Conference Carolina’s Preseason Poll 2026

[Eagle74]

In the voting, North Greenville University is predicted to come in first, closely followed by UNC-Pembroke, with Barton and Ferrum rounding out the top 4.

https://conferencecarolinas.com/news...ason-poll.aspx

[Mule]

Presently and for the foreseeable future, (football-wise) the conference is ruled by two programs. I expect it to stay that way until Valdosta State joins as an affiliate member.

[FormerCrusader#84]

In the voting, North Greenville University is predicted to come in first, closely followed by UNC-Pembroke, with Barton and Ferrum rounding out the top 4.

https://conferencecarolinas.com/news...ason-poll.aspx

That seems to be about what I expected. I think the top spot could go either way between NGU and UNCP. I have been pleasantly surprised by Ferrum so far after moving up from D3.

Presently and for the foreseeable future, (football-wise) the conference is ruled by two programs. I expect it to stay that way until Valdosta State joins as an affiliate member.

I agree about NGU and UNCP being the top two programs for the foreseeable future. Your comment about VSU is accurate too, only if that ever happens. According to this article it seems Valdosta State has had overtures from FCS and may be considering the move.

[Mule]

I agree about NGU and UNCP being the top two programs for the foreseeable future. Your comment about VSU is accurate too, only if that ever happens. According to this article it seems Valdosta State has had overtures from FCS and may be considering the move.

Yes, I saw that too. But at the moment it just sounds like a lot of "AD" talk - meaning, he's gotta say what he's gotta say without saying much at all.

Even though moving the football program up to FCS - and therefore mandatorily the entire athletic program up to D1 - is an option that's "on the table" for Valdosta, I don't think it's one they will ultimately choose. First of all, it would entail a huge and ongoing financial commitment, requiring major increases in scholarships, facilities and overall athletic department funding. This funding would include higher coaching salaries, recruiting budgets, compliance staffing and operational expenses, to name a few. That's an additional several millions of dollars each year, and we haven't even considered the fact that according to Title XI, if football scholarships increase, then so must women's scholarship opportunities increase proportionately department-wide.

Second, the football facilities alone will require major upgrades, and I'm mainly speaking of the football stadium. Yes, Valdosta could continue to play in the city-owned Bazemore-Hyder high school stadium, and yes the stadium has ample seating capacity...but it would not consistently attract the kinds of D1 athletes to compete at the FCS level with rival schools like West Florida, West Georgia and North Alabama, to name a few. A new on-campus (or near-campus) stadium would be needed, and again that's a huge financial commitment that the school has never seemed ready to make. Take note that we aren't even considering the other facility upgrades for other sports that would likely have to come into play.

Third, some might point to North Alabama, West Georgia or West Florida and say "Hey, if they can do it, why not Valdosta too?". Great question, but the key difference lies in the fact that those three schools did not move up in a reactionary way, but each had an institutional vision for doing so. The discussion of Valdosta moving up seems to be more reactionary to what others are doing.

There are other reasons beyond these for sure. Nonetheless, if several major donors emerged, and if the University System of GA supported the move, and if the school ok'd a substantial increase in annual student athletic fees, and if all this could be sustained when the football team isn't winning like they normally do in D2, then this conversation may look very different. Just keep in mind, the biggest question regarding a possible move to D1/FCS is whether or not the university can afford to operate a D1 athletic department year after year without putting an annual financial strain on the university itself.

Affiliation with Conference Carolinas (or the SAC, though unlikely IMO) seems to make more sense for the Blazers. Would be a football home in a conference where the Blazers would be immediate contenders (to say the least) for the conference title (and playoffs) every year. Add West Alabama also as an affiliate member, and that's a nice conference for football.

[FormerCrusader#84]

Yes, I saw that too. But at the moment it just sounds like a lot of "AD" talk - meaning, he's gotta say what he's gotta say without saying much at all.

