If a conference formed using a similar format to what the AAC developed under, what would a new conference look like, pulling teams from the Sun Belt, Conference USA, MAC, and FCS?

-Teams should have the ability and desire to invest in their programs at a pace equal to or greater than their peers. (e.g. Tulane new stadium, Houston new stadium, Coach and support staff investment ala Scott Frost, Tom Herman, Matt Rhule)

-Teams should have a sizeable market and/or following. (Southern Miss could argue the New Orleans market, UMass could argue the Boston Market [Now i'm hungry], App State and ODU have strong followings, relatively speaking)

-While winning is certainly a plus, it's not the initial criterion, merely the end goal. Programs like Buffalo, Georgia State, or any of the Directional Michigans could be power programs with the right investment

-Large footprint with clusters of regional rivals (Texas, SouthEast, NorthEast, what have you)

What is meant by "Best"? Football performance? Basketball? Other sports? Or other stuff like attendance, budgets, etc.

Obviously money by itself doesn't make you successful.

These scenarios made sense to imagine back in the day before the MAC signed a $125 million dollar TV deal with ESPN. That essentially ensures the long term integrity of the MAC. There is also a continuum of institutional characteristics that aren't shared by CUSA or SBC.

The question is more could you put a "Best of the Rest" CUSA/SBC conference that would be more credible as an FBS conference.

SBC: Arkansas St, Louisiana, Georgia Southern, App State
CUSA: Marshall, ODU, WKU, MTSU, Southern Miss, La Tech, UNT, UTSA

I: Marshall, ODU, WKU, MTSU, Georgia Southern, App State
II: So. Miss, La Tech, Louisiana, Arkansas St, UNT, UTSA

-Dropping FAU/FIU because they are so far from the other east schools.

-The schools are football oriented over Charlotte, UAB types.

-The leftover CUSA/SBC schools would be helpless.

There are good football schools in the both conferences that at the moment are weighed down by too many also rans.

(12-14-2015 05:51 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  What is meant by "Best"? Football performance? Basketball? Other sports? Or other stuff like attendance, budgets, etc.

Obviously money by itself doesn't make you successful.

The real answer of the best of the rest conference comprised of former CUSA/SBC/MAC schools was already answered by the formation of the AAC.

The AAC has led to a bunch of new schools to move to CUSA/SBC which is could now use a best of the rest for those two conferences.

Rebrand as the Old South Conference. A name with prestige.

Conference USA can then become the entry point FBS conference with NMSU and Idaho in it. Karl Benson becomes commish.

As mentioned above, I wouldn't include the MAC in these discussions. However, as far as a conference taking the best of C-USA and the SBC, here is how I would go:
9-team conference

From C-USA: Southern Miss, W. Kentucky, Marshall, Lousiana Tech, Rice, UTEP
From Sun Belt: Appalachian St., Georgia Southern, Lousiana-Lafayette

Nice footprint with teams that could beat any other G5 team on any given day.

Nine Team conference: Southern Miss. Ark State. LaTech. UL-Lafayette. W. Kentucky. Georgia Southern. Appalachian State. Middle Tenn. Marshall.

12 team conference: Southern Miss. Ark State. LaTech. UL-Lafayette. W. Kentucky. Georgia Southern. Appalachian State. Middle Tenn. Marshall. Old Dominion. Charlotte. Troy

Maybe do a football-focused and a basketball focused-conference. Which wouldn't preclude a school in one from being good in another, but would be a relatively easy way to separate schools based on their interests and priorities

Football: Southern Miss, Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Louisiana-Lafayette, Toledo, Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky
Basketball: Old Dominion, Charlotte, Georgia State, UAB, UTEP, Ohio, UMass, Eastern Michigan, Akron, Kent State, Miami (OH), New Mexico State

I guess everyone else would be in a Rest of the Rest conference? I dunno. I don't think this would work very well at all. Maybe someone can pick at it?

