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Post by HLFanaticus on Mar 4, 2017 16:52:06 GMT -6
Link per Belmont.prestosports.com: Belmont Soccer Moving to SoCon for '18 seasonSPARTANBURG, S.C. - - Belmont University has accepted an invitation to join the Southern Conference as an associate member for men's soccer beginning in Fall 2018, SoCon Commissioner John Iamarino announced Monday.
The Bruins will complete their affiliate membership in the Horizon League for the 2017 campaign before joining current SoCon member institutions sponsoring men's soccer: ETSU, Furman, Mercer, UNCG, VMI and Wofford.
Belmont will be eligible to vie for conference championships and NCAA Tournament bids immediately.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2017 10:37:44 GMT -6
Pretty much means Belmont is content being a big fish in a little pond and not having expensive trips in their League. Can't really blame 'em. I'm sure they've counted up everything and realized in the 3 years of the affiliation, they are a combined 14-30-4. Granted Soccer carries much of that at 4-19-3 after the '16 season. Even taking MSOC away and they're still under .500 at 10-11-1. The Men's & Women's basketball teams were 4-7 with the men going 3-4. So why come to a league where you would struggle to go Dancing when you can go just about every year (except this year of course...Lol!)?
When the HL returns to its former glory days of a 10-12 conference ranking (and it will) I hope they make Belmont remember they rejected a chance to be showcased more in a higher profile league, even at 18 & 20!. Coach Byrd won't always be there and he is Belmont!
Men's Basketball- 3-4
Women's BB- 1-3
WSoccer- 2-2-1
MSoccer- 4-19-3
Baseball- 2-2
Softball- 2-0
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Post by vugrad1314 on Feb 14, 2020 16:04:45 GMT -6
I think Belmont's long-term goal IS the SOCON for all sports so this makes sense. They would be a great institutional cultural and geographical fit in that conference and it has been a pretty good conference in its own right over the past few years. Belmont would probably only add to that when you consider they wouldn't be crushed by travel costs which is what has stopped them from joining a league like the HL or the MVC in the past.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2020 13:00:18 GMT -6
I don't think Belmont will wind up in the SoCon. The Southern Conference is becoming more of a bus League and why would Belmont go from their own bus League to a league where travel costs would increase? And let's not forget, Belmont is pretty much guaranteed a Big Dance invitation every other year or so depending on how good Murray State is any particular year.
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Post by vugrad1314 on Feb 15, 2020 21:31:56 GMT -6
Because Belmont fits that league's geography really well and it is likely to be a multibid league especially with Belmont added to that group. it would be a great move for them.
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