Following the Bulldogs by Thomas Grant Times and Democrat Blog
Could South Carolina State depart the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the Southern Conference?
Apparently, SCSU chairman Maurice Washington believes the school should take a serious look into such a possibility. At Thursday’s board meeting, Washington brought up the issue in suggesting the move would reduce travel costs for the athletics department in allowing SCSU to play teams closer to home.
“We need to make a prudent examination into this,” Washington said.
SCSU President Andrew Hugine provided a rebuttal, stating the MEAC plans to expand in future years and this could divide the conference into two separate subdivisions like the Southeastern Conference. This would allow SCSU to schedule more non-conference opponents which could also allow games taking place closer to Orangeburg.
Considering both the MEAC and the NCAA for that matter currently have moratoriums in place preventing further conference expansions, such a prospect could be years in the making if ever.
But back to Washington’s proposal.
On the surface, it looks like a good idea for both revenue-making sports like football and basketball. The football team would get to compete in one of the best Football Championship Subdivision conferences in America, one with a significantly higher power ranking in the MEAC and face teams geographically close like Furman, Wofford, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. SCSU would also bring a loyal fan following to these venues, insuring higher gate attendance for the SoCon teams they face on the road.
For the positives for the revenue-sports, there are several unspoken negatives about making such a move. Number one, none of the non-revenue sports are in position right now to even compete in the SoCon with exception to tennis. Track and field, cross-country, softball, volleyball and soccer have all performed poorly in recent years not only in the MEAC, but outside the conference against teams from the SoCon and even Big South. Those same schools also even a major advantage in recruiting since - let’s be honest - it’s easier to recruit a white student-athlete who’s only at an FCS level to attend a Furman or Wofford than it is to attend SCSU. Unless the current coaches or administration at SCSU are willing to expand their reach, such a development will not change anytime soon and they can count on being one of the bottom-feeders for years to come in the SoCon or Big South.
There’s also another unspoken truth which applies to football and basketball and it pertains to attendance. While SCSU will bring a crowd to a road stadium, it’s been shown that those same fans at Wofford, Furman and Georgia Southern will not return the favor and flock to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. SCSU football has accounted for two of the four largest crowds at Wofford College and one of the largest in Coastal Carolina’s school history, but only the game against Coastal Carolina drew well over 10,000 fans in Orangeburg.
The same was true last season in men’s basketball when the men’s team hosted two Big South opponents (North Carolina-Asheville and Coastal Carolina) and drew less than 500 fans. Truly, it’s been a win-lose proposition for SCSU when it comes to dealing with FCS schools. If anything, SCSU will be perceived as the ‘outsider’ among the veteran teams of the SoCon and Big South and those schools will look to get what they can out of SCSU without giving anything in return.
Granted, the MEAC is a conference in dire need of change. Commissioner Dennis Thomas’ administration has gone the way of his coaching tenure at SCSU - uninspiring and forgettable. The Presidents in this conference also seem more concerned about their own well-being and interest rather than working towards a collective goal for the good of the conference. There are no forward-thinking leaders in this conference and an argument could be add the CIAA has done more with less.
Perhaps SCSU could work out an arrangement should it join the SoCon to perhaps regulate its non-revenue sports to competing in a Division II conference during the transition. Or maybe SCSU could stay in the MEAC, but work diligently to demand the other conference members to ’shape up or ship out’. There’s also the independent route where SCSU could schedule MEAC, SoCon, Big South and Football Bowl Subdivision teams, but only Notre Dame makes money as an independent.
At the end of the day, it’s all about money when it comes to making a decision to end a longtime relationship and the rivalries which come with it to start new ones. While moving to the SoCon would mean less travel costs, it does not mean more money coming into the coffers especially if the same fundamental problem exists of drawing fans to the stadium. Until season ticket sales are at a level equivalent to USC or Clemson and the administration demands a higher level of excellence from all of its sports, it will not make a difference what conference SCSU joins in the future.
If joining the SoCon would guarantee higher revenues and better sports teams for SCSU, I would jump at the opportunity. Right now, however, I doubt it.
For the positives for the revenue-sports, there are several unspoken negatives about making such a move. Number one, none of the non-revenue sports are in position right now to even compete in the SoCon with exception to tennis. Track and field, cross-country, softball, volleyball and soccer have all performed poorly in recent years not only in the MEAC, but outside the conference against teams from the SoCon and even Big South. Those same schools also even a major advantage in recruiting since - let’s be honest - it’s easier to recruit a white student-athlete who’s only at an FCS level to attend a Furman or Wofford than it is to attend SCSU. Unless the current coaches or administration at SCSU are willing to expand their reach, such a development will not change anytime soon and they can count on being one of the bottom-feeders for years to come in the SoCon or Big South.
There’s also another unspoken truth which applies to football and basketball and it pertains to attendance. While SCSU will bring a crowd to a road stadium, it’s been shown that those same fans at Wofford, Furman and Georgia Southern will not return the favor and flock to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. SCSU football has accounted for two of the four largest crowds at Wofford College and one of the largest in Coastal Carolina’s school history, but only the game against Coastal Carolina drew well over 10,000 fans in Orangeburg.
The same was true last season in men’s basketball when the men’s team hosted two Big South opponents (North Carolina-Asheville and Coastal Carolina) and drew less than 500 fans. Truly, it’s been a win-lose proposition for SCSU when it comes to dealing with FCS schools. If anything, SCSU will be perceived as the ‘outsider’ among the veteran teams of the SoCon and Big South and those schools will look to get what they can out of SCSU without giving anything in return.
Granted, the MEAC is a conference in dire need of change. Commissioner Dennis Thomas’ administration has gone the way of his coaching tenure at SCSU - uninspiring and forgettable. The Presidents in this conference also seem more concerned about their own well-being and interest rather than working towards a collective goal for the good of the conference. There are no forward-thinking leaders in this conference and an argument could be add the CIAA has done more with less.
Perhaps SCSU could work out an arrangement should it join the SoCon to perhaps regulate its non-revenue sports to competing in a Division II conference during the transition. Or maybe SCSU could stay in the MEAC, but work diligently to demand the other conference members to ’shape up or ship out’. There’s also the independent route where SCSU could schedule MEAC, SoCon, Big South and Football Bowl Subdivision teams, but only Notre Dame makes money as an independent.
At the end of the day, it’s all about money when it comes to making a decision to end a longtime relationship and the rivalries which come with it to start new ones. While moving to the SoCon would mean less travel costs, it does not mean more money coming into the coffers especially if the same fundamental problem exists of drawing fans to the stadium. Until season ticket sales are at a level equivalent to USC or Clemson and the administration demands a higher level of excellence from all of its sports, it will not make a difference what conference SCSU joins in the future.
If joining the SoCon would guarantee higher revenues and better sports teams for SCSU, I would jump at the opportunity. Right now, however, I doubt it.
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