Cincinnati and Memphis to Big 12 and restructuring G5 more geographically. Idaho moves to FCS or out west

G5 East

Appalachian State
Central Florida
Charlotte
Connecticut
East Carolina
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Massachusetts
Navy
Old Dominion
South Florida
Temple


G5 South West

Houston
New Mexico
New Mexico State
North Texas
Rice
SMU
Texas State
Tulane
Tulsa
UTEP
UTSA


G5 South East

Arkansas State
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Louisiana Lafayette
Louisiana Monroe
Louisiana Tech
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama
Southern Miss
Troy
Western Kentucky


G 5 Central

Akron
Ball State
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Kent State
Miami (O)
Northern Illinois
Ohio
Toledo
Western Michigan


G5 West

Air Force
Boise State
BYU
Colorado State
Fresno State
Hawaii
Nevada
San Jose State
UNLV
San Diego State
Utah State
Wyoming

UConn would go independent or drop football and return to the Big East in about five seconds if this happened.

So the MAC... stays the same

(04-01-2015 08:34 PM)Stay Cool Wrote:  So the MAC... stays the same

It is already for the most part a regional conference.

(04-01-2015 08:25 PM)UpStreamRedTeam Wrote:  UConn would go independent or drop football and return to the Big East in about five seconds if this happened.

They might go independent...but they won't drop football or drop down to FCS.

(04-01-2015 08:48 PM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(04-01-2015 08:34 PM)Stay Cool Wrote:  So the MAC... stays the same

It is already for the most part a regional conference.

Come on man, NIU deserves better than that and you know it

(04-01-2015 08:05 PM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  Cincinnati and Memphis to Big 12 and restructuring G5 more geographically. Idaho moves to FCS or out west

G5 East

Appalachian State
Central Florida
Charlotte
Connecticut
East Carolina
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Massachusetts
Navy
Old Dominion
South Florida
Temple

I'm emotionally scarred for life.

(04-01-2015 08:51 PM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(04-01-2015 08:25 PM)UpStreamRedTeam Wrote:  UConn would go independent or drop football and return to the Big East in about five seconds if this happened.

They might go independent...but they won't drop football or drop down to FCS.

I'm sure they would try what they could to keep football at as high a level as possible, but I think given the option to either play in the conference you described OR drop football to play in the Big East, they would drop football.

(04-01-2015 09:06 PM)UpStreamRedTeam Wrote:  

(04-01-2015 08:51 PM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(04-01-2015 08:25 PM)UpStreamRedTeam Wrote:  UConn would go independent or drop football and return to the Big East in about five seconds if this happened.

They might go independent...but they won't drop football or drop down to FCS.

I'm sure they would try what they could to keep football at as high a level as possible, but I think given the option to either play in the conference you described OR drop football to play in the Big East, they would drop football.

If the Southwest Conference could be reformed, the current G5 could be reshaped into more regional conferences. Houston, Rice and SMU, former members of the SWC could agree to re-establish the once prominent conference, the teams they could invite would be a strong G5 conference. Only the Mid-American Conference would remain intact.

The conference should take in teams of 4 of the 5 existing G5 conferences:
The teams: Houston, Rice and SMU could add Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Memphis, New Mexico, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UTEP, and UTSA. There would be 5 teams from AAC, 4 teams from CUSA, 2 teams from the Sun Belt and one team from MWC. States represented: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

This would cause the AAC to add five teams, MWC would add one and the CUSA and Sun Belt merge.

AAC seven (Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Navy, South Florida, and Temple would most likely add Charlotte, Marshall, Massachusetts, Middle Tennessee, and Old Dominion.

CUSA and Sun Belt Merger: Appalachian State, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, and Western Kentucky.

Mountain West could take in New Mexico State.

UALR and Texas Arlington could join UAB and invite Belmont, Kennesaw State, Lipscomp, UMKC, New Orleans, Northern Kentucky, Oral Roberts, SIUE, and TAMCC to form a decent basketball league that could be divided into east/west divisions.

I think you did a good job, given the confines of 5 conferences.
If the P5 officially closes its doors, I think G5 will need more than 5 conferences to meet their needs.
You'll see smaller leagues and football only leagues. Maybe some niche leagues for football only (academic league, e.g.).
The east coast has great conference options for non-FBS football leagues (Big EAst, A 10). The south, particularly the gulf south, has incredibly poor options for non- FBS football leagues.

(04-04-2015 05:55 PM)HamiltonJames Wrote:  I think you did a good job, given the confines of 5 conferences.
If the P5 officially closes its doors, I think G5 will need more than 5 conferences to meet their needs.
You'll see smaller leagues and football only leagues. Maybe some niche leagues for football only (academic league, e.g.).
The east coast has great conference options for non-FBS football leagues (Big EAst, A 10). The south, particularly the gulf south, has incredibly poor options for non- FBS football leagues.

