(02-02-2021 10:02 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(02-02-2021 09:43 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  

(02-02-2021 06:04 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  I definitely prefer the Indy scheduling alliance to a 20 team conference. This has he makings of a future implosion/exodus. The idea is to move to a regional conference for Olympic sports not to create another CUSA. Nothing against Marshall or WKU or anyone in the MAC but that is just a brutal trip for Olympic sports (basically 3 full days in a bus). That said, if that is what it takes to get back together with VCU, GMU and UR...


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I don't have all the details but basically in a 20 team basketball league you would have an east/west or north/south division with pods of 5 members to cut down on travel cost. You would play each pod member home and home but then play other conference members on a round robin rotation. You obviously wouldn't play "every" league member each year. Example pods could be the following for basketball and olympic sports:

Pod 1
1. St Louis
2. Dayton
3. Toledo
4. Western Kentucky
5. Northern Illinois

Pod 2

1. Marshall
2. Duquesne
3. Charlotte
4. Ohio
5, Davidson

Pod 3

1. VCU
2. Richmond
3. George Mason
4. ODU
5. George Washington

Pod 4

1. Buffalo
2. UMASS
3. Rholde Island
4. St Bonaventure
5. St Josephs

The 9 team Football would be:

1. UMASS
2. Marshall
3. Ohio
4. Toledo
5. Buffalo
6. Western Kentucky
7. Northern Illinois
8. ODU
9. Charlotte

I am more concerned with 20 teams competing for one autobid in basketball than the scheduling. Also concerned all of these additions might water the basketball down enough to make it a 1-bid league. The pod system would certainly help with both recruiting and travel though.

You're taking in the cream of the MAC/CUSA in basketball.

The exception is NIU. But that is what the second division of the A10 is for. The A10 schedules the top teams home-home to produce higher RPI results. I bet NIU playing in a higher level league would recruit better too.