What about the Great West? While checking out some basketball computer numbers I noticed that we have a 32nd conference this season.

Welcome the Great West. I think this team location map says it all.



This conference could have named themselves the "Don't Unpack Your Suitcase" or DUYS Conference they have so many members coming and going. From their wiki page, it looks like a way station for all of the schools moving up to D1 basketball with hopes of getting their school name spread across the country.

Great West Conference

By the way, they don't get an NCAA autobid, but in the first I've seen of it, the conference champion gets an autobid to the CollegeInsider.com tournament, one of those fly-by-nights postseason tournaments where they'd let a 5-25 team in if they're willing to pay the 50 grand guarantee.

a couple of the schools are going to be leaving soon anyway (south dakota is heading to the summit league and north dakota will likely follow.) This league will likely have an ever-changing membership as the home of schools making the jump to D-1, or otherwise w/out a conference.

Great West used to be a football conference. The D-1 independents maintained a loose affiliation with each other to help out with scheduling until Great West decided to go all sports.

The conference doesn't even have an autobid so it's essentially no different than they had before.

As for the name, they are referring to the Western Hemisphere.

GO NJIT!

Yeah, schools like CS-Bakersfield, Longwood and Seattle are staying away from this thing. I have a feeling that CSUB will get a Big West invite at some point as all the other schools in the league, except for Pacific, are part of the Cal St. and UofCal systems.

Seattle got told "not right now" to return to the WCC, but I have to believe that membership will soften over time to give them the extra two conference games, particularly since Seattle plays at Key Area, the former Sonics home. I can see where Gonzaga would pass on this since they like to schedule up in the OOC area and would lose two slots to conference games.

As for Longwood, don't know. Maybe Big South, but they are bringing Campbell back to the conference after a stint in the A-Sun.

As for the CI.com, its a mid-majors tournament. Teams aren't selected until after the NCAA and NIT and the rule is that conferences that have less that 50% of their league selected to the 1st two tournaments will have greater priority for the CIT. That's why last years bracket had no teams from the power six conferences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Colleg...Tournament

(11-24-2009 07:04 AM)mattsarz Wrote:  As for Longwood, don't know. Maybe Big South, but they are bringing Campbell back to the conference after a stint in the A-Sun.

From what I've read, the Big South is only interested in adding football programs. Campbell has added football, as I recall... It seems conference options for Longwood are pretty limited. Maybe the NEC eventually, or the Atlantic Sun.

(11-24-2009 08:51 AM)wvucrazed Wrote:  

(11-24-2009 07:04 AM)mattsarz Wrote:  As for Longwood, don't know. Maybe Big South, but they are bringing Campbell back to the conference after a stint in the A-Sun.

From what I've read, the Big South is only interested in adding football programs. Campbell has added football, as I recall... It seems conference options for Longwood are pretty limited. Maybe the NEC eventually, or the Atlantic Sun.

Campbell does have football, but it will remain non-scholarship and not be a part of the Big South.

(11-23-2009 11:20 PM)wvucrazed Wrote:  a couple of the schools are going to be leaving soon anyway (south dakota is heading to the summit league and north dakota will likely follow.) This league will likely have an ever-changing membership as the home of schools making the jump to D-1, or otherwise w/out a conference.

Yeah, this looks like a conference made purely for scheduling for newly formed Division 1 programs. Those travel costs must be absolute insanity, especially since they can't possibly be taking in very much revenue.

If Longwood and Savannah State sign on, this league could have an auto-bid in 5 years. UT Valley, Chicago St, NJIT and UTPA already count as full NCAA members.

(11-24-2009 11:22 AM)rferry Wrote:  If Longwood and Savannah State sign on, this league could have an auto-bid in 5 years. UT Valley, Chicago St, NJIT and UTPA already count as full NCAA members.

I believe Savannah State is hellbent on getting into the MEAC.

(11-24-2009 11:54 AM)wvucrazed Wrote:  

(11-24-2009 11:22 AM)rferry Wrote:  If Longwood and Savannah State sign on, this league could have an auto-bid in 5 years. UT Valley, Chicago St, NJIT and UTPA already count as full NCAA members.

I believe Savannah State is hellbent on getting into the MEAC.

