Samford addition likely wouldn't affect Davidson

The Southern Conference might be adding a 12th member by the 2008-09 season, but that isn’t expected to shift Davidson into a new division.

Conference officials have been in negotiations with Samford of the Ohio Valley Conference about joining the league, and could vote on that as early as the conference tournament in two weeks.

If Samford, which is located in Birmingham, Ala., does join the league, it is expected to be placed in the North Division. Davidson would have seemed a logical school to switch -- the Wildcats are the northernmost school in the South Division, and played in the North Division before switching with Chattanooga in 2003. A switch would have also moved Davidson back in the same division with rival Appalachian State.

But Davidson athletic director Jim Murphy said Samford wants to be in the same division as Chattanooga -- Chattanooga is a two-hour drive from Samford -- and said the Wildcats are happy to be in the South, where they are guaranteed two games with College of Charleston.

-- Kevin Cary