IL St, UNI, Youngstown, etc would need a pretty firm commitment to full membership in the MAC to consider moving up.

(08-22-2016 11:57 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  Unless CUSA dropped to nine, I guess. Lose four to AAC and UTEP to MWC.

If C-USA winds up at nine, it would make sense for them to take Georgia State or Texas State - assuming either school would want to move to C-USA at that point. I doubt all four Texas C-USA schools would get taken, so I would expect an attempt to bridge the gap to UTEP should they remain, or for Texas State to be the travel partner for UTSA or North Texas.


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Or Marshall, Charlottle, ODU insist on a mid-Atlantic school. Maybe 6 of 9 is enough votes in CUSA, but not sure.

(08-22-2016 11:46 AM)ken d Wrote:  I don't expect any Big XII moves to impact the FCS.

Coastal got the last golden ticket.

(08-22-2016 11:47 AM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  CUSA isn't adding anyone unless they fall below 10 or at an uneven number. My prediction - realignment stops with CUSA and no FCS team will get called up this time.

Yeah.

The solace of not making into the B12 will be less competition moving forward for the access bowl slot.

The only way the Big Twelve would effect an FCS team moving up is the AAC raid the MWC.
Probably won't happen but it could lead to more than four C-USA schools moving.
The SBC is not changing the exit fee is to high for a move to a even worse CUSA.
All of the conferences would probably stay at ten or even eleven before inviting an FCS team.

Don't forget also NMSU looking for a home. That could be CUSA if they get depleted.

The more interesting thing is if the Big 12 signs a new grant of right realignment is over.
Even if that doesn't happen G5 to P5 advancement is dead after this expansion.
The PAC 12 already owns Nevada and Idaho for example.
The Big Ten already owns the Dakota's the Big Twelve owns New Mexico.
The gain that adding a team from one of these bordering states is not worth sharing a piece of the pie.

The G5 schools will struggle to keep the P5 schools within reach adding expenses like FCOA.
So why would they share their CFP money beyond ten schools?
Will FBS basically being closed to new additions lead to rules changes.
Realistically their are probably thirty schools more deserving than Coastal .
I go to Coastal games and think they are a good fit in the SBC.
Coastal had the guts to make the move before their ready.
Going from the bottom of FCS to a FBS conference has never been done before.
So I am not against Coastal just being realistic I have made it to a basketball game or two long before they had football.
I think a group of schools will have a pretty good argument that rules should be changed.
That is if they think FCS status is holding them back and want to move up.
Jacksonville vs South Alabama the gamecocks have a nice stadium and good attendance. They have made the investments that South Alabama has yet to make.Again nothing against South Alabama I just don't agree with the invitation rule.

I've always thought Wichita State has a good chance at CUSA if you've taken a look at the projects CUSA has gambled on through the years.

Don't be surprised if CUSA splits before the next CFP negotiations, so both halves will get a full share. CUSA might lower their entrance fees and invite Sun Belt, a Buffalo from the MAC,and select FCS teams. Their old Texas to Virginia to Florida is too big of a footprint now, as the TV money is not there. They tried to overlay the SEC map, and that doesn't work. CUSA East should extend from UMASS/Buffalo to FIU, and a new Southwest Conference in its western half.

(08-22-2016 07:51 PM)MJG Wrote:  The more interesting thing is if the Big 12 signs a new grant of right realignment is over.
Even if that doesn't happen G5 to P5 advancement is dead after this expansion.
The PAC 12 already owns Nevada and Idaho for example.
The Big Ten already owns the Dakota's the Big Twelve owns New Mexico.
The gain that adding a team from one of these bordering states is not worth sharing a piece of the pie.

