Slightly off topic from the "Yes FSU will /No FSU won't" bickering, but I thought y'all would find this interesting:

New Map featuring all FBS teams including those with a confirmed invite to move up in the next few years:




By conference:

SEC


B1G


ACC


PAC


B12


NBE


CUSA


MWC


MAC


SBC

This is good. It really should be pinned to the top of the realignment board.

Could you make one on top of a population density map?

10th, there seems to be a neutral zone, just east of Lubbock, that stetches from Mexico to Canada - a barren land, where no college programs can grow...

Might as well add ODU to the SE corner of Virginia

One thing is clear. The Mountain West has a problem if it loses many programs. There simply isnt much to choose from out west.

amazing the gap from Wash St and Boise to Minnesota.

(05-16-2012 03:32 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  10th, there seems to be a neutral zone, just east of Lubbock, that stetches from Mexico to Canada - a barren land, where no college programs can grow...

No college program cause it's all wheat, corn, sunflower and cotton as far as the eye can see!

It reminds me of a story a KU alumni once told me: "They put KU in Lawrence because it was the only hill in the entire state. Everywhere else was being used to grow wheat!"

He wasn't far off.

Also, though not pictured, the 4 Dakota schools all line up in a nice neat row right on the Minnesota border to keep the neutral zone well defined. Same on the other side with both the Montana schools close to the western border.

See the green area in Idaho between Boise State and Washington State? That is Sawtooth and The Frank Church River of no Return Wilderness. That is the largest roadless (Paved roads) area in the lower 48 and there is very few people there.
I am amazed Washington State and The U of Idaho can exist where they are at. Boise is not much better in terms of location. It is understandable why conferences like the Big 12 look past us.

9 states without an FBS team.

True, but I could see 3 of them (Montana and the two Dakotas) joining the FBS ranks in the next 10-15 years. Delaware too if the Hens ever decided they wanted it, the BE would be all over them.

(05-16-2012 03:39 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  

(05-16-2012 03:32 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  10th, there seems to be a neutral zone, just east of Lubbock, that stetches from Mexico to Canada - a barren land, where no college programs can grow...

No college program cause it's all wheat, corn, sunflower and cotton as far as the eye can see!

It reminds me of a story a KU alumni once told me: "They put KU in Lawrence because it was the only hill in the entire state. Everywhere else was being used to grow wheat!"

He wasn't far off.

Most of it is forests, not even touched by human hands. Hell, even Ohio is 30% forest and it's the 10th most densely populated state in the country.

When I was vacationing in Montana one time, I got to talking basketball with some locals. They were bragging about how their sons won the state basketball title. At first I was impressed, but then I remember thinking that there were fewer people in the whole state than in the county that I lived in. So I figured that winning a state title in Montana is roughly equivalent to winning your conference in a city.

Of course I didn't point this out to them, as it's still a neat accomplishment.

(05-16-2012 04:37 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  True, but I could see 3 of them (Montana and the two Dakotas) joining the FBS ranks in the next 10-15 years. Delaware too if the Hens ever decided they wanted it, the BE would be all over them.

Idk Delawares population is pretty small at less then a million. I think Old Dominion and Charlotte would get the call first. Their metro areas are at 1.7 & 2.4 respectively. Also feel that Umass has the upper hand on all of them though.

true, but Dover is a defacto suburb of Philadelphia and IIRC Blue Hen football had a decent following in the greater Philly area so there is that going for UD.

True but the Big East already "owns" Philly with Temple and Nova and maybe another bball only school (Idk where most of those are anyway).

It would be cool to see the map with all the D-I basketball schools added...

(05-16-2012 05:08 PM)puck swami Wrote:  It would be cool to see the map with all the D-I basketball schools added...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Cbd1.PNG

Thanks Fresno, I'm not doing that many logos!

(05-16-2012 05:14 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Thanks Fresno, I'm not doing that many logos!

A UT alum updates this map for me

I throw Gig'em at him once and a while when he goes all Dodds on us on the csi board. The guy is cool though, most useful member on that board(to me)