I haven't posted a blog in quite a while and rather than make a controversial one, I'd like to talk about something I'm very excited about. USC Upstate joining the Big South conference on July 1st.
Don't get me wrong, the Atlantic Sun was a good fit, but no rivalries really exsisted. In the Big South you have teams in South Carolina, Winthrop, Presbyterian, Charleston Southern, but the rivalry I'm most looking forward too and hope develops is UNC-Asheville. It's just a natural rivalry to me. The branch campuses of the Carolinas (no disrespect Clemson fans) main universities in the western part of our states.
It's causing me a dilemma on whether or not to subscribe to the new ESPN+. I'm starting to catch up to the times in terms of streaming, which I addressed in my last blog. I'm wondering, however, if I would watch it enough to justify the quite reasonable $4.99 month. There's also a $49.99 yearly rate.
In terms of college baseball, of which I am a huge fan, I do watch a lot of Gamecock baseball games on ESPN3 (aka SEC Network+), but those games are available with my DirecTV subscription. I'm not sure if I would have the time to also watch my Spartans.
The value my be in terms of basketball. I'm unsure how many Big South games involving USC Upstate will be on ESPN+ vs. ESPN3, but I imagine many of the early non-conference games my be on +.
So I think I've come up with a solution. Since you can cancel ESPN+ at any time, I can start a subscription in November and stick with it perhaps through March and see how the early baseball coverage is, then cancel when I feel the coverage has panned out.
One additional note: Liberty I think you're making a big mistake rejecting the Big South's offer of associate membership and instead joining the Atlantic Sun. I know you're moving your football program to FBS, but we're leaving the A-Sun because of travel and lack of rivalries. Then again I hate your founder. Good luck to you.
