fighting muskie wrote:
If the basketball component stonewalls football expansion there are a couple of avenues the Big South could explore:
1. The Every Man for Themselves Approach-- Each of the schools is on their own. Some manage to become football affiliates in the SoCon while others land in the OVC.
2. Deal with the A-Sun-- If the basketball schools won't play ball then approach the A-Sun with an offer for the 4 football schools to join as a block bringing A-Sun membership up to 12. The A-Sun could easily pair of for travel and go to two divisions. If they don't actually go this route they could use this possibility as leverage to get their way.
3. Merge Big South football with NEC football. Not sure if the NEC would be alright with this but its worth a try.
Sounds like interesting theories. But lemme summarize on a few.
a.) On the NEC/Big South fb. merger, I don't think it would work, unless there are some conference realignment movement with some of the NEC schools heading into nearby leagues like the MAAC or the AmEast (America East) or the Patriot League, plus making the Big South an East Coast-based conference in a football perspective, just like the A-Sun is attempting to be in a basketball perspective with its latest addition in NJIT.
b.) On the deal with the A-Sun, for what I understand it would make much sense in terms of exchange, which the A-Sun sends its fb-sponsoring schools to the Big South while the Big South sends its non-fb. sponsoring schools to the A-Sun. Sounds like a win-win situation in my book.