With the Big 12's performance at the Big Dance and being left out of the College Football Playoffs... They will realize they need to expand and Cincinnati will most likely be one of the teams. Connecticut should look more and more promising with their historic successes in both men and women's basketball. If not Connecticut, then Memphis.

If the PAC 12 decides to grow to at least 14 like the Big Ten, SEC and ACC 14/15, then good choices would be San Diego State and Colorado State.

If the AAC gets raided then look for them to add Massachusettes and Ohio.

If the Mountain West looses two teams...UTEP and New Mexico State would be logical.

With UAB most likely leaving, CUSA could still stand pat where they are...especially since there wasn't anyone else taken from this around.

Sun Belt should add UAB, and have talks with Missouri State about moving up to FBS and replace NMSU.

The Belt could begin talks with Army about a football only invite.

SB East football

Appalachian State
Army (football only)
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
South Alabama
Troy

SB West football

Arkansas State
Idaho (football only)
Louisiana Lafayette
Louisiana Monroe
Missouri State
Texas State

Basketball

Alabama Birmingham
Appalachian State
Arkansas Little Rock
Arkansas State
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Louisiana Lafayette
Louisiana Monroe
Missouri State
South Alabama
Texas Arlington
Texas State
Troy

The AAC is not adding UMass and Ohio...for heavens sake.

(03-28-2015 12:50 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  The AAC is not adding UMass and Ohio...for heavens sake.

They won't be adding anyone from CUSA or the Belt...for heaven sakes.

(03-28-2015 12:51 AM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 12:50 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  The AAC is not adding UMass and Ohio...for heavens sake.

They won't be adding anyone from CUSA or the Belt...for heaven sakes.

I'd say they'd almost certainly take a CUSA team. There is no chance of UMass unless UConn takes their crazy pills and somehow convinces the Texas schools that one of the worst teams in FBS needs to get in the league. The SBC won't take UMass, the MAC doesn't want them. AAC will certainly say no.

Ohio is the best all around MAC program, but for the AAC, they'd be a complete outlier. The AAC is mostly filled with former CUSA teams. They'll just dip in, pick out the program they get along with the best and bring them in. My guess is Marshall or one of the Texas Schools.

Also, snowball's chance of MWC taking NMSU. They may make sense...but that would mean UNM would have to play along... It'd be far easier for them to dip into another Texas based CUSA team.

UAB can find a better home for basketball than the 20th ranked basketball conference... I hope.

(03-28-2015 08:00 AM)Dracorex Wrote:  UAB can find a better home for basketball than the 20th ranked basketball conference... I hope.

UAB is not getting an SBC invite.

I think it will be extremely difficult for UAB to find much of a home, with the very real potential of having its sports programs dismantlet, and may head the route of UNO.

It's called de-emphazing to NAIA or Div II.

I think that is more likely.

(03-28-2015 12:51 AM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 12:50 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  The AAC is not adding UMass and Ohio...for heavens sake.

They won't be adding anyone from CUSA or the Belt...for heaven sakes.

Army won't be coming to The Belt .... for heaven's sake.

(03-28-2015 12:56 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 12:51 AM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 12:50 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  The AAC is not adding UMass and Ohio...for heavens sake.

They won't be adding anyone from CUSA or the Belt...for heaven sakes.

I'd say they'd almost certainly take a CUSA team. There is no chance of UMass unless UConn takes their crazy pills and somehow convinces the Texas schools that one of the worst teams in FBS needs to get in the league. The SBC won't take UMass, the MAC doesn't want them. AAC will certainly say no.

Ohio is the best all around MAC program, but for the AAC, they'd be a complete outlier. The AAC is mostly filled with former CUSA teams. They'll just dip in, pick out the program they get along with the best and bring them in. My guess is Marshall or one of the Texas Schools.

Also, snowball's chance of MWC taking NMSU. They may make sense...but that would mean UNM would have to play along... It'd be far easier for them to dip into another Texas based CUSA team.

