(01-28-2021 11:46 AM)BigBlueMonarch Wrote: Why couldn't these independent schools plus a couple others from CUSA and/or the SB create their own new conference? I know this has been discussed somewhere, but I can't remember the rules that limit the options for a new conference being created
The issue is with NCAA rules in what kinds of conferences they allow, and autobids.
The easiest and best thing ODU could do, would be to go to the A10, and be in a separate conference for FBS football. The issue here being that the NCAA doesn't allow FBS only conferences, they require that a conference that sponsors FBS football be a full conference that sponsors multiple sports. Now, if ODU could go to the A10 and convince C-USA to not leave for football, that'd be grand, but extremely extremely unlikely. The same goes for the Sunbelt or AAC.
So, why can't ODU and other like-minded institutions just form a brand new east coast based conference that sponsors all sports? The issue here is that this new conference would not be grandfathered into any of the current contracts and Autobids.
- The CFP $70MM payout that goes to the G5 conferences? Those conferences are specifically named in the contract and a new conference would have to be added in once it's up for renegotiation, which would be a political hurdle all it's own.
- The even tougher nut to crack is that this new conference would not have an autobid to the NCAA tournament, and would not get one for at least 7 years (or somewhere near that number). This would be a loss of revenue and a gigantic loss of visibility for the conference and kills the idea all on it's own.
That's why this issue for realignment for ODU has been so difficult, because moving around is extremely difficult, and there doesn't yet seem to be an 'all-win' move for the Monarchs (including the move to do nothing).