D2 'Southern East Conference' / GSC & Conference Carolina Football

[Eagle74]

D2 'Southern East Conference' / Gulf South Conference & Conference Carolina Football

West Florida, Barton, Valdosta State, Chowan, Erskine, Delta State, UNC Pembroke, West Georgia, North Greenville, West Alabama, Shorter, and Mississippi College. With the possible addition of Limestone, Wingate, and Newberry in a future SEC alignment.


This potential 'Southern East Conference' powerhouse Division 2 Football conference is something that is already on the mind of a lot of fans, players, ADs, and coaches, and has a pretty good chance of eventually coming to fruition. No more scheduling problems and to save $$$ on travel cost, could be split into Northern and Southern Divisions.

[ctrabs74]

D2 'Southern East Conference' / Gulf South Conference & Conference Carolina Football

West Florida, Barton, Valdosta State, Chowan, Erskine, Delta State, UNC Pembroke, West Georgia, North Greenville, West Alabama, Shorter, and Mississippi College. With the possible addition of Limestone, Wingate, and Newberry in a future SEC alignment.


This potential 'Southern East Conference' powerhouse Division 2 Football conference is something that is already on the mind of a lot of fans, players, ADs, and coaches, and has a pretty good chance of eventually coming to fruition. No more scheduling problems and to save $$$ on travel cost, could be split into Northern and Southern Divisions.

I think, in theory, it will happen, but it won't be happening under this "Southern East" branding. It will likely be an alliance similar to ASUN/WAC or the Big South/Ohio Valley football alliance as the NCAA has, in the past, frowned upon "football-only" single sport conferences at the D2 level (that attitude may have changed in recent years, at least at the FCS level).

[chapmaja]

I think, in theory, it will happen, but it won't be happening under this "Southern East" branding. It will likely be an alliance similar to ASUN/WAC or the Big South/Ohio Valley football alliance as the NCAA has, in the past, frowned upon "football-only" single sport conferences at the D2 level (that attitude may have changed in recent years, at least at the FCS level).

I agree that it wouldn't happen under the Southern East Branding, but I disagree with the idea that the NCAA has frowned upon the idea of football only conferences. I think what the NCAA does frown upon is an administration which is distinctly different than any other conference maintains. This causes problems for the NCAA regarding communication.

It also begs the question, when was the last time D2 football had a football only conference? The last I recall was the MIFC which disbanded in the late 1990's. The MIFC, as I recall, had always been under the control of the GLIAC's offices, but was a distinct operational entity. When the MIFC was folded back into the GLIAC, the only non-GLIAC member in the MIFC was Indianapolis, which became an associate member for football and was also for swimming and diving around that time as well. Prior to the MIFC disbanding, the MIFC had contained St. Francis (Il), but they decided to move to solely NAIA membership and drop out of D2 football.

[Inkblot]

I agree that it wouldn't happen under the Southern East Branding, but I disagree with the idea that the NCAA has frowned upon the idea of football only conferences. I think what the NCAA does frown upon is an administration which is distinctly different than any other conference maintains. This causes problems for the NCAA regarding communication.

It also begs the question, when was the last time D2 football had a football only conference? The last I recall was the MIFC which disbanded in the late 1990's. The MIFC, as I recall, had always been under the control of the GLIAC's offices, but was a distinct operational entity. When the MIFC was folded back into the GLIAC, the only non-GLIAC member in the MIFC was Indianapolis, which became an associate member for football and was also for swimming and diving around that time as well. Prior to the MIFC disbanding, the MIFC had contained St. Francis (Il), but they decided to move to solely NAIA membership and drop out of D2 football.

The EFC merged into the NE10 in 2001. More recently there was the GLFC, but it never had enough members to be recognized as a conference.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure D2 has single-sport conferences in any sport.

[Tech Boys]

The New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference is a D2-only conference. Two schools are in the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference and seven schools are in the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference, both are multi-divisional conferences. Almost all teams competing in the National Collegiate Division are in single-sport conferences.

[BEARS]

D2 'Southern East Conference' / Gulf South Conference & Conference Carolina Football

West Florida, Barton, Valdosta State, Chowan, Erskine, Delta State, UNC Pembroke, West Georgia, North Greenville, West Alabama, Shorter, and Mississippi College. With the possible addition of Limestone, Wingate, and Newberry in a future SEC alignment.


This potential 'Southern East Conference' powerhouse Division 2 Football conference is something that is already on the mind of a lot of fans, players, ADs, and coaches, and has a pretty good chance of eventually coming to fruition. No more scheduling problems and to save $$$ on travel cost, could be split into Northern and Southern Divisions.

How did you come up with these teams specifically? Delta State seems a little far away from Chowan don't ya think?

[chapmaja]

The EFC merged into the NE10 in 2001. More recently there was the GLFC, but it never had enough members to be recognized as a conference.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure D2 has single-sport conferences in any sport.

GLFC was an interesting "institution". Only 1 year did it have 6 members, which is generally the required number to qualify as a conference. It was 2007 when the membership included Central State, Missouri S&T, Lincoln (Mo), KWC, St. Joesph, and Tiffin. The conference immediately fell apart due to it being a single sport conference. I think the goal was to have the conference under the GLVC name, but they had 1 major sticking point, Indianapolis.

Indianapolis was, in my opinion, what held up the GLVC. If the GLVC is like most conferences, they require a minimum percentage of schools from the conference to offer a sport, usually 40% or 50%, and meet the NCAA minimum (I think it is 6). It wasn't until 2012 that the GLVC, with the addition of Quincy (from the NAIA level for football), McKendree (moved up from NAIA), William Jewell (recently moved up from NAIA), that the GLVC met the requirements they needed for the conference to sponsor the sport, and as such, then Indianapolis left the GLIAC for the GLVC in football. I think it was a smart decision for them to assure the move for their football program was in the best interest of the school and was to a stable location. The GLFC was anything but stable.

A similar situation happened, but on a larger scale with the EFC. The EFC appeared to be a conglomeration of football playing schools from several divisions and changed configuration as schools added the sport. The NE-10 involvement came into play when Southern Conn St and UMASS-Lowell joined the conference. The addition of these two schools, meant the conference had sufficient numbers to sponsor the sport. The final season of the EFC was basically a NE-10 precursor as the other schools who had been members, byt that time had all left.

[Eagle74]

How did you come up with these teams specifically? Delta State seems a little far away from Chowan don't ya think?

These are a blend of Conference Carolinas and the GSC. Yes, Delta State is a long haul from Chowan, but in comparison, based on the new SAC / MEC scheduling agreement, it's basically around the same distance as what SAC's Newberry is from MEC's Notre Dame College.

If (or when) one of the GSC programs decides to move up a division, this combined, new formed football conference would not only be a game changer, but also a potential scheduling savior for some D2 football programs.

Just looking ahead.

[RedFromMI]

The difference is that the SAC/MEC matchups happen a couple of times a year vs. a GSC/CC alignment where half the games are across conferences.

[Eagle74]

With potentially 12 (or more) teams in the conference, having a northern and southern division would work well in cutting back on travel every (or every other) season.