They are, but now that Winston-Salem St. has aborted its entry into D-I (they've requested to move back to D-II to the CIAA), the MEAC only took North Carolina Central in their latest expansion.

(11-24-2009 06:26 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  They are, but now that Winston-Salem St. has aborted its entry into D-I (they've requested to move back to D-II to the CIAA), the MEAC only took North Carolina Central in their latest expansion.

I had not heard that Winston-Salem was dropping back down. I just read an article on it off of the NCAA website from September. I don't remember anyone else dropping back down that quickly after a move up. I know Birmingham Southern dropped to D-3 a few years back to remove all scholarships.

It'll be interesting to see if anyone else moves back down. Using Ken Pomeroy's ratings site, it appears that we have 347 D-1 teams this season, compared to 326 in 2004. I think many want their name in the lights and to expand national exposure. I guess it works somewhat, as I had never heard of Bryant, NJIT, NC Central, Central Arkansas, or Houston Baptist until they moved up. The schools are quite regional for the most part however. You have to wonder how much it really affects applications or a more national student base for most schools.

Houston Baptist was D-I in the 80s and made the NCAA tournament in 1984 out of what was then known as the TAAC, now the Atlantic Sun. They played a prelim round game and lost to Alcorn St.

(11-24-2009 07:52 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  Houston Baptist was D-I in the 80s and made the NCAA tournament in 1984 out of what was then known as the TAAC, now the Atlantic Sun. They played a prelim round game and lost to Alcorn St.

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that. Of course I wasn't quite old enough at the time to realize who was in the tournament in 1984...

(11-24-2009 06:26 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  They are, but now that Winston-Salem St. has aborted its entry into D-I (they've requested to move back to D-II to the CIAA), the MEAC only took North Carolina Central in their latest expansion.

oh wow, i had heard that WSSU might go back to D2 but I didn't know that they had officially requested the move back.

I suspect that Savannah State may eventually have to move back as well if they can't get into the MEAC soon.

(11-24-2009 07:55 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  

(11-24-2009 07:52 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  Houston Baptist was D-I in the 80s and made the NCAA tournament in 1984 out of what was then known as the TAAC, now the Atlantic Sun. They played a prelim round game and lost to Alcorn St.

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that. Of course I wasn't quite old enough at the time to realize who was in the tournament in 1984...

Neither was I. There was an article on ESPN's website about both Houston Baptist's and Seattle's transition back to Division I

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=3066716

(11-24-2009 08:51 AM)wvucrazed Wrote:  

(11-24-2009 07:04 AM)mattsarz Wrote:  As for Longwood, don't know. Maybe Big South, but they are bringing Campbell back to the conference after a stint in the A-Sun.

From what I've read, the Big South is only interested in adding football programs. Campbell has added football, as I recall... It seems conference options for Longwood are pretty limited. Maybe the NEC eventually, or the Atlantic Sun.

my school won the nec out right this year.....ccsu.......

(11-24-2009 07:22 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  

(11-24-2009 06:26 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  They are, but now that Winston-Salem St. has aborted its entry into D-I (they've requested to move back to D-II to the CIAA), the MEAC only took North Carolina Central in their latest expansion.

I had not heard that Winston-Salem was dropping back down. I just read an article on it off of the NCAA website from September. I don't remember anyone else dropping back down that quickly after a move up. I know Birmingham Southern dropped to D-3 a few years back to remove all scholarships.

It'll be interesting to see if anyone else moves back down. Using Ken Pomeroy's ratings site, it appears that we have 347 D-1 teams this season, compared to 326 in 2004. I think many want their name in the lights and to expand national exposure. I guess it works somewhat, as I had never heard of Bryant, NJIT, NC Central, Central Arkansas, or Houston Baptist until they moved up. The schools are quite regional for the most part however. You have to wonder how much it really affects applications or a more national student base for most schools.

I live in Winston and they requested the move back. Money of course was the big issue for WSSU. I am sure funds dried up as the economy dropped drastically as we all know. Almost as soon as they made the move.

The Pioneer Football conference is just as spread out. Goes from New York to California

Check out the North Eastern Athletic Conference down in D-3. They allow the U. of Dallas (Texas, not Pennsylvania) to participate as an associate member in basketball and soccer. They don't play a round-robin schedule, but are allowed to play in the conference tournament and eligible for the conference's auto-berth.