Or the SoCon could do what they should have done as soon as Charleston left for the CAA: raid the Big South. They dragged their feet! Losing GSU and App State not only knocks them down to five full soccer members, but only seven football members. They'll have to act now, and should probably add Coastal Carolina and maybe two others.
In any event, it's official. App State will join the Sun Belt July 1, 2014 http://www.goasu.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=21500&ATCLID=206946378 Q) What will conference affiliations be for Appalachian State’s three programs (field hockey, men’s soccer and wrestling) that are not included in the 18 sports sponsored by the Sun Belt Conference? A) The expectation is that field hockey will continue to compete in the NorPac Field Hockey Conference and that men’s soccer and wrestling will continue to compete in the Southern Conference.
Looks like this is what the soccer teams will look like for the "new" Big East: Cincinnati, South Florida, UCF, Houston (women's only) , SMU, Memphis, East Carolina (women's only), Tulsa, Connecticut and Temple. I know the dust hasn't settled but looks like a pretty strong soccer conference.
What is this now? Western Kentucky leaving the Sun Belt for C-USA, and James Madison moving up to FBS as a replacement?? With four full members who play men's soccer, maybe the Belt will restore it as a sanctioned sport after all. http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/3/30/4165146/conference-realignment-wku-c-usa-jmu
So what does the Colonial do? Stay at 8 members or try to pluck some teams from the Southern or America East?
What has the world come to when its being questioned whether the Colonial league will be poaching teams?
Western Kentucky officially joins C-USA on July 1, 2014. You think they may revive men's soccer now that they're in a conference which sponsors it? http://www.wkusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5400&ATCLID=207019336
I don't see them bringing soccer back. Although, it would be a good in-state rivalry with UK. If they bring back men's soccer, they'd have to bring in a women's sport...anything needed to please the C-USA powers?
Probably not. The only women's sport they lack, that C-USA sponsors, is rowing. Not a big deal - although SMU, Tulsa and UCF are leaving for the Big East/Aresco League which also sponsors women's rowing. Western Kentucky and Old Dominion will be the only full members with rowing and you need at least four to allow for affiliates. WKU has men's swimming & diving, something C-USA does not sponsor.
From University of Tulsa Press Release: University of Tulsa President Steadman Upham, Vice President and Director of Athletics Derrick Gragg and Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco announced on Tuesday that Tulsa has accepted a formal invitation to join the soon-to-be-renamed Big East Conference in July 2014. The conference’s board of directors, by a unanimous vote of its presidents, extended the invitation for membership to Tulsa. Beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, the conference will consist of the University of Central Florida, University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, East Carolina University, University of Houston, University of Memphis, Southern Methodist University, University of South Florida, Temple University, Tulane University and The University of Tulsa. The U.S. Naval Academy will become a football-only member in 2015.
Reports from the Green Bay Press-Gazette state that Illinois-Chicago will join the Missouri Valley Conference, and Oakland will replace them in the Horizon, though these moves may not be in effect until 2014.
That's not all, folks! The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Loyola (Ill.) has accepted an invitation to the Missouri Valley and will join July 1st. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ri-valley-conference-20130413,0,2427164.story
Piece on men's soccer in the new Big East from the Omaha World-Herald, with a natural focus on Creighton. http://www.omaha.com/article/20130416/BLUEJAYS/704169848/1001
“The fact that we're going to be playing in metropolitan cities such as New York, Chicago and Washington is going to be an added recruiting tool for us,” he said. “We're going to use that, and our facilities speak for themselves.This is a really good point from Bolowich. For Creighton, the new Big East will see them play over a two year span in 5 MLS markets - New England (Providence), Chicago (DePaul), New York (St. John's), DC (Georgetown) and Philadelphia (Villanova). We all know MLS teams don't spend a lot of resources scouting outside their region which means they tend to scout the teams that come through their area, which means it will be that much easier for Creighton's players to get scouted by MLS teams, which is one more thing for them to sell on the recruiting trail.
Loyola University joins the Missouri Valley on July 1st. The Valley's membership stays at 10 (six public, four private) and the Horizon drops to 8 (six public, two private) http://www.mvc-sports.com/softball/...ey-conference-adds-loyola-university-chicago/
I'll let the article speak for itself, but it looks like Jeffconn, like Gridley, may FINALLY fire when ready... http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...eal-means-realignment-madness-is-over-for-now
it may be done for the big boys, but there is still an act or two to play out for the rest of us like Oakland's drama with the Summit and Horizon League.
The wheels keep turning. Oakland will join the Horizon League on July 1, 2013. http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/oakland-university-to-join-horizon-league-in-july.html
I'm almost tempted to say that Oakland will be the last school to change conferences this year, but I still think that SOMEONE will take NJIT.
Can I start the rumor mill on another school? I will...it seems that Ohio University will be putting some emphasis into their men's club team in exploring adding men's soccer as an intercollegiate sport in the [near] future. That's an interesting development for the MAC.