(02-16-2012 10:43 AM)NCowl Wrote:  

(02-16-2012 10:39 AM)GaSouthern Wrote:  IMO a MAC/SBC alliance would be better than a SBC/WAC alliance.

That's what I was about to say, I'm sure it has been said 100x here, but I am not reading 14 pages.

A) the WAC is the worst conference
B) the WAC probably will be extinct soon
C) the WAC is too far
D) better schools in the MAC


GO OWLS!

Agree !!

Go stAte . . Go SBC !!

I don't want either one!! At best...cherry pick where you can.

NO NO NO to combining with the MAC. I do not want to have football games any farther north in late fall. Mason Dixon line and below for Sunbelt.

The MAC already has about 16 teams don't they? They are like a very regional super conference already. I don't see their need to add Sun Belt teams.

The MAC should not join the Sun Belt but they should play games. Maybe an OOC game agreement. That would be fun an useful.

(02-16-2012 07:46 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  The MAC should not join the Sun Belt but they should play games. Maybe an OOC game agreement. That would be fun an useful.

It can only help both conferences. I'd like to see Toledo play MT for a Home & Home or something.

(02-16-2012 07:46 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  The MAC should not join the Sun Belt but they should play games. Maybe an OOC game agreement. That would be fun an useful.

yes that would be nice. I really enjoyed Troy's series with Bowling Green, and playing Ohio in the New Orleans Bowl was a pleasure.

(02-16-2012 12:53 PM)Agtopper Wrote:  NO NO NO to combining with the MAC. I do not want to have football games any farther north in late fall. Mason Dixon line and below for Sunbelt.

Ask yourself why the Alliance is being created. The reason is to create strength through a matirx of schools and to join otherwise unrelated markets. If they go to 24 (even now at 16 or 18) the Alliance will, I'm sure, play in their own conferences and then play a semi-final and final championship game. I'm sure there will be more friendly, cross-conference, games with the other sports like hoops and baseball but these will be opportunities not mandates.

This brings us to a Sun Belt/MAC Alliance. I would think that a WKU and a MTSU esp. would be excited about the possibility of strengthening bonds with schools right across the river.

The Alliance, for good or bad, was created out of the need to strengthen opportunities for the remaining members of the MW and C-USA. I know a Sun Belt/MAC type of Alliance won't take place over night and may wait to see what happens with the MW/C-USA allignment but as the big boys move closer and closer to their own super-confrences it may mean the difference between FBS survival or not.

As a wise man once said; Align or Die.

The concept of a semi-final conference championship game was thrown out there by the Mege Merger people. Only problem, as of right now, the NCAA will not allow that. The Mega Merger has alot of steps to go through before this thing can actually take shape the way the want it to.

the Alliance is dumb because it provides the AQ Conferences a means of furhter seperating themselves from the rest of us. It provides an argument that a "new division" has been created, and thus the BCS Championship is the only true FBS National Championship and only the AQ Conferences should have the ability to compete for it.

the possibility of the non-AQ leagues being relegated to something like the FCS/ DII designations is now more likely than it was before the Alliance. I'm not saying we will be FCS or DII, but there exists an opening for the Power 6 to declare us not in the same division as them anymore and force us to create some sort of National Championship for this "new division."

(02-18-2012 10:57 AM)Usajags Wrote:  The concept of a semi-final conference championship game was thrown out there by the Mege Merger people. Only problem, as of right now, the NCAA will not allow that. The Mega Merger has alot of steps to go through before this thing can actually take shape the way the want it to.

When you say Mega Merger, are you talking about the Alliance? If so, then what's the differnce between the Alliance semi-final/final concept and the BCS semi-final/final concept? I can't see one.

And as far as the NCAA is concerned, I think they have enough on their plate policing school violations of thier current rules than micro-managing how conferences run their schedules.

(02-18-2012 11:06 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 10:57 AM)Usajags Wrote:  The concept of a semi-final conference championship game was thrown out there by the Mege Merger people. Only problem, as of right now, the NCAA will not allow that. The Mega Merger has alot of steps to go through before this thing can actually take shape the way the want it to.

When you say Mega Merger, are you talking about the Alliance? If so, then what's the differnce between the Alliance semi-final/final concept and the BCS semi-final/final concept? I can't see one.

And as far as the NCAA is concerned, I think they have enough on their plate policing school violations of thier current rules than micro-managing how conferences run their schedules.

The Alliance plan is for semis and finals in conference with bowl games to follow. The BCS plan is a +1 for a national championship. Both will require an NCAA waiver; but the BCS one will be easier to get.

(02-18-2012 11:04 AM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  the Alliance is dumb because it provides the AQ Conferences a means of furhter seperating themselves from the rest of us. It provides an argument that a "new division" has been created, and thus the BCS Championship is the only true FBS National Championship and only the AQ Conferences should have the ability to compete for it.

the possibility of the non-AQ leagues being relegated to something like the FCS/ DII designations is now more likely than it was before the Alliance. I'm not saying we will be FCS or DII, but there exists an opening for the Power 6 to declare us not in the same division as them anymore and force us to create some sort of National Championship for this "new division."

