The last D1 olympic sports independent is no longer. NJIT will join the A-Sun effective Jul 1st, helping to offset the loss of Northern Kentucky to the Horizon League at the same time.

However, this hurts the Sun Belt in men's soccer as NJIT will move their men's soccer to the A-Sun, leaving the Sun Belt at 5 members. The NCAA requires 6 members to keep and automatic bid.

There has been talk from the Arkansas State people that the Sun Belt could be adding member(s) in the next month, so the new member might be required to have men's soccer.

A short term fix would be any or all of Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, or Belmont. All of whom are associate members of conferences where they would likely save some money in travel costs by joining the Sun Belt. Coastal Carolina, however, would do wonders for our conference in soccer.

Sunbelt soccer was dead last in conference RPI rankings last year. addition of a program of the caliber of Coastal Carolina eould be a big step forward for soccer in the sunbelt

T-Dog wrote:The last D1 olympic sports independent is no longer. NJIT will join the A-Sun effective Jul 1st, helping to offset the loss of Northern Kentucky to the Horizon League at the same time.

However, this hurts the Sun Belt in men's soccer as NJIT will move their men's soccer to the A-Sun, leaving the Sun Belt at 5 members. The NCAA requires 6 members to keep and automatic bid.

There has been talk from the Arkansas State people that the Sun Belt could be adding member(s) in the next month, so the new member might be required to have men's soccer.

In the meantime, I hope NJIT is held to the *new* maximum Sun Belt exit fee for a less than 12 month advance notice of intention (even if they do hold only an associate membership). The conference adopted new entry and exit fees during its spring meeting held last month in Montgomery, AL. "Conference members also voted to increase the exit fee for any departing member to 2.5 million if less than 12 to 15 months notice is given and two million dollars if more than 15 months notice is given."

asu66 wrote:

T-Dog wrote:The last D1 olympic sports independent is no longer. NJIT will join the A-Sun effective Jul 1st, helping to offset the loss of Northern Kentucky to the Horizon League at the same time.

However, this hurts the Sun Belt in men's soccer as NJIT will move their men's soccer to the A-Sun, leaving the Sun Belt at 5 members. The NCAA requires 6 members to keep and automatic bid.

There has been talk from the Arkansas State people that the Sun Belt could be adding member(s) in the next month, so the new member might be required to have men's soccer.

In the meantime, I hope NJIT is held to the *new* maximum Sun Belt exit fee for a less than 12 month advance notice of intention (even if they do hold only an associate membership). The conference adopted new entry and exit fees during its spring meeting held last month in Montgomery, AL. "Conference members also voted to increase the exit fee for any departing member to 2.5 million if less than 12 to 15 months notice is given and two million dollars if more than 15 months notice is given."

I seriously doubt that applies to associate members, except maybe NMSU and Idaho since they're associate members for a revenue sport.

Coastal Carolina would be a great add, but they're not going to come just for soccer. How do you guys feel about Coastal being a full member in the SBC? I think they'd do well competitively in FBS, but their attendance would probably always be mediocre at best since the Myrtle Beach area is a lot of transplant retirees. If I were Benson, they'd be 2nd on my list behind JMU.

I really liked their fans when they came to our stadium last year though. Overwhelmingly nice people.

Niner National wrote:

asu66 wrote:

T-Dog wrote:The last D1 olympic sports independent is no longer. NJIT will join the A-Sun effective Jul 1st, helping to offset the loss of Northern Kentucky to the Horizon League at the same time.

However, this hurts the Sun Belt in men's soccer as NJIT will move their men's soccer to the A-Sun, leaving the Sun Belt at 5 members. The NCAA requires 6 members to keep and automatic bid.

There has been talk from the Arkansas State people that the Sun Belt could be adding member(s) in the next month, so the new member might be required to have men's soccer.

In the meantime, I hope NJIT is held to the *new* maximum Sun Belt exit fee for a less than 12 month advance notice of intention (even if they do hold only an associate membership). The conference adopted new entry and exit fees during its spring meeting held last month in Montgomery, AL. "Conference members also voted to increase the exit fee for any departing member to 2.5 million if less than 12 to 15 months notice is given and two million dollars if more than 15 months notice is given."

I seriously doubt that applies to associate members, except maybe NMSU and Idaho since they're associate members for a revenue sport.

Coastal Carolina would be a great add, but they're not going to come just for soccer. How do you guys feel about Coastal being a full member in the SBC? I think they'd do well competitively in FBS, but their attendance would probably always be mediocre at best since the Myrtle Beach area is a lot of transplant retirees. If I were Benson, they'd be 2nd on my list behind JMU.

