(02-14-2020 02:58 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(02-14-2020 02:15 PM)MUsince96 Wrote:  

(02-14-2020 02:03 PM)schmolik Wrote:  

(02-14-2020 01:53 PM)MUsince96 Wrote:  

(02-14-2020 01:44 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I don't see how many A10 members the Big East and AAC can take. You're assuming the Big East and/or AAC want 14+ members. Maybe they each take one. That would still leave the A10 with 12 members. Besides, you know how the food chain goes, they'll just raid lower conferences.

No I was really only thinking of Dayton, VCU, and St. Louis leaving. And the A10 just becoming another one bid league; not that it would cease to be a league all together. If that's the case would UMass be willing to just join another 1 bid league and give football a home?

I'm only assuming being in a major conference with multiple bids is one of the main reasons they don't want to leave the A10.

What football conference would take them assuming the AAC won't? MAC? Sun Belt? Conference USA? And are any of them an upgrade basketball wise over the A-10? Their football team would be in a conference but other than the MAC, imagine the travel for the rest of their teams. And would any of those conferences pay UMass more than the A-10 would (and would the extra money offset the extra travel costs)? Hey, if St. Louis leaves, UMass's travel costs in the A-10 would drop quite a bit (even more if both UMass and Dayton leave).

At that point I don't know that the basketball strength of the new conference matters much if they're both one bid. One bid is one bid. But maybe the A10 wouldn't become a one bid league. I don't know.

I don't know how much money UMass makes from the A10.

Good point on travel cost increase.

I'm just asking the question. I don't know much about UMass and how important findings a football home is to them. On the outside looking in, if the perks of the A10 are gone (besides travel) I'd think they might want to park football somewhere with a chance to play for conference titles and be eligible for the NY6.


If the constant rumors and whispers of CUSA East teams being unhappy are correct, in theory they could split off for a league that includes UMass. As a Marshall fan, my dream scenario would be for the A10 to sponsor FBS football and take in Marshall, WKU, ODU, Charlotte, and Middle Tenn for all sports with Army and UConn football only. That makes an 8 team football conference and a 16 team hoops conference (assuming the Dayton, St. Louis, VCU exit scenario played out).

With those three gone, the A10 would likely still be a 2 bid league (with a very occasional 3), but have 1-bid years mixed in (we don't have 1 bid years currently). Those 3 would bring it down to 11, and if UMass stays, the A10 would grab another team to bring it up to 12 again.

You have to remember, UMass is a founding member of the league here. And some of these teams have also been around with us for a very long time (GW is another founding member, as is Duquense...even though they left for a hot second, then Bona, URI and St. Joes hopped in pretty early on as well). And there's not much else in the east coast for solid BBall leagues, especially all-sports ones that would invite us (unless we get a new stadium for football and drastically improve performance in football and basketball for both quality of play and attendance).

It would either be the MAC or...too much travel all sports. And the MAC might not want to invite us at this point without getting some of the same improvements mentioned above.