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Campbell University athletics will rejoin the Big South Conference in two years, making the move in all but three sports.

Three sources close to the athletic department confirmed the move Tuesday, the same day a press conference was announced touting “an exciting new direction for Campbell University Athletics.”

The Camels will make public their plans to leave the Atlantic Sun Conference at 11 a.m. Thursday in the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center. Football, wrestling and women’s swimming will not be affected by the shift.

Phone calls to Campbell athletic director Stan Williamson and Big South commissioner Kyle Kallander seeking further comment weren’t immediately returned. The sources requested anonymity because the move hasn’t been officially announced.

Those sources also said the move was being made to trim travel expenses. The Atlantic Sun has 11 teams spread across Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.

The Big South has 10 members located in the Carolinas and Virginia. Campbell will have in-state foes in Gardner-Webb, High Point and UNC-Asheville. The other schools in the conference are Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, Presbyterian, Radford, Virginia Military Institute, and Winthrop.

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=326204

Interesting. Is Campbell a christian university like Liberty?

wkuhillhound wrote:Interesting. Is Campbell a christian university like Liberty?

Yes - Baptist

http://www.championshipsubdivision.com/ ... ell#p50610

The Big South might as well rename itself the "Conservative Conference" with Campbell coming back...you've got Campbell (Baptist), Liberty ("Evangelical"), Gardner-Webb (Baptist I think???), Charleston Southern (Baptist), High Point (Methodist), Presbyterian (Prebyterian) and VMI (Military). Only UNC-A and Radford are extremely liberal schools.

Also, if the Big South wants 12 members, is Longwood finally going to get a conference?

ATrain wrote:The Big South might as well rename itself the "Conservative Conference" with Campbell coming back...you've got Campbell (Baptist), Liberty ("Evangelical"), Gardner-Webb (Baptist I think???), Charleston Southern (Baptist), High Point (Methodist), Presbyterian (Prebyterian) and VMI (Military). Only UNC-A and Radford are extremely liberal schools.

Also, if the Big South wants 12 members, is Longwood finally going to get a conference?

This might open a spot for Longwood in either the Big South, or the A-Sun

ATrain wrote:The Big South might as well rename itself the "Conservative Conference" with Campbell coming back...you've got Campbell (Baptist), Liberty ("Evangelical"), Gardner-Webb (Baptist I think???), Charleston Southern (Baptist), High Point (Methodist), Presbyterian (Prebyterian) and VMI (Military). Only UNC-A and Radford are extremely liberal schools.

Also, if the Big South wants 12 members, is Longwood finally going to get a conference?

And then you have Stony Brook as a football affiliate.......

One of the reasons Albany declined the offer to the Big South.

ATrain wrote:The Big South might as well rename itself the "Conservative Conference" with Campbell coming back...you've got Campbell (Baptist), Liberty ("Evangelical"), Gardner-Webb (Baptist I think???), Charleston Southern (Baptist), High Point (Methodist), Presbyterian (Prebyterian) and VMI (Military). Only UNC-A and Radford are extremely liberal schools.

Also, if the Big South wants 12 members, is Longwood finally going to get a conference?

It's the "Extremist Conference".

I don't think Longwood is a christian based college. They may be the minority in this case.

wkuhillhound wrote:I don't think Longwood is a christian based college. They may be the minority in this case.

I would assume you're correct, considering Christian colleges are typically averse to having obvious dick jokes in their names

I don't think Longwood will get into the Big South, I'd hope they are saving that spot for UNA or W.Georgia in 2011. They need more members with football. My guess is they hope Campbell will start scholly fb. Longwood should get into the A-Sun now along with W.Florida (w/o fb) in 2011.

ATrain wrote:The Big South might as well rename itself the "Conservative Conference" with Campbell coming back...you've got Campbell (Baptist), Liberty ("Evangelical"), Gardner-Webb (Baptist I think???), Charleston Southern (Baptist), High Point (Methodist), Presbyterian (Prebyterian) and VMI (Military). Only UNC-A and Radford are extremely liberal schools.

Also, if the Big South wants 12 members, is Longwood finally going to get a conference?

Shouldn't be shockig that like-minded schools are in the same conference. The MAAC and WCC are long lasting all-christian leagues.

dbackjon wrote:

ATrain wrote:The Big South might as well rename itself the "Conservative Conference" with Campbell coming back...you've got Campbell (Baptist), Liberty ("Evangelical"), Gardner-Webb (Baptist I think???), Charleston Southern (Baptist), High Point (Methodist), Presbyterian (Prebyterian) and VMI (Military). Only UNC-A and Radford are extremely liberal schools.

