The Sun Belt schools are in good shape. 12 overall members, relatively tight footprint within divisions and travel partners to make it more economical traveling non-football sports. Football is very good, basketball is good and baseball is fantastic so as far as I'm concerned Georgia Southern is fine just where it's at.

(10-02-2020 12:42 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 11:56 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 11:14 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  I'm sure lots of ideas are floated behind closed doors at CUSA schools, but there are rules about creating conferences. And there's exit fees to consider. Neither the east side nor the west side wants to be the ones to leave and pay up.

But if there’s a widespread belief that the system is broken and they are better off split than together they should mutually agree to drop the exit fees to make it happen.

But would there ever be a mutual split? If any school feels they are being slighted then the exit fees will be enforced.

Yup.

Way too many people assume too much that everyone in the SBC and CUSA sees this as a no-brainer and is eager to shake things up.

With any proposed split you have to make teams in the geographic middle (meaning Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama teams) happy with the proposed members. And a few teams in the CUSA and Sun belt are basically going to to trade long east-west trips with long north-south trips and the travel savings (which won't be that significant to begin with) are a wash.

Not sure SBC schools want to do this, but could a WAC FBS in shape for the future?

But, if it is CAA schools? The publics schools were not happy when Hofstra and Northeastern dropped football. I could see JMU, Delaware and Stony Brook joining to the north.

North:
Marshall
Stony Brook
JMU
Delaware
ODU
UConn. football only
UMass. football only
Dayton
VCU

South:
Western Kentucky
Middle Tenn. State
Southern Miss.
UAB
FAU
FIU
Charlotte

That would be better way to go. You do get storied football and basketball and a strong Stony Brook in three sports.

The Sunbelt is in good shape. Would be nice if UALR and UTA would be in for all sports to keep divisions consistent for all sports. You need 10 teams, not 8 for Conference championship game. The Sunbelt tagged along when the Big12 got the rule changed. The Big12 didn't want to expand, the belt then didn't renew Idaho and New Mexico State in football only members.

(10-02-2020 11:04 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  It's no secret that CUSA schools are unhappy. It makes no sense for a CUSA East school to fly its olympic sports out to Texas multiple times a year when there are schools at their same level a stone's throw away. With the old CUSA configuration, the tv money offset the cost of travel, but that money has dried up and now CUSA schools are feeling the heat.

North:
Marshall, ODU, JMU, App State, Charlotte, Coastal

South:
Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Troy, UAB, FAU, FIU

Excellent Football, great basketball, good baseball, and a relatively tight footprint within divisions

6 metropolitan schools (Ga State, UAB, FAU, FIU, Charlotte, ODU)
6 traditional college town schools (Ga Southern, Troy, Coastal, App, Marshall, JMU)

Similar academics so the presidents should be on board.

Spot on what I'd prefer.

App State vs. Ark. State or Louisiana make great NON conference games. App State vs. Marshall or Charlotte would make great conference games. I'm sure similar matchups would be great for the Eagles too.

I would hope Ga. Southern and App would insist annual games.

If there is a C-USA civil war I’m nervous if I’m Troy, USA, CCU, ULM, UTA, or UALR.

App St, GA St, GA South, Ark St, ULL, and Texas St all have attributes that could get them picked up on one side or the other. The rest of the Sunbelt isn’t as fortunate if some of these school start to break ranks.

When revenues make it worthwhile, it'll happen. The question becomes does any CUSA/SBC lineup generate more $ (tv+ gate)? Don't think travel savings alone will be enough.

There could be worse things than a conference that looked like this.

VA - ODU
VA - Liberty/JMU
NC - Charlotte
NC - App St.
GA - Georgia St.
GA - Georgia So.
AL - UAB
AL - Troy
KY - WKU
TN - MTSU
WV - Marshall
SC - CCU

FL - FAU
FL - FIU

(10-02-2020 01:50 PM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  When revenues make it worthwhile, it'll happen. The question becomes does any CUSA/SBC lineup generate more $ (tv+ gate)? Don't think travel savings alone will be enough.

Could it be that as big as it was, and how it handled its media deals, could a group get a better per school deal? That I could see.

Is this going to motivate James Madison? Finally? Would UMass and UConn football-only get a look? Is this how Stony Brook moves up?

(10-02-2020 02:02 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 01:50 PM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  When revenues make it worthwhile, it'll happen. The question becomes does any CUSA/SBC lineup generate more $ (tv+ gate)? Don't think travel savings alone will be enough.

Could it be that as big as it was, and how it handled its media deals, could a group get a better per school deal? That I could see.

Is this going to motivate James Madison? Finally? Would UMass and UConn football-only get a look? Is this how Stony Brook moves up?

Geography is not a friend of UConn and UMass here. They are no better than many schools more favorably located.

East Coast-ish to me sounds like WKU, MTSU and UAB are probably involved with it. They aren't technically on the East Coast but help the conference in basketball.

I'm not sure if a breakaway is the answer for CUSA when they could just go out and add Louisiana to the west and App State to the east to tighten up geography.

(10-02-2020 09:46 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  If the same rules were in place now that were in place when the MWC was created regarding BB autobids I think it would have already happened. Also the CFP is a hurdle.

Maybe there is interest in getting out in advance of the next CFP negotiations.

CFP only has 5 more seasons and you've got to think the next format will be decided in about 3 more years. This way the new league can represent itself as a player in the negotiations and gain a seat in the new format.

