(05-17-2016 01:08 PM)CajunAmos Wrote: The worry for all Louisiana schools is the legislature coming up with another large hit to the state support allowed to athletics. If that comes around, it will all come to how much donors are willing to put into the pot as I don't think you can reasonably keep adding additional P5 (pay) foes pre-conference to foot the bill.
Or can we? Couldn't we leave that door of opportunity open for any of our our member in case they need it our others who wish to use it to develop facilities?
We don't have the restraints of a conference with 14 or even 12 members. I think we should be allowed to use oat advantage while we have it.
How so?
By splitting into 5/5 and only REQUIRING 7 conference games. The four from your side, a traditional rival from the other side and two to rotate every other year.
This would give us each the chance to play 5 OOC games per year. And as always, the trick is to win as many of those as possible, especially against g5 teams.
Otherwise, we beat up on each other, if we play an additional ooc g5, we get the chance to raise our conference power rankings by winning those. And we could all have better win loss records.
We have more flexibility to do a 2 for 1 if that is what it takes to get a P5 @ our places.
Scheduling an extra money game every year or every other year would be an option. This isn't all bad. Consider that if every team in the conference played 3 SEC games per year, what that would do for recruiting and exposure. Those are big stages that kids want to be on. I think the more we are in them, the better we will get. We could almost establish a mini forged SEC affiliation as people get used to seeing our teams playing against them. I can see that leading to more recognition of our brand. It would bring immediate cash, and get more attention than playing Idaho or most of us playing another team from our own conference.
Nothing would prevent out of rotation cross conference scheduling, if both teams needed to fill a spot. But I think we would be wise to leave that 8th conference game optional.
I wanted 12 members to be able to have a CCG. Now that we don't need 12, This is better! (Still want a CCG @highest ranked home stadium). We have all the advantages of being in a conference, with the near freedom of scheduling of an independent. We don't have a lot of advantages in the sun belt, but this could be one.