(05-10-2014 06:35 PM)AppManDG Wrote: (05-10-2014 05:02 PM)Attackcoog Wrote: Youre going to have to provide a home for everyone if you want to have a summit and hammer out a deal that creates more regional conferences. Im not sure why everyone is leaving Rice out.
The SWC group would have to include UTEP, TxSt, UTSA, Rice, N Tex, Arky St, ULL, ULM, and LaTech. That's going to be the core. You could stop there and play a round robin or go to 12.
OK.... How 'bout this?
Sun Belt
East: Ark St, La Tech, MTSU, S Miss, ULM, USA, WKU
West: NMSU, N Texas, Rice, TxSt, UTEP, UTSA, ULL
CUSA
South: FAU, FIU, Ga So, GaSt, UAB, Troy
North: App, Charlotte, JMU, Marshall, Ohio U, ODU
OhioU isn't at the summit ... you sure they'll want to join? Though if they won't, if the eastern side is called CUSA, you could always backfill with JMU.
However, given the way that it would actually work, as arkstfan points out, it would be hard to force LA Tech out of CUSA into the Sunbelt. So regarding:
Quote:The SWC group would have to include UTEP, TxSt, UTSA, Rice, N Tex, Arky St, ULL, ULM, and LaTech. ...
... scratching LA Tech from that list would have to be considered. And if UTEP is on that list, adding travel partner NMSU to that list also has to be considered.
I think if there is a "summit", the end result is the meeting is deadlocked and nothing happens. However, as arkstfan notes, if the Sunbelt is interested and the western CUSA schools are interested, some degree of disentangling could happen through sequential moves.
On that, step one in the dosey doe is:
UTEP, UNT, Rice, UTSA join the Sunbelt, NMSU upgraded to all-sports.
SB1 West: NMSU, UTEP, UNT, Rice, UTSA, TX St., ULL
SB1 East: ULM, USA, Troy, GA So, GA St., Appy St., Ark St.
CUSA1 Central: Marshall, WKU, ODU, UNCC, MTSU, WKU
CUSA1 Gulf: FIU, FAU, UAB, S Miss, LA Tech
... so how does CUSA counter?
(1) CUSA could respond by inviting one school and standing at 12
(2) CUSA could respond by inviting three school, returning to 14
(3) CUSA could respond by inviting two schools and inviting a FCS transitional school, returning to 14.
Each response leads in a different direction.