C-USA is a little more "eastern heavy" which is why it makes sense for there to be a MEAC invasion. It won't work, though, if they skip over the Sun Belt schools in their footprint: Georgia State, Georgia Southern, App State, and Coastal Carolina.

The remainder of C-USA runs basically from I-25 in El Paso to I-65 in Birmingham/Bowling Green (Murfreesboro is slightly east of I-65, but basically they are in the corridor). The best candidates for them also fall in the footprint:

• Texas State (SBC)
• Louisiana (SBC)
• New Mexico State (Independent)
• South Alabama (SBC)
• Arkansas State (SBC)
  

I don't see them taking any FCS upgrades, unless if C-USA wants Arkansas State and Missouri State - even then, both would lose having non-football UALR as a conference mate, so the Sun Belt may still be more appealing. I would expect Texas State to get the nod for #10. C-USA remains in divisions for football:

West: UTEP, UTSA, North Texas, Rice, Texas State
East: Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, UAB, MTSU, WKU

The Sun Belt - now down to 5 members in football - has to at least add 3 members to survive. I expect them to try to build around the Ark-La-Tex remnant by raiding the Southland. Missouri State and Eastern Kentucky would also be under consideration, but they may not take the invitation.

West: SHSU, SFASU, Lamar, NMSU, UTRGV, UT-Arlington*
East: Troy, USA, ULM, Arkansas State, Missouri State, UALR*
(*non-football)

It's possible that UT-Arlington might add football before UTRGV, but unless if Little Rock departs I see the Sun Belt admitting UTRGV. This consolidates the remaining Texas public Division I schools into FBS conferences, with the exception of Tarleton State, who joins the Southland.

The WAC then has one last opportunity for survival, and that is a mass re-configure with the Big Sky:

Big Sky: Seattle*, EWU, Portland State, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Utah Valley*, UC Davis (FCS football only)
WAC: Sacramento State, Cal Baptist*, GCU*, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, Dixie State, Weber State, Northern Colorado, Cal Poly (FCS football only)

Essentially acting as divisions of a 14-team FCS conference, both conferences play each other for the bulk of their non-conference games.

Maker and Bronny are going to save the MEAC!

Let's say that five eastern C-USA schools (FIU, FAU, Charlotte, ODU, and Marshall), four eastern Sun Belt schools (Ga. Southern, Ga. State, Coastal Carolina, and App State), and JMU get the green light from the NCAA/P5/whatever to take over the "shell" of the MEAC and start a new FBS league, keeping the MEAC's autobid.

What I believe will NOT happen with the schools left behind in C-USA and the SB a smart, sensible rearrangement between the remaining 15 SB and C-USA schools. It would just be too easy to expect one conference comprised of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama schools, and another comprised of Texas and Louisiana schools to emerge, with Ark State and S. Miss able to go either way. Both new regional leagues would fill out with a few FCS schools. Unlike today, the average college football fan would be able to figure out as easily which schools are in which G5 league as they do with the MAC and MW, and travel savings and regional rivalries would be had by all.

No. This is what is way more likely to happen as a result of the new ten-school, east coast league:

- C-USA invites only one remaining Sun Belt school and stops at 10. I'm gonna say that school is Louisiana because they have one of the strongest all around SB athletic programs.

New C-USA East: WKU, MTSU, UAB, S. Miss, Louisiana
New C-USA West: LT, Rice, UTSA, UNT, UTEP

- Sun Belt is left scrambling.

First thing they do is extend an all-sports invitation to NMSU, who I believe would accept because they just have to get out of the WAC. Next they invite UConn and UMass for football only, and hope they say yes. (Maybe they ask Libertt, too, but I think Liberty would say no.)

With NMSU and possibly UConn and/or UMass in tow, the Sun Belt now has 6-8 football members and 2 additional non football members (UTA and Little Rock). Next, the SB would need to add anywhere from 2-4 more full members. They'd throw out feelers forJacksonville State, Chattanooga, Missouri State, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State, and anyone else from FCS that's at all in the southern half of the United States.

Example result:

New Sun Belt East: UMass (FB only), Jacksonville State, Troy, South Alabama, Missouri State

New Sun Belt West: Arkansas State, ULM, Texas State, Sam Houston State, New Mexico State

Non-football members: Little Rock and UTA

This is NOT what I **want** to happen for the Sun Belt. It's just what I think is the most *likely* outcome of a a new G5 league in the eastern US.

