(03-17-2017 03:22 PM)Buc66 Wrote:  

(03-17-2017 02:30 PM)BucFan1244 Wrote:  

(03-17-2017 01:32 PM)brock20 Wrote:  

(03-17-2017 01:01 PM)Buc66 Wrote:  Looks like a round up of the usual suspects. Assuming they are all FBS, requiring some upgrades? No privates by design? Bottom line, would this line-up generate more money from football and basketball for each school after subtracting the corresponding expenses? Emphasis on football or basketball? The old issue for ETSU, for example --- big fish in smaller pond, or smaller fish in larger pond? Plus, what's going to happen to the non-Power Five conferences going forward as more and more of the wealth continues to be concentrated in the Power Five conferences?

For something like this to happen the whole system would basically need to blow up as it is. The power 5 breaks off in football so the group of 5 and FCS combines into a new D1-AA and realigns all the schools on based on geography and a few other factors.

I would hope that the teams listed would be able to travel better and produce better rivalries than are currently in the SoCon.

Unless their is a massive change I am starting to wonder about wanting to move up to say the Sun Belt. I like the teams we play in football in the SoCon and think it is a conference we can dominate year in and year out in basketball. If they could pull us into say Conference USA, that is a different story.

I'm really enjoying the Socon minus a few teams. Also minus that we have so many private schools in it. I am still enjoying it.

This idea of bigger things on stringent budgets can become unrealistic. The FBS entry league, the Sun Belt, just does not look that attractive. Yea, they occasionally pull off an upset or two in football. Am sure App State, Ga Southern, and Coastal Carolina did it so they could schedule more Power Five football money games. App is in the best position to schedule some local games, even having them come to Boone. UGA and Ga Tech will never travel to Statesboro for football. Neither will USC and Clemson ever go to Conway. Let's be honest, they ain't gonna win many of those games for a long, long time. And, the Sun Belt is a basketball and other sports wasteland for them. Win the SoCon for the next several years, build and maintain a new era fan base, then see what is happening around you.

Agreed on all points. Especially the Sun Belt not being attractive currently.