Tuesday, August 23, 2011

SoCon non-interest in 49ers 'could change'

With Appalachian State making a possible move up to the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, a spot in the Southern Conference might be opening up.

Does that mean there's a spot in the SoCon for the Charlotte 49ers' football program, which starts play in 2013? Remember, the conference already turned away the 49ers in the spring. But now, the league could drop to 11 members (eight in football) whenever Appalachian State would leave.

"If and when the time comes that we have 11 members, we would look at all options," Southern Conference commissioner John Iamarino said Tuesday. "Right now, our membership has already said there was not enough interest in taking Charlotte just for football. But that could change if we go down to 11, I guess. We'll talk about all our options."

The 49ers' best bet would probably continue to be the Colonial Athletic Association, either as a full-time or football-only member. Athletics director Judy Rose had no comment on any renewed interest the school might have in the Southern Conference. Football coach Brad Lambert said earlier this week that talks are continuing with the CAA.

57 comments:

Anonymous said...

I still say we should go to the Colonial in all sports. It would be a downgrade only in men's hoops. Baseball, in particular, could not possibly be any worse than the A-10. To me, it's like Florida St. when they joined the SEC. We would abuse the CAA in men's hoops for a while, and when the rest of the conference catches up, the football team should be doing well enough to make the FCS playoffs.

49RFBN said...

No thanks. Plus where's App going? Even the Sun Belt doesn't want FCS teams and you can't move to FBS without invites.

nc5858 said...

"No thanks. Plus wheres App going? Even the Sun Belt doesn't want FCS teams and you can't move to FBS without invites."

Beggars can't be choosers champ. Plus Suitcase U is starting out in the FCS with plans to move to FBS within the decade.

Anonymous said...

fla state did not join the SEC!

cp said...

I really can't get excited about the Colonial Conference. There are not enough other local schools, which is the problem with the A-10. If it's supposed to be temporary then I guess it doesn't matter but you don't know we won't be there longer than we might think.

Anonymous said...

What in the last five years in hoops gives you the impression that we would "abuse" the CAA in men's hoops?

Anonymous said...

You folks who look down on the CAA in terms of basketball, take Xavier out of the A10 lineup and the CAA is probably a better league top to bottom the last 5 years to a decade. I think you are just talking nonsense without actually looking at the information. Yeah, maybe the A10 makes more money, but that doesn't indicate more competition.

Anonymous said...

@49RFBN

I love it. A UNCC fan, without a team, thinks they are too good for the SoCon. You don't think App will find a place in the FBS, but Charlotte is too good to start out in a great FCS conference because they will jump to the FBS so quickly. You are a joke and your school is a joke.

Anonymous said...

Where ever we go just get us out of the A14 quick!

Anonymous said...

7:23, so are you.....BTW, we're not too good to join the SoCon for football (temporary anyway) but we are too good to join as an all sports member which is what the SoCon wants......no way in hell..

Anonymous said...

Some people thought UNC-C would abuse A-10 hoops when they got there. News Flash - That hasnt worked out!

Anonymous said...

Ive got a secret inside source that thinks we may have a backdoor CUSA invite and we are waiting the the Big East to counteroffer.

Anonymous said...

It's a shame that The University of Texas-San Antonio, who starts playing this year had an easier time finding a conference that UNCC, Shws that Charlotte does not thrill many people

Anonymous said...

UNCommunityCollege...

Anonymous said...

Play like a champion today...not like a CAA team.

Anonymous said...

Charlotte and UNC-Tweetsie are not even comparable. One school is clearly on the way up, and the other school is UNC Tweetsie.


Charlotte is bigger, better and on the way to a BCS conference. UNC Tweetsie will continue to dominate the JV leagues.

Anonymous said...

Why don't we try and form a new league. Pulling some teams from NC, VA, SC, TN, GA. This would be a good setup. Charlotte, ECU, ASU, Memphis, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, George Mason, Old Dominion, James Madison, Marshall, UAB, Southern Miss, and Georgia State. Divide into a Gulf and Atlantic division. So Memphis, Southern Miss, UAB, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, and Chattanooga in the Gulf Division and Charlotte, ASU, ECU, George Mason, Old Dominion, James Madison and Marshall in the Atlantic Division. This would create some geographic rivalries and maintain some existing ones. It would provide some larger TV Markets in Charlotte #24, Atlanta #8, Memphis #48, DC #9, Norfolk #43, Richmond #58, Birmingham #40, Chattanooga #86. Might be worth a try. Everyone else is realigning. The league would be more compact than the ACC with the furthest travel by vehicle is 973 Miles from Hattiesburg, MS to Washington, DC. Within each division the longest travel distance would be half that.

