(05-06-2018 12:49 PM)ken d Wrote:  One thing that struck me as I put this together is that, as recently as 2011 there were still "only" 120 FBS teams. Today, after Idaho drops down, we are at 130. If the three schools (South Alabama, Texas State and UT San Antonio) who move up in 2012 all wind up in the Sunbelt, no conference has fewer than 12 members. In that world, would the other 8 schools who have moved up since then been able to find a conference home, or would they have stayed in FCS? Coincidentally, all 8 are located on the East Coast.

Most would probably have stayed in FCS without an invite. Although imagine UMass and perhaps Liberty would still have found their way up. UMass's announcement was on 4/20/11, months before the Big East/AAC raids on CUSA which led to the cascade of FBS promotions. And Liberty would buy its way in regardless.