(04-09-2019 09:12 AM)solohawks Wrote:  The best way to look at conferences for me is that conferences are no longer a collection of schools, but NCAA licensed auto bid organizations. In order to get a new auto bid license, a conference would have to have 7 members for 8 years. No university is going to join/start a conference where they will.have to wait 8 years before they get an auto bid

That's only so if schools care more about getting an automatic share of March Madness money than anything else.

And if that is so, it's only because the NCAA member schools have allowed the tournament to evolve into a giant cash cow with the distribution of all that cash entirely controlled by NCAA headquarters.

(04-09-2019 09:37 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  So if 16 schools are together for at least 8 years they can switch and keep two auto bids?

Technically under the current rules, any new D-I conference has to have 7 or more members in it as a new conference for 8 years before they get approved for "core conference" status and the autobid.

Practically, if a 16-plus conference splits in two and each semi-conference has enough good hoops that they'll likely have at least one at-large-worthy team each year, the NCAA will waive the rules and give the "new" conference, as well as the "old" conference, an autobid, as they did after the Big East/AAC divorce.

The current rules have not been tested by, for example, a conference of 16 teams that are all perennially outside the top 100 in men's hoops splitting in two and demanding two autobids. IMO the committee that makes those decisions wouldn't give two autobids in that situation. (My guess is that if it ever came to this, the conference would informally ask the NCAA about this before splitting, the NCAA would tell them that a waiver would not be granted for the "new" conference, and then the conference wouldn't split.)

Another factor is the NCAA rule (for all D-I team sports, not just men's hoops) that every NCAA tournament has at least as many at-large bids as autobids. They can't start handing out autobids like candy to trick-or-treaters, unless they also expand the tournaments in various sports.

(04-09-2019 09:37 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  So if 16 schools are together for at least 8 years they can switch and keep two auto bids?

Not anymore.

The splitting schools would have to create a new conference. The new conference would get its "auto bid license" in 8 years

(04-09-2019 02:03 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(04-09-2019 09:37 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  So if 16 schools are together for at least 8 years they can switch and keep two auto bids?

Not anymore.

The splitting schools would have to create a new conference. The new conference would get its "auto bid license" in 8 years

Thank you.

I was specifically thinking about CUSA and/or the AAC simply adding two more and splitting. Seems like that loophole has been closed.

Then again the NCAA has never been very consistent about anything.

(04-09-2019 01:26 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(04-09-2019 09:12 AM)solohawks Wrote:  The best way to look at conferences for me is that conferences are no longer a collection of schools, but NCAA licensed auto bid organizations. In order to get a new auto bid license, a conference would have to have 7 members for 8 years. No university is going to join/start a conference where they will.have to wait 8 years before they get an auto bid

That's only so if schools care more about getting an automatic share of March Madness money than anything else.

And if that is so, it's only because the NCAA member schools have allowed the tournament to evolve into a giant cash cow with the distribution of all that cash entirely controlled by NCAA headquarters.

(04-09-2019 09:37 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  So if 16 schools are together for at least 8 years they can switch and keep two auto bids?

Technically under the current rules, any new D-I conference has to have 7 or more members in it as a new conference for 8 years before they get approved for "core conference" status and the autobid.

Practically, if a 16-plus conference splits in two and each semi-conference has enough good hoops that they'll likely have at least one at-large-worthy team each year, the NCAA will waive the rules and give the "new" conference, as well as the "old" conference, an autobid, as they did after the Big East/AAC divorce.

The current rules have not been tested by, for example, a conference of 16 teams that are all perennially outside the top 100 in men's hoops splitting in two and demanding two autobids. IMO the committee that makes those decisions wouldn't give two autobids in that situation. (My guess is that if it ever came to this, the conference would informally ask the NCAA about this before splitting, the NCAA would tell them that a waiver would not be granted for the "new" conference, and then the conference wouldn't split.)

Another factor is the NCAA rule (for all D-I team sports, not just men's hoops) that every NCAA tournament has at least as many at-large bids as autobids. They can't start handing out autobids like candy to trick-or-treaters, unless they also expand the tournaments in various sports.

When was the last time CUSA got an at large bid?

(04-09-2019 03:38 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(04-09-2019 01:26 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(04-09-2019 09:12 AM)solohawks Wrote:  The best way to look at conferences for me is that conferences are no longer a collection of schools, but NCAA licensed auto bid organizations. In order to get a new auto bid license, a conference would have to have 7 members for 8 years. No university is going to join/start a conference where they will.have to wait 8 years before they get an auto bid

That's only so if schools care more about getting an automatic share of March Madness money than anything else.

And if that is so, it's only because the NCAA member schools have allowed the tournament to evolve into a giant cash cow with the distribution of all that cash entirely controlled by NCAA headquarters.

(04-09-2019 09:37 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  So if 16 schools are together for at least 8 years they can switch and keep two auto bids?

Technically under the current rules, any new D-I conference has to have 7 or more members in it as a new conference for 8 years before they get approved for "core conference" status and the autobid.

Practically, if a 16-plus conference splits in two and each semi-conference has enough good hoops that they'll likely have at least one at-large-worthy team each year, the NCAA will waive the rules and give the "new" conference, as well as the "old" conference, an autobid, as they did after the Big East/AAC divorce.

The current rules have not been tested by, for example, a conference of 16 teams that are all perennially outside the top 100 in men's hoops splitting in two and demanding two autobids. IMO the committee that makes those decisions wouldn't give two autobids in that situation. (My guess is that if it ever came to this, the conference would informally ask the NCAA about this before splitting, the NCAA would tell them that a waiver would not be granted for the "new" conference, and then the conference wouldn't split.)

Another factor is the NCAA rule (for all D-I team sports, not just men's hoops) that every NCAA tournament has at least as many at-large bids as autobids. They can't start handing out autobids like candy to trick-or-treaters, unless they also expand the tournaments in various sports.

When was the last time CUSA got an at large bid?

2012, when Memphis won and Southern Miss got the at large bid

Quick answers to hard questions:

Can (school x) make it as an independent?

THAT DEPENDS.

Does school x have a religion behind it where people two timezones away that have never even set foot in the state school x is in let alone walked on campus will follow it because they believe in the same ethereal beings?

IF YES: Maybe
IF NO: No

(04-11-2019 11:04 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Quick answers to hard questions:

Can (school x) make it as an independent?

THAT DEPENDS.

Does school x have a religion behind it where people two timezones away that have never even set foot in the state school x is in let alone walked on campus will follow it because they believe in the same ethereal beings?

IF YES: Maybe
IF NO: No

Really depends on definitions of "making it"

I expect NMSU, for example, to make it long term as an independent but I don't see them ever being a top 25 level program. But they have a stable fanbase, campus stadium, two natural rivals, and a handful of other natural opponents so that they can eek out an existence.

(04-11-2019 11:04 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Quick answers to hard questions:

Can (school x) make it as an independent?

THAT DEPENDS.

Does school x have a religion behind it where people two timezones away that have never even set foot in the state school x is in let alone walked on campus will follow it because they believe in the same ethereal beings?

IF YES: Maybe
IF NO: No

Does Roll Tide count as a religion?

Asking for a friend.