(11-17-2011 12:01 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote: (11-17-2011 11:52 AM)EagleSam Wrote: Any idea how the divisions will look with UMass in the fold? Will BGSU move to the west?
I cant imagine another scenario that even comes remotely close to making sense..
I like the idea of Akron moving to the West division. Move the weakest MAC team to the West to balance out the divisions.
After that I like the idea of Toledo-BG-Kent-Akron all operating as a permanent crossover. Akron is placed in the West but has Toledo in divisional play and BG/Kent as crossovers. This keeps all the Northern Ohio schools playing football together every year.
Another option is some kind of zig-zag with rivalries protected.
NIU, BSU, WMU, CMU, EMU, OHIO, Miami
Temple, UMass, Buffalo, Akron, Kent, BGSU, Toledo
No perm cross-overs needed. Football travel would be longer for OHIO but that isn't of huge importance.
OR
Keep traditional East (Temple, UMass, Buffalo) and West (NIU, BSU, WMU) wings and then divide up the remaining schools by strength making sure there is not more than 3 Ohio schools in the same division.
OHIO/Toledo
Miami/CMU
Kent/BGSU
Akron/EMU
NIU, BSU, WMU, Toledo, CMU, Kent, Akron
Temple, UMass, Buffalo, OHIO, Miami, BGSU, EMU
The divisions can continue to be called East and West with good accuracy. Not many know where those Ohio schools are located and which is further east or west anyways.