Another successful Pac-16 alternate timeline! The Big Ten helps itself to Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri from the flailing Big 12, while Texas A&M makes its escape to the SEC. Rutgers and Maryland also join the Big Ten. UNC and UVA declined an earlier Big Ten invite, but VT takes the SEC up on becoming its 14th school. With the southern football-first schools of the ACC entering negotiations with the tattered remains of the Big 12, NC State seizes the opportunity to defect to the SEC, which then rounds itself out to 16 with WVU. The Big 12 merger idea falls flat when Baylor and MWC member TCU take the ACC up on an offer to join. Big East refugees Louisville, Pitt, and Syracuse bring the ACC up to 14. Realizing how imminent the 4x16 power conference scenario is, Notre Dame pledges itself to the ACC. Cincinnati is chosen over UConn to complete the conference's expansion. Meanwhile, ISU and KSU rebuild the Big 12 from the convenient pool of CUSA and Big East FB schools. BYU, Temple, and Navy (FB-only) also come on board. Here's what we get by 2018:

ACC
Atlantic: Baylor, Boston College, Florida State, Miami-FL, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, TCU
Coastal: Cincinnati, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest

Big Ten
East: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers
West: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin

Pac-16
East Pod: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech
North Pod: Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State
South Pod: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah
West Pod: California, Stanford, UCLA, USC

SEC
Eastern: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, NC State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Southern: Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

Big 12
East: Central Florida, Connecticut, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Temple
West: BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Navy* (Patriot), SMU

CUSA
East: Charlotte, FIU, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion, Southern Miss, UAB
West: Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Tulane, Tulsa, UTEP, UTSA

MAC
East: Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami-OH, Ohio
West: Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan

MWC
Mountain: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State, Wyoming
West: Fresno State, Hawaii* (Big West), Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV

Sun Belt
East: Appalachian State, FAU, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, South Alabama, Troy
West: Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico State* (WAC), Texas State, Western Kentucky
NFB: Little Rock

FBS Ind
Army* (Patriot), Liberty* (ASUN), Massachusetts* (A-10)

Big East (NFB)
Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Villanova, Xavier

* = football-only (NFB conference in parentheses)

As you can see, the SEC has followed in the ACC's footsteps with a zipper alignment to better balance the divisions in terms of football strength. All the P4 conferences have gone to a 9-game conference schedule while abandoning permanent interdivision crossovers. The Pac-16 emulates the old "WAC-16" with a pod structure for its schedule and alignment, permitting equal access to the sacred California recruiting grounds.

(04-19-2018 09:33 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Big 12
East: Central Florida, Connecticut, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Temple
West: BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Navy* (Patriot), SMU

So I take it the Big 12 would no longer be considered a power conference then, right? Sure BYU and to some degree K-State add pedigree, in addition to fellow former BCS AQ members ISU, UCONN, USF, and Temple (in lesser capacity). But this conference has no where near the strength of the rest of the power conferences. It's a tweener just as the AAC is in our reality.

(04-20-2018 01:45 AM)McKinney Wrote:  

(04-19-2018 09:33 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Big 12
East: Central Florida, Connecticut, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Temple
West: BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Navy* (Patriot), SMU

So I take it the Big 12 would no longer be considered a power conference then, right? Sure BYU and to some degree K-State add pedigree, in addition to fellow former BCS AQ members ISU, UCONN, USF, and Temple (in lesser capacity). But this conference has no where near the strength of the rest of the power conferences. It's a tweener just as the AAC is in our reality.

You got it. I think the Big 12 here is better off than the AAC of our timeline, but still not a power conference.

(04-20-2018 05:20 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 01:45 AM)McKinney Wrote:  

(04-19-2018 09:33 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Big 12
East: Central Florida, Connecticut, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Temple
West: BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Navy* (Patriot), SMU

So I take it the Big 12 would no longer be considered a power conference then, right? Sure BYU and to some degree K-State add pedigree, in addition to fellow former BCS AQ members ISU, UCONN, USF, and Temple (in lesser capacity). But this conference has no where near the strength of the rest of the power conferences. It's a tweener just as the AAC is in our reality.

You got it. I think the Big 12 here is better off than the AAC of our timeline, but still not a power conference.

Big 10 was thinking of going to 22 teams. They could go to 24 teams.

West:
Oklahoma
Kansas
Texas
Nebraska
Iowa
Minnesota

Central:
Illinois
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Michigan
Michigan State
Indiana

East:
Purdue
Notre Dame
Penn State
Ohio State
Rutgers
Maryland

Southeast:
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Clemson
North Carolina
Virginia
Vanderbilt


I do not know if SEC could compete with that lineup for viewerships.