(07-03-2020 02:36 PM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  

(07-03-2020 02:24 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(07-03-2020 12:32 PM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  No league is going to bring in a bunch of call-ups who will not add value to the conference and further dilute the share of tv revenue, so this “buying the MEAC shell” garbage is just that. Pure detritus.

What does the one have to do with the other?

The "buying the MEAC shell" has to be a minimum of 8 FBS schools, and for the minimum 8 you would have to check whether they meet the FBS definition of eight core members. 9 would allow them to invite JMU up for a 10th.

It would have to be eight to ten that want to be together. Schools don't want to be associated with Liberty, so Liberty is not part of the scenario, lawyers or not ... if they get a landing spot it's because of the remainder of schools left behind in a conference flailing to make up the numbers when the FCS cupboard is substantially bare.

Really? It has everything to do with it. The title of this thread suggests that CUSA/SBC members would want to split away and join with Morgan State ant three other fcs teams.

Except that's not what "buying a shell" means. It's not buying the MEAC "shell" if there are still incumbent schools in it.

You are shooting down shooting down what is NOT referred to by the title.

The suggestion that incumbent MEAC members would remain in has been made, but it would indeed kill the move. The point for the "left-behind" MEAC schools would be to monetize the grace period of NCAA autobid status before it evaporates and they have to drop down to Div2 anyway. That's why if there was enough pushback from the affected FCS and Go5 conferences to convince the NCAA to kill it, adding a modest amount of incumbent membership would likely be enough to kill it. If they want to go through this, they need to make sure that ESPN, the P5, and the non-affected Go5 conferences won't object. If they are on the sideline, it's not likely that CUSA and the Sunbelt on their own carry enough clout to derail it.

So for the "South Atlantic Conference" {"SAC! SAC! SAC!"}, Marshall, ODU, Charlotte, FIU and FAI with App State, Coastal, Georgia State and Georgia Southern for a conference with FBS status and invite JMU up. (JMU being part of the move from the outset is a moot point, they can't invite JMU until they are an FBS conference).

Conference USA is left with WKU, MTSU, UAB, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, UTSA, Rice, and UTEP.

The Sunbelt is left with Troy, South Alabama, Arkansas State, Louisiana, ULM, Texas State, and non-FB UTA & Little Rock.

If they play traditional realignment games, the Sunbelt is now in the weaker position, so Conference USA raids the Sunbelt because it can, plucks Texas State, Arkansas State, ought to take Louisiana but LA Tech objects so they take USM to go to two six school divisions.

Sure if you want to cut travel costs you could pool those 15 FB schools, add NMSU as a true travel partner for UTEP, and draw a line in the middle, but that seems too sensible for college football.

But suppose that the concern about travel cost is the level of a single school? Suppose UAB looks at that map and bolts? Then the Sunbelt gets back to eight with an invite of NMSU, and we have the messy overlapping result of:

CUSA: WKU, MTSU, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, UTSA, Rice, and UTEP.

Sunbelt: Troy, UAB, South Alabama, Arkansas State, Louisiana, ULM, Texas State, and non-FB UTA & Little Rock.

The Sun Belt, rather than C-USA is the league that needs to be on high alert if this "new MEAC" or whatever new east coast G5 league were ever to come to fruition.

While the Sun Belt arguably has the upper hand right now (dividing football revenue by 10 instead of 14, finishing higher in CFP rankings and getting more cash because of it, having a team finish in the top 25 in '19 and immediately outside of it in '18, having games on ESPN networks instead of Facebook and Tik-Tok, etc.), C-USA has strength in numbers when it comes to realignment.

In my scenario of FIU, FAU, GS, GSU, CCU, CLT, App, ODU, JMU, and MU going to the new east coast conference, C-USA still has 9 schools left, while the SB drops to 6. C-USA would only have to add one school to retain the CCG, and it would almost certainly come from the SB. That school would almost surely go to escape a rapidly deteriorating conference. And of course, with C-USA having the upper hand, they could add three SB schools if they want; I doubt they'd go all the way back up to 14.

So, if my east coast conference actually got off the ground, the SB could potentially be down to three.

