(12-08-2017 12:44 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(12-08-2017 12:26 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(12-08-2017 11:51 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(12-08-2017 11:12 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Honestly, Im not convinced standing pat at 11 isnt a better move. Its not like the Big10 didnt do it for almost 20 years.

You can't have 11 teams and a CCG. CCG needs either divisions, or a full round robin. The only possible way to work it would be one division having more conference games than the other, and even then I'm not sure.

AAC would either fold when UConn called their bluff, or reach out to UMass or NMSU, or Liberty as an affiliate, or Charlotte or ODU or who knows as a full member.

Actually you can. The exact language of the new recently adopted CCG rule (that allowed CCG's with fewer than 12 teams) now addresses that. While defining the divisional CCG option, it says something to the effect that the conference must play a round robin with two divisions that are as "equal" in size as "possible". Obviously, this new altered language (that didnt exist in the original CCG rule) is there to address odd numbered leagues. Its a pain in the butt for scheduling--but as I said, the Big10 did it for 20 years. Cutting loose a low end football squad means football money gets split fewer ways and SOS improves--so there is an incentive for trhe AAC to go to 11 in the event of a UConn jump to the BE.

Personally, unless the AAC next TV deal is below 3 million a team I dont think there will be enough financial incentive for UConn to throw their football program under a bus. If the new deal is over 4 million, UConn actually loses money with the move. I dont think UConn is going anywhere.

It's not a rules problem, it's a math problem. If the East Division has 5 teams, they play a round robin 4 games each. They each need 4 cross-division games, for a total of 16 games. The West Division has 6 teams each, they play a round robin 5 games each, need 3 games each, for a total of 18 cross-division games. So either 2 East division teams play 9 conference games, or 2 West division teams play 7 games.

The MAC didn't have this problem when they had 13 teams because they just ignored the round-robin part of the rule. Maybe the AAC could do that, I don't know. It's not like anyone would run screaming to the NCAA that the AAC was "cheating"--what's the Latin opposite of "qui bono?" Who's harmed? Really the only harm is to the schools who would be trying to fill UConn's spot, which means that CUSA would support the AAC's waiver--they're the likeliest to get poached.

Thats what Im saying. The language indicating the 2 divisions must be as "equal" as possible pretty much IS the waiver. Its kinda like saying--do your best to comply.