Right now there are 60 G5 schools in five conferences and there are two true G5 independents (UMass and Army), BYU exists in its own realm since they do not come close to the revenue of a P5 but earn more than the other G5.

Five is a pretty efficient number of conferences since it would set the stage for 5 leagues of 12 using current conference aligned schools and that is what we have but for the Sun Belt being at 11 and CUSA at 13.

Assuming MWC, MAC and AAC are content at 12 and Army is content to remain independent, if we are trying to do some grand realignment of the remaining 25 schools (Sun Belt, CUSA, UMass) where everyone desiring a home has one, the only way to get to six G5 (G6) leagues would be two leagues of 8 and one of 9 which would mean bringing up more FCS schools. That seems an improbable outcome.

The only way I can realistically conceive of a six league G5 would be CUSA growing to at least 16 members and splitting at a future date while the Sun Belt has backfilled and then backfills again after the split CUSA-A and CUSA-B take members.

(04-04-2015 05:55 PM)HamiltonJames Wrote:  I think you did a good job, given the confines of 5 conferences.
If the P5 officially closes its doors, I think G5 will need more than 5 conferences to meet their needs.
You'll see smaller leagues and football only leagues. Maybe some niche leagues for football only (academic league, e.g.).
The east coast has great conference options for non-FBS football leagues (Big EAst, A 10). The south, particularly the gulf south, has incredibly poor options for non- FBS football leagues.

Agree. Something along the ideas presented here will naturally occur if the P5 splits from the G5. That said, nothing like this would happen prior to that event. If a split occurred, I could see Houston, SMU, and Rice building a min-SWC with a Texas core. I'd look for easy travel---so UTEP and New Mexico would get cut loose to a western conference due to distance. You could drop North Texas and replace them with S Miss since N Texas double dips the Dallas market (I didn't because it would kinda suck for them). Yes, I double dipped in Houston, but only because Rice and Houston were SWC schools and the conference is supposed to be a mini-SWC.

Post Apocalyptic P-5/G5 Split SWC
(Mad Max will lead the bus convoy to away games)

Houston
Rice
SMU
UTSA
Texas State
N Texas
Tulsa
Arky State
LaTech
Tulane
UL-L
Memphis

Encompasses the same old SWC footprint and expands it a bit. Lots of driveable games. Wouldn't be very valuable to media in a post-split world, but maybe Fox-SW would be interested. I have to say, after spending over 200 million on athletic facility upgrades the last few years, the Houston administration would likely not be too happy that they were left behind in a new "second tier" of football.

(04-04-2015 06:15 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 05:55 PM)HamiltonJames Wrote:  I think you did a good job, given the confines of 5 conferences.
If the P5 officially closes its doors, I think G5 will need more than 5 conferences to meet their needs.
You'll see smaller leagues and football only leagues. Maybe some niche leagues for football only (academic league, e.g.).
The east coast has great conference options for non-FBS football leagues (Big EAst, A 10). The south, particularly the gulf south, has incredibly poor options for non- FBS football leagues.

Right now there are 60 G5 schools in five conferences and there are two true G5 independents (UMass and Army), BYU exists in its own realm since they do not come close to the revenue of a P5 but earn more than the other G5.

Five is a pretty efficient number of conferences since it would set the stage for 5 leagues of 12 using current conference aligned schools and that is what we have but for the Sun Belt being at 11 and CUSA at 13.

Assuming MWC, MAC and AAC are content at 12 and Army is content to remain independent, if we are trying to do some grand realignment of the remaining 25 schools (Sun Belt, CUSA, UMass) where everyone desiring a home has one, the only way to get to six G5 (G6) leagues would be two leagues of 8 and one of 9 which would mean bringing up more FCS schools. That seems an improbable outcome.

The only way I can realistically conceive of a six league G5 would be CUSA growing to at least 16 members and splitting at a future date while the Sun Belt has backfilled and then backfills again after the split CUSA-A and CUSA-B take members.

If the Southwest Conference could be reactivated and there are still G5 at FBS, having the G5 into more regional conferences like P5 (with the exception of the Big 12 who most like will eventually go to 12 with the addition of Cincinnati and Connecticut to help out West Virginia) makes sense. I see the Mid-America staying the same but changes in AAC and MWC (with the creation of the SWC) while merging the leftover CUSA and Sun Belt so there would still be G5. The other conference I suggested was taking care of UALR, UTA and UAB with some other stronger basketball schools that geographically be together.

(04-04-2015 06:15 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 05:55 PM)HamiltonJames Wrote:  I think you did a good job, given the confines of 5 conferences.
If the P5 officially closes its doors, I think G5 will need more than 5 conferences to meet their needs.
You'll see smaller leagues and football only leagues. Maybe some niche leagues for football only (academic league, e.g.).
The east coast has great conference options for non-FBS football leagues (Big EAst, A 10). The south, particularly the gulf south, has incredibly poor options for non- FBS football leagues.

