(rumors) Big South "talking" to UNC-Pembroke, UNC-Wilmington, UNCW FB 2015 or 2016

[catamount man]

Again, just reporting it. Take it for what it's worth. GO CATS!

[rokamortis]

Again, just reporting it. Take it for what it's worth. GO CATS!

UNC-P is ok, not great.

UNCW would be huge if it is all sports.

[CID1990]

Pembroke, maybe.

Wilmington is married to cofc right now and won't be changing anything.


Sent from the center of the universe.

[Green Cookie Monster]

http://www.wral.com/unc-system-could-lose-campuses/12252716/

Doubt any UNC campus will be adding football. They better hope they don't get axed!

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

The last thing NC needs is more D1 football teams. Seven FBS teams is ridiculous enough. I forsee major funding issues as it is.

[rokamortis]

The last thing NC needs is more D1 football teams. Seven FBS teams is ridiculous enough. I forsee major funding issues as it is.

I don't see a problem with 7. The south is a football region. SC has 9 DI teams. Funding is another story, a school should be able to properly fund it.

I could see UNC-P moving to DI - it would be expensive but doable.

I can't see UNC-W adding football - I've read posts where some say they are barely scraping by now.

[walliver]

Apparently the "rumors" are that everyone in the SoCon is leaving and everybody else wants in the SoCon, so the Big South is poaching teams from the CAA.

[Laker]

I thought that Rumors was an album by Fleetwood Mac.

[elcid83]

UNC-P is ok, not great.

UNCW would be huge if it is all sports.

But, UNCW doesn't play football. Big South needs football teams.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

[rokamortis]

But, UNCW doesn't play football. Big South needs football teams.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

The rumors as stated in the post subject is that UNCW would be adding football - so that would be huge for the BSC. Even non-football would be much better than recent additions. But I don't see either happening.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The Big South getting UNCW is just crazy talk - possibly an early April Fool's joke.

UNC Pembroke already has a team in D-II and could be a potential fit in the Big South, but they'd need to go through the transition. Not impossible.

But more likely the Big South will enter some sort of arrangement with the A-Sun and flip 1-3 PFL members to scholarship football teams. In order of likelihood, Campbell (already in Big South in all other sports), Jacksonville (wants scholarship ball), and Mercer are the teams the Big South would add in football, IMO.

[elcid83]

I disagree roka. If the BS adds any more non-football teams, they will be clearly sending the message that the BS is on the verge of becoming a non-football conference. Frankly, I think that is what the BS wants.

Go Runnin' Buldogs!

[walliver]

I disagree roka. If the BS adds any more non-football teams, they will be clearly sending the message that the BS is on the verge of becoming a non-football conference. Frankly, I think that is what the BS wants.

Go Runnin' Buldogs!

That wouldn't surprise me. Most recent football startups are either aiming for non-scholarship FCS or hope for FBS fairly quickly. With the changing finances of higher education and cost control, I doubt there will be a lot of D-II teams moving up. It will be a challenge for the Big South to maintain 6 teams to protect the at-large, especially if VMI and Coastal leave, and we all know Liberty would throw away their promise ring in a heartbeat if a FBS suitor came along. A core group of GWU, PC, and CSU would have trouble maintaining an auto-bid conference. I doubt Campbell pays for scholarships, Jacksonville has a ways to go, and I suspect Mercer will be in the SoCon soon.

The Big South was founded as a basketball league. At that time CCU didn't play football, CSU played D-2 football. Football was an after-thought and may not be sustainable. Hopefully, GWU, CSU and PC will have a place to play football in the future.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I wouldn't underestimate the power of the Big South to persuade Campbell to start offering scholarships. They're the only Big South member playing non-scholarship football. If they wish to be "full members" of the conference, scholarships is the only way that happens.

[WataugaDave]

I'd party in Wilmington for some football. Greenville sucks in comparison, the beach is 30 minutes away. Lacking a real source however, I agree that it's unlikely.