IWokeUpLikeThis makes an excellent point by posting this:

"Dayton is a power-program in a non-power-conference."

Power is about resources/money or (for the ultimate "power") a combo of resources AND results.

Dayton can afford to pay its coach $1 million or more annually. It can average 10,000 fans or more per game. It has won lots of NCAA and NIT games. It is more so a "power program" than many programs in the so-called football P5.

Gonzaga, VCU, BYU, Memphis, Cincy, Wichita, Houston, Temple ... these are "power" (or "high-major" if you prefer) programs that are not members of power leagues.

This is a concept that some college sports fans fail to grasp. I recall when Xavier was a member of the A10 and was often "ranked" in some so-called Mid-Major Poll. X fans took exception — as they should have, as I did, too. XU has long been a power/high-major program that now happens to be in a power league (defined, in large part, by all of its members being high-major programs).

When Memphis, Cincy, Louisville, DePaul and Marquette were in the old C-USA ... they were considered high-major programs — and rightly so — by people who "get it."

It continues to baffle me that some folks who follow sports don't understand this basic concept.