Anonymous said...

Good analysis... Anon 9:00 PM.

Anonymous said...

Did someone just say that UNCC basketball would own the CAA?

The CAA had a final four team LAST season. UNCC might be marginally more competitive in that league, but not much.

Anonymous said...

I realize that the 49ers fan base has no room to talk down upon the SoCon when they have yet to play a game of football. However, with all the apparent changes in the NCAA conference landscape, I see advantages to courting to some degree an associate SoCon membership, but the AD cannot make it appear that that is our ultimate goal, nor should our fans be happy with it as such. Sure, playing football in the SoCon would be great, but why limit it to that with all the coming NCAA changes? Why not also position ourselves for a possible invite to our old C-USA or the Big East? Besides, I think this could all be irrelevant. What is the appeal of the SoCon if App and GSU leave after a conference re-alignment? Who would be happy if they landed in a depleated C-USA minus UCF, ECU, Houston or Marshall after the alignment?

If I could chose a path to take, I'd choose one similar to the one laid out by Anon 9:00. Form close regional rivalries, expand a large TV market to bring in more revenue, and build a conference with names recognizable by area fans and recruits alike.

Keep in mind that Charlotte competed in and was routinely in the top 4 of a C-USA consisting of Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and Memphis for basketball... What most fans failed to realize is how a move to the "A14" would affect our ability to maintain that level of recruits (and change of play style). Lets not ignore what playing teams like Elon, Samford and UNCG could do to our basketball team.

Anonymous said...

A-10 was the best move at the time with the depletion of Conf USA. Xavier, Dayton, and St Joes were really good at the time while UMass and Richmond had always been up and down. An experiment gone bad. I actually think we would fit will in the Colonial and their basketball has been on the rise in the last few years.

Anonymous said...

"Charlotte and UNC-Tweetsie are not even comparable. One school is clearly on the way up, and the other school is UNC Tweetsie.

Charlotte is bigger, better and on the way to a BCS conference. UNC Tweetsie will continue to dominate the JV leagues."


No one outside of NC knows or cares about UNCC. People DO know who App is known and respected across the country. ECU is bigger than both and no one cares about them either. LOL

Anonymous said...

"7:23, so are you.....BTW, we're not too good to join the SoCon for football (temporary anyway) but we are too good to join as an all sports member which is what the SoCon wants......no way in hell.."

I can't think of a single sport UNCC would win in the SoCon with regards to men's teams. The only sport they may be the favorite in is golf. They'd rank towards to bottom in several sports and academics...

Anonymous said...

@10:14

How many Ph.D programs does UNC-Frostbite offer?

And for ECU being bigger, Charlotte is @ 25k and ECU 27k. ECU is flat and Charlotte adds 1k per year.

Don't worry you can still talk about the win over Michigan, haven't heard that before.

Anonymous said...

"No one outside of NC knows or cares about UNCC. People DO know who App is known and respected across the country. ECU is bigger than both and no one cares about them either. LOL"

Does anybody in North Carolina even care about UNCC?

Anonymous said...

@10:25

let me guess, you barely graduated hs and claim the heels as your "team"

Anonymous said...

"Does anybody in North Carolina even care about UNCC?"

Good Point!.

Anonymous said...

"@10:25

let me guess, you barely graduated hs and claim the heels as your "team""

Did you get an English degree from UNCC?

Your Wake Forest Daddy said...

All of you suck

Anonymous said...

"@10:25

let me guess, you barely graduated hs and claim the heels as your "team""

Not quite! I'm not a UNC fan. And isn't UNCC full of students who barely graduated high school? I went to a SoCon school in SC that isn't in Charleston and doesn't wear purple.

Anonymous said...

@10:45

clearly you are new to the internet. congrats on discovering a new and exciting way to learn about the world. we have enjoyed this new technology for many years in the "flat lands". soon you may enjoy it fully. i don't expect a reply tonight, i know the cows will call early tomorrow.

thanks for playing and enjoy your new truck.

i cannot read said...

app is awesomey. words are hard.

