(11-16-2020 05:59 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(11-16-2020 05:41 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  So if, for whatever reason, this actually comes to be, the A-Sun will be at 12 members for 2021, and the Big South will have 12 BB and 12 FB members.

A-Sun
BB (East): FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, North Florida, Stetson
BB (West): Bellarmine, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Lipscomb, North Alabama

Big South
BB (East): Campbell, Hampton, High Point, Longwood, NC A&T, Radford
BB (West): Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

FB (North): Campbell, Eastern Kentucky*, Hampton, Monmouth*, NC A&T, Robert Morris*
FB (South): Central Arkansas*, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville State*, Kennesaw State*, North Alabama*

* = FB only

This would actually be good for the Southland, because they'd be down to even numbers of schools (12 BB and 10 FB). The OVC would be down to 10 BB members and only 7 FB. Maybe they'd be willing to take on some MEAC refugees. It'd give Tennessee State HBCUs to play in-conference, so they might be in favor.

Technically, if the 5 A-Sun schools with FB in the Big South were to get, say, either Robert Morris or Monmouth on board, they would have just enough FB members to sponsor FCS, and would leave just enough members for the Big South. However, I see little point in doing so.

On the contrary, if the ASUN has 5 football schools and 1 fb affiliate and the Big South has 5 football schools and 1 affiliate they each get an autobid in football and can have a scheduling alliance between the two to help fill schedules.

Would the A-Sun be granted an autobid automatically? In any case, having the bare minimum number of FB members (and using out-of-region affiliates with dubious FB commitment to do so) seems extremely imprudent.