It will not mean anything for a while as far as football is concerned. CNU will be in the USA South for at least the foreseeable future. The Capitol Athletic Conference is looking to secure enough football schools to garner an automatic qualifier spot for the NCAA DIII playoffs. This would require that there be at least seven teams in the conference....currently, there are only three teams that have football in the conference: Frostburg State, Wesley, and Salisbury State. The USA South has graciously agreed to allow CNU to remain an associate member until 2015. It is hoped that by that time, the conference will be able to field the required seven teams. Should this goal be met earlier, CNU would transition to the conference on an accelerated timetable.
So what will this mean for the USA South.....several things come to mind. This may make the conference somewhat weaker on a national scale, but the equity within the conference will be far greater.
Since the CAC is looking for at least three more teams, it is possible that other USA South schools would be courted to join. I really do not see this happening, and would guess they will look North and West for other schools.
It is possible that they will try to lure away an ODAC team, but unless it was Catholic, I do not see it as an option. We will have to wait and see who else joins.
As for the USA South, I feel certain that they will maintain their seven minimum members once CNU departs. As a replacement, I think Southern Virginia University, who has started the process to become a NCAA DIII school, will be a top candidate. Other potential candidates could be Emory and Henry, or Guilford, but I do not believe either will leave the ODAC. It would be best to keep the conference at eight teams, but it may be difficult to lure in a new established DIII school.
Stand by...This may be interesting.
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