This was a crazy idea back then

The metro didn't even have a football conference, although most of the schools played each other a lot. The idea of a conference having teams from Boston to New Orleans/Miss was nuts.

FSU (and South Carolina) were talking to other leagues around that time, so the metro knew their days were numbered if they did nothing. So, they went for the Hail Mary of absorbing everyone available in the east.

A better strategy would have been to try to make a football league out of whichever metro teams would do it plus a couple more good teams. Back then, there were several really good ones available, not like now, especially WVU and Miami.

WVU was in the Atlantic 10, which was about to lose PSU, so maybe they could have been convinced to join the metro even without FSU and South Carolina. If that could have brought Miami in, then the metro would be set, replacing USC and FSU with WVU and Miami. Miami might have done it just to upgrade their basketball, basically the same choice they made to go into the Big East. The metro was a very good basketball league.

The BE teams would not have joined the metro, especially for all sports. And the others would not have been good choices for the metro until after WVU and Miami had been tried. Basically, if the 16 team idea, or getting WVU and Miami failed, then the metro was left with just eventually turning into CUSA with whoever was available. Luckily we got out just in time.

(In response to this post by CrystalCoveHokie)

Posted: 04/06/2017 at 4:45PM

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Current Thread:

What might have been...... -- CrystalCoveHokie 04/06/2017 09:58AM

Tech should join the SEC -- timharv 04/06/2017 8:31PM

"Nobody had ever heard of a super conference before.” Southern? ** -- IB4TECH 04/06/2017 5:08PM

Was the Southern truly a conference or a confederation like the ECAC? ** -- VTHokie2000 04/06/2017 5:29PM

Never saw any mention of confederation. See link. -- IB4TECH 04/06/2017 5:41PM

I think it is semantics since the ECAC has 243 members from all -- VTHokie2000 04/06/2017 5:54PM

It would be interesting to see exactly how the SoCon operated. Good points ** -- IB4TECH 04/06/2017 6:24PM

It wasn't really a conference back then -- mrcaniac 04/07/2017 6:01PM

Good info. Thank you. ** -- IB4TECH 04/07/2017 7:55PM

This was a crazy idea back then -- Truthahn 04/06/2017 4:45PM

If the Metro wasn't going to go with the 16 member option -- VTHokie2000 04/06/2017 5:33PM

It seems that no matter what VT did, they were destined to be saddled with -- crabcake77 04/06/2017 3:55PM

I have been saying this here for almost 15 years. Led by Hokie Ken Haines! -- Stech 04/06/2017 1:26PM

Tech wandered the college landscape for 50+ years -- Calamitous 04/08/2017 11:08AM

Thanks again - you hit it -- Mercury 04/07/2017 08:31AM

The only thing odd about the proposed divisions for the Metro -- VTHokie2000 04/06/2017 2:46PM

They would have been cross over rivals maybe? -- Mr. Touchdown 04/06/2017 3:50PM

Assuming the conference played an 8 game conference schedule -- VTHokie2000 04/06/2017 3:57PM

This was a crazy idea back then

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