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Mercer is announcing today that they're joining the Southern Conference in 2014, including scholarship football.

Pete Roussel ‏@coachingsearch 8m
Mercer University will announce today its joining the Southern Conference starting in 2014 including scholarship football.

You don't say?

Should turn out well in the course of a few years.

But boy does it show the lack of depth in available schools to replace those departing the SoCon.

Mercer has a very good baseball program.

CitadelGrad wrote:Mercer has a very good baseball program.

Is that why the SoCon brought them in?

It's a good addition, especially with the SoCon going heavily toward private/military schools. They'll struggle for a few years but it's well within a good geographical footprint.

Mercer has called a news conference for Thursday afternoon when it is expected to accept an invitation to join the Southern Conference.

Mercer is an original member of the A-Sun, which began as the Trans American Athletic Conference in 1978-79. The school, however, was expected to receive an offer to join the Southern Conference on Thursday from that conference's council of presidents.

Mercer's news conference is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at its football fieldhouse. It is expected to join the Southern Conference along with East Tennessee State, another current A-Sun school, and Virginia Military Institute. ETSU and VMI are both former members of the Southern Conference.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2013/05/30/2498123 ... rylink=cpy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also being invited is ETSU and VMI to begin in 2014-15.

CitadelGrad wrote:Mercer has a very good baseball program.

and they won the A Sun regular season basketball championship. Tourney won by none other than Florida Gulf coast.



Can't wait to have Bobby Lamb back in Paladin Stadium

BTW, Welcome to Mercer and Welcome Back ETSU. Any word on the Vagina Military Academy.

Ibanez wrote:

CitadelGrad wrote:Mercer has a very good baseball program.

Is that why the SoCon brought them in?

I imagine it was a factor, along with many others.

The three public schools (UNCG, WCU, UTC) wanted fellow public school ETSU while the three privates (Fur, Wof, Sam) wanted fellow private school Mercer and the military school, El Citadel, was willing to give each side their vote if they also voted for VMI. Kind of like a grand compromise.

That was the plan before Elon and Davidson's defections and made even more sense afterward.

Also, look who's back in the SoCon along with former App HFC Sparky Woods.

CitadelGrad wrote:

Ibanez wrote: Is that why the SoCon brought them in?

I imagine it was a factor, along with many others.

I'm not familiar with them, though I hope they kick ass today in the Regionals.

So with Elon and Davidson, does the SoCon 1 more school? I thought I read that they won't replace Davidson .

Ibanez wrote:So with Elon and Davidson, does the SoCon 1 more school? I thought I read that they won't replace Davidson .

Now I understand why CCU wasn't invited

OL FU wrote:

Ibanez wrote:So with Elon and Davidson, does the SoCon 1 more school? I thought I read that they won't replace Davidson .

Now I understand why CCU wasn't invited

OL FU wrote:

Ibanez wrote:So with Elon and Davidson, does the SoCon 1 more school? I thought I read that they won't replace Davidson .

Now I understand why CCU wasn't invited

So who does the Big South get for 12, Kennesaw St. or Kennesaw St. fb only and USCU for everything else?

Fresno St. Alum wrote:So who does the Big South get for 12, Kennesaw St. or Kennesaw St. fb only and USCU for everything else?

I heard KSU for football only and Delaware State for all sports.

danefan wrote:

Fresno St. Alum wrote:So who does the Big South get for 12, Kennesaw St. or Kennesaw St. fb only and USCU for everything else?

I heard KSU for football only and Delaware State for all sports.

Delaware St. good enough for all sports but KSU in Atlanta area fb only? WTF?

new SoCon for 2014-15:

Chattanooga
Citadel
East Tennessee (no football until 2015)
Furman
Mercer
Samford
UNC-Greensboro (no football)
VMI
Western Carolina
Wofford

psychoCAT wrote:new SoCon for 2014-15:

Chattanooga
Citadel
East Tennessee (no football until 2015)
Furman
Mercer
Samford
UNC-Greensboro (no football)
VMI
Western Carolina
Wofford

One bid conference.

catdaddy2402 wrote:

psychoCAT wrote:new SoCon for 2014-15:

Chattanooga
Citadel
East Tennessee (no football until 2015)
Furman
Mercer
Samford
UNC-Greensboro (no football)
VMI
Western Carolina
Wofford

One bid conference.

Easily two.


Sent from the center of the universe.

CID1990 wrote:

catdaddy2402 wrote:
One bid conference.

Easily two.


Sent from the center of the universe.

24 team playoff - easily two.