(06-03-2021 08:53 AM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  4 x 16 + Notre Dame.

BUT, the Big12 is too west and southwest to be dispersed east, so the SEC, ACC, and B1G would have to do some team swapping for this to geographically make sense.

ACC needs 2.
B1G needs 2
SEC needs 2.
PAC 12 needs 4.

I highly doubt the ACC or B1G would take WVU.

(06-03-2021 08:59 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 06:14 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Pretty sure hanging out in California would be preferred to keeping up appearances in the Gulf states with former Sun Belt squads (sorry USM and UAB).

This is not your daddy’s UAB. But no offense taken. We do results (3-straight divisions titles), 2 of last 3 CUSA champs. New practice facility & stadium. We’ll continue that. If not, that’s on us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(06-03-2021 08:59 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 06:14 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Pretty sure hanging out in California would be preferred to keeping up appearances in the Gulf states with former Sun Belt squads (sorry USM and UAB).

This is not your daddy’s UAB. But no offense taken. We do results (3-straight divisions titles), 2 of last 3 CUSA champs. New practice facility & stadium. We’ll continue that. If not, that’s on us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(06-03-2021 10:50 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 08:59 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 06:14 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Pretty sure hanging out in California would be preferred to keeping up appearances in the Gulf states with former Sun Belt squads (sorry USM and UAB).

This is not your daddy’s UAB. But no offense taken. We do results (3-straight divisions titles), 2 of last 3 CUSA champs. New practice facility & stadium. We’ll continue that. If not, that’s on us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thats all I think UAB needs to do. Keep up the strong on field performance---fill the new stadium---and continue doing even when Clark eventually leaves. Thats what would eventually separate UAB from the scrum and make them the obvious clear choice among AAC presidents to fill UConn's empty slot.

(06-03-2021 10:43 AM)Side.Show.Joe Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 08:59 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 06:14 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Pretty sure hanging out in California would be preferred to keeping up appearances in the Gulf states with former Sun Belt squads (sorry USM and UAB).

This is not your daddy’s UAB. But no offense taken. We do results (3-straight divisions titles), 2 of last 3 CUSA champs. New practice facility & stadium. We’ll continue that. If not, that’s on us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is the new pavilion finished yet? I've seen pictures of the stadium, but not the practice field.

(06-03-2021 09:24 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 08:53 AM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  4 x 16 + Notre Dame.

BUT, the Big12 is too west and southwest to be dispersed east, so the SEC, ACC, and B1G would have to do some team swapping for this to geographically make sense.

ACC needs 2.
B1G needs 2
SEC needs 2.
PAC 12 needs 4.

I highly doubt the ACC or B1G would take WVU.

If Notre Dame isn't in one of the 16 team conferences, what's the point of going from P5 to P4?

(06-03-2021 11:44 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 10:43 AM)Side.Show.Joe Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 08:59 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 06:14 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Pretty sure hanging out in California would be preferred to keeping up appearances in the Gulf states with former Sun Belt squads (sorry USM and UAB).

This is not your daddy’s UAB. But no offense taken. We do results (3-straight divisions titles), 2 of last 3 CUSA champs. New practice facility & stadium. We’ll continue that. If not, that’s on us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is the new pavilion finished yet? I've seen pictures of the stadium, but not the practice field.

It was finished in 2016...looks sweet from the front, too, but would have to drag up an image

(06-03-2021 08:59 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 06:14 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Pretty sure hanging out in California would be preferred to keeping up appearances in the Gulf states with former Sun Belt squads (sorry USM and UAB).

This is not your daddy’s UAB. But no offense taken. We do results (3-straight divisions titles), 2 of last 3 CUSA champs. New practice facility & stadium. We’ll continue that. If not, that’s on us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(06-03-2021 12:36 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 09:24 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 08:53 AM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  4 x 16 + Notre Dame.

BUT, the Big12 is too west and southwest to be dispersed east, so the SEC, ACC, and B1G would have to do some team swapping for this to geographically make sense.

ACC needs 2.
B1G needs 2
SEC needs 2.
PAC 12 needs 4.

I highly doubt the ACC or B1G would take WVU.

If Notre Dame isn't in one of the 16 team conferences, what's the point of going from P5 to P4?

If ND wants to be left out of a P4 to preserve their independence, that's their prerogative. The conferences don't need to do anything to accommodate ND.

(06-03-2021 01:49 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Amazing the "my school should be picked" advocates in CUSA. First it was USM, then ODU, and now UAB.

Not happening, not now, not ever. Only two CUSA schools have budgets even near the low end of the AAC (Rice and ODU, with North Texas surprisingly rising). But they are still lower than every AAC school. Nobody adds a school to their conference who is below their average (and I mean after throwing out any high end or low end outliers). But that is just one metric. There are others about attendance, fan base, size of undergraduate class and so on. Plus you look at long term growth. In all these UAB fails, even if they have some nice buildings. USM also fails even more spectacularly.