All this is just message board fodder right now, but it isn't impossible. The Sun Belt, having only 10 members, would be vulnerable in any realignment scenario, be it a new east coast league or trickle down from a P5 raid of the Big 12. Out of a sense of due diligence, shouldn't they start looking at potential new members now to protect their own futures? In the event of a bad raid on the league, I think they cast the net wide. Offer UConn and UMass football-only membership. Take NMSU in full time. Offer Liberty, who i think would say no, but you have to ask in that position. Then it's looking at all the FCS programs in the region who have some sort of pulse: Chattanooga, McNeese State, Missouri State, Sam Houston State, etc.

Makes me wonder if the Sun Belt has weighed the pros and cons of expansion in the next few years, before the Big 12 GOR expires, to soften the blow of future raids.

(07-06-2020 08:40 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  The Sun Belt, rather than C-USA is the league that needs to be on high alert if this "new MEAC" or whatever new east coast G5 league were ever to come to fruition.

While the Sun Belt arguably has the upper hand right now (dividing football revenue by 10 instead of 14, finishing higher in CFP rankings and getting more cash because of it, having a team finish in the top 25 in '19 and immediately outside of it in '18, having games on ESPN networks instead of Facebook and Tik-Tok, etc.), C-USA has strength in numbers when it comes to realignment.

In my scenario of FIU, FAU, GS, GSU, CCU, CLT, App, ODU, JMU, and MU going to the new east coast conference, C-USA still has 9 schools left, while the SB drops to 6. C-USA would only have to add one school to retain the CCG, and it would almost certainly come from the SB. That school would almost surely go to escape a rapidly deteriorating conference. And of course, with C-USA having the upper hand, they could add three SB schools if they want; I doubt they'd go all the way back up to 14.

So, if my east coast conference actually got off the ground, the SB could potentially be down to three.

All this is just message board fodder right now, but it isn't impossible. The Sun Belt, having only 10 members, would be vulnerable in any realignment scenario, be it a new east coast league or trickle down from a P5 raid of the Big 12. Out of a sense of due diligence, shouldn't they start looking at potential new members now to protect their own futures? In the event of a bad raid on the league, I think they cast the net wide. Offer UConn and UMass football-only membership. Take NMSU in full time. Offer Liberty, who i think would say no, but you have to ask in that position. Then it's looking at all the FCS programs in the region who have some sort of pulse: Chattanooga, McNeese State, Missouri State, Sam Houston State, etc.

Makes me wonder if the Sun Belt has weighed the pros and cons of expansion in the next few years, before the Big 12 GOR expires, to soften the blow of future raids.

IMO, the Big 12 will never expand. There just are not any teams that move the needle enough for them to pull the trigger. Therefore, the AAC stands pat and that just leaves the supposedly unhappy CUSA-E schools to make a move, which again, I don’t believe they will because of arrogance and pride.

CUSA should have never gone to 14 teams last time around. They should have just added the highest quality programs instead of start ups. They went for media markets that in turn didn’t even matter when the next tv contract hit. It seems they are always 1 step behind when it comes to decision making (also see Pod play in B-ball). For whatever reason the leaders of CUSAE schools are trying to make CUSA 3.0 work come hell or high water. It’s like a bad marriage that neither person wants to address.
I’ll sum it up by making my predictions of:

1) There will be no more realignment in the future.

2) Thus, CUSAE schools stand pat and die a slow death with terrible media deals, too many schools, and schools that can’t put fans in the stands. While spending more money than both the SBC and MAC on travel, just to eventually fall behind those conferences in national perception (media deal). A

(07-07-2020 07:45 AM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  

(07-06-2020 08:40 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  The Sun Belt, rather than C-USA is the league that needs to be on high alert if this "new MEAC" or whatever new east coast G5 league were ever to come to fruition.

While the Sun Belt arguably has the upper hand right now (dividing football revenue by 10 instead of 14, finishing higher in CFP rankings and getting more cash because of it, having a team finish in the top 25 in '19 and immediately outside of it in '18, having games on ESPN networks instead of Facebook and Tik-Tok, etc.), C-USA has strength in numbers when it comes to realignment.

In my scenario of FIU, FAU, GS, GSU, CCU, CLT, App, ODU, JMU, and MU going to the new east coast conference, C-USA still has 9 schools left, while the SB drops to 6. C-USA would only have to add one school to retain the CCG, and it would almost certainly come from the SB. That school would almost surely go to escape a rapidly deteriorating conference. And of course, with C-USA having the upper hand, they could add three SB schools if they want; I doubt they'd go all the way back up to 14.