UTEP would make the most sense for the MW, if they're gonna take a CUSA school. NMSU would be on the outside lookining in . . . Again. . .

(03-28-2015 08:00 AM)Dracorex Wrote:  UAB can find a better home for basketball than the 20th ranked basketball conference... I hope.

if y'all had a little better attendance, I think a big east invite would be possible. Who knows what will happen now that y'all are "all in" on basketball. that coach salary is impressive

(03-28-2015 10:06 AM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 08:00 AM)Dracorex Wrote:  UAB can find a better home for basketball than the 20th ranked basketball conference... I hope.

if y'all had a little better attendance, I think a big east invite would be possible. Who knows what will happen now that y'all are "all in" on basketball. that coach salary is impressive

They fit with the A-10 footprint and member schools better.

BE is basically the northeast and states around the Great Lakes. And they're all private. All Catholic too, except Butler.

The Big 12 knows that not having a championship game didn't keep them from the playoff, hence they are not going to be in any hurry to expand.

The take-home message from last year's playoff is if you are a private school and aren't a college football behemoth like Ohio State or Alabama the committee will look for any reason to leave you out.

I am still not convinced that had Texas or Oklahoma been in the position of TCU and Baylor that they would've been left out.

(03-28-2015 11:14 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  The Big 12 knows that not having a championship game didn't keep them from the playoff, hence they are not going to be in any hurry to expand.

The take-home message from last year's playoff is if you are a private school and aren't a college football behemoth like Ohio State or Alabama the committee will look for any reason to leave you out.

I am still not convinced that had Texas or Oklahoma been in the position of TCU and Baylor that they would've been left out.

Not entirely true, the selection committee stated that not having a CG was a consideration and did not help the Big XII when final selections were made . . . .
It may not have been the be all end all factor, but it was a consideration, especially in light of how well Ohio St. Performed in their CG . . .
Had the Big XII had a CG, they probably get 1 team in the playoff . . . .

(03-28-2015 09:27 AM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 12:56 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 12:51 AM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 12:50 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  The AAC is not adding UMass and Ohio...for heavens sake.

They won't be adding anyone from CUSA or the Belt...for heaven sakes.

I'd say they'd almost certainly take a CUSA team. There is no chance of UMass unless UConn takes their crazy pills and somehow convinces the Texas schools that one of the worst teams in FBS needs to get in the league. The SBC won't take UMass, the MAC doesn't want them. AAC will certainly say no.

Ohio is the best all around MAC program, but for the AAC, they'd be a complete outlier. The AAC is mostly filled with former CUSA teams. They'll just dip in, pick out the program they get along with the best and bring them in. My guess is Marshall or one of the Texas Schools.

Also, snowball's chance of MWC taking NMSU. They may make sense...but that would mean UNM would have to play along... It'd be far easier for them to dip into another Texas based CUSA team.

UTEP would make the most sense for the MW, if they're gonna take a CUSA school. NMSU would be on the outside lookining in . . . Again. . .

If the Mountain West were to loose two schools...UTEP would be considered and would go there rather than stay in CUSA and BYU isn't going back so who else might the MW get that fits their footprint and New Mexico would lobby for them.

(03-28-2015 08:00 AM)Dracorex Wrote:  UAB can find a better home for basketball than the 20th ranked basketball conference... I hope.

But considering if UAB could bring back football which many will hope...the Sun Belt would easily be their choice over OVC, Southern or any of those lower-tier conferences.

My goodness. Lots of speculation going on here.

My view:

1) The A-10 is at best ambivalent towards UAB. Barring a massive raid on the A-10 by the Big East, UAB isn't getting an A-10 bid. And still might not get one even if the Big East takes Dayton and St Louis. Just because the prospect of a UAB bid doesn't set off opposition doesn't mean that it is likely. Besides, UAB's institutional problems will cause any conference to think rather hard prior to offering them a bid.

