(07-03-2016 10:07 AM)Kittonhead Wrote: Imagine if the realignment of 2010-2014 happens a decade earlier.
1) UConn never gets it chance to move to FBS.
2) Syracuse, Pitt, BC, VT and Miami get added to the ACC all at once.
3) West Virginia and Maryland to the B1G instead of Rutgers.
4) Colorado State and BYU in the B12.
CUSA would then be the AAC with Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, TCU possibly going to 14 with Rutgers and Temple.
MWC would have UTEP from the WAC who would never have joined the MWC plus SMU who would have never joined CUSA.
The result may have been that CUSA was elevated to BCS conference status with implications for the development of the CFP and the power conference system.
If the ACC added the five schools above, and lost Maryland, it would be at 13 for football - my guess is that it would have been either West Virginia (who would never be admitted to the B1G), Cincinnati, or Louisville.
The only question is whether UConn would follow Temple to the A-10, and I think the initial answer is no. Temple and UConn would probably eventually join C-USA.
If the Big 12 lost Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, and Texas A&M, I think the conference would still want a fourth Texas school to replace Texas A&M. Say hello to TCU, who played the 1996-2000 seasons in the WAC, and 2001-2004 in Conference USA. Again #12 would be a sticking point, but I think Louisville or West Virginia gets the nod - Southern Miss would have likely been considered as well. That probably is the last blow to AQ status for C-USA.
So for 2005:
SEC - same as today
ACC - same as today except WVU instead of Louisville
B1G - same as today
PAC - same as today
XII - same as today except Louisville instead of WVU, and the additions of BYU and Colorado State
Big East - no longer sponsors football
MAC - same as today plus Marshall and Air Force
C-USA
East - Temple, UConn, Cincinnati, UCF, ECU, USF
West - UAB, Southern Miss, Tulane, Houston, SMU, Memphis
Mountain West:
San Diego State, UNLV, Boise State, Fresno State, UTEP, Rice, New Mexico, Wyoming,
WAC - same as 2005 except no Boise State
Sun Belt - same as 2005
Independents - same as 2005 except for Temple in C-USA
WKU football eventually joins the Sun Belt in 2008, followed by South Alabama football in 2012 and Georgia State in 2013. UTSA and Texas State join the WAC in 2012.
UMass, App State, Georgia Southern, Charlotte, and Old Dominion are left without chairs unless if the Sun Belt or C-USA is willing to go to 14.
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