Southern Conference Commissioner John Iamarino.
Southern ConferenceAt a minimum, Southern Conference commissioner John Iamarino wants “productive conversation” today when the league’s athletic directors and presidents meet in Charlotte, N.C., to discuss membership options.
This will be the first meeting since Appalachian State and Georgia Southern announced late last month that they were headed to the Sun Belt Conference starting in 2014-15. Losing the two perennial football powers, as well as the College of Charleston, which is going to the Colonial Athletic Association this summer, leaves the SoCon with nine members (five private schools, four public).
“I hope that we will at least start the process of figuring out what the next steps are,” Iamarino said Monday, “and come out of the meeting with the understanding that this is the direction it appears we’re going to go.”
No official voting on membership will be done, but informal voting may take place, which could lead to formal membership voting at the annual spring meeting in late May.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga interim athletic director Laura Herron will attend the meeting, and interim chancellor Grady Bogue will participate via conference call due to illness.