SoCon '24

[The Jackal]

I've been pretty critical over the years of the scheduling philosophies of some of our conference mates. The SoCon commissioner publicly discussed some of that a few years ago, and it looks like the SoCon member schools are doing a better job of scheduling legitimate football teams.

For a couple of years, though, I have thought Furman and UTC have carried a lot of water for the conference in terms of national reputation by playing (and winning) against good out of conference opponents, whether in regular season or playoffs. In my view, for the SoCon to be a national player again, the conference has to start winning some of these out of conference matchups and start putting the conference back in the national conversation.

Here's what I see with the out of conference schedule:

Must Win - Don't Even Come Home if you Lose

North Greenville @ the Citadel
UVA-Wise @ ETSU
Stetson @ Furman
Presbyterian @ Mercer
Alabama State @ Samford
Norfolk State @ VMI

Decent Teams, But Losing Still Embarrasses the Conference

The Citadel @ Charleston Southern
SCSU @ the Citadel
Charleston Southern @ Furman
Mercer @ Bethune-Cookman
Samford @ West Georgia
Tennessee Tech @ Samford
Bucknell @ VMI

The Meat - Big Opportunities to Notch Wins and Raise Conference Profile

Portland State @ UTC - a Big Sky/SoCon Matchup! The fourth road game in five weeks for PSU.
UTC @ Austin Peay - Playoff team from a year ago
NDSU @ ETSU - I love seeing NDSU on a scheduled, but not sure I love seeing what they'll do to ETSU
ETSU @ Elon - Win every available game against the CAA
Furman @ W&M
Princeton @ Mercer - if you like Orange and Black, this game is for you.
VMI @ W&M
Campbell @ WCU
WCU @ Elon
WCU @ Montana - a second Big Sky/SoCon Matchup! Time for the Cats to walk the walk.
Wofford @ Gardner Webb
Wofford @ Richmond
W&M @ Wofford

Potential FBS Upsets

UTC @ Georgia State - the Panthers are picked last in their division in the SunBelt. UTC may be favored in that one.
ETSU @ App State - App's good, but they aren't a major powerhouse. Weird things happen in that stadium.

Get the Bag and Get Out

Furman @ Ole Miss
The Citadel @ Clemson
Mercer @ Alabama
Samford @ Florida - I debated on this one. Florida is iffy, has struggled against FCS teams in the past, and Samford's got a gimmicky offense.
VMI @ Georgia Tech
WCU @ NC State
Wofford @ South Carolina

[apaladin]

Good post but I would suggest the following:
Move Samford/West Georgia to must win. (W.Ga. first game as D1)
Move these to decent but still embarrassing losses instead of “big oppotunitues”
Wofford at Gardner Webb. WC win does not move the needle at all.
Campbell at WCU no needle movement either with a WCU win.
WCU at Elon again not a big win if WCU wins.

[The Jackal]

Good post but I would suggest the following:
Move Samford/West Georgia to must win. (W.Ga. first game as D1)
Move these to decent but still embarrassing losses instead of “big oppotunitues”
Wofford at Gardner Webb. WC win does not move the needle at all.
Campbell at WCU no needle movement either with a WCU win.
WCU at Elon again not a big win if WCU wins.

1. West Georgia has historically been a good D2 program and a perennial playoff participant at that level and played in one of the nation's best conferences. Some of you may remember them coming to Greenville back in, I think, 2006 and giving us an uncomfortable game (I believe it was 10-7 at half).

UWG is hosting a "name" FCS opponent for a night game in their first official action as a D1 program. University Stadium holds roughly 10k people, and I'd expect it'll be a big showing for that game. Samford will be more talented, but there's a lot of "extras" that make that an uncomfortable game for the Bulldogs, especially breaking in a lot of new players on offense.

2. Gardner Webb is a playoff contender. Any SoCon wins over teams that are playoff contenders is a good thing.

3. Campbell is now a CAA school. They've given SoCon teams fits. They beat Mercer in Macon a few years ago. They've beaten the hell out of the Citadel twice recently.

