(12-24-2013 06:29 PM)MJG Wrote: I can see members of the current G5 conferences being unhappy with what they ended up with .
I could see the Texas schools joining up with either top Western or Eastern schools . Every current conference has some schools considered weak links. Poor markets or not competitive the only way to change it is a new conference .
UTEP, SMU, HOUSTON and Rice could even be split two East two West.
East -UCF, USF, UC and UCONN
West- Fresno, SDSU, CSU and UNLV
Fourteen may even work better for travel.
The Texas schools could have guaranteed cross over match ups.
Two Texas schools get California exposure the other two Florida .
Texas would be the bridge with divisions its like two conferences anyway .
Bowls being mainly in Florida, Texas and California would help this conference. I know it's like a best of the rest conference splitting the Texas teams makes it work. The four East or four west could be different.
You probably have to go with 6 in Texas and split them 3 each way--otherwise it's just not worth all that travel for the Texas schools. With 6--at least each Texas school gets 2 travel games in state--with 4 to 5 out of state members in eac division.
The other option is a Texas based conference with some surrounding membership. Could go east, west, or both. A few examples are below. Other than the national conference--the rest are just low travel regionals designed to limit costs.
Nationwide
West--UTEP, UTSA, Tx St, New Mexico, UNLV, SDSU, Boise, Fresno
East--Houston, SMU, ECU, UCF, USF, Memphis, Cinci, UConn
Tight Regional Eastern Version
North--SMU, N Tx, Tx St, Tulsa, Arky St, Memphis
South--Hou, Rice, UTSA, Tulane, ULaLa, LaTech
Tight Regional Western Version
West--Colorado St, NewMex, UTEP, UTSA, Tx St, Air Force
East--SMU, Rice, Houston, NTx, ArkySt, Tulane
Tight Regional Center
West--UTEP, New Mexico, Colorado St, UTEP, UTSA, Air Force (or Tulsa).
East--Tx St, SMU, Rice, Houston, Tulane, ArkySt