There are two schools that actually improve the standing of the American out there: Boise State and BYU. They would slot in the upper half of the conference and compel ESPN to up the money to the conference, and improve the strength of the conference. That's it, end of story.

If they just want a warm body, a school with great long term potential, they'd tap Colorado State. While a bit of an open admission school like Texas Tech, Oklahoma State or Kansas State, their faculty and research levels are amazing and higher, and in a rapid growth state. But they don't just want a warm body (UAB folks claim to fame, they have a warm body at the exact geographic center of the AAC), they want a school that makes a difference in the CFP standing.

Could the AAC go for a "big" expansion of Boise State, San Diego State and Colorado State, both grabbing the best available G5 football school outside their conference and simultaneously neutering the MWC as an annoying challenger? Sure they could. Likely the MWC would counter at the minimum with a "skinny" expansion of UTEP (low lying fruit) to get back to at least 10 football schools, but they likely try for a "big" expansion to gain Texas from CUSA with North Texas and Rice, the latter already having flirted with the MWC. Should such radical moves happen, one could see CUSA dissolve, and that eastern group actually start a new more focused conference.

But I think "big" expansion is unlikely. At the end of the day, the value package is greatest for a "skinny" expansion of Boise State alone. All the other maneuvers are simply designed to try to avoid taking Boise State MB, WBB and WVB along with football (at the end of the day they can ask Boise to park SB in the Big Sky or WAC as an associate; WS is no big deal, a single Saturday match in Boise every other year, which doesn't cost class time; the others are just conference meets which would be unaffected). In the end I think the AAC will cave and tell their MBB, WBB and WVB coaches to just deal with a match in Boise on their schedule. The AAC can make it easier by pairing the MBB and WBB games in Boise to be the same schools, so it's just one flight and one hotel booking.

A "skinny" expansion is the only viable one, where ESPN would give the OK and up the money, as Boise State is a property they value. And I think they'd even help some on the travel cost, so invested are they in Boise State and also the American (it's small money to them, far less they they gain in the additional game inventory).

And a "skinny" response from the MWC of UTEP (or another Texas school such as Rice or UNT who might be more willing to jump) is the most likely. CUSA would likely stand pat at 13 or look for a football only associate under contract (UMass and NMSU are sitting there, but so too is Liberty) to stay at even numbers.

The skinny moves are pretty much independent of whatever Oklahoma and the Big 12 decide, and of what the media landscape looks like in a couple years. A big expansion seems unlikely as everyone will be waiting on the resolution of the Big 12 situation., where the American could be the one losing a member or two.

(06-03-2021 01:49 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Amazing the "my school should be picked" advocates in CUSA. First it was USM, then ODU, and now UAB.

Not happening, not now, not ever. Only two CUSA schools have budgets even near the low end of the AAC (Rice and ODU, with North Texas surprisingly rising). But they are still lower than every AAC school. Nobody adds a school to their conference who is below their average (and I mean after throwing out any high end or low end outliers). But that is just one metric. There are others about attendance, fan base, size of undergraduate class and so on. Plus you look at long term growth. In all these UAB fails, even if they have some nice buildings. USM also fails even more spectacularly.

There are two schools that actually improve the standing of the American out there: Boise State and BYU. They would slot in the upper half of the conference and compel ESPN to up the money to the conference, and improve the strength of the conference. That's it, end of story.

If they just want a warm body, a school with great long term potential, they'd tap Colorado State. While a bit of an open admission school like Texas Tech, Oklahoma State or Kansas State, their faculty and research levels are amazing and higher, and in a rapid growth state. But they don't just want a warm body (UAB folks claim to fame, they have a warm body at the exact geographic center of the AAC), they want a school that makes a difference in the CFP standing.

Could the AAC go for a "big" expansion of Boise State, San Diego State and Colorado State, both grabbing the best available G5 football school outside their conference and simultaneously neutering the MWC as an annoying challenger? Sure they could. Likely the MWC would counter at the minimum with a "skinny" expansion of UTEP (low lying fruit) to get back to at least 10 football schools, but they likely try for a "big" expansion to gain Texas from CUSA with North Texas and Rice, the latter already having flirted with the MWC. Should such radical moves happen, one could see CUSA dissolve, and that eastern group actually start a new more focused conference.

But I think "big" expansion is unlikely. At the end of the day, the value package is greatest for a "skinny" expansion of Boise State alone. All the other maneuvers are simply designed to try to avoid taking Boise State MB, WBB and WVB along with football (at the end of the day they can ask Boise to park SB in the Big Sky or WAC as an associate; WS is no big deal, a single Saturday match in Boise every other year, which doesn't cost class time; the others are just conference meets which would be unaffected). In the end I think the AAC will cave and tell their MBB, WBB and WVB coaches to just deal with a match in Boise on their schedule. The AAC can make it easier by pairing the MBB and WBB games in Boise to be the same schools, so it's just one flight and one hotel booking.

