Go WEST young man (and NORTH)

[Ron Boerger]

IMO both, especially if they heard Centre and Oglethorpe are also seeking exits after the Millsaps move. 

The general view is that Trinity was the leading force when the two schools left for the SAA and that the Pirates weren't all that enamored with the move from the beginning.  What seemed like a genius move for football after the ASC claimed two SCAC schools suddenly was not after they retained their bid with the Gallaudet afilliation, and with Millsaps further solidifying that picture suddenly the additional travel costs and hassle of SAA membership weren't worth it.  Southwestern is opening their on-campus football stadium this fall so football is a big part of the equation, and I have a feeling the SAA's stubborn refusal to allow the Texas schools to have their share of championships (one minor sport last season (XC), one this season (VB), 18 sports, 25% of the schools in Texas, do the math) didn't help their cause. 

It's one thing to spend a lot of money and time on travel if you're successful (Trinity, which won the SAA Commissioner's Cup by a record margin), another if you're not (Southwestern placed sixth of eight, barely edging out much smaller Oglethorpe).  The SCAC gives both Southwestern and Millsaps (a distant eighth and last in the SAA standings) a more even playing field upon which they can compete.  And if the SAA can't retain four of its charter members in a single season, its future is dim as there's virtually no way to say "we are a premium academic/athletic conference" if they have to accept schools that don't meet that qualification to survive.

Hanberry has done amazing work pulling the SCAC's chestnuts out of the fire dating back to the original split of the SAA in 2012, to the point they now have the luxury of turning prospective members away (he states in the interview that 12 schools is where he'd like to see things remain, at least in the short term).  One wonders how different the landscape in the South/Texas would be had he taken the job the SAA offered him at that time.