Anonymous said...

There would be no shame in Charlotte bringing all their sports teams into the Southern Conference. Some great things have come out of the Southern Conference including the ACC.

Anonymous said...

"Don't worry you can still talk about the win over Michigan, haven't heard that before."

Says the guy who's team has never played a game but is holier than thou.

Anonymous said...

If you went to UNCC or if you're from Charlotte, why do you have to be a fan of a second-rate commuter program? Who cares. Really. UNCC is a joke.

NOBODY from UNC cares about UNCC. They couldn't careless. Get over yourself and get a life.

Anonymous said...

Its not Charlotte 49ers. Complete the name with with most important part with the UNC preface.

The UNC system correct name is UNC Charlotte 49ers.

More succinctly UNC 49ers.

Why not be UNC 49ers anyway? This way there is no confusion as to who is the top dog unless you want to keep being the underdog or lap dog.

Forget the troll loser idiots who despise their own existence and would knock UNC 49ers.


SOCON is the #1 way to go for the UNC 49ers.

Forming a new conference needs to be also discussed.

Anonymous said...

@ 8:09
Are you serious? Why do you have to be a fan of UNCC if you are from Charlotte or studied there? Why NOT be a fan of your own school, or one who adds so much to your local economy? I suppose most around here are fans of a school because their t-shirts are easily found at Wal-Mart and it's easy and "cool" to be seen wearing a shirt from (enter your favorite ACC team here). How hard is it to pull for a team that plays in the "Aey Cee Cee, By Gawd", regardless on whether their African American dean is handing out A's by the boat load. Most fans I know of these big schools have never set foot on their campus except for maybe when someone gave them a ticket to a game .
I pull for my school because it is where I met my wife, my closest friends, and obtained a degree which enabled me to secure a fine job and sustain my family. I also have many wonderful memories of beating nationally ranked teams in Halton Arena, cheering with 9,105 other fans on ESPN. Watching baseball beat UNC, and Soccer beating Wake.

You're right... no one cares about UNCC at UNC... thats why we have many of the problems we do. But dont fault us for trying to build something for ourselves... No one else is going to do it for us, certainly not the all holy TUr-Heels.

49RFBN said...

See kids, this is why your parents always told you not to talk to strangers. They're full of **it.

Anonymous said...

To the poster who claimed Charlotte wouldn't win "any" titles in the SoCon......haha...that is freakin hilarious. Charlotte would win or be top 2-3 ATLEAST in virtually every title in that league (except football and that probably would only take 2-3 years to do). Baseball, soccer, golf, T&F certainly. You redneck "Mountain boys" are funny.

Anonymous said...

10:23 is exactly right......look up the track record for Charlotte in those sports vs. the ENTIRE SoCon.......

Anonymous said...

BTW, do you Tweetsie guys actually think anyone has cared about UNC-Tweetsie since about 2 weeks after the "Miracle Win" in Ann Arbor? It was such big news only because your school is soooo small time. You know David vs. Goliath.....get a clue. UNC-T is a joke!!

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Anonymous said...

Where is the moderator when you really need one?

Anonymous said...

@Anon: 9:36, Well said, well said.

Why do other people feel necessary to come on this board and bash other schools. Go onto the Watauga Democrat for your news then. I attended both App and UNC Charlotte. I grew up in Boone going to ASU football games since I was 5. In the end, I will always be a Charlotte 49ers fan. That's because I was there when we had the heated rivalry with Cincinnati in C-USA. We appeared regularly on ESPN, not to mention playing in the NCAA tournament...Those were the days. App did not have that and Charlotte offered more of a college "experience" than App at the time. That has changed in recent years, but Charlotte is going to be competitive again in 2-3 years. And I'm sorry the SoCon is light years behind the A-10 or C-USA.

Oh and here's a NEWSFLASH for anyone wondering...Outside of the south, NO ONE has heard of neither APP or UNC Charlotte. So we are equal there. I do think Charlotte will be a more nationally recognized school in 5-10 years than App, though. That's not bashing App, I just think Charlotte has better location, facilities, research, and growth. UNC Charlotte is an accredited research institution, few schools in NC can claim that.