So, if my east coast conference actually got off the ground, the SB could potentially be down to three.

All this is just message board fodder right now, but it isn't impossible. The Sun Belt, having only 10 members, would be vulnerable in any realignment scenario, be it a new east coast league or trickle down from a P5 raid of the Big 12. Out of a sense of due diligence, shouldn't they start looking at potential new members now to protect their own futures? In the event of a bad raid on the league, I think they cast the net wide. Offer UConn and UMass football-only membership. Take NMSU in full time. Offer Liberty, who i think would say no, but you have to ask in that position. Then it's looking at all the FCS programs in the region who have some sort of pulse: Chattanooga, McNeese State, Missouri State, Sam Houston State, etc.

Makes me wonder if the Sun Belt has weighed the pros and cons of expansion in the next few years, before the Big 12 GOR expires, to soften the blow of future raids.

IMO, the Big 12 will never expand. There just are not any teams that move the needle enough for them to pull the trigger. Therefore, the AAC stands pat and that just leaves the supposedly unhappy CUSA-E schools to make a move, which again, I don’t believe they will because of arrogance and pride.

CUSA should have never gone to 14 teams last time around. They should have just added the highest quality programs instead of start ups. They went for media markets that in turn didn’t even matter when the next tv contract hit. It seems they are always 1 step behind when it comes to decision making (also see Pod play in B-ball). For whatever reason the leaders of CUSAE schools are trying to make CUSA 3.0 work come hell or high water. It’s like a bad marriage that neither person wants to address.
I’ll sum it up by making my predictions of:

1) There will be no more realignment in the future.

2) Thus, CUSAE schools stand pat and die a slow death with terrible media deals, too many schools, and schools that can’t put fans in the stands. While spending more money than both the SBC and MAC on travel, just to eventually fall behind those conferences in national perception (media deal). A

Oh, I agree with the bolded part, that the current lineup of the Big 12 will not expand. They've explored that already, and I don't see anything changing those schools' attraction to G5 schools for the foreseeable future.

But it isn't hard to imagine a single or group of P5 conferences raising the Big 12 of 2-4 schools. That would whittle the Big 12 down to, say, TCU, Baylor, Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, and WVU, I still think they would be able to raid G5 teams to their east and west, rather than the other way around. I think those schools would successfully invite any among BYU, Colorado State, maybe Boise, Cincinnati, Houston, Tulane (AAU status, not for athletics), and/or UCF.

That is where I'm saying there would be a trickle-down effect to the AAC/MW, then to C-USA/SB/MAC, then to FCS conferences, and eventually to non-football conferences.

This is all a completely separate scenario from my idea of C-USS and SB schools in the east forming a new league independent of realignment higher up the food chain. You are probably right about the C-USA East schools being ride-or-die with their current conference. I just think this East coast conference is not out of the realm of possibility, that's all.

Off an exodus to the MEAC shell occurs, the SBC leftovers are absolutely the ones who should be concerned.

If we are to assume that 9 of the combined 24 C-USA/SBC schools leave to go to the MEAC (I’m going to tentatively slot JMU as the 10th) that means there are 15 remaining.

I only see the SBC losing 3 maybe 4 schools while C-USA stands to lose 5 or 6. The 8 or 9 C-USA schools are going to be able to pretty easily pick up 1-2 SBC West schools to regionalize their conference. The SBC will need to recruit Independents/FCS.

(07-01-2020 09:03 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(07-01-2020 08:30 AM)MUsince96 Wrote:  

(07-01-2020 07:50 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(06-30-2020 01:56 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If the MEAC fails, and it very well could, sending members across a few FCS leagues while others drop to D2, would members of the SBC/C-USA consider buying the conference’s shell to create a new, geographically compact, FBS conference?

Something like this:

JMU
Liberty
ODU
Marshall
Charlotte
App St
Georgia St
Georgia Southern
WKU
MTSU

The MEAC schools could potentially benefit from this reshuffle because as the impacted FBS conferences restock from FCS conferences opportunities could open up for them.

I don't see how JMU deserves this. They should have accepted an invite to the SBC like App State did and continue to win instead of hiding out in a FCS conference.

I'd love to have James Madison in the lineup. They're in the footprint, they have nice facilities and they averaged over 22K in football (in a 25K seat stadium). We need schools who have fan support.