2) Those arguing for UMass in the AAC are only looking at half the story. Yes, UMass would accept an all sports AAC bid (unlike an all sports Belt or MAC bid). But what does the AAC get with UMass. They get a football product that is unstable and currently not very good. They get a basketball team with 1 NCAA round of 64 appearance since 1998. Other than a partner for Uconn, they get little. Unlikely at this time.

3) UAB appears to be negotiating with the MVC. For the UAB administration, it helps them in that the MVC provides no path back to FBS and that it is a credible basketball conference. For those looking for UAB to return to FBS, the Sun Belt is the best choice as it provides them with a path back to FBS. That being said, those making the decisions know this and probably don't want UAB to join the Sun Belt even if they were the number 1 basketball conference in the country. If UAB gets tossed from CUSA next year (not happening this year) and they can't get into the MVC, they're looking at a bad situation. The Belt MIGHT take them (if the revenue sharing deal can be fixed) but probably wont because the revenue sharing deal probably wont be fixed. And even if the revenue sharing deal can be fixed, UAB's administration would probably turn down the Belt flat, because that would start more pressure to bring back FBS. So they'd be looking at the A Sun, OVC, SoCon, or maybe the Horizon.

If the AAC loses Cincy and Uconn, it would set off a chain of moves by other conferences. The AAC would take two from (NIU, Ohio, Marshall, Army, ODU - don't laugh, or USM). If the MAC got raided for one team, the MAC would probably take James Madison. If CUSA gets raided, they'd be coming after the Belt (unless we can convince them that James Madison is really better than all of us lowly Sun Belt schools). But I'm not sure this is happening any time soon. While the Big XII-II needs members, they need members that are going to raise the football profile of the conference. Cincy and Uconn aren't going to do that.

An unstable looking, but stable, stare down is where I see this heading for a couple of years.

I say we go for Missouri State and Southern Illinois University. I include Southern Illinois because first off they already play in a 15,000 seat stadium they average about 9,000 a game. In basketball SIU has advanced to six consecutive NCAA Tournaments (2002–2007), advancing to two Sweet 16s and accruing an NCAA Tournament record of 5-6 during that time. They are in the Sunbelt Footprint with Missouri State and Southern Illinois University being only 290 miles from each other. If we added EKU and booted NMSU Geographically it would work out the best.

East
Southern Illinois (EKU)
Georgia Southern
Troy
USA
App State
Georgia State

West
NMSU (SIU)
ULM
ASU
TxSt.
MSU
UL

(03-28-2015 11:31 AM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 11:14 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  The Big 12 knows that not having a championship game didn't keep them from the playoff, hence they are not going to be in any hurry to expand.

The take-home message from last year's playoff is if you are a private school and aren't a college football behemoth like Ohio State or Alabama the committee will look for any reason to leave you out.

I am still not convinced that had Texas or Oklahoma been in the position of TCU and Baylor that they would've been left out.

Not entirely true, the selection committee stated that not having a CG was a consideration and did not help the Big XII when final selections were made . . . .
It may not have been the be all end all factor, but it was a consideration, especially in light of how well Ohio St. Performed in their CG . . .
Had the Big XII had a CG, they probably get 1 team in the playoff . . . .

not having a championship game was only a factor in that it would have provided a clear champion. people lose track of the fact that there are 5 conferences to pick 4 teams from. every year one conference will be left out. is there to this level of hand wringing and head scratching every year .

If Texas had TCU's resume last year they make the playoffs no doubt about it.

(03-28-2015 02:47 PM)Bigtom12 Wrote:  I say we go for Missouri State and Southern Illinois University. I include Southern Illinois because first off they already play in a 15,000 seat stadium they average about 9,000 a game. In basketball SIU has advanced to six consecutive NCAA Tournaments (2002–2007), advancing to two Sweet 16s and accruing an NCAA Tournament record of 5-6 during that time. They are in the Sunbelt Footprint with Missouri State and Southern Illinois University being only 290 miles from each other. If we added EKU and booted NMSU Geographically it would work out the best.

