FB: Southern Athletic Association

[jknezek]

Trinity to the SCAC could put the USA South in a pickle and give the CCS a reason to sponsor football.

Hear me out:

Football...
Maryville
Centre
Sewanee
Berry
Rhodes
Belhaven
Huntingdon
LaGrange

Non-football...
Oglethorpe
Asbury
Piedmont
Covenant
Agnes Scott (2027)

I guess. You could also do it this way and have a north/south division, since there aren't quite 12 without Rhodes and Centre, which I think would have better options. Play your division every year, 4 games, play 4 from the opposite division, leaving 1 OOC game at the start of the season and 1v1, 2v2, etc. to decide the championship and play out the last weekend. Very manageable for an area of the country that struggles to find reasonable OOC games.

North Football:
Brevard
Maryville
Greensboro
NC Wes
Southern Virginia

South Football:
Berry
Belhaven
Huntingdon
LaGrange
Sewanee

Once football is squared away, which is the hardest, just keep the CCS/USASAC split where needed for the other sports.

[MCScots2013]

I think one of the points earlier this summer from awadelewis was Rhodes and Sewanee sticking together.  Fair point, I guess.  And--as someone who loves the traditions and rivalries of college athletics--very much appreciated.  The last 10+ years of conference realignments in any division has me throwing in the towel somedays.

But, you are right.  Centre has options.  Just north enough and south enough to get attention and would be a good addition to any conference.

[MCScots2013]

I'm looking forward to getting Murvul back on our schedule. We always enjoy those trips to eastern Tennessee.

Have fond memories of my trip there last season.  Lovely campus, friendly people, some really good grub.

Here's to staying in the SAA so you can make the trip next year and enjoy another, new part of campus. New "Center for Appalachian Music" is now planned after a $3M gift from the Mike Curb Foundation as announced today.

Such is Homecoming week...lots of big news. Makes you wonder what's next!

[awadelewis]

I think one of the points earlier this summer from awadelewis was Rhodes and Sewanee sticking together.  Fair point, I guess.  And--as someone who loves the traditions and rivalries of college athletics--very much appreciated.  The last 10+ years of conference realignments in any division has me throwing in the towel somedays.

But, you are right.  Centre has options.  Just north enough and south enough to get attention and would be a good addition to any conference.

It would make me very sad to see Sewanee and Rhodes in different conferences as it would flush a rivalry that's over a century old.  That's one of issues I have with the idea of going the CCS route as there really isn't any traditional rivalries for us in that list for football.   Unlike some of the others such as between Berry, LaGrange, and Huntingdon.  But necessity exists, I think. 

[Ron Boerger]

I think one of the points earlier this summer from awadelewis was Rhodes and Sewanee sticking together.  Fair point, I guess.  And--as someone who loves the traditions and rivalries of college athletics--very much appreciated.  The last 10+ years of conference realignments in any division has me throwing in the towel somedays.

But, you are right.  Centre has options.  Just north enough and south enough to get attention and would be a good addition to any conference.

It would make me very sad to see Sewanee and Rhodes in different conferences as it would flush a rivalry that's over a century old.  That's one of issues I have with the idea of going the CCS route as there really isn't any traditional rivalries for us in that list for football.   Unlike some of the others such as between Berry, LaGrange, and Huntingdon.  But necessity exists, I think. 

In the event the two schools split up, nothing keeps them from scheduling non-conference tilts.  That's always one of the hardest parts of figuring out a schedule, especially in football, and you'd expect the two schools to be eager to keep playing each other.

[Hawks88]

I think one of the points earlier this summer from awadelewis was Rhodes and Sewanee sticking together.  Fair point, I guess.  And--as someone who loves the traditions and rivalries of college athletics--very much appreciated.  The last 10+ years of conference realignments in any division has me throwing in the towel somedays.

But, you are right.  Centre has options.  Just north enough and south enough to get attention and would be a good addition to any conference.

It would make me very sad to see Sewanee and Rhodes in different conferences as it would flush a rivalry that's over a century old.  That's one of issues I have with the idea of going the CCS route as there really isn't any traditional rivalries for us in that list for football.  Unlike some of the others such as between Berry, LaGrange, and Huntingdon.  But necessity exists, I think. 

In the event the two schools split up, nothing keeps them from scheduling non-conference tilts.  That's always one of the hardest parts of figuring out a schedule, especially in football, and you'd expect the two schools to be eager to keep playing each other.

This was Huntingdon and Maryville for the first two seasons after they left the USA South. Both sides wanted to keep playing but with the non-conference games already in place, there was no common open date available. I was told a while back that we are on for week 3 in '27.

[Ron Boerger]

In other news, Tucker Horn (Trinity '24) will get the start tomorrow night when the Toronto Argos, who have already clinched a playoff spot, take on the division/league leading Montreal Alouettes.  I think this is the first time he's gotten a regular-season start; it's the last game of the regular season between two teams that are already locked into the CFL playoffs.

See https://x.com/Ben__Grant/status/2113298139276886044 for the full depth chart.

[Ron Boerger]

Maryville received a $1.5M gift for a new practice facility:

The complex – scheduled for completion in time for the 2027-28 academic year – will include a turf field, which will allow for practice in inclement weather as well as on sunny days, and new lights will give the team the ability to practice after dark or before sunrise.

[MCScots2013]

Beat me to it!

This must be the phase 1 I heard about and mentioned a week or so ago. Surprised the gift was not part of the Roy Kramer estate.

Thank you to the Zappa family! Can't wait to see the progress over the coming months