I agree. JMU would fit right in.

As for Liberty, I'll repeat what I said about C-USA and Sun Belt schools already having rejected them to be in their respective conferences even though LU offered caseloads of cash to join. More importantly, I don't even think Liberty would even be interested in joining an FBS conference short of a P5 or AAC invitation. They have built some great schedules for their fans as an independent. I think they're very happy with independence.

A ten team league would be ideal lineup for App State. 12-14 teams just means the money had to be split more ways. Repeating what I said earlier, I'd want these schools:

South
FIU
FAU
Ga. Southern
Ga. State
Coastal Carolina

North
Charlotte
App State
ODU
JMU
Marshall

Annual interdivision matchups: FIU vs. Marshall; FAU vs. JMU; Ga. Southern vs. App State; Ga. State vs. Charlotte; Coastal vs. ODU

I would miss certain Sun Belt teams, namely Troy, Arkansas State, and Louisiana. And I wouldn't mind being in a conference with UAB or Southern Miss. But that is what non-conference games are for. Annual games against teams within the region make way more sense for drawing good home game attendance, and they make way, way more sense for basketball and non revenue sports.

I'd cut out the two F_U's and add UAB and Troy. That would cut way back on travel, and both programs would bring positive attributes.

East: Marshall, JMU, ODU, App St, Charlotte
West: WKU, MTSU, UAB, GA St, GA South

Or go divisionless with full round robin.

I think the Sunbelt should get proactive on this and get 2 schools from CUSA that are within the existing Sunbelt footprint to strength the conference.

(07-07-2020 08:48 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(07-07-2020 07:45 AM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  

(07-06-2020 08:40 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  The Sun Belt, rather than C-USA is the league that needs to be on high alert if this "new MEAC" or whatever new east coast G5 league were ever to come to fruition.

While the Sun Belt arguably has the upper hand right now (dividing football revenue by 10 instead of 14, finishing higher in CFP rankings and getting more cash because of it, having a team finish in the top 25 in '19 and immediately outside of it in '18, having games on ESPN networks instead of Facebook and Tik-Tok, etc.), C-USA has strength in numbers when it comes to realignment.

In my scenario of FIU, FAU, GS, GSU, CCU, CLT, App, ODU, JMU, and MU going to the new east coast conference, C-USA still has 9 schools left, while the SB drops to 6. C-USA would only have to add one school to retain the CCG, and it would almost certainly come from the SB. That school would almost surely go to escape a rapidly deteriorating conference. And of course, with C-USA having the upper hand, they could add three SB schools if they want; I doubt they'd go all the way back up to 14.

So, if my east coast conference actually got off the ground, the SB could potentially be down to three.

All this is just message board fodder right now, but it isn't impossible. The Sun Belt, having only 10 members, would be vulnerable in any realignment scenario, be it a new east coast league or trickle down from a P5 raid of the Big 12. Out of a sense of due diligence, shouldn't they start looking at potential new members now to protect their own futures? In the event of a bad raid on the league, I think they cast the net wide. Offer UConn and UMass football-only membership. Take NMSU in full time. Offer Liberty, who i think would say no, but you have to ask in that position. Then it's looking at all the FCS programs in the region who have some sort of pulse: Chattanooga, McNeese State, Missouri State, Sam Houston State, etc.

Makes me wonder if the Sun Belt has weighed the pros and cons of expansion in the next few years, before the Big 12 GOR expires, to soften the blow of future raids.

IMO, the Big 12 will never expand. There just are not any teams that move the needle enough for them to pull the trigger. Therefore, the AAC stands pat and that just leaves the supposedly unhappy CUSA-E schools to make a move, which again, I don’t believe they will because of arrogance and pride.

CUSA should have never gone to 14 teams last time around. They should have just added the highest quality programs instead of start ups. They went for media markets that in turn didn’t even matter when the next tv contract hit. It seems they are always 1 step behind when it comes to decision making (also see Pod play in B-ball). For whatever reason the leaders of CUSAE schools are trying to make CUSA 3.0 work come hell or high water. It’s like a bad marriage that neither person wants to address.
I’ll sum it up by making my predictions of:

1) There will be no more realignment in the future.

