This isn't going to end well for CUSA or the Sun Belt. CUSA will lose members, and will backfill with WKU and TX St, plus however many it needs out of Ark St, GA St, USA, ULL, App St, or GA Southern. The four schools out of that group that get left out will remain with Troy and ULM, and add two more FCS schools to form the new 8 member SBC.

(12-22-2012 11:51 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  This isn't going to end well for CUSA or the Sun Belt. CUSA will lose members, and will backfill with WKU and TX St, plus however many it needs out of Ark St, GA St, USA, ULL, App St, or GA Southern. The four schools out of that group that get left out will remain with Troy and ULM, and add two more FCS schools to form the new 8 member SBC.

Short-term, probably right.

But if things get a little more geographically sensible it may be long-term good.

There is such inefficiency in what we see now (assuming nBE loses Boise St / SDSU but keeps SMU/Houston)

nBE runs from Storrs, CT to Houston, TX
CUSA from Huntington, WV (or Miami, FL) to El Paso, TX
Sun Belt from San Marcos, TX to Atlanta (presumably to Boone, NC)

Three non-contract leagues spread thin across essentally the same footprint.

Now if school density were to grow and the footprints a little more geographically sensible (I presume there will always be outliers for political reasons) then it might get better as schools can improve ticket sales, have rivalries that drive donations, while the TV will all look much the same.

Ticket sales and donations are the heart of college football, even with the massive dollars their leagues produce, schools like Bama, LSU, Ohio State and Michigan only get about a third of their income from their conference (TV + NCAA Tournamen + league championship events). If you can improve that things will be OK.

I will continue to not stump for other leagues, as I now really feel that unless the MWC decides for a crazy central time zone region, we are better off SBC.

(12-22-2012 01:32 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  I will continue to not stump for other leagues, as I now really feel that unless the MWC decides for a crazy central time zone region, we are better off SBC.

Sun Belt Commissioner decided to speak about it. Considering his Western leaning, would imagine he will add Lamar, Sam Houston, Jacksonille State, Liberty and Idaho & NMSU for football only:

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/201...ck_check=1

(12-22-2012 01:47 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  

(12-22-2012 01:32 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  I will continue to not stump for other leagues, as I now really feel that unless the MWC decides for a crazy central time zone region, we are better off SBC.

Sun Belt Commissioner decided to speak about it. Considering his Western leaning, would imagine he will add Lamar, Sam Houston, Jacksonille State, Liberty and Idaho & NMSU for football only:

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/201...ck_check=1

The SBC Presidents have stated at their last two annual meetings that they prefer a SEast expansion plan . . unless the Commish can convince his bosses to go along with his idea then . .

He seems to lean West - so who knows.

If we expand with FCS schools and they do not inculde App. St. and Ga. Southern then Benson should just move on.

The teams are probably looking to see how it shakes out. If MWC/BE both tear CUSA apart, the 8 left in the Sun Belt could merge with the 4 gone and a few others under the CUSA name. Better commish, a championship game etc.

Sitting at 8 teams, I don't see why we don't add at least one or two.

1. If there are changes that free up some current FBS schools to join the SB then ten teams is not a deterrent to adding between 1 and 6 schools.

2. If more schools leave the SB then it helps those that stay by giving them some breathing room.

(12-22-2012 04:08 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  Sitting at 8 teams, I don't see why we don't add at least one or two.

1. If there are changes that free up some current FBS schools to join the SB then ten teams is not a deterrent to adding between 1 and 6 schools.

2. If more schools leave the SB then it helps those that stay by giving them some breathing room.

Some of our top FCS candidates to join may be tapping the brakes themselves if they think they may be candidates if CUSA gets raided.

(12-22-2012 04:22 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(12-22-2012 04:08 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  Sitting at 8 teams, I don't see why we don't add at least one or two.

1. If there are changes that free up some current FBS schools to join the SB then ten teams is not a deterrent to adding between 1 and 6 schools.

2. If more schools leave the SB then it helps those that stay by giving them some breathing room.

Some of our top FCS candidates to join may be tapping the brakes themselves if they think they may be candidates if CUSA gets raided.

THat would be foolish. As we've seen lately, there is no reason that a team can't move back and forth (Boise) or accept one offer and another before playing a sinlge game in either (TCU). If we offered any of the FCS schools looking to move they would accept on the spot.

(12-22-2012 11:43 AM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

(12-22-2012 05:01 AM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  BE adds Tulsa, NIU, UMass(fb only)

No one and I mean no one will ever leave the MAC unless they ever find a golden ticket. And the only golden ticket for 11 MAC schools is the B10, and thats not happening. If you would go away for 50 years you would see the MAC would basically be the same schools when you got back.

You guys and UCF left the MAC for CUSA. NIU would basically be doing the same. BE version of CUSA. Either them or pick another CUSA school to fill the hole where I have NIU. S.Miss, UAB, Marshall do the same.

