Ga Southern and App State Taking The Plunge To Sun Belt...??? (UPDATED)

Looks that way...

Sources close to one end of the situation in Statesboro tell OSG Sports and social media from the Winston-Salem Journal newspaper have both schools, rivals in the Southern Conference, pursuing the same in the Sun Belt Conference.

Tommy Bowman, sports beat writer for the Journal sent out the following from his Twitter: @AppTrailWSJ

Appalachian State will accept an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference this week, probably on Wednesday, according to a source at ASU

Georgia Southern, while currently not addressing anything resembling gossip, rumor, or innuendo, is moving on up- "sources" tell SB Nation's Steven Godfrey. Godfrey reports GSU will make the full move in 2015, with a transitional season in 2014 and no change to its 2013 schedule.

With FAU, FIU, Middle Tennessee, and North Texas moving to Conference USA, the new dynamic of the 10-team conference would be: App State, Arkansas State, Ga Southern, Ga State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, and Western Kentucky.

This would also fall in line with the announcement being made introducing Brian Bohannon as Kennesaw State's new football coach for their fledgling program tomorrow morning on campus north of Atlanta. The SoCon is looking for members if the move of two of their heavy hitters is to happen and Kennesaw keeps their Atlanta footprint.

Here's how Southern ended their season...
((HT: EaglesGATA))


Southern voted for a fee increase to fund any kind of upgrade, so it was a matter of time...

1600 UPDATE: Matt Yogus at the Statesboro Herald is confirming from sources on his end as well...

2100 UPDATE: Dennis Dodd over at CBS Sports adds that former WAC members Idaho and New Mexico State will be added in 2014 as well. This will give the new Sun Belt 12 teams and will allow for a two-division, playoff structure.

With the new playoff set-up, if the Sun Belt champ finishes as the highest rated team among the Group of Five conferences (the Sun Belt, Conference USA, the new Big East, Mountain West and MAC) it will get a berth in one of the new playoff bowls when the new post-season look starts.

OSG I-AA: Number One Falls At Boone

((HT: WTOC-TV Savannah))

Georgia Southern travelled to Boone, NC but came up short in losing to App State, 24-17. But, as we all know, a lot of people do that...

The Eagles tied the score at 17 but the home team returned the favor to go back up 7. App State's defense stopped the Eagles three times in a row in the 4th quarter.

Jamal Jackson threw three touchdown passes for the Mountaineers who improve to 6-2, 4-1. The win avenges last year's win by the Eagles in Statesboro that ended the Mountaineers' 29-game conference win streak.

The Eagles are now 5-1 in the Southern Conference.
Next week, the Eagles are home against The Citadel.

Here's the highlights...
Ken Griner is standing...

Hokies Roll Over Appy State

There would be no repeat of the James Madison loss for Virginia Tech. The Hokies rolled over Appalachian State 66-13 Saturday.

Here are the highlights from Blacksburg, VA (Thanks WDBJ-TV Roanoke, VA)

 

Virginia Tech running back David Wilson might be a star in the making and Wilson began 2011 in spectacular fashion rushing for 162 yards and three touchdowns.

Hokie quarterback Logan Thomas played well in his first start. From the air Thomas was 9-19 for 149 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions.

“I think Logan is going to get better each and every quarter." Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer said after the game. "That’s the only thing Logan needs right now. He just needs some experience. He’ll handle it better and better every time he’s out there."

By the way, Frank Beamer signed a contract extension that goes to 2016.

Not a bad day for the Hokies or coach Beamer.