Elon to join CAA

[T-Dog]

Press conference 2 pm Thursday according to Elon's athletic's twitter.

[hapapp]

Amazing how different the SoCon will look with the departures of ASU, GSU, DC, CofC, and Elon. Who else will the SoCon pursue beyond Mercer, ETSU, and VMI?

[JTApps1]

Another one bites the dust...

It's pretty bad that the SoCon has now become a stepping stone for the likes of Elon.

[TheMoody1]

This is all part of Immamoron's master plan.

[Saint3333]

If I'm Furman I might start calling the CAA. Citadel could be let holding the bag, ironic huh.

[GlassOnion]

And the echoes of Furman and Cid fans claiming the Socon's greatness fades to nothing...

[WVAPPeer]

my close friend in the Elon athletic dept just texted me to say - it indeed looks like they will be moving to the CAA ---

[Saint3333]

It really is a shame that other members are letting the conference go in this direction. They still have a chance to add members though.

[asumike83]

Reading the AGS folks post about how much better SoCon basketball will be now is hilarious. Basketball is taking a significant hit, albeit not to the degree of football.

Departing schools, 2013 basketball RPI:
Davidson - 65
Charleston - 145
Elon - 181
Appalachian - 264
Georgia Southern - 267

Incoming schools, 2013 basketball RPI:
Mercer - 118
ETSU - 271
VMI - 302

[AppGrad1]

SoCon has been very good to/for us.
Many are talking like it was a trash conference.
I hope it continues and collects some really good teams.

[JTApps1]

If I'm Furman I might start calling the CAA. Citadel could be let holding the bag, ironic huh.

Furman would make a good replacement for JMU if/when they leave.

[8993]

I will continue to follow the SoCon, and I wish them the best. It's shocking what losing a few good schools can really do to the conference. A year ago, none of this was expected, App, GaSo, Elon, Davidson, and CofC were all members for the foreseeable future, and now the SoCon is going to be forced to add decent schools quickly and smoothly.

[ASUGoose]

I will continue to follow the SoCon, and I wish them the best. It's shocking what losing a few good schools can really do to the conference. A year ago, none of this was expected, App, GaSo, Elon, Davidson, and CofC were all members for the foreseeable future, and now the SoCon is going to be forced to add decent schools quickly and smoothly.

I also have no ill will towards the SoCon but everyone one of the current members should have ill will towards the commish of the SoCon. I would disagree in that it has been known for a while that CofC and App made their intentions known to move out of SoCon. Around the time GaSo made noise of moving up to FBS, Davidson was talking with other conferences at that time as well. The SoCon had ample time to be PROACTIVE but instead played the "we didn't know" card once schools made it official. This was a poorly run league and those running it should be held responsible for its collapse. I hate to see it happen like anyone else but the SoCon had this coming...

[ASU-FTW]

SoCon has been very good to/for us.
Many are talking like it was a trash conference.
I hope it continues and collects some really good teams.

It's a trash conference now. All thanks to Iamaritard

[MAD Doctor]

While I have fond memories of our SoCon days, that ship has sailed (minus our farewell tour in 2013-14). I didn't appreciate the commish's attitude during our CUSA disappointment nor the Sun Belt bashing, "we will be stronger without them" crowd from Furple and WCU. Those idiots are still in denial and are posting that the SoCon should get James Madison, Eastern Kentucky, and William and Mary (What, no Boise State?). Someone please hand Nero the fiddle.

[bcoach]

How would you combat the loss of APP and GAS? That is pretty tough to overcome. If you were Elon and had the opportunity to join the CAA is there anything the SOCON could do to keep you? If we had intentions on staying FCS and got an invite from the CAA could the SOCON keep us? I feel bad that this is happening to the SOCON. They have been the incubator for some programs that are in the big time today. A lot of schools including us really owe them some gratitude. We may be glad we have moved on but we should also be thankful that we spent time there. Many of us have some great memories that we would not have had otherwise. I truly wish them luck.

[JTApps1]

How would you combat the loss of APP and GAS? That is pretty tough to overcome. If you were Elon and had the opportunity to join the CAA is there anything the SOCON could do to keep you? If we had intentions on staying FCS and got an invite from the CAA could the SOCON keep us? I feel bad that this is happening to the SOCON. They have been the incubator for some programs that are in the big time today. A lot of schools including us really owe them some gratitude. We may be glad we have moved on but we should also be thankful that we spent time there. Many of us have some great memories that we would not have had otherwise. I truly wish them luck.

Furman and The Citadel are the only schools we owe any gratitude towards since they are the only members left that voted us into the league. We sure dont owe the current administration in the SoCon office anything since their policies have done nothing to help App. They got themselves into this mess with busch league decision making.

[appstate77]

Other than making the poor decision in 1982 to go into 1-AA football I have nothing against the SoCon. They gave us our birth into D1 sports, without which we would not be where we are now. From them we earned more than 50 championships in most all mens and women's sports. During a time when the SoCon was the toughest football league in FCS, we earned a share or outright championships in football.

Part of me is sad to see them decline . Another part tells me that this is evidence that we have outgrown the SoCon and are more than ready to return to an FBS type league which the SoCon was in the early 70's.

A fellow clergyman who attended Wofford and who gives me a hard time, got a little of it back from me today once the Elon news broke. I said something along the lines "Whoever is the last team to leave the SoCon cut off the lights." After his initial chagrin, I said to him, SoCon football belongs to you-Wofford, and Furman now. He reluctantly agreed.

The move to the SBC looks better and better and better!!!

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Other than making the poor decision in 1982 to go into 1-AA football I have nothing against the SoCon.!

I thought the SoCon and Southland, MAC and maybe what become the MVFC all fought the NCAA on the move to I-AA. The MAC had the B10 fighting for them and were able to stay I-A and the other 3 were forced to I-AA after a good fight for a few years.

[appstate77]

Other than making the poor decision in 1982 to go into 1-AA football I have nothing against the SoCon.!

I thought the SoCon and Southland, MAC and maybe what become the MVFC all fought the NCAA on the move to I-AA. The MAC had the B10 fighting for them and were able to stay I-A and the other 3 were forced to I-AA after a good fight for a few years.

They did fight it until the NCAA made the requirements to stay quite stringent...requirements that the NCAA selectively enforces. The SoCon et. al. got tired of fighting and accepted the status quo, which for App set us a back a generation.