Right now there are 60 G5 schools in five conferences and there are two true G5 independents (UMass and Army), BYU exists in its own realm since they do not come close to the revenue of a P5 but earn more than the other G5.

Five is a pretty efficient number of conferences since it would set the stage for 5 leagues of 12 using current conference aligned schools and that is what we have but for the Sun Belt being at 11 and CUSA at 13.

Assuming MWC, MAC and AAC are content at 12 and Army is content to remain independent, if we are trying to do some grand realignment of the remaining 25 schools (Sun Belt, CUSA, UMass) where everyone desiring a home has one, the only way to get to six G5 (G6) leagues would be two leagues of 8 and one of 9 which would mean bringing up more FCS schools. That seems an improbable outcome.

The only way I can realistically conceive of a six league G5 would be CUSA growing to at least 16 members and splitting at a future date while the Sun Belt has backfilled and then backfills again after the split CUSA-A and CUSA-B take members.

Right.

I think what will ultimately eliminate the massive AAC/CUSA/SBC geographic crossover will be a raid on the AAC.

Let's play a scenario here.....Texas and Rice to the PAC.

B12 (Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis)-To 12 and rebuild market presence.
BE (UConn, St. Louis)-UConn goes indy rather than staying in a poached AAC.

Then you have a situation where SMU, Tulsa and Tulane are all stuck on a western island in the AAC. In an AAC where the TV contract may be voided.

MWC (SMU, UTSA)-MWC dips into Texas with 2 big markets.
CUSA (Tulsa)-Safe landing back to CUSA and TV contract.

Tulane I don't think would leave the AAC. New Orleans is kind of on its own island and may as well as a catholic school tie-in with the East Coast schools. The moves do require a major rebuilding effort by the AAC since they lost 6 schools.

AAC (UMass, Army, ODU, Georgia State)-10 team AAC FB conference

At this point the AAC becomes mostly an eastern seaboard conference. CUSA takes its next opening and adds Texas State, cutting the SBC off from Texas.

After this the G5 is better geographically realigned.

MWC (14)-The best G5 with Boise, California and Texas representation.
AAC (10)-An eastern seaboard conference that can fill seats at bowl games.
CUSA (12)-Mid South and Southwest oriented conference.
MAC (12)-Midwest schools.
SBC (9)-FBS starter conference.

Outside of Tulane in the AAC and UTEP in CUSA there would then be no overlap between MWC/CUSA/MAC/AAC. SBC would overlap MWC/CUSA/AAC but its the starter conference so that is understandable.

Right, because bussing to games is way more important than tying programs together with similar interests and goals.

All the programs in the AAC have something much better than close proximity in common, we all invest heavily and support our athletic programs, residing with the exception of ECU) in large media markets.

And you think UCF would accept being in a conference with FIU (and other similar programs)? If that were to happen, we'd close up shop and try to recoup losses by selling our stadium piecemeal, rather than play along

(04-01-2015 08:25 PM)UpStreamRedTeam Wrote:  UConn would go independent or drop football and return to the Big East in about five seconds if this happened.

this

(04-05-2015 03:02 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  Right, because bussing to games is way more important than tying programs together with similar interests and goals.

All the programs in the AAC have something much better than close proximity in common, we all invest heavily and support our athletic programs, residing with the exception of ECU) in large media markets.

And you think UCF would accept being in a conference with FIU (and other similar programs)? If that were to happen, we'd close up shop and try to recoup losses by selling our stadium piecemeal, rather than play along

I don't see the AAC evolving into a bus league, however when they look to reload I'd expect Army and UMass to top the list over MTSU/USM to try to keep the conference on the Eastern Seaboard and lessen the confusion with CUSA.

A tipping point will come where SMU eventually would consider the MWC. Maybe both SMU and Tulsa would look at the MWC as a pair. Tulane I think would never look West or to CUSA.

.... is like restructuring the deck chairs on the Titanic.

(04-05-2015 03:02 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  If that were to happen, we'd close up shop and try to recoup losses by selling our stadium piecemeal, rather than play along

No you wouldn't.

(04-05-2015 09:35 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  A tipping point will come where SMU eventually would consider the MWC. Maybe both SMU and Tulsa would look at the MWC as a pair. Tulane I think would never look West or to CUSA.

Tulane would go west...they were in the C-USA west for a decade. They were the leading C-USA proponent of the Alliance with the MWC. East is better...but they have a lot of west coast students as well. What they want is association with national universities and are willing to fly to do it...particularly in football.
AAC could devolve into a football only league. The eastern teams have good non-football options. SMU and Tulsa could probably go the the valley. Tulane and other southern schools would have a real problem though...nothing much down here.