Also, if the Big South wants 12 members, is Longwood finally going to get a conference?

This might open a spot for Longwood in either the Big South, or the A-Sun

Then again, the Big South rejected Longwood for sometime. So by adding Campbell, they have even less of a need to even consider Longwood.

collegesportsinfo wrote:

dbackjon wrote:
This might open a spot for Longwood in either the Big South, or the A-Sun

Then again, the Big South rejected Longwood for sometime. So by adding Campbell, they have even less of a need to even consider Longwood.

Unless the Big South wanted to get to 12 teams to go to two divisions.

They will want to get to 12 but I figure that it will be with W.Georgia or UNA.

Fresno St. Alum wrote:They will want to get to 12 but I figure that it will be with W.Georgia or UNA.

Both would defeat purpose of having a tight geographic footprint.

dbackjon wrote:

Fresno St. Alum wrote:They will want to get to 12 but I figure that it will be with W.Georgia or UNA.

Both would defeat purpose of having a tight geographic footprint.

W.Georgia isn't too far away from Presbyterian, & UNCA. If they really wanna keep a tight footprint, get rid of Stony Brook for fb when D-II can start moving up again.

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

dbackjon wrote:
Both would defeat purpose of having a tight geographic footprint.

W.Georgia isn't too far away from Presbyterian, & UNCA. If they really wanna keep a tight footprint, get rid of Stony Brook for fb when D-II can start moving up again.

He's gotta point. Stony Brook is not, well, "southern".

bench wrote:

wkuhillhound wrote:I don't think Longwood is a christian based college. They may be the minority in this case.

I would assume you're correct, considering Christian colleges are typically averse to having obvious dick jokes in their names

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

dbackjon wrote:
Both would defeat purpose of having a tight geographic footprint.

W.Georgia isn't too far away from Presbyterian, & UNCA. If they really wanna keep a tight footprint, get rid of Stony Brook for fb when D-II can start moving up again.

250 miles away - quite a distance.

And Stoney Brook is only in for a few years, football only.

dback 250 is a hop skip and a jump. You're from the west you should know that. far is Humboldt to San Diego.

Fresno St. Alum wrote:dback 250 is a hop skip and a jump. You're from the west you should know that. far is Humboldt to San Diego.

for the west, yes.

For the east, 50 miles is a long haul

dbackjon wrote:

Fresno St. Alum wrote:dback 250 is a hop skip and a jump. You're from the west you should know that. far is Humboldt to San Diego.

for the west, yes.

For the east, 50 miles is a long haul

Pussies!

Its the Southeast can't they go further

ATrain wrote:

collegesportsinfo wrote:
Then again, the Big South rejected Longwood for sometime. So by adding Campbell, they have even less of a need to even consider Longwood.

Unless the Big South wanted to get to 12 teams to go to two divisions.

At what benefit? If the 12th team were a football member, then it is worth it. But with Campbell not being a lock to upgrade to big South football, any 12th school would need to be a football member. I just see is as only a negative to have Longwood in the Big South.

What positives do you see for non-football Longwood in the Big South?

collegesportsinfo wrote:

ATrain wrote:
Unless the Big South wanted to get to 12 teams to go to two divisions.

At what benefit? If the 12th team were a football member, then it is worth it. But with Campbell not being a lock to upgrade to big South football, any 12th school would need to be a football member. I just see is as only a negative to have Longwood in the Big South.

What positives do you see for non-football Longwood in the Big South?

Even numbers work better for scedules other team sports like Basketball, etc

dbackjon wrote:

collegesportsinfo wrote:
At what benefit? If the 12th team were a football member, then it is worth it. But with Campbell not being a lock to upgrade to big South football, any 12th school would need to be a football member. I just see is as only a negative to have Longwood in the Big South.

What positives do you see for non-football Longwood in the Big South?

Even numbers work better for scedules other team sports like Basketball, etc

Perhaps, but if you're the Big South and know you'll eventually lose a football member (Stonybrook) you need to really pass on such luxuries as scheduling ease.

Conferences like the Big Sky have the flexibility of knowing they'd could add a Denver for #10 but still have room for 2 schools for football to stay at a manageable 12. The Big south though, is so far down the conference realignment totem pole, that they just don't have the room for failure by going to 12 when they NEED football schools (but don't have a "lesser" conference to find them in.

Some "Odd number" examples:

11 team conferences:
Big Ten
MEAC (potentially will expand 10 13 schools)
A-Sun (until Campbell leaves)
OVC (once SIUE joins)

9 team conferences:
America East
Big Sky
Big West
WAC
MWC

13 teams:
Sunbelt