(12-06-2017 02:45 PM)RobtheAggie Wrote:  Conference USA is essentially two conferences now.
East:
UAB
FAU
FIU
Marshall
MTSU
UNC-C
ODU
WKU

La Tech
UNT
Rice
USM
UTEP
UTSA

Seems like if this were ever to break into a more regional conference, there could be a move for NMSU/TSU if UTEP could ever get overruled.

(12-06-2017 11:19 AM)chrisattsu Wrote:  One theory that I have seen is that basically the XII is picked a part by the other conferences. How depends on who you ask and which teams each conference is willing to absorb.

(12-06-2017 09:20 PM)joeben69 Wrote:  Why not merge Conference USA and the Sun Belt like this?
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/4/11/15246900/conference-usa-sun-belt-conference-merger-football

C-USA, Sun Belt merger can’t come fast enough
http://www.sunherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/patrick-magee/article144813204.html

My thoughts on the Conference USA/Sunbelt Conference breakdown.
Essentially
Conference USA = Conference USA West + Sunbelt Conference west
Sunbelt Conference = Conference USA East + Sunbelt Conference East

Conference USA (revised)
CUSA West
N TX
Rice
UTEP
UTSA
TX St
AK St

CUSA East
LA Tech
Lousiana
Lousiana-Monroe
USM
UAB
S. AL

Sunbelt Conference (revised)
Sunbelt North
Western KY
Middle TN
Marshall
Old Dominion
Charlotte
Appalachian St.

Sunbelt South
Coastal Carolina
GA St
GA Southern
Troy
FIU
FAU

UT-Arlington (non-football)
AK-Little Rock (non-football)
Can go to the WAC if the Sunbelt wants to focus on football schools

Also rebrand the revised CUSA into a new Southwest Conference. I believe Rice has the rights to the SWC name.

(12-07-2017 01:02 AM)AZcats Wrote:  

(12-06-2017 09:20 PM)joeben69 Wrote:  Why not merge Conference USA and the Sun Belt like this?
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/4/11/15246900/conference-usa-sun-belt-conference-merger-football

C-USA, Sun Belt merger can’t come fast enough
http://www.sunherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/patrick-magee/article144813204.html

My thoughts on the Conference USA/Sunbelt Conference breakdown.
Essentially
Conference USA = Conference USA West + Sunbelt Conference west
Sunbelt Conference = Conference USA East + Sunbelt Conference East

Conference USA (revised)
CUSA West
N TX
Rice
UTEP
UTSA
TX St
AR St (stAte)

CUSA East
LA Tech
Lousiana
Lousiana-Monroe
USM
UAB
S. AL

Sunbelt Conference (revised)
Sunbelt North
Western KY
Middle TN
Marshall
Old Dominion
Charlotte
Appalachian St.

Sunbelt South
Coastal Carolina
GA St
GA Southern
Troy
FIU
FAU

UT-Arlington (non-football)
AR-Little Rock (non-football)
Can go to the WAC if the Sunbelt wants to focus on football schools

Also rebrand the revised CUSA into a new Southwest Conference. I believe Rice has the rights to the SWC name.

First, when did Alaska State and Alaska-Little Rock join the Sun Belt? "AR" has been the official postal abbreviation for Arkansas for more than 50 years, get it right people (that includes CNN). Second, everyone puts stAte in a division with the Texas schools. This isn't the old Southwest Conference; Jonesboro is in the northeast corner of the state and is closer to Atlanta than to Denton. They recruit Alabama heavily and want to keep that connection. LA Tech is the westernmost of the ARKLA schools, put them in a division with Texas schools. Articles like those linked here have been around for over 2 years, almost all by writers in close proximity to a CUSA school and they all say the same thing. CUSA is in a mess of their own creation and they can find a way to fix it without involving the Sun Belt. The Sun Belt is very happy with how it looks now.

(12-07-2017 12:46 AM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(12-06-2017 11:19 AM)chrisattsu Wrote:  One theory that I have seen is that basically the XII is picked a part by the other conferences. How depends on who you ask and which teams each conference is willing to absorb.

