RFC Summer Semester: Big South Conference Preview (FCS)

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2012 Final Standings 

Looking back: Coastal Carolina, Liberty, and Stony Brook all finished Big South Conference at 5-1 in league games last season.  But it was Stony Brook that advanced to the FCS playoffs with the conference's automatic bid.  The Seawolves advanced to the second round before losing to Montana State, 16-10, to end their season. Coastal Carolina also advanced to round two of the FCS playoffs, losing to Old Dominion, 63-35.

Looking ahead: The Big South Conference will have one less program in their football circuit for 2013, as Stony Brook leaves to join the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). But Monmouth (N.J.) will join the league as an associate member for football in 2014. If that wasn't enough, VMI will be leaving the Big South as well, returning to the Southern Conference, also by 2014.

Predicted order of finish (2012 overall record in parentheses)

1. Coastal Carolina (8-5): Chanticleers among the favorites to contend in a watered-down Big South Conference.

2. Liberty (6-5):  Season-ending three-game winning streak has the faithful fanning the Flames of cautious optimism for 2013.

3. Charleston Southern (5-6):  Tough schedule has the Buccaneers playing three straight road games to close out September.

4. Gardner-Webb (3-8):  The Runnin' Bulldogs hope to be in the running for the Big South crown under new head coach Carroll McCray.

5. VMI (2-9):  Keydets hope their Big South swan song is a successful one.  In the win column, that is.

6. Presbyterian (2-9):  Blue Hose face long odds in bouncing back from an 0-6 mark in league play last year.




 
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