The G5 schools will struggle to keep the P5 schools within reach adding expenses like FCOA.
So why would they share their CFP money beyond ten schools?
Will FBS basically being closed to new additions lead to rules changes.
Realistically their are probably thirty schools more deserving than Coastal .
I go to Coastal games and think they are a good fit in the SBC.
Coastal had the guts to make the move before their ready.
Going from the bottom of FCS to a FBS conference has never been done before.
So I am not against Coastal just being realistic I have made it to a basketball game or two long before they had football.
I think a group of schools will have a pretty good argument that rules should be changed.
That is if they think FCS status is holding them back and want to move up.
Jacksonville vs South Alabama the gamecocks have a nice stadium and good attendance. They have made the investments that South Alabama has yet to make.Again nothing against South Alabama I just don't agree with the invitation rule.

As it stands now most can't make FBS independence work but if the NCAA revised the rule to allow FCS teams to move up as an independent I think you may have a select few do that. Keep in mind the revised rule to allow this would need to be strong enough that just any FCS couldn't afford to do it. Enough teams move up and you could then think about forming a new conference.



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(08-22-2016 07:57 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  I've always thought Wichita State has a good chance at CUSA if you've taken a look at the projects CUSA has gambled on through the years.

Wichita St and Mo St would be ideal for CUSA West ... aka the new Southwest Conference.

JMU, Delaware and Stony Brook would be ideal for the east.

(08-22-2016 07:57 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  I've always thought Wichita State has a good chance at CUSA if you've taken a look at the projects CUSA has gambled on through the years.

Wichita State is an odd duck in that their basketball should get them consideration from the AAC, MWC, A-10 and Big East (if they're willing to open the gates to public schools), but their football is nonexistent as of now and would be a hard sell for the AAC and MWC. CUSA, the Belt and the MAC would given them consideration, but the dropoff in basketball could be precipitous. A borderline major basketball program but a G5 neophyte if the football program comes online. What do they do?

(08-22-2016 08:02 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Don't be surprised if CUSA splits before the next CFP negotiations, so both halves will get a full share. CUSA might lower their entrance fees and invite Sun Belt, a Buffalo from the MAC,and select FCS teams. Their old Texas to Virginia to Florida is too big of a footprint now, as the TV money is not there. They tried to overlay the SEC map, and that doesn't work. CUSA East should extend from UMASS/Buffalo to FIU, and a new Southwest Conference in its western half.

Buffalo isn't going to leave the MAC for that. AAC maybe but not a regionalized CUSA division.

I'm of the opinion that the money might be there for CUSA if post raid they could bulk to 16 schools and effectively put the SBC out of business. As the last remaining credible G5 conference networks would come around. They could do pretty good on the bowl front too with that location.

With the MAC, the TV dollars are understood and the travel low but the academics at those schools are pretty good, far better than CUSA/SBC. Presidents also think academics when making a move. The AAC is strong in academics.

(08-22-2016 08:14 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(08-22-2016 07:57 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  I've always thought Wichita State has a good chance at CUSA if you've taken a look at the projects CUSA has gambled on through the years.

Wichita State is an odd duck in that their basketball should get them consideration from the AAC, MWC, A-10 and Big East (if they're willing to open the gates to public schools), but their football is nonexistent as of now and would be a hard sell for the AAC and MWC. CUSA, the Belt and the MAC would given them consideration, but the dropoff in basketball could be precipitous. A borderline major basketball program but a G5 neophyte if the football program comes online. What do they do?

Basketball in the MVC is trending downward though.

A CUSA + Wichita wouldn't be much of a drop off for the Shockers, especially if CUSA lost 4-5 schools making it a 10 team conference.

MAC I don't really think would be interested in Wichita due to the distance. Illinois State in the West an JMU in the East is what they are most likely looking at.

Scenario:

B12 (UH, UC)
BE (UConn, Memphis)
AAC (Rice, ODU)
MWC (UTEP, UTSA)
CUSA (Wichita, Missouri St)

CUSA basketball would be at 12 members. Wichita State would have MoState, LaTech and North Texas to play against.

I can't help but think that regardless of what happens in FBS, you have programs like Stony Brook and Wichita State wanting in, and I don't know if the doors stay shut on those guys "just 'cuz."