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

^ Wow... somebody is mature. When does middle school start again?

Anonymous said...

Cart <- Horse

Anonymous said...

"To the poster who claimed Charlotte wouldn't win "any" titles in the SoCon......haha...that is freakin hilarious. Charlotte would win or be top 2-3 ATLEAST in virtually every title in that league (except football and that probably would only take 2-3 years to do). Baseball, soccer, golf, T&F certainly. You redneck "Mountain boys" are funny."

Can somebody from UNCC really call anybody else a redneck? UNCC is easily the most redneck school in North Carolina, and with the exception of USC-Aiken or USC-Upstate, the most redneck school in the Carolinas. Besides, I didn't know conferences wanted schools for their track and field team. It's so funny how you think it will only take UNCC 2 or 3 years to be good at football. They are awful at basketball and they play DI. The only kids you are going to get are kids who aren't good enough to play at App State and aren't smart enough to get into Wofford. Then you'll start to see support drop. For once, a good number of your alumni work retail and have to work weekends. And then, with both your male and female students favoring jean shorts and ponytails, it's just going to get too hot and uncomfortable for them.

Anonymous said...

6:24 you are a riot......of course you're an idiot as well but thats alright UNC-Tweetsie fans have to do something once they get off work from Wal-Mart and the tar heels aren't playing on TV.

Anonymous said...

Once again, I didn't go to App State. I mean, it's a better school than UNCC, but it still isn't somewhere I'd ever go. And even if I did work at Wal-Mart that's probably a lot better than most UNCC grads do...

Anonymous said...

8:52 you have not a clue.....Charlotte is a 1st Tier/National Doctoral Intensive Institution. UNC-Tweetsie is a masters level regional school. Case closed!....Sorry, maybe you should try to do a little research before making idiotic uninformed comments. BTW, last time I checked the CEO of Lowes (and 2 of the other top 3 in the company) are Charlotte grads. Many other similar Charlotte grads. Again, get a clue!!!

Anonymous said...

All I know about UNCC is that my racist cousin went there.

Anonymous said...

BTW...you can attend a college or university to earn a degree, and not give a damn about sports or sports at that school. That is OK. If I went to uncc, why would I waste my time with a loser athletic program?

If somebody came up to me on campus about what I was wearing, I would whoop the shit out of them. Get the fuck away from me and leave me alone.

Anonymous said...

9:36
Get a life. By calling Carolina by such clever names as you and many other uncc dorks do, is productive in building whatever you're trying to build? Please.

Anonymous said...

You last couple posters are hilarious. Let me guess, you went to CPCC, if that. I also bet your a big fan of "them thar Tor Heelz" and have been since you "waz a little feller".....lol.......again, check the record books before commenting as Charlotte's athletic program is far from being full of "losers". NCAA tourneys and multiple victories in them (and many national rankings) during the last 5years for virtually every sports program they have.

Anonymous said...

Whoa! Ncaa appearances and some wins! Congrats! Btw...nobody cares about the olympic sports.

And so what if somebody likes carolina or state or whoever?! They can like whoever they want. You degrading them is weak. Again...get a life. You are losers...just like your program.

David Stroud said...

Will, to tell the truth, it seems that three schools in the south could be in the Sun Belt conference after the raid from C-USA. I saw that Georgia State, an FCS school got an invite to the SBC for 2013. Now, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern including Florida A&M could be on the radar to replace schools. Now, people are talking about who should replace the schools. Will, UNC-Charlotte are on the radar for both C-USA and SBC because of the TV market for football. Now, what could replace those schools? Old Dominion seems to be lobbying for a spot in C-USA from what I read, so they are out. VCU could be adding football in the future could be added at the FBS levels. Now, need to think outside the box of not looking at D-1 schools to replace them. There are some very strong schools in the south from D-2 that could fit in. They have strong football programs. North Alabama announced that they are moving to D-1. They made the D-2 playoffs a lot the past 10 years. Now, Valdosta State wants to move up, but do not know when. They could replace Georgia Southern in the conference. West Florida is adding football, and wants to move up. They have a strong basketball program. Albany State would be a great addition to the conference. Plus lets not forget UNC-Pembroke who brought back football is very strong. You could also try and get East Tennessee State and tenn.-Chattanooga as well.