As far as I know, all 11 conferences are still members of the BCS (some AQ and others non-AQ). However, the point you're missing is that a team that runs the guantlet of an Alliance season plus play-off's of 18-24 teams probably deserves at least and at-large bid in one of the BCS bowl games.

And it's not a new division it's simply an alliance between two conferences within the current structure.

Yup, talking about the alliance. The NCAA rules do not allow a semi-final concept for conference championships. As far as the plus one for a NC, that is acutally ouside the NCAA control. Bowls also are not under NCAA control.

(02-18-2012 11:11 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:04 AM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  the Alliance is dumb because it provides the AQ Conferences a means of furhter seperating themselves from the rest of us. It provides an argument that a "new division" has been created, and thus the BCS Championship is the only true FBS National Championship and only the AQ Conferences should have the ability to compete for it.

the possibility of the non-AQ leagues being relegated to something like the FCS/ DII designations is now more likely than it was before the Alliance. I'm not saying we will be FCS or DII, but there exists an opening for the Power 6 to declare us not in the same division as them anymore and force us to create some sort of National Championship for this "new division."

As far as I know, all 11 conferences are still members of the BCS (some AQ and others non-AQ). However, the point you're missing is that a team that runs the guantlet of an Alliance season plus play-off's of 18-24 teams probably deserves at least and at-large bid in one of the BCS bowl games.

And it's not a new division it's simply an alliance between two conferences within the current structure.

It is not an alliance between two conferences. It is one conference.

(02-18-2012 11:11 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:04 AM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  the Alliance is dumb because it provides the AQ Conferences a means of furhter seperating themselves from the rest of us. It provides an argument that a "new division" has been created, and thus the BCS Championship is the only true FBS National Championship and only the AQ Conferences should have the ability to compete for it.

the possibility of the non-AQ leagues being relegated to something like the FCS/ DII designations is now more likely than it was before the Alliance. I'm not saying we will be FCS or DII, but there exists an opening for the Power 6 to declare us not in the same division as them anymore and force us to create some sort of National Championship for this "new division."

As far as I know, all 11 conferences are still members of the BCS (some AQ and others non-AQ). However, the point you're missing is that a team that runs the guantlet of an Alliance season plus play-off's of 18-24 teams probably deserves at least and at-large bid in one of the BCS bowl games.

And it's not a new division it's simply an alliance between two conferences within the current structure.

Yes I realize that, I may not be a genious but I'm pretty sharp when it comes to football. What I am saying is that the Power 6 Conferences have been trying to seperate themselves from the rest of us for some time now. this new Alliance bs gives them a stronger argument for doing so.

(02-18-2012 11:11 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  However, the point you're missing is that a team that runs the guantlet of an Alliance season plus play-off's of 18-24 teams probably deserves at least and at-large bid in one of the BCS bowl games.

When has deserving ever mattered. If the alliance champ has 2 losses, I can promise you they won't get an at-large.

As for further separation, the Alliance didn't prompt it, but they recognize it and are trying to fight against it by distancing themselves from the Mac and the belt (WAC is dead). In reality, when AQ goes away, it's far more likely that the net effect is that the BE is locked out...as opposed to the Alliance champ having an "in".

(02-18-2012 11:10 AM)Vobserver Wrote:  The Alliance plan is for semis and finals in conference with bowl games to follow. The BCS plan is a +1 for a national championship. Both will require an NCAA waiver; but the BCS one will be easier to get.

Because they sit on all the NCAA boards. However, will a negative ruling to the alliance and a positive one for the BCS stand-up to litigation or a threat thereof.

Look, everone is trying to strengthen their hand regarding NCAA athletics. FBS football just happens to be the most lucrative and complex of the bunch. The Media (ESPN/Fox/CBS/NBS/Yahoo/...) all want a piece of it, the universities, the alumni, the student-body, internet advertisers,etc., everyone. It's something that we're all interested in. What is going on here, argueably, is a stregthening of the brand. Like it or not you got to fight or they will roll over you.

The idea of the major players in college football creating a super conference and leaving everyone else out isn't a new idea. Paul Bryant actually suggested this back in the 70's. It's only taken 30+ year for the rest of the world to catch up with it.

I agree that the merging of MWC/C-USA and them wanting to have playoff for their conference championship will do nothing but seperate them from the major schools and will be used as an excuse for those schools to move even further away from them.

(02-18-2012 11:19 AM)johnnylightnin Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:11 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  However, the point you're missing is that a team that runs the guantlet of an Alliance season plus play-off's of 18-24 teams probably deserves at least and at-large bid in one of the BCS bowl games.

When has deserving ever mattered. If the alliance champ has 2 losses, I can promise you they won't get an at-large.

As for further separation, the Alliance didn't prompt it, but they recognize it and are trying to fight against it by distancing themselves from the Mac and the belt (WAC is dead). In reality, when AQ goes away, it's far more likely that the net effect is that the BE is locked out...as opposed to the Alliance champ having an "in".

"When has deserving ever mattered. If the alliance champ has 2 losses, I can promise you they won't get an at-large."

Welll, ask Boise or TCU or even Houston and UCF. They're all playing in an AQ conference now. Sure you may get shafted in the short run but in the long run it 'matters'.

I agree completely with your second paragraph.