(06-02-2020 09:02 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(06-02-2020 08:20 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  

(06-01-2020 05:06 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  The purpose is the alternative is worse. You lose the auto bid and CFP money by splitting into two new leagues. In other words-- we are stuck unless you want to lose money. The play division only (or mostly) plan at least saves some money.

It's something. Unless there becomes a critical mass of schools that want change in both conferences or there's movement from above then there's not going to be any membership changes unless an NCAA waiver is guaranteed. There could be a coup like scenario where enough teams leave forcing the conferences to merge. Say CUSA-E + UAB and some SB-E members leave to form a new conference. Leaving both with less than 7 schools. They'd be hard pressed to refill both conferences and one would likely cannibalize the other. It's not likely and probably risky but not impossible.

You only need to backfill to 7 for the basketball tournament, 8 to qualify as an FBS league. And you get a 2 year waiver almost automatically. My dollar is on the Sun Belt and CUSA leftover groups successfully backfilling over the New Group standing strong for 8 years or for the duration of the slow, grinding lawsuit.

Ask BYU how "The Plan" worked out.

Maybe.

CUSA

UTEP
Rice
UTSA
UNT
LT
USM

Sun Belt

Tx St
Ark St
ULL
ULM
Troy
USA
UTA (non-FB)
UALR (non-FB)

They'd have some difficult choices. NMST is available but they'd both need some more FB schools so would they rather play each other or raid the Southland? We could try to bring in Troy and USM or Ark St to go to 14 and that would almost certainly do it.