A "skinny" expansion is the only viable one, where ESPN would give the OK and up the money, as Boise State is a property they value. And I think they'd even help some on the travel cost, so invested are they in Boise State and also the American (it's small money to them, far less they they gain in the additional game inventory).

And a "skinny" response from the MWC of UTEP (or another Texas school such as Rice or UNT who might be more willing to jump) is the most likely. CUSA would likely stand pat at 13 or look for a football only associate under contract (UMass and NMSU are sitting there, but so too is Liberty) to stay at even numbers.

The skinny moves are pretty much independent of whatever Oklahoma and the Big 12 decide, and of what the media landscape looks like in a couple years. A big expansion seems unlikely as everyone will be waiting on the resolution of the Big 12 situation., where the American could be the one losing a member or two.

(06-03-2021 01:49 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Amazing the "my school should be picked" advocates in CUSA. First it was USM, then ODU, and now UAB.

Not happening, not now, not ever. Only two CUSA schools have budgets even near the low end of the AAC (Rice and ODU, with North Texas surprisingly rising). But they are still lower than every AAC school. Nobody adds a school to their conference who is below their average (and I mean after throwing out any high end or low end outliers). But that is just one metric. There are others about attendance, fan base, size of undergraduate class and so on. Plus you look at long term growth. In all these UAB fails, even if they have some nice buildings. USM also fails even more spectacularly.

There are two schools that actually improve the standing of the American out there: Boise State and BYU. They would slot in the upper half of the conference and compel ESPN to up the money to the conference, and improve the strength of the conference. That's it, end of story.

If they just want a warm body, a school with great long term potential, they'd tap Colorado State. While a bit of an open admission school like Texas Tech, Oklahoma State or Kansas State, their faculty and research levels are amazing and higher, and in a rapid growth state. But they don't just want a warm body (UAB folks claim to fame, they have a warm body at the exact geographic center of the AAC), they want a school that makes a difference in the CFP standing.

(06-03-2021 03:23 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 12:36 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 09:24 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 08:53 AM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  4 x 16 + Notre Dame.

BUT, the Big12 is too west and southwest to be dispersed east, so the SEC, ACC, and B1G would have to do some team swapping for this to geographically make sense.

ACC needs 2.
B1G needs 2
SEC needs 2.
PAC 12 needs 4.

I highly doubt the ACC or B1G would take WVU.

If Notre Dame isn't in one of the 16 team conferences, what's the point of going from P5 to P4?

If ND wants to be left out of a P4 to preserve their independence, that's their prerogative. The conferences don't need to do anything to accommodate ND.

No one is forcing ND to do *anything*.

Why? Because the Big Ten and SEC, in particular, have absolutely zero reason to "force" ND into a conference because that means "forcing" ND into their direct geographic competitor of the ACC. Why would the "Big 2" of the Big Ten and SEC want to elevate the ACC to being a new "Big 3"? Have we forgotten that ND is still one of the most valuable brands in all of college sports?

If only for the reason that I stated above, whatever power structure that there is will 100% accommodate ND's independence. That's why I won't ever buy the "4 power conferences with a 4-team playoff" scenario. How ND is treated is honestly more important than all but a handful of the P5 schools are treated and certainly more than all of the G5 combined. I'm not saying that's right, but that's the reality.

(06-03-2021 05:56 PM)solohawks Wrote:  To answer the original question, I bet they get another waiver (attributed to COVID) or the CCG becomes deregulated and round robin divisons aren't required

(06-03-2021 12:36 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 09:24 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 08:53 AM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  4 x 16 + Notre Dame.

BUT, the Big12 is too west and southwest to be dispersed east, so the SEC, ACC, and B1G would have to do some team swapping for this to geographically make sense.

ACC needs 2.
B1G needs 2
SEC needs 2.
PAC 12 needs 4.

I highly doubt the ACC or B1G would take WVU.

If Notre Dame isn't in one of the 16 team conferences, what's the point of going from P5 to P4?

If ND wants to be left out of a P4 to preserve their independence, that's their prerogative. The conferences don't need to do anything to accommodate ND.

(06-03-2021 07:21 PM)ken d Wrote:  I wasn't suggesting ND should be accommodated. What is the point of forcing a move to a P4? Is it intended to accomplish something? What's wrong with having five power conferences?

(06-03-2021 07:32 PM)schmolik Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 07:21 PM)ken d Wrote:  I wasn't suggesting ND should be accommodated. What is the point of forcing a move to a P4? Is it intended to accomplish something? What's wrong with having five power conferences?

Ask the conference champion(s) that gets left out of a four team Playoff.