This is the driver...but it's not really up to the conferences...mostly up to the TV execs and how they decide to divvy up the money.

Also what Stu said above. No point in moving around (which incurs entrance and exit fees) when the real movement is still just off the horizon.

WAC just needs to stay alive and hope some homeless folks land in their lap in addition to whatever D2 movement happens between now and then.

(12-07-2017 02:55 AM)joeben69 Wrote:  

(12-07-2017 01:02 AM)AZcats Wrote:  

(12-06-2017 09:20 PM)joeben69 Wrote:  Why not merge Conference USA and the Sun Belt like this?
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/4/11/15246900/conference-usa-sun-belt-conference-merger-football

C-USA, Sun Belt merger can’t come fast enough
http://www.sunherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/patrick-magee/article144813204.html

My thoughts on the Conference USA/Sunbelt Conference breakdown.
Essentially
Conference USA = Conference USA West + Sunbelt Conference west
Sunbelt Conference = Conference USA East + Sunbelt Conference East

Conference USA (revised)
CUSA West
N TX
Rice
UTEP
UTSA
TX St
AR St (stAte)

CUSA East
LA Tech
Lousiana
Lousiana-Monroe
USM
UAB
S. AL

Sunbelt Conference (revised)
Sunbelt North
Western KY
Middle TN
Marshall
Old Dominion
Charlotte
Appalachian St.

Sunbelt South
Coastal Carolina
GA St
GA Southern
Troy
FIU
FAU

UT-Arlington (non-football)
AK-Little Rock (non-football)
Can go to the WAC if the Sunbelt wants to focus on football schools

Also rebrand the revised CUSA into a new Southwest Conference. I believe Rice has the rights to the SWC name.

First, when did Alaska State and Alaska-Little Rock join the Sun Belt? "AR" has been the official postal abbreviation for Arkansas for more than 50 years, get it right people (that includes CNN). Second, everyone puts stAte in a division with the Texas schools. This isn't the old Southwest Conference; Jonesboro is in the northeast corner of the state and is closer to Atlanta than to Denton. They recruit Alabama heavily and want to keep that connection. LA Tech is the westernmost of the ARKLA schools, put them in a division with Texas schools. Articles like those linked here have been around for over 2 years, almost all by writers in close proximity to a CUSA school and they all say the same thing. CUSA is in a mess of their own creation and they can find a way to fix it without involving the Sun Belt. The Sun Belt is very happy with how it looks now.

my bad...i meant Arkansas instead of Alaska...good catch...

arkansas was in the swc with the TX schools from 1915-1991...the line up was in the spirit of the old swc...so that's why the new swc west division has that particular line up...

as far as the swc east division...i wanted to keep the LA schools together in the same division with the southeast schools...if LA Tech has issue with being in the division with the other LA schools then stAte can switch with LA Tech...

all of this is just speculation anyways until something actually happens...it's conversation bait...reality is that all this CUSA/Sunbelt reorganization probably won't happen because of egos & politics...

(12-07-2017 07:13 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  The Big Sky will pull the rug out from Sac State football if they move their other sports. If the Hornets move they will not be playing Big Sky football, and it may jeopardize the football memberships of Cal Poly and UC Davis as well.

(12-07-2017 11:56 AM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(12-07-2017 07:13 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  The Big Sky will pull the rug out from Sac State football if they move their other sports. If the Hornets move they will not be playing Big Sky football, and it may jeopardize the football memberships of Cal Poly and UC Davis as well.

This is my understanding as well. My question is hypothetical. What I want to know is whether Sac State has any reason to prefer the Big Sky to the Big West for non-football sports other than the Big Sky's threat to pull out that rug.

(12-07-2017 12:46 AM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(12-06-2017 11:19 AM)chrisattsu Wrote:  One theory that I have seen is that basically the XII is picked a part by the other conferences. How depends on who you ask and which teams each conference is willing to absorb.