Granted, Stony merely launched a $100m athletics campaign. It doesn't mean they'll succeed. They list about 1,200 donors (low), and won't give a number of where they stand. Still, as far as FBS prospects go, SBU's got one of the highest ceilings.

The "easy" solution would be to make DI football a homogeneous unit, like DI basketball.

It really wouldn't be that hard:

- any team is allowed to offer from 0 to a max of 85 equivalencies, to a maximum of 85 players (that's the same as FCS and FBS now)
- can't be bowl eligible unless meeting these requirements: 12 games scheduled with min 10 games against teams with N equivalencies, and need a min of 6 wins against teams with N equivalencies
- NCAA sponsors a 24 team playoff, like they do now, with auto-bids going to conferences that don't have any teams with more than X equivalencies
- CFP remains an independent entity, like it is today, that is owned and managed by the 10 current "FBS" conferences plus Notre Dame .... IE, no other conference has "automatic" rights to join the CFP simply because DI football is now a single unit

N = at least 90% of the max 85
X = max 63


That would allow a team like NDSU -- if it so chose -- to declare itself an independent from the MVFC and start offering 85 scholarships. It could then try to schedule as many current "FBS" teams as possible.

And here is a scenario for the CUSA to potentially add a team like JMU. Granted, I know this is a next to zero percent chance:

- Rice, SoMiss, UAB, and LT are taken by the AAC to replenish membership after losing four to the Big 12
- UTEP goes to the MWC (not sure how this can happen without: a) MWC losing a team, and/or b) another Texas CUSA team going with them)

That would leave the CUSA with: UTSA/North Texas, WKU/MTSU, FIU/FAU, Charlotte/Marshall, ODU

ODU could lobby for JMU, then. (or Delaware, Stony Brook, etc)

(08-23-2016 10:06 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  The "easy" solution would be to make DI football a homogeneous unit, like DI basketball.

It really wouldn't be that hard:

- any team is allowed to offer from 0 to a max of 85 equivalencies, to a maximum of 85 players (that's the same as FCS and FBS now)
- can't be bowl eligible unless meeting these requirements: 12 games scheduled with min 10 games against teams with N equivalencies, and need a min of 6 wins against teams with N equivalencies
- NCAA sponsors a 24 team playoff, like they do now, with auto-bids going to conferences that don't have any teams with more than X equivalencies
- CFP remains an independent entity, like it is today, that is owned and managed by the 10 current "FBS" conferences plus Notre Dame .... IE, no other conference has "automatic" rights to join the CFP simply because DI football is now a single unit

N = at least 90% of the max 85
X = max 63


That would allow a team like NDSU -- if it so chose -- to declare itself an independent from the MVFC and start offering 85 scholarships. It could then try to schedule as many current "FBS" teams as possible.

I suspect that would lead to the slipperiest of slopes for the current G5 conferences. Eventually, it likely would alter the CFP so that it excluded them entirely. Right now, there are only two G5 conferences that would have clearly separated themselves from the other non-P5s, and both of those have been trending down in strength over the past five years.

But it would not likely lead to an expanded playoff. And if it did, it wouldn't go beyond 8 teams. Bottom line is that it would just increase the gulf between the P5 and everyone else both financially and competitively, to the point where the only thing that would make sense is for the P5 schools to be a separate division.

Again, CFP is an entirely separate entity. The current G5 confs weren't included in the CFP simply because they were FBS. That means nothing. That's an NCAA thing. The NCAA has nothing to do with the CFP nor that playoff.

Even if a current FCS conference had every team decide to start giving N equivalencies - this voiding its eligibility for the NCAA playoff - that by no means automatically dictates that the CFP would have to add that conference to its ownership board.


So, the proposal does nothing to affect FBS teams, and really nothing to affect FCS teams. It just allows those very few FCS teams that want to give FBS Indy a shot to do so. And gets rid of the otherwise meaningless distinction of sub-divisions in DI football.