UNF-DIVISION I ANALYSIS

Clearly, the University of North Florida's potential move to Division I creates several possibilities. Obviously, by going to the D-I level, the Ospreys have the opportunity to land in the Atlantic Sun Conference, which has seen so many teams come and go in recent years. After all, schools such as Jacksonville State, Samford, and others have left the conference in recent years, with Troy and UCF, and Georgia State leaving after this season. In addition, joining the A-Sun could create a potential rivalry with cross-town rivalry Jacksonville University, which could mean packed houses for basketball and baseball games.

As for the Peach Belt Conference, should UNF decide to make the move up, as expected, officials for that conference have several tough decisions to make. Not only does the PBC face the likely possibility of losing its premier athletic program of the past five years, as the Ospreys have won the past five Peach Belt Conference Commissioner's Cups, another current PBC member, Kennesaw State, also might make the move up to D-I, as that institution's women's soccer and men's golf programs have already started the transition to the NCAA's highest level. That creates the possibility that the league may choose to go after other schools, such as Valdosta State, West Georgia, or maybe even dip into the NAIA ranks for replacements, such as Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, and/or North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, both Georgia. Or, the PBC just may decide to stick with 10 schools should both KSU and UNF bolt for the D-I ranks.

If there are any downsides to the move up, there are several of those. First, while UNF has established itself as having one of the premier all-around athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level in recent years, it's most glaring weakness has to be the men's basketball program, which has had only two winning seasons, and no NCAA tournament appearances in its 12-year history. Furthermore, if UNF does the make the move to Division I official, the Ospreys wouldn't be eligible for any automatic bids to NCAA post-season play until the 2009-2010 season. Basically, the UNF faithful should expect their teams to play for practically nothing aside from any regular-season conference titles.