(07-10-2017 04:03 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  

(07-07-2017 08:12 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I love the speculative history.

I've always wondered about if an eastern all sports league might have emerged centered around Penn St and attracted both Florida St and Miami. The Florida schools and Penn St would be the stars of the show with VT, Syracuse, WVU, and BC making nice showings through the 90s and 00s. (Sorry Rutgers, Temple, and Pitt you're all still cellar dwellers in this timeline)

The question is would is league be able to earn big tv dollars and its best members not lured away? Perhaps Penn St, much like Texas, would prefer to be king in its league and enjoy having a voting block supporting them.

I'm guessing circa 2004 this league steals GT and Clemson from the ACC to get to 12 and start a title game and to better tie in the Florida schools to the rest of the league.

ACC is reduced to Maryland, UVA, UNC, Duke, NC St, WF and has to add Louisville, Cincy, USF, and UCF.

In 2012 this league expands again to 16 with Duke, UNC, Maryland, and UVA. NC St joins the SEC at roughly the same time (instead of Missouri) and Louisville slips into the Big 12.

I like an idea of an eastern FB league made up of the independents of the time. If that formed in the late 80's thats a dynamite league that might still be around today.

North: PSU, BC, Cuse, Temple, Rutgers, Pitt

South: FSU, Miami, USC, ECU, VT, WVU

https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour...rence.aspx

(04-20-2018 02:40 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 05:20 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 01:45 AM)McKinney Wrote:  

(04-19-2018 09:33 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Big 12
East: Central Florida, Connecticut, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Temple
West: BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Navy* (Patriot), SMU

So I take it the Big 12 would no longer be considered a power conference then, right? Sure BYU and to some degree K-State add pedigree, in addition to fellow former BCS AQ members ISU, UCONN, USF, and Temple (in lesser capacity). But this conference has no where near the strength of the rest of the power conferences. It's a tweener just as the AAC is in our reality.

You got it. I think the Big 12 here is better off than the AAC of our timeline, but still not a power conference.

Big 10 was thinking of going to 22 teams. They could go to 24 teams.

West:
Oklahoma
Kansas
Texas
Nebraska
Iowa
Minnesota

Central:
Illinois
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Michigan
Michigan State
Indiana

East:
Purdue
Notre Dame
Penn State
Ohio State
Rutgers
Maryland

Southeast:
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Clemson
North Carolina
Virginia
Vanderbilt


I do not know if SEC could compete with that lineup for viewerships.

Aren't those teams already fat and happy in their current homes?

This post is on psychedelic drugs!

(04-20-2018 03:49 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  This post is on psychedelic drugs!

Do you mean this thread? Otherwise this looks more like a confession.

(04-20-2018 03:30 PM)McKinney Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 02:40 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 05:20 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 01:45 AM)McKinney Wrote:  

(04-19-2018 09:33 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Big 12
East: Central Florida, Connecticut, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Temple
West: BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Navy* (Patriot), SMU

So I take it the Big 12 would no longer be considered a power conference then, right? Sure BYU and to some degree K-State add pedigree, in addition to fellow former BCS AQ members ISU, UCONN, USF, and Temple (in lesser capacity). But this conference has no where near the strength of the rest of the power conferences. It's a tweener just as the AAC is in our reality.

You got it. I think the Big 12 here is better off than the AAC of our timeline, but still not a power conference.

Big 10 was thinking of going to 22 teams. They could go to 24 teams.

West:
Oklahoma
Kansas
Texas
Nebraska
Iowa
Minnesota

Central:
Illinois
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Michigan
Michigan State
Indiana

East:
Purdue
Notre Dame
Penn State
Ohio State
Rutgers
Maryland

Southeast:
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Clemson
North Carolina
Virginia
Vanderbilt


I do not know if SEC could compete with that lineup for viewerships.

Aren't those teams already fat and happy in their current homes?

It is the Big 10's wishlist because they want to get all the tv markets that they can get. It is why the schools in the Big 10 getting more money per school than the others. If they expand when they got Rutgers and Maryland? The Big 10 Network would be in more tv markets than the PAC 12, Longhorn Network, ACC and the SEC.

(04-20-2018 02:40 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  Big 10 was thinking of going to 22 teams.

Was it. Was it really.

(04-20-2018 08:04 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 02:40 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  Big 10 was thinking of going to 22 teams.

Was it. Was it really.

