(01-28-2020 03:33 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 08:59 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  But "mid major" status is by definition based on what conference you play in.

Football yes, basketball no. Gonzaga isn't defined by being in the same conference with Pacific and Portland. East Carolina and Tulane don't automatically get lifted up to the same level as Cincinnati and Memphis. VCU and Dayton share a conference but not a status with Fordham and La Salle. Whereas with bowl contracts, there's a much more definitive cutoff between power and non-power, and until Boise gets bowl deals separate from the MWC, they're at the kids' table too.

Correctly and accurately put. Agree.

HUGE difference between football and basketball.

The "power" definition in football is overwhelmingly about resources/money. Thus, there are only five "power" conferences. I get that and agree with it.

In hoops, it's as much about achievement, history, influence, on-court success, etc. Thus the Big East is a power hoops league and at least 12 (and maybe as many as 18 to 20) individual other programs (many have been listed within this thread) are "power" or "high-major" or "major" (whatever you want to call them) programs.

My Memphis Tigers are a mid-major in football because they don't have the massive budget and huge fan base (compared to most P5 programs) and they don't have the security of being in a power league. But in hoops, Memphis can pay a coach a salary of a few million dollars, land four star recruits, occasionally draw 15,000 to a home game, etc. Lots of P6 programs can't to those things very easily.

How we define football programs and basketball programs are two very different things.