4. Elon is a borderline playoff participant out of the CAA. Any win over that team is a nice win.

I disagree with you wholeheartedly on a few of these. The CAA is a massive conference. Their member schools don't all play one another. They typically get a large number of teams in the post season each year by being able to protect their top programs (who do not play near the schedule the SoCon teams do).

Every single game a SoCon team can win over a CAA team is one more spot on the resume when it comes down to playoff picking time. Almost assuredly the 3rd or 4th SoCon team will be having their resume compared to the 4th or 5th CAA (as happens virtually every year)

[apaladin]

Agree to some extent, but don’t see wins over GWU, Elon, Campbell and W. Georgia as raising the profile or prestige of the conference.

[FUpaladin08]

“The Meat“ has soooo much potential for the SoCon. Gotta win those CAA games to leapfrog them as a conference.

Of course what matters the most for national recognition is getting as many teams in the playoffs as possible and winning the 1st round games. There’s only so many spots available and beating the neighboring conferences during the season is the best way to get in the first round.

[FUBeAR]

So …

What happens seed-wise / playoff-wise for all SoCon Teams if WCU goes out to Montana and shocks the world AND ETSU packs the house, cranks up the big band behind the bizuns bench, and cuts NDSU…

AND…they both finish, say 5-3, in the SoCon / 7-5 or 8-4 overall … behind Chatt, Furman, and Mercer who are all somewhere between 8-4 & 11-1

AND … Montana and NDSU both finish #1 or #2 in their conferences with 8-10 wins???

[fupaladin01]

What SHOULD happen and what WILL happen are two different things, that much I know...

[apaladin]

So …

What happens seed-wise / playoff-wise if WCU goes out to Montana and shocks the world AND ETSU packs the house, cranks up the big band behind the bizuns bench, and cuts NDSU…

AND…they both finish, say 5-3, in the SoCon / 7-5 or 8-4 overall … behind Chatt, Furman, and Mercer who are all somewhere between 8-4 & 11-1

AND … Montana and NDSU both finish #1 or #2 in their conferences with 8-10 wins???

We all know that UM and NDSU would get top 5 seeds and WCU and ETSU would not get bids.

[The Jackal]

I'll be interested to follow that WCU and Montana game. Great matchup to schedule. Montana is picked to win the Big Sky. I believe their QB transferred out, but still return a lot of their key players.

SoCon teams have given the Griz fits in their home stadium, though. Maybe WCU can put them on the run.

[FUBeAR]

Known SoCon FBS Payouts…

2024 FCS vs. FBS Payouts

Mercer at Alabama — $600,000
Wofford at South Carolina — $600,000
Chattanooga at Tennessee — $550,000
Samford at Florida — $525,000
Furman at Ole Miss — $500,000
The Citadel at Clemson — $500,000
VMI at Georgia Tech — $425,000
Western Carolina at NC State — $425,000
Chattanooga at Georgia State — $325,000
ETSU at Appalachian State — $275,000

[Affirm]

Known SoCon FBS Payouts…

2024 FCS vs. FBS Payouts

Mercer at Alabama — $600,000
Wofford at South Carolina — $600,000
Chattanooga at Tennessee — $550,000
Samford at Florida — $525,000
Furman at Ole Miss — $500,000
The Citadel at Clemson — $500,000
VMI at Georgia Tech — $425,000
Western Carolina at NC State — $425,000
Chattanooga at Georgia State — $325,000
ETSU at Appalachian State — $275,000

Interesting.
Thanks.

[apaladin]

SC must have really stepped up with their payouts.

[gofurman]

Known SoCon FBS Payouts…

2024 FCS vs. FBS Payouts

Mercer at Alabama — $600,000
Wofford at South Carolina — $600,000
Chattanooga at Tennessee — $550,000
Samford at Florida — $525,000
Furman at Ole Miss — $500,000
The Citadel at Clemson — $500,000
VMI at Georgia Tech — $425,000
Western Carolina at NC State — $425,000
Chattanooga at Georgia State — $325,000
ETSU at Appalachian State — $275,000

Thanks. USC 600 man. Let’s just keep playing USC and Clemson. Less travel and equal or bigger payout. Though I am always tempted by a more likely win like Georgia State