2) Thus, CUSAE schools stand pat and die a slow death with terrible media deals, too many schools, and schools that can’t put fans in the stands. While spending more money than both the SBC and MAC on travel, just to eventually fall behind those conferences in national perception (media deal). A

This is all a completely separate scenario from my idea of C-USS and SB schools in the east forming a new league independent of realignment higher up the food chain. You are probably right about the C-USA East schools being ride-or-die with their current conference. I just think this East coast conference is not out of the realm of possibility, that's all.

Believe me, I’m cheering really hard for the new east coast conference. Marshall, App, JMU, and ODU are 4 schools that can pull in 25K every weekend in attendance if they have decent teams. Even Charlotte has shown a little life with their crowds recently. They COULD turn into an every weekend 20K type of program.

Just to give a visual, this is what the east coast G5 league I've talked about would look like on a map.

(07-07-2020 01:47 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Just to give a visual, this is what the east coast G5 league I've talked about would look like on the mal.

Not a bad look. Trading the F_Us and CCU for WKU, MTSU, and UAB tightens things up even more.

That trio is a drivable distance for most of the conference where the FL trips would be flights for everyone.

(07-07-2020 02:00 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(07-07-2020 01:47 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Just to give a visual, this is what the east coast G5 league I've talked about would look like on the mal.

Not a bad look. Trading the F_Us and CCU for WKU, MTSU, and UAB tightens things up even more.

That trio is a drivable distance for most of the conference where the FL trips would be flights for everyone.

As I've said before everybody hates Coastal Carolina.

The reasons I chose to go with the F_U's over WKU and MTSU are that (1) I believe MTSU/WKU would prefer to go with UAB, Southern Miss, and the other Gulf coast schools rather than be an outlier from an east coast league, (2) I know Marshall and App State (probably others) recruit Florida very heavily and would take them, at least for recruiting purposes, over WKU and MTSU, (3) FIU and FAU are at least close enough to one member (Ga. Southern) for driving to at least be an option.

As for why I included Coastal rather than UAB (or Troy), it was mainly for tightening up geography. Coastal fits that bill, whereas UAB would be a western outlier along with the two far southern outliers in Florida. Additionally, I think Coastal is being dismissed too early. They've only had three years at the FBS level. They could well be a contender soon. Plus they have championship level baseball.

Also, as with WKU/MTSU, I think that UAB would lean towards being with S. Miss, La. Tech, and MTSU/WKU over something more eastward. That part I'm not so sure about, though. I remember reading that UAB really wanted to remain in the eastern division, as they were in C-USA 2.0, but were forced to the west when expansion brought many new eastern members, so I could see UAB either staying in C-USA or going with the new league.

Either way, I'd be happy for App State to be in your configuration as well and to just do the Troy's, Arkansas State's, and Louisiana's in non conference play.

EDIT: Can someone tell me how to add a picture directly into a post without doing it as an attachment?

EDIT again: I attached the map w/o CCU, FIU, or FAU and with MTSU, WKU, and UAB. Just because I'm that bored.

This is an interesting idea. All of the SBC/CUSA swap/trade ideas have come up a little short for me because the issue there is that three conferences need to be made out of the existing two. Using the old MEAC if it dissolves would solve that issue and give a last call for the couple of FCS teams that want to make the jump.

(07-07-2020 02:20 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(07-07-2020 02:00 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(07-07-2020 01:47 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Just to give a visual, this is what the east coast G5 league I've talked about would look like on the mal.

Not a bad look. Trading the F_Us and CCU for WKU, MTSU, and UAB tightens things up even more.

That trio is a drivable distance for most of the conference where the FL trips would be flights for everyone.

As I've said before everybody hates Coastal Carolina.

The reasons I chose to go with the F_U's over WKU and MTSU are that (1) I believe MTSU/WKU would prefer to go with UAB, Southern Miss, and the other Gulf coast schools rather than be an outlier from an east coast league, (2) I know Marshall and App State (probably others) recruit Florida very heavily and would take them, at least for recruiting purposes, over WKU and MTSU, (3) FIU and FAU are at least close enough to one member (Ga. Southern) for driving to at least be an option.

As for why I included Coastal rather than UAB (or Troy), it was mainly for tightening up geography. Coastal fits that bill, whereas UAB would be a western outlier along with the two far southern outliers in Florida. Additionally, I think Coastal is being dismissed too early. They've only had three years at the FBS level. They could well be a contender soon. Plus they have championship level baseball.

