GWU football history

[gwalphachiba]

1970 : Gardner-Webb University began playing senior college football.

1970-1992 : Gardner-Webb was a member of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).

1993 : Gardner-Webb and the South Atlantic Conference moved to NCAA Division II.

2000 : Gardner-Webb moved up to NCAA Divison I-AA, as an Independent status.

2002 : Gardner-Webb joined the Big South Conference.

[gwebb1994]

Here's hoping.....

2012-2014: G-W administration wakes up and bolts from dysfunctional and poorly led Big South for the Southern Conference. (insert praying smilie here)

[SlyFox]

Anything is possible once realignment reaches into FCS ranks. But I wouldn't get my hopes up too high.

[garddawg]

Oct 7, 2011 20:30:37 GMT -5 gwebb1994 said:

Here's hoping.....

2012-2014: G-W administration wakes up and bolts from dysfunctional and poorly led Big South for the Southern Conference. (insert praying smilie here)

1994: Be careful what you wish for. I say prove you can win one or two "dysfunctional and poorly led Big South" conference championships, (h#*x, demonstrate you can finish above third or fourth), before bolting to a conference where there is no history of beating any of its members. At least in the Big South GWU is able to put together a couple of conference wins from time to time.

[gwebb1994]

Oct 9, 2011 14:08:00 GMT -5 garddawg said:

Oct 7, 2011 20:30:37 GMT -5 gwebb1994 said:

Here's hoping.....

2012-2014: G-W administration wakes up and bolts from dysfunctional and poorly led Big South for the Southern Conference. (insert praying smilie here)

1994: Be careful what you wish for. I say prove you can win one or two "dysfunctional and poorly led Big South" conference championships, (h#*x, demonstrate you can finish above third or fourth), before bolting to a conference where there is no history of beating any of its members. At least in the Big South GWU is able to put together a couple of conference wins from time to time.

If our former SAC rival Elon can do it, we sure as heck can. Kallander is an absolute joke of a commish, and with Liberty and VMI looking to bolt, and absolutely no preparation is being made for their departure, G-W has to look out for its' best interest.

[gwalphachiba]

GWU has some options. They can stay in the #11 Big South Conference and try to move up to solid, yearly Top 50 FCS team, like Coastal, Liberty, and NY Stony Brook. This would take a huge effort. To get higher caliber, and true FCS players may take extras - like new diploma degrees, new classes, online classes, dorm remodels, higher ticket prices, new Boiling Springs businesses, etc. Probably take 7-15 years, and may require more coaching changes.

Another option would be to drop down from #11 Big South Conference to #14 Pioneer Conference, if they allowed you to enter.

Or, GWU could move back to Independent status, and schedule
weaker teams.

Or, GWU could talk with other colleges and see about forming a new FCS conference. They would need at least four other colleges to do this.

Let's check in on old Elon (4-2, FCS #31) and see how that SoCon is working out for them: Lost to FBS #52 Vanderbilt 14-45, Beat Concord 42-10, Beat FCS #111 NC Central 23-22, Beat FCS #41 Citadel 18-15 in OT, Lost to FCS #1 Georgia Southern 14-41, Beat FCS #75 Western Carolina 38-31; FCS teams left to play are #18 Samford, #22 Chattanooga, #2 Wofford, #15 Furman, and #11 App St.

[bigtime]

South Alabama is going to DI. We have beat So Con. schools in the past. (Chattanooga, Elon, Samford, and Western) Without all that mentioned above. Maybe we should ask GWU Admin. what their vision is for football and athletics.

[gwebb1994]

We are looking at the SOCON so far just from the football side of things. In hoops, baseball, etc., the impact of such a move would be incredible. If you want the fickle Cleveland County community to really get behind G-W athletics, playing teams like WCU, Wofford, and Furman every year in every sport would help matters.