The next contract could be 8 team playoff for 16 more years so to not get a split done prior to negotiations locks them into the current setup for about 2 decades.

(10-02-2020 02:02 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 01:50 PM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  When revenues make it worthwhile, it'll happen. The question becomes does any CUSA/SBC lineup generate more $ (tv+ gate)? Don't think travel savings alone will be enough.

Could it be that as big as it was, and how it handled its media deals, could a group get a better per school deal? That I could see.

Is this going to motivate James Madison? Finally? Would UMass and UConn football-only get a look? Is this how Stony Brook moves up?

If either wants to challenge the AAC in their footprint, feelers need to be explored.

(10-02-2020 09:39 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If the rumor is true, it’s some of the East schools—with ODU and Charlotte leading the charge.

If CAA schools are in the know on this than at a minimum, they’ve been talking to JMU.

I think its difficult to work JMU into this.

It sounds like they want to take about 8 schools from CUSA which leaves 2 spots to round out the conference. If I had to give two spots I'd give them to Georgia St for the Atlanta market and then App St for their football strength.

I'm just not seeing where JMU would be high up on the priority list here as an FCS school in a small market. ODU might not mind them in the conference but I doubt they are a top priority.

(10-02-2020 01:44 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If there is a C-USA civil war I’m nervous if I’m Troy, USA, CCU, ULM, UTA, or UALR.

App St, GA St, GA South, Ark St, ULL, and Texas St all have attributes that could get them picked up on one side or the other. The rest of the Sunbelt isn’t as fortunate if some of these school start to break ranks.

If CUSA splits into 8 and 6 and the following go with each grouping:

New: WKU, MTSU, UAB, Marshall, Charlotte, ODU, FAU, FIU
CUSA: UTEP, UNT, UTSA, Rice, LaTech, So Miss

Is what is left over in CUSA west enough to attract in SBC programs? If Texas St and Louisiana shift over Arkansas St and South Alabama will be compelled to move there.

If the SBC was down to 6 programs it could always get NMSU and Liberty to sign up and it might be the situation that gets Liberty into a conference. I'm not sure if Troy and Coastal are finished in this situation.

But if the new conference decides it wants to go to 12 and add in 4 eastern SBC schools then its a different story and they might be too weak to rebuild.

(10-02-2020 02:50 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 09:39 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If the rumor is true, it’s some of the East schools—with ODU and Charlotte leading the charge.

If CAA schools are in the know on this than at a minimum, they’ve been talking to JMU.

I think its difficult to work JMU into this.

It sounds like they want to take about 8 schools from CUSA which leaves 2 spots to round out the conference. If I had to give two spots I'd give them to Georgia St for the Atlanta market and then App St for their football strength.

I'm just not seeing where JMU would be high up on the priority list here as an FCS school in a small market. ODU might not mind them in the conference but I doubt they are a top priority.

Georgia State is in Atlanta but they do not have the Atlanta market. Shopping for big city markets is what got CUSA in this mess to start with.

Get Appy State and Georgia Southern and call it a day.

Marshall
WKU
MTSU
ODU
Charlotte
FAU
FIU
UAB
Southern Miss
La Tech
Appy State
Georgia Southern

if no Southern Miss and La Tech

Troy
Coastal Carolina

(10-02-2020 03:10 PM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 02:50 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 09:39 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If the rumor is true, it’s some of the East schools—with ODU and Charlotte leading the charge.

If CAA schools are in the know on this than at a minimum, they’ve been talking to JMU.

I think its difficult to work JMU into this.

It sounds like they want to take about 8 schools from CUSA which leaves 2 spots to round out the conference. If I had to give two spots I'd give them to Georgia St for the Atlanta market and then App St for their football strength.

I'm just not seeing where JMU would be high up on the priority list here as an FCS school in a small market. ODU might not mind them in the conference but I doubt they are a top priority.

Georgia State is in Atlanta but they do not have the Atlanta market. Shopping for big city markets is what got CUSA in this mess to start with.

Get Appy State and Georgia Southern and call it a day.

Shopping for what was thought as replacements led to modern day results, imo. UCF, UH, SMU, UM are losses yet to be replaced.

(10-02-2020 03:10 PM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 02:50 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(10-02-2020 09:39 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If the rumor is true, it’s some of the East schools—with ODU and Charlotte leading the charge.

If CAA schools are in the know on this than at a minimum, they’ve been talking to JMU.

I think its difficult to work JMU into this.

It sounds like they want to take about 8 schools from CUSA which leaves 2 spots to round out the conference. If I had to give two spots I'd give them to Georgia St for the Atlanta market and then App St for their football strength.

I'm just not seeing where JMU would be high up on the priority list here as an FCS school in a small market. ODU might not mind them in the conference but I doubt they are a top priority.

Georgia State is in Atlanta but they do not have the Atlanta market. Shopping for big city markets is what got CUSA in this mess to start with.

Get Appy State and Georgia Southern and call it a day.

Marshall
WKU
MTSU
ODU
Charlotte
FAU
FIU
UAB
Southern Miss
La Tech
Appy State
Georgia Southern

if no Southern Miss and La Tech

Troy
Coastal Carolina

What you're proposing is 12 schools though which kind of defeats the purpose of a split.

8 or 10 makes a lot more sense financially to split the pie less ways.

so basically... CUSA and Sunbelt both eventually get realigned geographically under different names when the dust settles lol