Belmont joining the OVC

[Sect309Fan]

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20110513/SPORTS7002/110513008/Belmont-University-joining-OVC?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Belmont, a current member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, will join the OVC in 2012-13.


Belmont’s inclusion grows the number of OVC members to 12 and the school will be able to compete for all championships once it joins.

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This is a very interesting move. I think it is great for the OVC (my 2nd favorite conference after the SEC), but a blow for the Atlantic Sun conference. You also have to wonder about the Lipscomb-Belmont rivalry. Will TSU-Belmont replace it?

Austin Peay and Belmont have had some memorable basketball games (at least for me). I do wonder if Belmont will finally get a football team now.

[TitansFan23]

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20110513/SPORTS7002/110513008/Belmont-University-joining-OVC?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Belmont, a current member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, will join the OVC in 2012-13.


Belmont’s inclusion grows the number of OVC members to 12 and the school will be able to compete for all championships once it joins.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a very interesting move. I think it is great for the OVC (my 2nd favorite conference after the SEC), but a blow for the Atlantic Sun conference. You also have to wonder about the Lipscomb-Belmont rivalry. Will TSU-Belmont replace it?

Austin Peay and Belmont have had some memorable basketball games (at least for me). I do wonder if Belmont will finally get a football team now.

I like it. Gives us another in state rivalry.

[Sect309Fan]

Belmont will not be getting a football team, which isn't surprising. It's hard enough to run a football team for a state OVC school. It doesn't make economic sense for a private school to do it if that don't have one already.

The move does make sense for Belmont. First, they will reduce their travel costs by about $250,000 a year. Second, attendance in basketball should go up dramatically because so many OVC fanbases are nearby.

The only really negative thing about this move is that getting the NCAA tournament bid is pretty tough already. There is no one dominant team year in and year out, so some very good teams always miss out. But adding Belmont may make the OVC tough enough to be considered for 2 bids, something I am pretty sure has never happened.