I really liked their fans when they came to our stadium last year though. Overwhelmingly nice people.

Niner National wrote:

asu66 wrote:

T-Dog wrote:The last D1 olympic sports independent is no longer. NJIT will join the A-Sun effective Jul 1st, helping to offset the loss of Northern Kentucky to the Horizon League at the same time.

However, this hurts the Sun Belt in men's soccer as NJIT will move their men's soccer to the A-Sun, leaving the Sun Belt at 5 members. The NCAA requires 6 members to keep and automatic bid.

There has been talk from the Arkansas State people that the Sun Belt could be adding member(s) in the next month, so the new member might be required to have men's soccer.

In the meantime, I hope NJIT is held to the *new* maximum Sun Belt exit fee for a less than 12 month advance notice of intention (even if they do hold only an associate membership). The conference adopted new entry and exit fees during its spring meeting held last month in Montgomery, AL. "Conference members also voted to increase the exit fee for any departing member to 2.5 million if less than 12 to 15 months notice is given and two million dollars if more than 15 months notice is given."

I seriously doubt that applies to associate members, except maybe NMSU and Idaho since they're associate members for a revenue sport.

Coastal Carolina would be a great add, but they're not going to come just for soccer. How do you guys feel about Coastal being a full member in the SBC? I think they'd do well competitively in FBS, but their attendance would probably always be mediocre at best since the Myrtle Beach area is a lot of transplant retirees. If I were Benson, they'd be 2nd on my list behind JMU.

I really liked their fans when they came to our stadium last year though. Overwhelmingly nice people.

Even though it's my post, it was meant to be rather tongue-in-cheek. If there's any penalty at all, it would be a token pro-rata amount or an ever so light slap on the wrist. I just thought it was rather interesting timing for NJIT's run for the Sun Belt exit to come immediately after the conference vote on significantly increasing the exit penalties.

As for CCU, their academics and facilities do nothing to better the Sun Belt. Let 'em stay in Socastee.

Coastal is probably the best realistic option right now since JMU doesn't know what they're doing. Made the NCAA's in football, basketball and baseball last year. Good facilities. Makes the SBC a better baseball conference and they can add on to their stadium in football. I like them better than Eastern Kentucky, but EKU has shovels in the ground right now to improve their facilities. Both made presentations to the Sun Belt earlier this month.

Niner National wrote: I seriously doubt that applies to associate members, except maybe NMSU and Idaho since they're associate members for a revenue sport.

Coastal Carolina would be a great add, but they're not going to come just for soccer. How do you guys feel about Coastal being a full member in the SBC? I think they'd do well competitively in FBS, but their attendance would probably always be mediocre at best since the Myrtle Beach area is a lot of transplant retirees. If I were Benson, they'd be 2nd on my list behind JMU.

I really liked their fans when they came to our stadium last year though. Overwhelmingly nice people.

I'm not opposed to it at all. I'm done holding out for JMU. I'd take Coastal, Missouri State, and a full membership from New Mexico State and call expansion a success.

T-Dog wrote:Coastal is probably the best realistic option right now since JMU doesn't know what they're doing. Made the NCAA's in football, basketball and baseball last year. Good facilities. Makes the SBC a better baseball conference and they can add on to their stadium in football. I like them better than Eastern Kentucky, but EKU has shovels in the ground right now to improve their facilities. Both made presentations to the Sun Belt earlier this month.

Did Missouri State make a presentation? They've got wicked facilities and strong programs in Baseball, M/W Soccer and M/W Basketball and volleyball among others. Their football stadium is head and shoulders above CCU and getting attention every off-season.

Check this baseball complex...



CCU and EKU can't touch this.

My preference in order to get to 12 football members would be:

A:
1) JMU (we need a purple team to hate in conference)
2) CCU (push USA west)
3) NMSU

B:
1) JMU or CCU
2) MOSt. (only 2nd FBS in the state)
3) NMSU

C:
1) CCU or EKU
2) MOSt.
3) NMSU

NJIT soccer will not exit the SBC until 2016-17.

hapapp wrote:NJIT soccer will not exit the SBC until 2016-17.

OK, that's one of the details we didn't have. This delayed exit gives everybody time to get their ducks in row, so to speak.

asu66 wrote:

hapapp wrote:NJIT soccer will not exit the SBC until 2016-17.

OK, that's one of the details we didn't have. This delayed exit gives everybody time to get their ducks in row, so to speak.

Maybe not ducks but some other fowl.