JSU Gamecocks are headed to the ASUN
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (BVM) — Since 2003, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks have been competing in the Ohio Valley Conference. They’ve experienced success in many areas during this time, having won 78 league championships across multiple sports.
But all good things must come to an end, and the Gamecocks will be moving to the ASUN conference starting on July 1.
Though it hasn’t been officially announced, someone at Eastern Kentucky University accidentally posted an FAQ page regarding the three teams joining the ASUN, EKU being one of them. The page has since been deleted, but offered all the information necessary to assume there’ll be an announcement coming at a later date.
In fact, Central Arkansas University, the third and final university expected to join the ASUN, has had their athletic director, Brad Teague, confirm this development. Teague also stated that this expansion will include a football element, with the ASUN beginning the sponsorship of FCS scholarship football for the first time.
The schools will have free will in their decision to have a football team, and what conference their teams compete in. As of now, it is expected that member school Stetson University will remain a member of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League and another member school, Liberty University, will remain an FBS independent.
The goal is for the ASUN to get six member schools to play FCS scholarship football in its conference, and the addition of Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky and Central Arkansas would put it at five alongside Kennesaw State and North Alabama. Each school would have immediate automatic qualification for the FCS playoffs.
In total, this expansion would put the ASUN at 12 member schools. The conference looks like it’ll continue its trend of undergoing constant change within the past decade, losing seven schools and adding three new ones.
As of now, JSU hasn’t commented on these predictions, but its board of trustees has passed forward a vote to begin the search for a new conference. All 17 of its athletic programs will be involved in this transition, with hopes that it’ll lighten their travel load in the long run.
If this becomes official, JSU will be rejoining its previous conference, as the Gamecocks were ASUN members from 1995-2003 before joining the OVC.
Editors Note: Since the writing of this story, Jacksonville Gamecock athletics have officially joined the ASUN.