Quote:Still more light was shed on the situation in late May 2013, when comments made by Ohio State president Gordon Gee in a December 2012 talk to the university's athletic council were made public. Media attention focused on comments that were interpreted as slurs against Catholics and Notre Dame, plus digs at former Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema, the Southeastern Conference, the University of Cincinnati, and Kentucky's two major state universities of Kentucky and Louisville.[18] The furor over Gee's comments soon led him to retire effective July 1, 2013.[19] However, his comments also included his takes on current and possible future Big Ten realignment:[18]

"I think we’re moving precipitously toward about three or four superconferences of about 16 to 20 teams. And the possibility of them bolting from the NCAA is not unlikely."
The addition of Maryland and Rutgers "gives us 40 to 50 million more viewers, makes the BTN [Big Ten Network] worth more money than God. I did say that. It’s a very powerful instrument for us."
"Very candidly, I think we made a mistake. Because [we] thought about adding Missouri and Kansas at the time. There was not a great deal of enthusiasm about that. I think we should have done that at the time. So we would have had Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and then moved into that other area. I think, by the way, that that can still happen."
"If the ACC continues to struggle, and Florida State goes off to the SEC or something like that, and Clemson moves in a different direction, all of a sudden Virginia, Duke, and North Carolina — which are all very similar institutions to the Big Ten, there is a real possibility that we may end up having that kind of T which goes south. And I could see them joining us. And I could see them having a real interest in joining us."

Gordon Gee opened his mouth back then saying it was a mistake that they did not grabbed Kansas and Missouri back then. Talking about grabbing the ACC schools. 16 to 20 team conference. Delany made the comment about 22 teams in a Super conference of 3 or 4. This could get the top G5 schools into the Supers.

Here's an intentionally unrealistic alternate history scenario for the Great Realignment that I call "Reversed Fortunes." Each of the five major P5-to-P5 moves is essentially reversed. For instance, instead of Maryland moving from the ACC to the Big Ten, let's say Penn State moves from the Big Ten to the ACC, and so forth. What we get:

ACC
Atlantic: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, NC State, Penn State, Wake Forest
Coastal: Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Miami-FL, Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Duke
(schools listed in order of protected crossover pairs)

Big 16
East: Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin
West: Arizona, Baylor, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
(no protected crossovers)

Big Ten
Leaders: Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse
Legends: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Purdue
Protected crossover: Michigan/Ohio State

PAC
East: Arizona State, Boise State (FB-only), BYU (FB-only), UCLA, USC, Utah
West: California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State
Protected crossovers: California/Stanford/UCLA/USC

SEC
Eastern: Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, West Virginia
Southern: Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, TCU
Protected crossover: Auburn/Georgia

The plundered Big Ten and SEC adopt non-geographic divisional alignments for better competitive balance in football. Also in a weakened state, the PAC compromises its principles and invites Boise State and BYU for football only. Note that the conference has dropped the "10" and rebranded as the Pacific Athletic Conference.

I had a thought regarding the fallout from the WAC/MWC split. As we know, the WAC was left with 8 schools. They added 2, Nevada and Boise St, and replaced TCU with LA Tech when they bailed for C-USA.

What if they had just gone ahead and absorbed all of Big West football instead of just 2 members?

WEST: Hawaii, San Jose St, Fresno St, Nevada, Utah St, Idaho, Boise St
EAST: New Mexico St, UTEP, Rice, SMU, UNT, Tulsa, LA Tech

The geography is good and would be sustainable until 2005 when they lost 4 to C-USA when they could either hold at 10 or bring in SBC teams like Arkansas St and ULL to rebuild.

Speaking of the SBC, if NMSU and UNT were to join the WAC in 2000 or 2001 then SBC football gets sets back about 5 years.

(04-28-2018 09:47 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I had a thought regarding the fallout from the WAC/MWC split. As we know, the WAC was left with 8 schools. They added 2, Nevada and Boise St, and replaced TCU with LA Tech when they bailed for C-USA.

What if they had just gone ahead and absorbed all of Big West football instead of just 2 members?

WEST: Hawaii, San Jose St, Fresno St, Nevada, Utah St, Idaho, Boise St
EAST: New Mexico St, UTEP, Rice, SMU, UNT, Tulsa, LA Tech

The geography is good and would be sustainable until 2005 when they lost 4 to C-USA when they could either hold at 10 or bring in SBC teams like Arkansas St and ULL to rebuild.

Speaking of the SBC, if NMSU and UNT were to join the WAC in 2000 or 2001 then SBC football gets sets back about 5 years.

