The Politics Of Dancing: Wofford Says It All...

((HT: Ashley Rowe/Wofford IMG Sports Network))

This is what the month and a half of college hoops post-season is all about...

Wofford senior Aerris Smith was asked what it meant to get to the tourney...

Here's the response...
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Georgia Southern Goes Retro

((HT: WTOC-TV))

A lot of schools are always looking for that marketing opportunity that others can't have...

Showing off an old look to salute the past and make a killing off the nostalgia...

Brother Phil's alma, Georgia Southern, is no different...

Georgia Teacher's College wore the style that GSU is breaking out for senior day from 1924-1941

Here's the sweet-looking throwbacks...
WTOC-TV: Savannah, Beaufort, SC, News, Weather

And, the HQ is sure, that Brother Phil will be buying his old-school threads...
As will the HQ...

Galactic Realignment Continues: SoCon's Turn To Steal

((HT: Mercer University their own selves))

It's time for Level Two of Galactic Realignment to rear its ugly head...

After the loss of the College of Charleston to the Colonial and Davidson to the Atlantic 10, SoCon commissioner John Iamarino is not sitting idly by to figure out what to do.

He's bringing in Mercer, East Tennessee State, and VMI starting on July 1, 2014. ETSU and Mercer are leaving the Atlantic Sun Conference who has already lost Belmont. VMI is in the Big South Conference and will be SoCon full-time now in all sports. VMI is expected to formally ratify joining the league Friday when its Board of Visitors meets.

Mercer is in the Pioneer League in their first year of football, so in essence they get a mulligan year to figure things out before the SoCon and ETSU will be hitting the ground running with Phillip Fulmer as their fearless leader in 2016.

"The past several years have been a tumultuous time in intercollegiate athletics. Conference realignment has affected traditional rivalries and disrupted the geographic integrity of conferences across the country. Mercer's affiliation with the Southern Conference will, however, restore historic rivalries and reduce travel burdens on our student-athletes," Mercer President William D. Underwood said in one of those prepared statements. "We look forward to continued competition with our colleagues in the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2013-14. We have enjoyed close relationships with a number of outstanding academic institutions within the A-Sun that we anticipate will continue beyond our change in conference affiliation."

"We're honored to have Mercer become a member of the Southern Conference," said Southern Conference Commissioner John Iamarino "The combination of outstanding facilities, successful athletic programs and undeniable academic excellence makes Mercer a great fit for us. We're delighted they've accepted our invitation."

Here was Mercer's first-ever spring scrimmage as they get ready for season one...
((HT: 13WMAZ-TV))

Worst Kept Secrets Continue: Southern To Sun Belt Official...

The press conference actually happened...

Georgia Southern, Brother Phil, and all the alumni are heading to the Sun Belt Conference for 2014...

“This is a milestone day for Georgia Southern University, and we are very excited to be joining the Sun Belt conference,” Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel, Ph.D., told a standing room only crowd in the Williams Center during the official announcement. “This decision was made with the long-term interest of our University in mind. The Sun Belt will provide our student athletes with an outstanding opportunity to compete at a highest level, and we are excited to contribute to the conference's success both on and off the field. I am equally excited about the opportunity that it will provide Georgia Southern and the more than 75,000 alumni that make up the Eagle Nation.”

Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson was present as President Keel formally accepted the Sun Belt invitation. “We have built our reputation around a focus on the student, and this move will allow us to partner to provide our student athletes with the opportunity to compete on a national stage,” said Georgia Southern Athletics Director Tom Kleinlein. “Today, I invite the entire Eagle Nation to stand up and join us on this journey.”

Georgia Southern joins Georgia State as natural rivals in the new conference. The Panthers first Division I year is this season after spending time getting the feet wet in the Colonial Athletic Association.

65 percent of the GSU student body voted to pay an extra $75 a semester to help fund the move. That fee will be collected starting in the fall. Paulsen Stadium will also add 6,300 additional seats.

Gives the HQ the excuse to run this again...
((HT: EaglesGATA))

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.

Wofford Puts Up 82 On Lincoln (Pa)

The Lincoln (Pa.) Lions know what Savannah State felt like last week.

Saturday in Spartanburg, South Carolina the Lions were beat down by Wofford 82-0.

“Lincoln came in here and fought hard, but we outmanned them.”  Wofford head coach Mike Ayers said.

You can’t argue with that quote.

Lincoln was doomed after the opening kickoff as Wofford scored 35 unanswered points in the first quarter.

Wofford had 602 yards of total offense while Lincoln could only generate 179 yards.

Here’s the video.  (Thanks WSPA-TV Greenville, SC)

Georgia Southern Talks Needs and Division I

((HT: TheCoastalSource/Savannah))

Georgia Southern Athletic Director Sam Baker resigned from his post on Friday after 17 years, and for the first time since Dr. Brooks Keel had a press conference to talk about all the topics on campus in Statesboro...

Dr. Keel would talk about Sam Baker's contributions to the athletic department and the future of Eagle athletics, a possible move to Division I, and what he's looking for in an Athletic Director.

FOSG Frank Sulkowski has the raw video of the press conference...