Also, as with WKU/MTSU, I think that UAB would lean towards being with S. Miss, La. Tech, and MTSU/WKU over something more eastward. That part I'm not so sure about, though. I remember reading that UAB really wanted to remain in the eastern division, as they were in C-USA 2.0, but were forced to the west when expansion brought many new eastern members, so I could see UAB either staying in C-USA or going with the new league.

Either way, I'd be happy for App State to be in your configuration as well and to just do the Troy's, Arkansas State's, and Louisiana's in non conference play.

EDIT: Can someone tell me how to add a picture directly into a post without doing it as an attachment?

EDIT again: I attached the map w/o CCU, FIU, or FAU and with MTSU, WKU, and UAB. Just because I'm that bored.

I say keep CCU, but add UAB and Troy.

North: Marshall, JMU, ODU, App, UNCC
South: UAB, Troy, GSU, GS, CCU

(07-07-2020 02:59 PM)JTApps1 Wrote:  I say keep CCU, but add UAB and Troy.

North: Marshall, JMU, ODU, App, UNCC
South: UAB, Troy, GSU, GS, CCU

That's plausible, but then then Marshall still loses the recruiting trip to Florida that it presently has every year.

At least in that arrangement, Marshall wouldn't mind the FB being two five schools divisions, skip one of the other division annually for eight games.

It does suggest a 12 schools version:

North: Marshall, JMU, ODU, App, UNCC, CCU
South: UAB, Troy, GSU, GS, FAU, FIU[/quote]

(07-07-2020 02:59 PM)JTApps1 Wrote:  

(07-07-2020 02:20 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(07-07-2020 02:00 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(07-07-2020 01:47 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Just to give a visual, this is what the east coast G5 league I've talked about would look like on the mal.

Not a bad look. Trading the F_Us and CCU for WKU, MTSU, and UAB tightens things up even more.

That trio is a drivable distance for most of the conference where the FL trips would be flights for everyone.

As I've said before everybody hates Coastal Carolina.

The reasons I chose to go with the F_U's over WKU and MTSU are that (1) I believe MTSU/WKU would prefer to go with UAB, Southern Miss, and the other Gulf coast schools rather than be an outlier from an east coast league, (2) I know Marshall and App State (probably others) recruit Florida very heavily and would take them, at least for recruiting purposes, over WKU and MTSU, (3) FIU and FAU are at least close enough to one member (Ga. Southern) for driving to at least be an option.

As for why I included Coastal rather than UAB (or Troy), it was mainly for tightening up geography. Coastal fits that bill, whereas UAB would be a western outlier along with the two far southern outliers in Florida. Additionally, I think Coastal is being dismissed too early. They've only had three years at the FBS level. They could well be a contender soon. Plus they have championship level baseball.

Also, as with WKU/MTSU, I think that UAB would lean towards being with S. Miss, La. Tech, and MTSU/WKU over something more eastward. That part I'm not so sure about, though. I remember reading that UAB really wanted to remain in the eastern division, as they were in C-USA 2.0, but were forced to the west when expansion brought many new eastern members, so I could see UAB either staying in C-USA or going with the new league.

Either way, I'd be happy for App State to be in your configuration as well and to just do the Troy's, Arkansas State's, and Louisiana's in non conference play.

EDIT: Can someone tell me how to add a picture directly into a post without doing it as an attachment?

EDIT again: I attached the map w/o CCU, FIU, or FAU and with MTSU, WKU, and UAB. Just because I'm that bored.

I say keep CCU, but add UAB and Troy.

North: Marshall, JMU, ODU, App, UNCC
South: UAB, Troy, GSU, GS, CCU

That would make sense. Was thinking that, without UAB and Troy, the leftover conference might be stronger:

East: WKU, Troy, UAB, S. Miss, FAU, FIU
West: ULaLa, LT, Rice, Ark St, UTSA, UNT,

Or at least a toss up.

(06-30-2020 09:26 PM)solohawks Wrote:  I always viewed NCAA basketball auto bids like franchises. The way the franchise rules are now it's very difficult to open up a new one, but current ones are good has long as they follow the building code irregardless of how many repairs they must make annually

What continues to amaze is that the NCAA’s auto bid rule is treated with more reverence than the Ten Commandments. Have we been able to date when Moses came into possession of the autobid rule? Was it on the tablet that was broken in the Mel Brooks treatment of this event?