A member of MissouriState.247sports.com came up with this one... Not sure which current league it would stem from, but it would be a pretty good conference.

Why would teams like NIU, Memphis, and others downgrade?

(01-30-2014 04:45 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Why would teams like NIU, Memphis, and others downgrade?

Not sure about NIU, but Memphis would have to like their chances of making a bowl in that lineup.

First problem it has is you have to start with 8 existing FBS members to form it and invite the potential move ups in because you have to be a legal FBS conference to extend bona fide invitiations.

Second problem not very likely that AAC schools would defect for such.

There are a lot of geographical sensible combinations out there.

(01-30-2014 05:29 PM)Dman Wrote:  There are a lot of geographical sensible combinations out.

I think the eventual result for the "G" conferences will be three top tier leagues. One primarily located in the Eastern time zone, one primarily in the central, and one in the Mountain and Pacific, with a fourth league that is the left outs and entry level league.

(01-30-2014 04:37 PM)MSUBear42 Wrote:  A member of MissouriState.247sports.com came up with this one... Not sure which current league it would stem from, but it would be a pretty good conference.

The execution is flawed.

The kernel of an idea behind it actually makes sense.

I think you can actually take something similar and create a league that makes sense.

Essentially what you would be talking about is a conference that took some Sun Belt, some MAC, and mixed in some Missouri Valley.

For example you could take four MAC, four Sun Belt, and four Valley to create a 12 team basketball league and with say MoSt moving upward, you'd have a 9 team football league.

Or maybe take six MAC, five Sun Belt, MoSt as a transitional to create a 12 team football league and then stitch together some other schools like a Wichita State or maybe a St. Louis (assuming they don't eventually land in the Big East) to create a 14 or 16 team basketball league

Assuming you could get 8 FBS members to form it, with the understanding that no AAC school would join...its feasible.

Why in the world would Ohio and NIU leave the MAC for that alignment?

Indiana doesn't need a 5th FBS school... Ditto for Illinois

(01-30-2014 11:15 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  Indiana doesn't need a 5th FBS school... Ditto for Illinois

We don't really need anymore FBS schools PERIOD.

(01-30-2014 11:46 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(01-30-2014 11:15 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  Indiana doesn't need a 5th FBS school... Ditto for Illinois

We don't really need anymore FBS schools PERIOD.

true

Memphis says, "No, thanks." :)

schools like Memphis, Ohio and Northern Illinois are trying to upgrade their conference situation, not downgrade it.

Memphis wants to move out of the AAC and into a big boy conference like the Big 12, ACC or SEC... Ohio and Northern Illinois want to get into the AAC if they were to leave the MAC. None of them would have the slightest interest in a conference surrounded by a bunch of FCS and low tiered FBS schools.

Remove south Illinois, add Toledo, remove Tulsa, add eastern Kentucky.

Way this would happen is if MSU and ArkST went to MAC west, them+Ball State, NIU, Toledo, and either Western Michigan/Ohio broke off the MAC, basis of 6 right there for a new FBS conference granted MSU is no longer a transitional. Potential adds would be to get to 10 to start, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Wichita State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, Mid Tenn, maybe UT-C and NDSU.

Would set up a conference good in basketball and high potential for football.

I can't see how NIU, Ohio, Tulsa, and Memphis would even consider this considering where they are currently.

(01-31-2014 01:55 AM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  I can't see how NIU, Ohio, Tulsa, and Memphis would even consider this considering where they are currently.

how about my idea?

this would be an interesting bball conference but football is what drives the bus and this just isn't attractive from a football perspective.

I'll make a general statement about MAC schools regarding realignment- MAC schools are much less likely to move to another G5 conference than other G5 schools because of the shared history in the conference. 9 schools have been in the MAC for 40+ years and 6 have been together for 60+ years, no other non G5 conference can come close to matching that kind of history. Because of this its my opinion that MAC schools would be far less likely to entertain a possible lateral move. Not saying they would never do it, just saying their mind set is not to jump on the next conference to pop up.

Wichita State hasn't played football for a while. But most everyone involved wants the sport to come back. A big donor or two needs to step up to improve the stadium, add women's sports, etc.