Expanding the GSC

[UWARTime]

[Uindy18]

I would say the adding an FCS is not impossible, but unlikely. The first school that comes to mind that the GSC could easily consider is Trevecca Nazarene from the GMAC. Based in Nashville, they would be a good fit, and would be immediately competitive for a few sports like Baseball. However, they do not sponsor football. As for football schools, I would imagine the main issue that faces the conference now is that Conference Carolinas is fairly close to being a football conference (I think they need one more), so North Greeneville could be on the way out.

As for the actual process a school would have to follow, it is pretty simple.

1. Show initial interest and allow conference commissioner to vet your school
2. With that initial approval, you formally apply to the conference, and the current membership either votes you in or out.
???3. Pay your fees and now you are in the conference

That was simplified, but it is all on the GSC website.

https://gscsports.org/documents/2018...al.pdf?id=2164

[UWARTime]

Thank you for the info and link.

[canadarican]

Conference Carolinas adding football has been a conversation since I've been on this message board lol

[FormerCrusader#84]

[canadarican]

SAC won't go for Pembroke.

What is most likely to happen when Anderson joins is the SAC will keep Erskine and let Barton lose. Those 2 are only football members until 2024. I just don't know who an additional team would be IF they added Pembroke and kept BC and Erskine

[Tech Boys]

The SAC will have an odd number of teams when Anderson starts whether the affiliates are kept or not.

[FormerCrusader#84]

The SAC will have an odd number of teams when Anderson starts whether the affiliates are kept or not.

You are correct, I mistyped. The SAC currently has 12 football playing schools (10 full members and 2 football only members). They will be at 11 in 2024 if they do not renew the football only memberships of Erskine or Barton in 2024. Which wouldn't matter because 11 teams allows for a ten game conference schedule.

I have edited my original post to reflect this. Thank you for pointing out my error.

[canadarican]

The SAC will have an odd number of teams when Anderson starts whether the affiliates are kept or not.

They won't have an odd number if 1 of the 2 are kept. Which is the most likely scenario.

[Inkblot]

I'd suggest adding Erskine as a full member, but none of their sports are in very good shape right now.

[Eagle74]

SAC won't go for Pembroke.

What is most likely to happen when Anderson joins is the SAC will keep Erskine and let Barton lose. Those 2 are only football members until 2024. I just don't know who an additional team would be IF they added Pembroke and kept BC and Erskine

This has been discussed before, and the feedback I received was that when some (if not most) of the SAC ADs compared the enhanced size of UNCP (over 8,300 students and growing) they thought the smaller sized UVA-Wise (1,900 students) would be a better fit. So, I guess when the SAC looks at potential expansion options these days, size matters.

Anderson University would be a potential fit for either the GSC or CC's expansion since they're adding football (and borderline being to large for the SAC).

[canadarican]

This has been discussed before, and the feedback I received was that when some (if not most) of the SAC ADs compared the enhanced size of UNCP (over 8,300 students and growing) they thought the smaller sized UVA-Wise (1,900 students) would be a better fit. So, I guess when the SAC looks at potential expansion options these days, size matters.

Anderson University would be a potential fit for either the GSC or CC's expansion since they're adding football (and borderline being to large for the SAC).

Anderson will be in the SAC for football. They aren't moving to the GSC and the rumor of CC adding football has been nothing but an insubstantial rumor for a decade. Football rules the roost, and that is why it would make no sense for North Greenville to leave the GSC and join a 6 team Conference Carolina's football league that would be the fourth best league in the super region.

[canadarican]

I could ask around, but I believe the reasons for Pembroke not being accepted into the SAC years ago was not just because of the size but you are correct that it played a part.

[Eagle74]

I could ask around, but I believe the reasons for Pembroke not being accepted into the SAC years ago was not just because of the size but you are correct that it played a part.

Yep, I understand it played a LARGE part.

[Eagle74]

canadarican QUOTE" the rumor of CC adding football has been nothing but an insubstantial rumor for a decade"

Interesting, considering the fact that there was only 1 Conference Carolinas school which had football (NGU) back then, now they're up to 6.