BGA to move down to D-II A

[TheBigRedDog]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet. The press release certainly attempts to spin this to the positive, but I must admit I am surprised by this. I thought BGA had really stepped it up in recent years in terms of being competitive and facilities. Perhaps their relative lack of success outside of the three major sports(football, basketball, baseball) is the factor?

[vandy1]

I have talked with several past Board Members at BGA... a number of them would have supported the move to D-I to compete with the Lipscombs and the Goodpastures, and the CPA's. In the past there have been good rivalry's with Lipscomb in all sports going back many years...family connections and friends...it would have been in their opinion a better mesh than D-II. Board members still read their mission and charter that they give financial aid to those who need it and meets the school's entrance standards for all students which includes athletics. With Lipscomb and the others..financial aid is not available to those who participate in athletics.

[TheBigRedDog]

I have talked with several past Board Members at BGA... a number of them would have supported the move to D-I to compete with the Lipscombs and the Goodpastures, and the CPA's. In the past there have been good rivalry's with Lipscomb in all sports going back many years...family connections and friends...it would have been in their opinion a better mesh than D-II. Board members still read their mission and charter that they give financial aid to those who need it and meets the school's entrance standards for all students which includes athletics. With Lipscomb and the others..financial aid is not available to those who participate in athletics.

 

This does help to explain the drop to D-II A.

[Custer]

i think the drop is because BGA has 330 total students in its high school.

 

D2-AA requirements are somewhere around 520?

 

It's about time

[jett]

They couldn't handle the big boys, it's really simple. Now they are going to a league that they will dominate. Pretty simple solution to make you look better than your really are.

[D2A]

Good move for them. Its where they should have been from the beginning. If you look at enrollment numbers, they were the smallest D2 AA school. Even in D2 A, they wont be the biggest. I know Webb and ECS are larger. I think Harding may be as well. I think there are 1-2 others in the west that might be bigger. D2 A is exactly where they should be and they will do very well.

[RedRobin]

Good move for them. Its where they should have been from the beginning. If you look at enrollment numbers, they were the smallest D2 AA school. Even in D2 A, they wont be the biggest. I know Webb and ECS are larger. I think Harding may be as well. I think there are 1-2 others in the west that might be bigger. D2 A is exactly where they should be and they will do very well.

 

I am sorry to see BGA go, but wish them the best. They will be missed.

 

BGA is indeed much smaller than both Knoxville Webb and ECS, both of which actually have more students than do Ensworth or BA. BGA should be able to compete very nicely with Webb and the other D2-A schools on the fileds and in the gym.

[warhawk]

They couldn't handle the big boys, it's really simple. Now they are going to a league that they will dominate. Pretty simple solution to make you look better than your really are.

 

Does Bennie feel this way also, or is it just you jett? Dominate? are you sure?

[DS2001]

BGA made the prudent decision by giving up the ghost of trying to chase Ensworth, BA, MBA, Baylor, McCallie, et all primarily in football....The landscape has changed dramatically in the past 3 years and the arms race has intensified in Division II. The Wildcats have wonderful facilities on par with any of the big boys, but they lack the infrastructure to get sufficient numbers of "athletes" enrolled and transported to the Franklin campus on a daily basis....... This is bad news for Father Ryan and JPll as it removes another team that both of those teams would have a chance to beat.( BGA has dominated those two recently)......Even Lipscomb and Goodpasture who are not in D-II are feeling the effects of the new landscape.....They are losing potential athletes to the big privates..... I think BGA will flourish along with FRA, DCA, in the lower level.....only slightly more travel to Knoxville and Memphis to play Division opponents

[meritage]

i'm sure their basebal coach, myers, is a bit upset. He has finally built a top notch pgm there and i would suspect this decision will impact his pgm

[Indian]

BGA made the prudent decision by giving up the ghost of trying to chase Ensworth, BA, MBA, Baylor, McCallie, et all primarily in football....The landscape has changed dramatically in the past 3 years and the arms race has intensified in Division II. The Wildcats have wonderful facilities on par with any of the big boys, but they lack the infrastructure to get sufficient numbers of "athletes" enrolled and transported to the Franklin campus on a daily basis....... This is bad news for Father Ryan and JPll as it removes another team that both of those teams would have a chance to beat.( BGA has dominated those two recently)......Even Lipscomb and Goodpasture who are not in D-II are feeling the effects of the new landscape.....They are losing potential athletes to the big privates..... I think BGA will flourish along with FRA, DCA, in the lower level.....only slightly more travel to Knoxville and Memphis to play Division opponents

 

 

Can you explain how the "big boys" do this?

[shakinthefat]

i'm sure their basebal coach, myers, is a bit upset. He has finally built a top notch pgm there and i would suspect this decision will impact his pgm

The impact will be a trophy case of gold balls playing in the DII A division where BGA will dominate. I think Myers will leave soon to a DII AA school, like Ensworth or JP2.