 45401.aspx

" Hartwick, Howard, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology in a single round robin schedule. "

Hartwick and New Jersey Institute of Technology.....WHO????????

It is surprising that the SunBelt gets an automatic bid.

Hartwick was once a national power. Howard is the team that knocked us out of the 1975 NCAA Tournament. That loss came after 12-0 regular season in which the Apps had a road win over UNC. I'd say paybacks are in order.

Wonder if this will entice any of the other Sun Belt schools to resurrect and/or begin playing soccer?

I think I remember playing both Hartwick and Howard back in the late 70's. If I remember correctly, Howard also had a Nigerian player connection back then. But don't make me bet on any of this.

I seem to recall a match against Hartwick, too. But I couldn't find any mention of it in our archives. Paging Chuck Parker ...

I just went back and checked the online Rhododendrons and could not find Hartwick there either. I do remember them from soccer back then, though maybe not from playing the Apps (?). It was good to see photos from some of those teams however. I had forgot about Usiyan getting hurt one year and missing so many games. His scoring mark would have been even higher.

Turns out the SoCon didn't need us anymore after the new additions so they kicked us to the curb. I wonder what effect that will have on Wrestling in the Socon. Do they still need us for Wrestling or will they kick us out for that also. So glad to be out of that sucky conference. Plus possible new members JMU and Missouri State both have soccer. Could that be a clue of things to come? At least the SunBelt went out of their way to make a home for us in Soccer. The SoCon would have never done that.

We chose to leave, so why should they have accommodated us?

AtlantaMountaineer wrote:Turns out the SoCon didn't need us anymore after the new additions so they kicked us to the curb. I wonder what effect that will have on Wrestling in the Socon. Do they still need us for Wrestling or will they kick us out for that also. So glad to be out of that sucky conference. Plus possible new members JMU and Missouri State both have soccer. Could that be a clue of things to come? At least the SunBelt went out of their way to make a home for us in Soccer. The SoCon would have never done that.

After yet another stab in the back from the SoCon I would pull wrestling out. They changed the conference standing rules for football just before the season to exclude GSU and us after saying they wouldn't, and now they kick us out for soccer after saying they would keep us. The SmallCon is living up to the name more and more.

JCline0429 wrote:We chose to leave, so why should they have accommodated us?

There was an agreement in place with the SoCon for both schools to stay that's why. They got their feelings hurt, and now their acting like a bunch of cry babies. We saw this first hand at the baseball tourney last year.

Kind of like a man divorcing his wife but still wants to come to Sunday dinner. When you leave....leave.

AppGrad78 wrote:I seem to recall a match against Hartwick, too. But I couldn't find any mention of it in our archives. Paging Chuck Parker ...

The answer is...that we played Hartwick in September 2011 on a neutral pitch at Myrtle Beach in the Coastal Carolina/adidas Classic Tourney. ASU was the winner 3 - 0 with British keeper Danny Free getting the shut-out. That's the only time we've ever faced the Hawks.

It's not quite the Hartwick of the '70s, but they'll still be a handful. They were associate members of the MAC last year and lost in the conference tourney semis 1-0.

BTW, FWIW Hartwick plays most of its 17 sports in Division II. It has only two Division I sports--Men's Soccer and Women's Water Polo. It's dead serious about both!

Where are all the CC bashers??
Did he leave you stranded? NO

And, as always, Chancellor Peacock was with him in this movement and all major calls.

Just Sayin...................Its Great To Be A Mountaineer !!

JCline0429 wrote:Kind of like a man divorcing his wife but still wants to come to Sunday dinner. When you leave....leave.

More like telling the ex to come on over for Sunday dinner and then locking the doors and turning out the lights when she gets there.

AtlantaMountaineer wrote:Turns out the SoCon didn't need us anymore after the new additions so they kicked us to the curb. I wonder what effect that will have on Wrestling in the Socon. Do they still need us for Wrestling or will they kick us out for that also. So glad to be out of that sucky conference. Plus possible new members JMU and Missouri State both have soccer. Could that be a clue of things to come? At least the SunBelt went out of their way to make a home for us in Soccer. The SoCon would have never done that.

I have been doing some digging around on the intertubes and have a bit of info.

Reading the Appstatesports.com article it sound like we can stay in the SoCon for wrestling. They have 8 in the conf for wrestling. 4 are SoCon (ASU, Dav, Chat, Cit) and 4 not (GW, SIUE, VMI, Campbell). Next year two are gone and one rejoins so it would be (Chat, Cit, VMI and Assoc members GW, SIUE, Campbell) If 6 teams are enough they could kick us on the curb in wrestling but they are keeping 3 assoc schools so why not us. I don't know if Dav needs a home for wrestling but they could stay as well. A-10 does not offer wrestling from what I can tell. so they need a home as well. Or wrestling is dropped. Wrestling my not change unless they want to stick it to Dav and App. The other additions (ETSU, Mercer) to the SoCon don't offer wrestling. I think they need us still, like it or not. SoCon wrestling may become 2 SoCon schools and 6 assoc member schools. The CAA has wrestling, as does the ACC according to this site at NCAA.com

http://www.ncaa.com/championships/wrest ... ampionship


7 wrestle in the ACC, though Maryland will be gone to a conf that offers wrestling. So down to 6. That would be easy travel if they would have us and Davidson. They may need us.

7 wrestle in CAA it appears. Some are assoc members such as Old Dominion and G. Mason, and maybe more.

Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association is 18 schools in the Northeast. Travel and they are full, but seem to be willing to take anyone.

Eastern Wrestling League seems to be 7 smaller schools and I see G.Mason listed here as well? Let me investigate this now.

The MAC has 9 teams and includes some that were in the CAA, such as ODU.

The NCAA may be messed up at the link above. Upon further investigation I don't see any current info on CAA wrestling for this year. CAA wrestling may have been finished last year. That explains the G. Mason being in the EWL and ODU to the MAC.

Of course if the ACC can run with 6 schools after Maryland leaves I guess the SoCon can as well, but between the two confs I can't believe one or the other would not want us, and possibly both us and Davidson.

My money is us being in the SoCon for wrestling, though the EWL might be ok if only for the fact we might be able to be a big fish in a small pond. The ACC would be a step up I would think, but maybe a bit too big. We have a good history in wrestling, though I am not sure what that is worth to other conferences.

I m venting here . Greed and College Presidents have ruined the landscape of college athletics. Because of them it created an elite group of conferences and penalized these schools for playing schools like ASU. Then it ruined traditional conferences and forced independent schools like Penn State , Notre Dame Florida State Miami and others to look for conference affiliations. This greed forced growing institutions like App to either demphasize programs or play by new rules that further hurt the college landscape . We met qualifications but the moritorium prevented us from joining. Then because or greed and regional ignorance we could not join a conference without invitations. We've done what we had to do but it stinks that we were put in the position to have to move. The deliberate successful attempts to sew up all the tv and endorsement revenue and exclude mid majors and high caliber FCS schools is criminal. The NCAA is powerless to regulate this and as one who believes in free enterprise all of this is my exception to the rule. Now just wait while I'm stuck inside for the next couple of days.

I agree rek
Especially the freedom part but this a monopoly and I hope some outside players step in .......App can only work the cards they have to play.

Davidson has made every indication that they are staying in the SoCon for wrestling.

The Sun Belt leaders along with Cobb, Peacock should be commended for making this happen and giving our men's soccer players a chance of making the NCAA Tournament.