Current DII Presbyterian to Join Big South

[Bison_Kent]

This move will put the Big South at 6 football teams and would be eligible for an automatic bid on their own.

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thestate/sports/14219028.htm?source=rss&channel=thestate_sports

[IowaBisonToo]

Another perennial power from the Southeast making the jump. Isn't the student population of Pres. something like 3000 students????

[mikelsch]

So much for the GWFC and Big South merging to create an autobid situation.

[MplsBison]

Hate to say it but the GWFC is going to be SOL when NDSU, SDSU, and UCD leave.

[BisonBacker]

I don't see the GWFC being around in 3-4 years. I see NDSU and SDSU as travel partners in a conference in 2. What happens to the GWFC then is anyones guess. Tough to have a conference with 3 members. :-/

[Scooter]

Presbyterian!?!? Although they may have a decent football team, when you think of the top D2 teams, do they even come to mind? This is just someone to add to fulfill an autobid when they become eligible. (if they can survive) I can think of several D2 teams before I even think about Presbyterian. Such as: GVSU, Noth Alabama, Pittsburg State, Northwest Missouri, Texas AMK, Valdosta State, IUP, und, UNO, Carson Newman, Catabaw, Tuskegee, Delta State, Winona State ;).....

[sambini]

I don't see the GWFC being around in 3-4 years. *I see NDSU and SDSU as travel partners in a conference in 2. *What happens to the GWFC then is anyones guess. *Tough to have a conference with 3 members. :-/
+++++++++++++++

[Gamehunter]

At this point in time the Big South is such a weak league I really don't think they deserve an autobid :-/ All that would accomplish would be to take away another at-large bit to a team that is actually deserving of a playoff spot.

[mikelsch]

Excellent point. Hopefully the committee will remember that before they grant them an autobid.

[IowaBisonToo]

OK. So they weren't the power that those schools are/were. Then let's consider them something similar to UMD or Winona but probably with more schollies.

The pastures of DI look a lot more appetizing than what DII is becoming.

[broke_back_mnt]

Presbyterian is a top DII program. *They played in the SAC (South Atlantic Confernce) with Carson-Newman, Catawba, Tusculum and others. *Presbyterian won the SAC last yr with a 7-0 record and were 10-2 overall. *They lost to Elon in the reg. season and got blown out in the first round of the playoffs by Central Arkansas. *Didnt they move up this yr?

Now they are in our division once again. Since we have such a nice history with the SAC maybe they will be a good a reliable opponent for us? We never played in DII but it was talked about.

[BisonBacker]

Should be interesting to see how they perform in I-AA. I have to admit I know very little of the conference they are joining so I can only go by others comments but if the conference is such a poor one then one would think in only a few years or less they should be competetive. The autobid however is a whole different issue.

[Gamehunter]

I guess the deal with the auto bid goes as fallows:

A conference must have at least 6 DI members that have been DI for the past 8 years while being in said conference for at least 2 years.

I think that probably carves out the gravestone for the GWFC.

[bincitysioux]

*They lost to Elon in the reg. season and got blown out in the first round of the playoffs by Central Arkansas. *Didnt they move up this yr?


Has Central Arkansas secured conference affiliation in their move to DI yet?

[BisonCountry]

Has Central Arkansas secured conference affiliation in their move to DI yet?

Yes. Southland Conference. http://southland.collegesports.com/genrel/020306aad.html

[Scooter]

Presbyterian is a top DII program. *They played in the SAC (South Atlantic Confernce) with Carson-Newman, Catawba, Tusculum and others. *Presbyterian won the SAC last yr with a 7-0 record and were 10-2 overall. *They lost to Elon in the reg. season and got blown out in the first round of the playoffs by Central Arkansas. *Didnt they move up this yr?

Now they are in our division once again. *Since we have such a nice history with the SAC maybe they will be a good a reliable opponent for us? *We never played in DII but it was talked about. *
I agree that they may have a decent football program(58-29 since 1998, 20-13 last three years), the fact still remains that they haven't even been close to sniffing the DII championship (or even regional championship). With one appearence in the palyoffs since 1998(blowout last year), I do not consider them an elite team. Descent yes, elite no. They weren't a factor in DII so it's not that hard to imagine they won't be one in 1AA.

[broke_back_mnt]

They would be the UNO or SCSU of the SAC.