(02-01-2018 12:25 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote: Who cares about TV markets? Regional conferences are the future of the G5.
That should be true, there just aren't enough G5 schools in the mid-atlantic to make a regional conference. WIdeally the regional football conference would include a mix of:
However, that would likely make for a terrible basketball conference.
ODU
Richmond - FCS
W&M - FCS
JMU - FCS
George Mason - No Football
VCU - No Football
Delaware - FCS
Towson - FCS
UNC-C - Obvious Pick
Elon - FCS
Villanova - FCS and major basketball conference
Temple - AAC
ECU - AAC
Navy - AAC
Coastal Carolina - FCS
App State - Obvious Pick
Lehigh - FCS
Lafayette - FCS
Once you get much further away than that, you have to charter flights and you are crossing regional TV markets so the idea is moot.
Like it or not, we are in the DC CSN/MASN region. The only obvious picks for a regional conference - UNC-C and App State are not in that region. To form a regional conference with them, we would need a new regional network based in NC.
Non-P"6" Football in the DC region are
ODU
JMU
Richmond
W&M
Towson
Delaware
Lehigh - Philly region in CSN network
Lafayette - Philly region in CSN network
This is why we need to either drop back down. Since there are no true regional G5 football teams, just a couple in different regions that have some proximity, there is no way for ODU to stay in the G5 and be in a regional conference. Only way would be for JMU, Richmond, W&M, Towson, and Delaware to all move up and for GMU and VCU to start FBS football from scratch. JMU is the only one that has indicated any interest. That still only leaves us with an 8-team conference.
Edit: I forgot about Liberty