I should of had Rice instead of UTSA in the Old South Conference.

Old South Conference
I: Marshall, ODU, WKU, MTSU, Georgia Southern, App State
II: So. Miss, La Tech, Louisiana, Arkansas St, UNT, Rice

CUSA then would be.....

East: Charlotte, Coastal, Georgia St, FAU, FIU, UAB
West: South Alabama, ULM, UTSA, UTEP, Texas State, NMSU

Troy and Idaho don't get placed and move down to FCS.

(12-14-2015 05:51 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  What is meant by "Best"? Football performance? Basketball? Other sports? Or other stuff like attendance, budgets, etc.

Obviously money by itself doesn't make you successful.

This is why I'm asking. I'm curious about this balance too. I leave that up to you to argue, i'm just here to learn :)

(12-14-2015 06:43 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  Maybe do a football-focused and a basketball focused-conference. Which wouldn't preclude a school in one from being good in another, but would be a relatively easy way to separate schools based on their interests and priorities

Football: Southern Miss, Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Louisiana-Lafayette, Toledo, Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky
Basketball: Old Dominion, Charlotte, Georgia State, UAB, UTEP, Ohio, UMass, Eastern Michigan, Akron, Kent State, Miami (OH), New Mexico State

I guess everyone else would be in a Rest of the Rest conference? I dunno. I don't think this would work very well at all. Maybe someone can pick at it?

Basketball: Buffalo, Akron, Ohio, ODU, Charlotte, Georgia State, WKU, MTSU, UAB, South Alabama

Football: NIU, Toledo, App State, GaSouthern, Troy, So Miss, Louisiana, LaTech, Ark State, UNT, Rice, UTSA

That is 22 schools. The remaining 16 schools can all dump into CUSA.

All this does is create 3 CUSA-level conferences with no identity. I like a best of the CUSA/SBC under a new brand idea better.

Shouldn't this include the AAC?

Commence Silly Season

(12-14-2015 06:22 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  I wouldn't include the MAC in these discussions.

I doubt a member of the MAC would wish to be included. I can't imagine enough of a bump in prestige to lead any MAC school to take on the additional travel expenses.

Even if you were to make the focus academics, I can't see it. Let's say Rice and Miami wanted to create a new conference of similar, academically strong institutions. I don't see how they could find six or seven other schools with enough prestige to make the added travel costs worth it.

(12-14-2015 07:09 PM)rednblackattack Wrote:  Shouldn't this include the AAC?

Is the AAC a part of CUSA / SBC / MAC ?

What exactly would be the point of this? At the end of the day you are in the same place you are now - the bottom of the FBS. And by "you", I don't have anybody in particular in mind. I'm referring to any school that goes to great effort just to rearrange the deck chairs in a futile chance at getting a few more bucks. When all is said and done, you don't have more money, you are just worn out from the effort.

While there is merit to blowing up both leagues and forming a solid league out of the remnants and leaving the leftovers to realign as they see fit, it will never happen.

(12-14-2015 07:09 PM)rednblackattack Wrote:  Shouldn't this include the AAC?

U funny.

(12-14-2015 09:35 PM)ken d Wrote:  What exactly would be the point of this? At the end of the day you are in the same place you are now - the bottom of the FBS. And by "you", I don't have anybody in particular in mind. I'm referring to any school that goes to great effort just to rearrange the deck chairs in a futile chance at getting a few more bucks. When all is said and done, you don't have more money, you are just worn out from the effort.

There is value in being aligned with your peers. I'm not sure that teams like FIU and UL-M are on the same page as teams like Marshall and USM.

(12-14-2015 09:14 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  

(12-14-2015 07:09 PM)rednblackattack Wrote:  Shouldn't this include the AAC?

Is the AAC a part of CUSA / SBC / MAC ?

The vast majority of America sees no difference.

UTSA - Market
NIU - football "power"
Georgia St - market
UMass - percieved as Basketball power
Buffalo - academics
Rice -academics