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Athletic travel realignment
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arkstfan Away
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Post: #1
Athletic travel realignment
Off the top of my head. In 2017 we've had.
Savannah State move to Division II.
NYIT take baseball to Division II
SC Upstate switch to Big South to cut travel.
Hampton switch to Big South for the same reason.

Cost-cutting realignment hasn't made it to FBS but it sure looks like it is taking place at smaller schools.
11-16-2017 01:35 PM
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Wedge Offline
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RE: Athletic travel realignment
(11-16-2017 01:35 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Cost-cutting realignment hasn't made it to FBS but it sure looks like it is taking place at smaller schools.

Much easier to do it at lower levels where there is little or no perceived brand-name value to conferences or to the other conference members with whom a school would be "associating". Also, the budgetary pressures are different for a school with an annual athletic budget of $10 million than for a school with a budget of $30-50 million. And, the booster involvement is at a much lower level so administrators don't have to worry so much about how to manage that.
11-16-2017 01:42 PM
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dbackjon Offline
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RE: Athletic travel realignment
Great minds think alike - was going to start a similar thread.

Also:
North Dakota moving to the Summit to cut travel
IUPUI to Horizon (in part to cut travel)

I think we will see more of this - for the big guys, travel isn't as big of a deal (although class-time lost is), but for the rest, geography and tightening it up will be critical
11-16-2017 02:35 PM
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JRsec Offline
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RE: Athletic travel realignment
(11-16-2017 02:35 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Great minds think alike - was going to start a similar thread.

Also:
North Dakota moving to the Summit to cut travel
IUPUI to Horizon (in part to cut travel)

I think we will see more of this - for the big guys, travel isn't as big of a deal (although class-time lost is), but for the rest, geography and tightening it up will be critical

When the FBS starts making these moves it will be for their fans as much as any other reason.
11-16-2017 02:39 PM
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Cyniclone Offline
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RE: Athletic travel realignment
I don't think Hampton's move was borne of finances. Yes, it's a more geographically compact conference (except for football and trips to New Jersey and Alabama in its future, but even then, the MEAC has schools in Delaware and Florida), but Hampton has wanted more than the MEAC for some time. The CAA was their great white whale but with that not in the offing, they took the Big South's offer.

I think the NYIT baseball thing might have had more to do with not having a D1 conference home, making qualifying for the NCAAs pretty much impossible. If the Great West was still around or they could have hitched an affiliate membership with someone, perhaps they stay.

Savannah State will have some long trips in the SIAC as well (two schools in western Tennessee and one in northern Kentucky), though realistically, they never should have moved to D1 in the first place.

USC Upstate is the move with the most obvious cost-savings upside, though the Big South has traditionally been a better conference anyway so they see it as both a better fit and an upgrade, I'm sure.

IUPUI was an upgrade move.

North Dakota probably should have made that move a long time ago.
11-16-2017 02:54 PM
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Stugray2 Offline
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RE: Athletic travel realignment
Hampton's move has much to do with associating with similar private schools. They want eventually to get in the CAA. I think Howard will follow them to the exit of the MEAC. Travel reduction is a bonus.

The MEAC over expanded and has several very marginal D-I schools. Same is true of the SLC and SWAC.
(This post was last modified: 11-16-2017 02:59 PM by Stugray2.)
11-16-2017 02:59 PM
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BePcr07 Online
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RE: Athletic travel realignment
(11-16-2017 02:39 PM)JRsec Wrote:  
(11-16-2017 02:35 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Great minds think alike - was going to start a similar thread.

Also:
North Dakota moving to the Summit to cut travel
IUPUI to Horizon (in part to cut travel)

I think we will see more of this - for the big guys, travel isn't as big of a deal (although class-time lost is), but for the rest, geography and tightening it up will be critical

When the FBS starts making these moves it will be for their fans as much as any other reason.

Agreed, JR. However, I don't think it'd be for expansion as much as contraction.
11-16-2017 04:23 PM
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JRsec Offline
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Post: #8
RE: Athletic travel realignment
(11-16-2017 04:23 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  
(11-16-2017 02:39 PM)JRsec Wrote:  
(11-16-2017 02:35 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Great minds think alike - was going to start a similar thread.

Also:
North Dakota moving to the Summit to cut travel
IUPUI to Horizon (in part to cut travel)

I think we will see more of this - for the big guys, travel isn't as big of a deal (although class-time lost is), but for the rest, geography and tightening it up will be critical

When the FBS starts making these moves it will be for their fans as much as any other reason.

Agreed, JR. However, I don't think it'd be for expansion as much as contraction.

I'd say consolidation, rather than contraction. Remember it is possible to both grow, add value, and consolidate at the same time.
11-16-2017 04:31 PM
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