(07-31-2020 11:50 AM)YNot Wrote:  The somewhat more realistic expansion draft idea would be the formation of a new best-of-the-rest conference from the non-P5 candidates. It's a draft in the sense that you're pulling teams away from their existing situations, but it would have only a single drafter.

It would likely involve the best of the AAC, MWC and the independents.

Even though more realistic, it didn't ultimately come to fruition in the 2011-2012 realignment and it didn't happen in the last year when the AAC, MWC, and BYU were all negotiating new media deals...so, it will likely never happen. The 2025 realignment could present another opportunity. Or, a P5 break away could allow a limited set of callups to come along.

It would be interesting to see how the list might differ today from those schools that were part of and invited to the Big East and then the AAC, in the 2011-2013 realignment timeframe. I believe this is the order:

UConn, Cincinnati, USF
Temple, Houston, SMU, Memphis, UCF
BYU, Navy, Air Force, Boise State, San Diego State
ECU, Tulane, Tulsa
[also rumored that Fresno State and UNLV were approached]


My take is that Army would now be on the list somewhere and UConn's value would fall - although they would still be on the short list for consideration.

Any other MWC, CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt or independent schools that would get an invite ahead of anyone on the above list?