Yep, another rework of conferences. This time by Bleacher Report. Just somethin' to pass the time while we wait for FOOTBALL !

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/23982...ured-story

For Non-BCS Conferences, Geography Could Be the Answer by Jason Dunigan (Scribe) Written on August 20, 2009

Jason DuniganScribe

I miss the old Southwest Conference.

I really do.

There is something about Texas football that just gets your blood pumping. Back in the days of the old SWC, the state of Texas was the destination of choice for football fans on any particular Saturday in the fall. Back then, fans knew who their enemies were.

It is a shame there aren't more geographically influenced conferences nowadays. In today's college football world, teams commonly face a conference schedule where their opponents are more than 500 miles away.

I mean, who doesn't get excited for the "next door" rivalries between Hawaii and Louisiana Tech or South Florida and Syracuse? Really, their fanbases have so much in common. I know fans just love making the trek from El Paso, Texas all the way to Greenville, North Carolina.

Now, it is not my intention to knock any school or conference, but with the economy the way it is today, and with money-printing conferences like the SEC looking for ways to save cash in the face of multi-billion-dollar television deals, cutting back on travel expenses seems like the best way for a given college athletic department to save a few bucks.

Seriously, it has gotten so bad for Conference USA that they have taken to holding their annual media gathering on Skype. Word from those tuning in was that it was less than a rousing success.

The problem, though, is not with the schools in the conferences; rather, it's with the conferences housing the schools.

Because I am such a giving person, I have decided to reconfigure the current landscape of non-automatic BCS-qualifying conferences to a more geographically friendly set up.

Now before I get comments and emails telling me how School "A" would never align itself with School "B," or how I am stupid to think their favorite school (otherwise known as the most prestigious football school in the history of the world) would ever reduce itself to playing in such a lower-tiered conference, let me reiterate that this hypothetical reconfiguring is based mainly on geography when and/or where possible.

So, without further delay, here is how the world of non-BCS college football should look like...geographically speaking.

* The new eight-team Western Athletic Conference lineup: Hawaii, San Jose State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Nevada, UNLV, Idaho, Boise State.

* The new nine-team Mountain West Conference: Utah, Utah State, BYU, Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force, New Mexico, New Mexico State, UTEP.

* The new 12-team Conference USA: WEST—Tulsa, North Texas, SMU, TCU, Houston, Rice. EAST—Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, UL Monroe, UL Lafayette, Tulane, UTSA*.
(* = UTSA is currently planning to become an FBS participating school within the near future and would join CUSA when they become eligible.)

* The new 12-team Sun Belt Conference: SOUTH—Southern Miss, UAB, Troy, UCF, FIU, FAU. NORTH—Middle Tenn. State, Western Kentucky, Marshall, East Carolina, Memphis, Miami (OH).

Currently, the Mid-American Conference has 13 members with the recent addition of Temple. With the defection of Miami (OH) to the new Sun Belt, the MAC would once again become a 12-member all-sports conference.

Now is the geographic reconfiguration perfect? No, of course not, but it is certainly no worse than the current lineups conferences are sporting. With the changes I have proposed, fan travel between schools would largely become more realistic, improving attendance at all games and thus generating more money for the member institutions.

Closer regional rivalries would most likely develop, and higher levels of interest would be generated as a result.

Finally, one last plea to those that would kick sand in my face over these proposals: Just as you believe your school would become the next college football juggernaut if only some BCS conference would give your team a chance, the schools you don't want to be associated with feel the same way about their schools.

Remember that as you sit back in horror reading my suggested associations for your favorite team, and try to go easy on each other—and especially me.

Good luck to you all this upcoming season.

Waiter!

One dead kitten for this thread please.

:cheer:

Dear Lord, you've taught me a great deal about patience and I've got a load of it... please Lord make football season hurry up and get here!

The new SBC conference looks pretty strong. WKU, Memphis, and UAB for basketball is touughh. That would be an all-around strong conference in football. Only thing I don't like is the 3 Florida schools in the South division. Other than that it looks good.

Now wear is a kitten at..

why don't we just put all the teams in a bowl and pick them at random and that will be the new conferences, how about that!

I like how this guy includes UTSA because they someday plan to go D-IA but forgets about USA who has already established a time table and has doled out scholarships under FBS rules...

He's just another average football fan with an opinion like most of the rest of us.

(08-24-2009 02:03 PM)NCowl Wrote:  why don't we just put all the teams in a bowl and pick them at random and that will be the new conferences, how about that!

From the looks of it they used a similar system when the current conferences were formed

I like the changes!

(08-24-2009 02:32 PM)airtroop Wrote:  He's just another average football fan with an opinion like most of the rest of us.

That is 98% of the authors on B/R. Anyone can throw out an article, and if it is able to be read it'll be approved.

So, to any budding SBC reporters who haven't given this site a try, it's pretty simple.

I actually love the changes that were made. Having FIU, FAU and UCF in the same conference keeps expenses low and would enable fans from each school to make a fairly short trip for away games. Troy, UAB and Southern Miss would make an interesting trio as well.

Well this goes in the "It makes sense but it will probably never happen" category.

If and only IF this were to happen, I like it. I like our conference as it is now but I would not have issues with this new alignment.

No thank you.

My new conference would look like this;
1. UTEP
2. NMSU
3. UNM
4. TCU
5. SMU
6. Hoston
7. Rice
8. North Texas
And add four more for CCgame.
This group wouldn't do much for TV revenues, etc...
but it might generate some local fan interest in the games.

Quote:* The new 12-team Sun Belt Conference: SOUTH—Southern Miss, UAB, Troy, UCF, FIU, FAU. NORTH—Middle Tenn. State, Western Kentucky, Marshall, East Carolina, Memphis, Miami (OH).

OK, here's my take:

Do NOT make it a North/South configuration, make it an East/West set up. We're a southern based Conference, we do not need to stretch ourselves further north than Kentucky.

East:
Troy
FAU
FIU
South Alabama
Middle Tennessee
WKU

West:
UNT
Arkansas State
Louisiana
ULM
Memphis
Southern Miss

This alignment works best for everyone in my opinion. It allows for current rivalries to continue, it maintains the integrity of our current conference membership, and it brings in two solid southern programs who could add a lot to our Conference.

(08-25-2009 01:51 AM)canewton Wrote:  No thank you.

Yeah, I agree. One team from Texas is enough.

swap out miami oh with usa and I'm down with it

OK, I really like Delta Chi's view of a conference alignment. Makes for a balanced basketball and football conference.

(08-25-2009 04:57 PM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  

Quote:* The new 12-team Sun Belt Conference: SOUTH—Southern Miss, UAB, Troy, UCF, FIU, FAU. NORTH—Middle Tenn. State, Western Kentucky, Marshall, East Carolina, Memphis, Miami (OH).

OK, here's my take:

Do NOT make it a North/South configuration, make it an East/West set up. We're a southern based Conference, we do not need to stretch ourselves further north than Kentucky.

East:
Troy
FAU
FIU
South Alabama
Middle Tennessee
WKU

West:
UNT
Arkansas State
Louisiana
ULM
Memphis
Southern Miss

This alignment works best for everyone in my opinion. It allows for current rivalries to continue, it maintains the integrity of our current conference membership, and it brings in two solid southern programs who could add a lot to our Conference.

Looks good for FB and even better for basketball.

I'd leave the MAC at 13, put USA back in the Sun Belt, then move Southern Miss back to C-USA. TCU can go back to the Mountain West and Utah State back to the WAC. Once the Texas upggrades come on board, move Houston, SMU, and/or Tulsa to the Mountain West.