This is the driver...but it's not really up to the conferences...mostly up to the TV execs and how they decide to divvy up the money.

Also what Stu said above. No point in moving around (which incurs entrance and exit fees) when the real movement is still just off the horizon.

WAC just needs to stay alive and hope some homeless folks land in their lap in addition to whatever D2 movement happens between now and then.

(12-07-2017 01:49 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  The same for the Sun Belt. They have made the decision to stay at ten for the next few years and will play a Championship game in 2018. I see no reason to bail out CUSA and merge with them.

(12-07-2017 01:49 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(12-07-2017 12:46 AM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(12-06-2017 11:19 AM)chrisattsu Wrote:  One theory that I have seen is that basically the XII is picked a part by the other conferences. How depends on who you ask and which teams each conference is willing to absorb.

This is the driver...but it's not really up to the conferences...mostly up to the TV execs and how they decide to divvy up the money.

Also what Stu said above. No point in moving around (which incurs entrance and exit fees) when the real movement is still just off the horizon.

WAC just needs to stay alive and hope some homeless folks land in their lap in addition to whatever D2 movement happens between now and then.

I don't see the reason for the Big 12 to split up. Each team received just under $35 million in Big 12 revenue last year. That does not include $15 million that Texas gets for the LHN and $7 million that Oklahoma gets from their network. They will receive additional revenue from this year's championship game, which could come out to $30 million to the conference. The conference is doing well financially by itself and Oklahoma and Texas are doing extremely well.

There is also no reason to expand and add G5 schools. There are no G5 schools left that are appealing enough. I think the Big 12 already made that decision. Being able to play a championship game with ten members makes the idea of expansion kind of pointless.

(12-07-2017 12:25 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  

(12-07-2017 11:56 AM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(12-07-2017 07:13 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  The Big Sky will pull the rug out from Sac State football if they move their other sports. If the Hornets move they will not be playing Big Sky football, and it may jeopardize the football memberships of Cal Poly and UC Davis as well.

This is my understanding as well. My question is hypothetical. What I want to know is whether Sac State has any reason to prefer the Big Sky to the Big West for non-football sports other than the Big Sky's threat to pull out that rug.

Of course. Remaining in the Big Sky means they stand out from the other Cal State's -
or so I've heard.

A possible solution to the Big Sky pulling out its rug - The Big West rolls out its own rug and sponsors football. To keep Davis and Cal Poly in the Big West, poaching Sac State likely means another one or two full members as well (a Portland State, NAU, Eastern Washington). Not to mention more degradation for volleyball, softball or the other sports Hawaii cares about.

All because of Sac State. Just not worth it to open Pandora's Box.

(12-07-2017 03:36 PM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  The WAC still holds that card. I think Hurd is working behind the scenes to start FBS football in the Wac again. He should approach Sun Belt and Conf USA teams that are geographically compatible and invite them over. Maybe that would entice the Montanas over too.

(12-07-2017 12:28 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  What I want to know Mongoose, is that other than being in California, why is Sac State more ideal than say, NMSU or Seattle as the Big West's 12th member. We know NMSU can bring it in basketball. Sac State not so much.

(12-07-2017 11:42 PM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(12-07-2017 03:36 PM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  The WAC still holds that card. I think Hurd is working behind the scenes to start FBS football in the Wac again. He should approach Sun Belt and Conf USA teams that are geographically compatible and invite them over. Maybe that would entice the Montanas over too.

Doubt it. I have it on good authority that they have their eye set on sending their teams to the northern great plains.

(12-07-2017 02:04 PM)RobtheAggie Wrote:  

(12-07-2017 01:49 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  The same for the Sun Belt. They have made the decision to stay at ten for the next few years and will play a Championship game in 2018. I see no reason to bail out CUSA and merge with them.

I think the Sun Belt is in much better long term shape than the C-USA. That conference is unstable.

A little off topic, but will the NCAA allow the creation of a new conference, or have they put a moratorium on that?