Interesting! This may actually be one of those "self-correcting" alternate timelines that end up basically the same as ours. As you say, Sun Belt football might be delayed, but WAC football is still pretty much doomed once the MWC forms and the drive to 12 for a CCG ensues.

What if the Big East Football/Basketball split occurred in 2005 (not 2013)?

Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, St. Johns, Providence and Seton Hall leave the Big East and form a new non-football conference with Creighton, Dayton, DePaul, Marquette, Saint Louis and Xavier to form a Catholic Conference. In the separation, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Rutgers and UConn retain the Big East name/configuration and invite Louisville, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Memphis, Navy (football-only) and Army (football-only) to get to eleven total teams. For the twelfth, Temple is put on conditional membership (pending spending and facilities upgrades), after being kicked out, in order for the conference to have a conference championship game located at Giants Stadium (or Lincoln Financial Field).

Catholic Conference
Creighton
Dayton
DePaul
Georgetown
Marquette
Notre Dame
Providence
Saint Louis
Seton Hall
St. Johns
Villanova
Xavier

Big East
Army (Football-only)
Cincinnati
Connecticut
East Carolina
Louisville
Memphis
Navy (Football-only)
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
Syracuse
Temple
West Virginia

(05-04-2018 07:43 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  What if the Big East Football/Basketball split occurred in 2005 (not 2013)?

Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, St. Johns, Providence and Seton Hall leave the Big East and form a new non-football conference with Creighton, Dayton, DePaul, Marquette, Saint Louis and Xavier to form a Catholic Conference. In the separation, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Rutgers and UConn retain the Big East name/configuration and invite Louisville, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Memphis, Navy (football-only) and Army (football-only) to get to eleven total teams. For the twelfth, Temple is put on conditional membership (pending spending and facilities upgrades), after being kicked out, in order for the conference to have a conference championship game located at Giants Stadium (or Lincoln Financial Field).

Catholic Conference
Creighton
Dayton
DePaul
Georgetown
Marquette
Notre Dame
Providence
Saint Louis
Seton Hall
St. Johns
Villanova
Xavier

Big East
Army (Football-only)
Cincinnati
Connecticut
East Carolina
Louisville
Memphis
Navy (Football-only)
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
Syracuse
Temple
West Virginia

That's honestly two really good looking conferences. But how does that Big East lineup fare with the early 2010's realignment? Getting the split out of the way long before the major shakeup helps with stability, so I'd imagine Louisville, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, and WVU are less eager to leave... but would ACC, B1G, or Big-XII be able to lure some of these members away? How does its rigidity compare to the real-life Big East -> American era?

With Dayton, Saint Louis, Temple, and Xavier gone how does the Atlantic 10 look?

(05-04-2018 07:08 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(04-28-2018 09:47 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I had a thought regarding the fallout from the WAC/MWC split. As we know, the WAC was left with 8 schools. They added 2, Nevada and Boise St, and replaced TCU with LA Tech when they bailed for C-USA.

What if they had just gone ahead and absorbed all of Big West football instead of just 2 members?

WEST: Hawaii, San Jose St, Fresno St, Nevada, Utah St, Idaho, Boise St
EAST: New Mexico St, UTEP, Rice, SMU, UNT, Tulsa, LA Tech

The geography is good and would be sustainable until 2005 when they lost 4 to C-USA when they could either hold at 10 or bring in SBC teams like Arkansas St and ULL to rebuild.

Speaking of the SBC, if NMSU and UNT were to join the WAC in 2000 or 2001 then SBC football gets sets back about 5 years.

Interesting! This may actually be one of those "self-correcting" alternate timelines that end up basically the same as ours. As you say, Sun Belt football might be delayed, but WAC football is still pretty much doomed once the MWC forms and the drive to 12 for a CCG ensues.

I don't see it winding up with the same conclusion as our timeline at all. I think the WAC loses 4 of its 14 members in 2005. ULL and Ark St would still not have SBC football up and going yet and in 2005 their options are ULM, Troy, MTSU, FAU, and FIU. That's a small and weak league so I think that pair pushes hard to join the WAC with MTSU and Troy trying as well. The first two get in while the last two do not.

The WAC still gets picked apart but with a strong Central Time Zone presence at the expense of a SBC that might not ever form they survive albeit they look a lot like the current SBC only with Idaho and NMSU entrenches as full members.

(05-04-2018 07:43 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  What if the Big East Football/Basketball split occurred in 2005 (not 2013)?

Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, St. Johns, Providence and Seton Hall leave the Big East and form a new non-football conference with Creighton, Dayton, DePaul, Marquette, Saint Louis and Xavier to form a Catholic Conference. In the separation, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Rutgers and UConn retain the Big East name/configuration and invite Louisville, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Memphis, Navy (football-only) and Army (football-only) to get to eleven total teams. For the twelfth, Temple is put on conditional membership (pending spending and facilities upgrades), after being kicked out, in order for the conference to have a conference championship game located at Giants Stadium (or Lincoln Financial Field).

Catholic Conference
Creighton
Dayton
DePaul
Georgetown
Marquette
Notre Dame
Providence
Saint Louis
Seton Hall
St. Johns
Villanova
Xavier

Big East
Army (Football-only)
Cincinnati
Connecticut
East Carolina
Louisville
Memphis
Navy (Football-only)
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
Syracuse
Temple
West Virginia

I like this a whole lot and it would have probably been better for everyone. I seem to recall that one or both of the factions didn't meet the requirements for a conference so they needed the 16 team set up for 5 years before they were eligible to be a conference. Then again, had they taken enough C-USA schools the FB faction might have been able to qualify through them. I think they needed 7

Cincy, Memphis, Louisville, USF, ECU--that's 5. You'd need two more. Army was only an fb affiliate so I don't think they count

Another alternate timeline: "WAC Football Lives"

The WAC-16 is averted! Instead of adding 6 schools in 1996, the WAC only adds TCU and UNLV to reach 12 and hold a CCG. Thus, Rice, SMU, and Tulsa join the fledgling CUSA, while San Jose State ends up dropping football like several other California schools and remains in the Big West.

1996

Big West
FB: Boise State, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico State, North Texas, Utah State
NFB: CSU Fullerton, Long Beach State, Pacific, San Jose State, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara

CUSA
FB: Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa
NFB: Charlotte, DePaul, Marquette, South Florida, St. Louis, UAB

WAC
Mountain: Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, TCU, UTEP, Wyoming
Pacific: BYU, Fresno State, Hawaii, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah

NMSU and North Texas defect to Sun Belt football in 2001, dooming Big West football as in our timeline.

2001

Big West
NFB: Boise State, CSU Fullerton, Idaho, Long Beach State, Nevada, Pacific, San Jose State, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Utah State

CUSA
East: Cincinnati, East Carolina, Louisville, Memphis, South Florida, UAB
West: Houston, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa
NFB: Charlotte, DePaul, Marquette, St. Louis

Sun Belt
FB: Arkansas State, Boise State*, Idaho*, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee, Nevada*, New Mexico State, North Texas, Utah State*
NFB: Denver, FIU, Little Rock, New Orleans, South Alabama, Western Kentucky

* = football-only affiliate

Also similar to OTL, CUSA is raided by a bleeding Big East in 2005, while Charlotte and St. Louis depart for the A-10. The WAC remains untouched. The Sun Belt just meets the I-A quota of 8 full football-playing members that year.

2005

CUSA
East: Central Florida, East Carolina, Marshall, Memphis, Temple*, UAB
West: Houston, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa

Sun Belt
East: Arkansas State, FAU, FIU, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee
West: Boise State*, Idaho*, Nevada*, New Mexico State, North Texas, Utah State*
NFB: Denver, Little Rock, New Orleans, South Alabama, Western Kentucky

The Great Realignment of 2011-14 results in further gutting of CUSA, which naturally replenishes its numbers from the Sun Belt, which in turn skims the cream from atop FCS. The WAC loses just BYU, TCU, and Utah, replacing them with three western Sun Belt football affiliates. By 2018, we have this:

2018

Big West
NFB: Cal Poly, CSU Fullerton, CSU Northridge, Long Beach State, San Jose State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara

CUSA
East: Charlotte, FAU, FIU, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion
West: Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTSA

Sun Belt
East: Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Troy, Western Kentucky
West: Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State
NFB: Little Rock, Texas-Arlington

WAC
Mountain: Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State, UTEP, Wyoming
Pacific: Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, San Diego State, UNLV

This is another example of a "self-correcting" timeline, as most conferences ended up looking quite similar to their counterparts in reality. For example, the 2018 WAC is almost exactly the same as the MWC of our timeline. The only differences are that UTEP is there instead of SJSU, and Hawaii is a full member. Note that because Louisiana Tech remained in the Sun Belt, ULM never had a chance to join. By the time Tech leaves for CUSA, ULM has already dropped down to FCS, as Idaho would later do.