East
Southern Illinois (EKU)
Georgia Southern
Troy
USA
App State
Georgia State

West
NMSU (SIU)
ULM
ASU
TxSt.
MSU
UL

I thought I was the voice in only voice in the wilderness for the Salukis.

Their admin has said that they are happy where they are and have no plans to move up because of the demographics of their region. But perhaps that will change. They would be a fine add.

(03-28-2015 01:14 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  My goodness. Lots of speculation going on here.

My view:

1) The A-10 is at best ambivalent towards UAB. Barring a massive raid on the A-10 by the Big East, UAB isn't getting an A-10 bid. And still might not get one even if the Big East takes Dayton and St Louis. Just because the prospect of a UAB bid doesn't set off opposition doesn't mean that it is likely. Besides, UAB's institutional problems will cause any conference to think rather hard prior to offering them a bid.

2) Those arguing for UMass in the AAC are only looking at half the story. Yes, UMass would accept an all sports AAC bid (unlike an all sports Belt or MAC bid). But what does the AAC get with UMass. They get a football product that is unstable and currently not very good. They get a basketball team with 1 NCAA round of 64 appearance since 1998. Other than a partner for Uconn, they get little. Unlikely at this time.

3) UAB appears to be negotiating with the MVC. For the UAB administration, it helps them in that the MVC provides no path back to FBS and that it is a credible basketball conference. For those looking for UAB to return to FBS, the Sun Belt is the best choice as it provides them with a path back to FBS. That being said, those making the decisions know this and probably don't want UAB to join the Sun Belt even if they were the number 1 basketball conference in the country. If UAB gets tossed from CUSA next year (not happening this year) and they can't get into the MVC, they're looking at a bad situation. The Belt MIGHT take them (if the revenue sharing deal can be fixed) but probably wont because the revenue sharing deal probably wont be fixed. And even if the revenue sharing deal can be fixed, UAB's administration would probably turn down the Belt flat, because that would start more pressure to bring back FBS. So they'd be looking at the A Sun, OVC, SoCon, or maybe the Horizon.

If the AAC loses Cincy and Uconn, it would set off a chain of moves by other conferences. The AAC would take two from (NIU, Ohio, Marshall, Army, ODU - don't laugh, or USM). If the MAC got raided for one team, the MAC would probably take James Madison. If CUSA gets raided, they'd be coming after the Belt (unless we can convince them that James Madison is really better than all of us lowly Sun Belt schools). But I'm not sure this is happening any time soon. While the Big XII-II needs members, they need members that are going to raise the football profile of the conference. Cincy and Uconn aren't going to do that.

An unstable looking, but stable, stare down is where I see this heading for a couple of years.

Can't see UAB fitting into the A-10 footprint. It was a stretch adding Davidson. Umass is an outstanding academic institution and that's about where it ends. What else to they offer the AAC? They've been so-so in basketball as of late (1 NCAA Tournament and 5 NIT apps since 1998), no accomplishments in football since winning the 1-aa title in 1998, do not provide access to a recruiting hot bed, and athough they may try can't claim Boston as a TV market. Considering how explicit the UA Board was in their regard to football at UAB, it makes sense the PTB would want the school in a conference where that sentiment wouldn't be given a achance to gain another foothold. Still a number of MVC schools play FCS and one has to wonder if even that might be too much of a temptation. If the AAC were to lose a couple of schools I think N Ill has to on top of their list. The Huskies gained a lot of national attention getting to the Orange Bowl and even though basketball hasn't been a powerhouse neither has ECU. It would at least crack the door open to one of the biggest TV markets in the country. I think theri administration see's an opportunity and released a facility Master Plan last year will put them on equal footing with the AAC.