I don't think consolidation to 9 conferences is a given, but this is how I think it would go down:

Connecticut to ACC (15/16)
Houston, UTEP, SMU, BYU, SDSU, BSU to Mountain West (16/15)
ECU returns to C-USA (14)
Cincinnati, Memphis, South Florida, Tulane to Big 12 (14)

The current Big East is down to Temple, Central Florida, and Navy for football only. The Sun Belt is down to ULM, UL, USA, Troy, WKU, Texas State, and Georgia State plus 2 non-football members). The Big East dissolves, releasing the Big East name to the Catholic 7.

Temple rejoins the Atlantic 10, to play MAC football
New Mexico State joins the Sun Belt for football only
UCF returns to C-USA
Navy joins C-USA for football only
The Sun Belt adds Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Georgia Southern

SBC Football:
West - NM St, TX St, Lamar, SHSU, AR St, ULM
East - ULL, USA, Troy, GA So, GA St, WKU

C-USA
West - UTSA, Rice, UNT, Tulsa, LA Tech, USM, UAB, MTSU
East - Navy, Marshall, ODU, UNCC, ECU, UCF, FAU, FIU

The Northeast division for non-football sports would be Marshall, ODU, UNCC, ECU, MTSU. The Southeast division would be UCF, FAU, FIU, UAB, and USM. The remaining 5 Western schools would be the final 5-team division.

Speculation would abound that Navy would eventually return to independence, and that the Big 12 and Pac 12 eventually go to 16.

(12-22-2012 06:24 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(12-22-2012 11:43 AM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

(12-22-2012 05:01 AM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  BE adds Tulsa, NIU, UMass(fb only)

No one and I mean no one will ever leave the MAC unless they ever find a golden ticket. And the only golden ticket for 11 MAC schools is the B10, and thats not happening. If you would go away for 50 years you would see the MAC would basically be the same schools when you got back.

You guys and UCF left the MAC for CUSA. NIU would basically be doing the same. BE version of CUSA. Either them or pick another CUSA school to fill the hole where I have NIU. S.Miss, UAB, Marshall do the same.

Everyone knew that Marshall and UCF wasn't going to be in the MAC forever. Lets take a look at the MAC and how long each program has been there just to prove my point:

Akron 1992
Bowling Green 1952
Buffalo 1999
Kent State 1951
UMass 2012
Miami 1947
Ohio 1948
Ball State 1975
Central Michigan 1975
Eastern Michigan 1976
Western Michigan 1948
Northern Illinois 1973-1985 1997
Toledo 1952

The core group of the MAC has basically been together since the mid 70s and 5 have been together since the early 50s.NIU left the MAC in 1985 to try and expand their wings. They were part of the Big West experiment from 1993-1995 when the Big West fell apart.

And to be fair there are just a few teams in the MAC that could move and make it actually work correctly. The rest of them know they are in the shaddow of the B10 and that they will never get that call to join the B10. Most MAC fans are happy where they are and that they can drive to most games.

(12-22-2012 06:55 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  I don't think consolidation to 9 conferences is a given, but this is how I think it would go down:

Connecticut to ACC (15/16)
Houston, UTEP, SMU, BYU, SDSU, BSU to Mountain West (16/15)
ECU returns to C-USA (14)
Cincinnati, Memphis, South Florida, Tulane to Big 12 (14)

The current Big East is down to Temple, Central Florida, and Navy for football only. The Sun Belt is down to ULM, UL, USA, Troy, WKU, Texas State, and Georgia State plus 2 non-football members). The Big East dissolves, releasing the Big East name to the Catholic 7.

Temple rejoins the Atlantic 10, to play MAC football
New Mexico State joins the Sun Belt for football only
UCF returns to C-USA
Navy joins C-USA for football only
The Sun Belt adds Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Georgia Southern

SBC Football:
West - NM St, TX St, Lamar, SHSU, AR St, ULM
East - ULL, USA, Troy, GA So, GA St, WKU

C-USA
West - UTSA, Rice, UNT, Tulsa, LA Tech, USM, UAB, MTSU
East - Navy, Marshall, ODU, UNCC, ECU, UCF, FAU, FIU

The Northeast division for non-football sports would be Marshall, ODU, UNCC, ECU, MTSU. The Southeast division would be UCF, FAU, FIU, UAB, and USM. The remaining 5 Western schools would be the final 5-team division.

Speculation would abound that Navy would eventually return to independence, and that the Big 12 and Pac 12 eventually go to 16.

There is not a single way on this planet that Memphis gets in the Big 12...

(12-22-2012 09:10 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  There is not a single way on this planet that Memphis gets in the Big 12...

Neither Tulane or USF.

(12-22-2012 10:02 PM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

(12-22-2012 09:10 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  There is not a single way on this planet that Memphis gets in the Big 12...

Neither Tulane or USF.

The Big 12 wants football programs. Memphis and USF currently have dumpster fires going in that area...they aint going anywhere.

Sun Belt 2013

Arkansas State
Florida Atlantic
Georgia State
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama
Texas State
Troy
Western Kentucky