Even though moving the football program up to FCS - and therefore mandatorily the entire athletic program up to D1 - is an option that's "on the table" for Valdosta, I don't think it's one they will ultimately choose. First of all, it would entail a huge and ongoing financial commitment, requiring major increases in scholarships, facilities and overall athletic department funding. This funding would include higher coaching salaries, recruiting budgets, compliance staffing and operational expenses, to name a few. That's an additional several millions of dollars each year, and we haven't even considered the fact that according to Title XI, if football scholarships increase, then so must women's scholarship opportunities increase proportionately department-wide.

Second, the football facilities alone will require major upgrades, and I'm mainly speaking of the football stadium. Yes, Valdosta could continue to play in the city-owned Bazemore-Hyder high school stadium, and yes the stadium has ample seating capacity...but it would not consistently attract the kinds of D1 athletes to compete at the FCS level with rival schools like West Florida, West Georgia and North Alabama, to name a few. A new on-campus (or near-campus) stadium would be needed, and again that's a huge financial commitment that the school has never seemed ready to make. Take note that we aren't even considering the other facility upgrades for other sports that would likely have to come into play.

Third, some might point to North Alabama, West Georgia or West Florida and say "Hey, if they can do it, why not Valdosta too?". Great question, but the key difference lies in the fact that those three schools did not move up in a reactionary way, but each had an institutional vision for doing so. The discussion of Valdosta moving up seems to be more reactionary to what others are doing.

There are other reasons beyond these for sure. Nonetheless, if several major donors emerged, and if the University System of GA supported the move, and if the school ok'd a substantial increase in annual student athletic fees, and if all this could be sustained when the football team isn't winning like they normally do in D2, then this conversation may look very different. Just keep in mind, the biggest question regarding a possible move to D1/FCS is whether or not the university can afford to operate a D1 athletic department year after year without putting an annual financial strain on the university itself.

Affiliation with Conference Carolinas (or the SAC, though unlikely IMO) seems to make more sense for the Blazers. Would be a football home in a conference where the Blazers would be immediate contenders (to say the least) for the conference title (and playoffs) every year. Add West Alabama also as an affiliate member, and that's a nice conference for football.

I agree with you that at this point it is likely that the comments were just AD talk, and I agree that VSU is not in a position to make the move. I also understand what is entailed in moving up from D2 to D1/FCS and that it is a complete athletics department move - not just football. I'm not advocating for VSU to move up.

Ultimately, I think Valdosta State is better off staying in D2 and moving their sports to either the Peach Belt or Sunshine State conferences (either would reduce travel) and playing football in Conference Carolinas. Nonetheless, my original statement still stands - "if that ever happens." VSU still has to be invited to join CC in football, and who knows if that happens. If I was a team at the bottom of the standings in CC I don't know that I would vote for VSU to join the conference because it is already an uphill battle to compete with NGU/UNCP.

If Conference Carolinas doesn't materialize as an option for VSU then maybe they have to pursue D1/FCS. Having been a student-athlete at NGU when they were independent in football it was tough - so I would not advocate playing as an Indy because scheduling is difficult (as we have seen this spring for VSU and Delta State in the reduced GSC), recruiting suffers, attendance dwindles.

[Mule]

Good points #84. True that Valdosta would need the invite to the CC, and schools like Erskine, Chowan and Shorter would have to be convinced that such a move would benefit them as well. To your point, that could be a tough sell.

[Mule]

Saw this posted on another message board. The poster is a Valdosta alumnus:

The big issue is that the local community could care less about VSU. As an alumni and a former local I have personal experiences with this. Even when we were winning national championships we couldn't sell out. A lot of people in Valdosta would watch the playoff games on TV when they were televised, but otherwise high school football rules Valdosta.

It's the same reason Valdosta High still owns the stadium VSU plays in despite the University Center being right beside it (it's basically on campus), and Valdosta High no longer being anywhere near it. The alumni of VHS don't want to sell it, and that's just the regular local sentiment unfortunately.

I wish the community cared about a team with such a rich history, but they don't.


Says a lot.