(04-06-2019 05:39 PM)prisonmike Wrote: I think this is a very interesting concept. In my observations there are 3 main things P5 Univeristy Presidents look at when evaluating expansion candidates (G5 Power Programs)
1. University Endowment
2. Athletic Budget
3. Football Attendance (Fan support)
To be a G5 Power Program I believe you would need to be within the lowest P5 program in all three categories. These could be wrong but these are the numbers I found online:
1. Lowest P5 University Endowment - Mississippi St. ($470,000,000)
2. Lowest P5 Athletic Budget - Washington St. ($64,000,000)
3. Lowest P5 Football Attendance - Kansas (26,000)
Here are the G5 teams that are within all three of these ranges:
1. BYU
I couldn’t find data on their financials but I imagine Army, Navy, and Air Force fit in these three ranges. To me this is why the Big 12 ultimately didn’t expand because there is no team that they could add that wouldn’t have devalued the conference. Just my opinion. [/align]
I don't pretend to understand the thoughts of university presidents, but I do think you may be underestimating the scheduling philosophy being applied by these particular programs. I think almost every G5 program fits into one of these 4 categories.
At the lowest end of the G5- You have too many G5 programs relying on bodybag games with elite P5 programs (Alabama, Oklahoma, Ohio State, ...). Some even schedule multiple bodybag games every season, and end up with only 1 OOC home game because of it. Teams at this level are not really committed to playing in the FBS, and probably need to think about closing up shop or moving down to the FCS.
The middle of the road G5- These programs maybe schedule a 2 for 1 with a P5 every now and then. They also schedule plenty of OOC games with other G5 programs. Teams at this level are true G5 programs and have probably hit their ceiling.
The better G5 programs- Tend to schedule a P5 home an home, and end up with a P5 at their stadium every other season. They also buy home games against FCS programs so they can always play six home games. Teams at this level could become Power Programs if they can develop funding and take the next step in scheduling.
G5 Power Programs and those working to become one- The teams I listed seem focused on playing two P5 teams every season, and have them scheduled on alternating home and home arrangements. This allows them to feature a P5 home game every season. This type of scheduling has not been the norm within the G5. If 8 or 9 programs ever reach this level of commitment (Sustained winning records, 55 Million athletic budgets, 40,000 average attendance, & this type of scheduling), they could reform into a new conference and be an actual Power Conference that the P5 would have to include. By my count UCF and BYU are already there. Cincinnati, Houston, USF, Boise St., and San Diego St. are all getting close.