(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

I like this MAC, not these divisions. Buffalo needs to be in a division with Kent/Akron the schools are just too close. Throw geography out the window because really, for most of the MAC it's a non factor.

Division A: Buffalo, Akron, Kent, Miami, Ohio, WKU, MT
Division B: CMU, WMU, EMU, Toledo, Bowling Green, BSU, NIU

* Keeps the Michigan Schools together
* Keeps BG/Toledo together
* Keeps Akron/Kent together and close the Buffalo
* Keeps Ohio/Miami together
* Keeps WKU/MT together
* Keeps BSU/NIU together

Every pairing you want is preserved and it's still a 99% bus league for non revenue sports (MT <-> Buffalo is the only real hike.

(09-20-2021 11:09 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

I like this MAC, not these divisions. Buffalo needs to be in a division with Kent/Akron the schools are just too close. Throw geography out the window because really, for most of the MAC it's a non factor.

Division A: Buffalo, Akron, Kent, Miami, Ohio, WKU, MT
Division B: CMU, WMU, EMU, Toledo, Bowling Green, BSU, NIU

* Keeps the Michigan Schools together
* Keeps BG/Toledo together
* Keeps Akron/Kent together and close the Buffalo
* Keeps Ohio/Miami together
* Keeps WKU/MT together
* Keeps BSU/NIU together

Every pairing you want is preserved and it's still a 99% bus league for non revenue sports (MT <-> Buffalo is the only real hike.

Why not…

East: Akron, Bowling Green St, Buffalo, Kent St, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo
West: Ball St, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Middle Tennessee St, Northern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan

East is State of Ohio plus New York
West is Others

Keeps all the same rivalries intact and allows for all the Ohio schools to play annually

I still think Air Force and CSU are putting pressure on the MWC to expand into Texas. Their commish said a few schools want to move to 14. It just adds up. SMU won’t move, but there are Texas teams available which won’t budge until the AAC makes a decision. It’s looking like a stalemate until the Colorado schools get some assurance or they decide they’d rather play in the AAC.

(09-20-2021 10:38 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  Don't think LA Tech is in the cards for the SB, but don't be surprised if UTSA is.

I'm not against UTSA, but ODU/JMU, Marshall and and Southern Miss all have better average home attendance, and might fit the "football culture over markets" model that has worked well for the Sun Belt.

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  A lot has happened in the last five days. Rumors are swirling about the AAC and MWC. So without further ado, here are my next dominoes.

The AAC decides to take a bite out of the apple in the MW. Unable to persuade the two biggest names in the MW (SDSU and Boise State), they grab Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, and Wyoming. They also grab Rice and UAB out of C-USA to form a 14-team league.

West: AFA, CSU, UNM, Wyoming, Rice, SMU, Navy
East: Tulsa, UAB, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, Temple, USF

At this point the MW is down to 8 schools, most in the Pacific time zone. But first, Gonzaga looks around and decides to stand pat due to the defections from the MW.

The new strategy for the MW is to get into Texas, so they do. They add UTEP, NMSU, North Texas, and UTSA to get to 12.

West: SJSU, SDSU, Fresno State, Hawaii, UNLV, Nevada
East: Boise State, USU, UTEP, NMSU, UNT, UTSA

With C-USA down to 9 members, the MAC senses it can upgrade both its football and basketball prospects at the expense of the former while gently expanding their border. The MAC invites WKU and MTSU to get to 14 schools.

South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

Army, UConn, and UMass look around and decide to stay independent.

This leaves us with 18 schools: Liberty, the 10 Sun Belt schools, and 7 remaining C-USA schools (Charlotte, FAU, FIU, ODU, Marshall, LaTech, Southern Miss).

At this point, I think the Sun Belt is in the driver's seat. It decides to add four schools to eliminate a competitor. Adding Liberty does not achieve this goal, so they remain independent. The Sun Belt adds Marshall, Southern Miss, LaTech (who holds their nose), and FAU.

West: Texas State, Arkansas State, UL Monroe, LaTech, Louisiana, Southern Miss, South Alabama
East: Marshall, FAU, CCU, App State, Troy, Georgia State, Georgia Southern

The remaining independents are Notre Dame, Army, UConn, UMass, Liberty, FIU, ODU, and Charlotte.

FIU joins the A-Sun for Olympic sports. ODU and Charlotte join the CAA for Olympic sports.

My gut feeling is Ucon should just shut down the football program. Each week the bar just gets lower and lower. No way we are adding these schools small fry.

(09-20-2021 11:17 AM)esayem Wrote:  I still think Air Force and CSU are putting pressure on the MWC to expand into Texas. Their commish said a few schools want to move to 14. It just adds up. SMU won’t move, but there are Texas teams available which won’t budge until the AAC makes a decision. It’s looking like a stalemate until the Colorado schools get some assurance or they decide they’d rather play in the AAC.

Interesting.

Let's say the board rumors are true (of which I'm very skeptical) that Boise St and Memphis are headed to the XII and the presumption you made that the remaining AAC schools will stick together (you only said SMU but here's a broader assumption).

AAC (7) gets back to 12 with: Appalachian St, Marshall, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB
MWC (11) gets into Texas with: North Texas, UTEP, UTSA
CUSA (7) merges with SBC (9)

XII
East: Central Florida, Cincinnati, Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St, Memphis, West Virginia
West: Baylor, Boise St, BYU, Houston, Oklahoma St, TCU, Texas Tech

AAC
East: Appalachian St, East Carolina, Marshall, South Florida, Temple, UAB
West: Navy*, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa
* Football-only
^ Non-football: Wichita St

MWC
East: Air Force, Colorado St, New Mexico, North Texas, UTEP, UTSA, Wyoming
West: Fresno St, Hawaii*, Nevada, San Diego St, San Jose St, UNLV, Utah St
* Football-only

CUSA
East: Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Georgia St, Old Dominion, Troy
West: Arkansas St, Texas St, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee St, South Alabama, UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, Western Kentucky

(09-20-2021 10:09 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I really don't think it's worth it for the AAC to go any further west than Colorado if Boise and SDSU aren't involved. Colorado schools aren't a massive geographic outlier in a division with schools in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, but it starts getting whacky any further west you go.

I basically agree.

Still, I would like for the AAC to get five MWC programs: AFA, CSU, BSU, SDSU and UNLV.

(09-20-2021 12:01 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 11:17 AM)esayem Wrote:  I still think Air Force and CSU are putting pressure on the MWC to expand into Texas. Their commish said a few schools want to move to 14. It just adds up. SMU won’t move, but there are Texas teams available which won’t budge until the AAC makes a decision. It’s looking like a stalemate until the Colorado schools get some assurance or they decide they’d rather play in the AAC.

Interesting.

Let's say the board rumors are true (of which I'm very skeptical) that Boise St and Memphis are headed to the XII and the presumption you made that the remaining AAC schools will stick together (you only said SMU but here's a broader assumption).

AAC (7) gets back to 12 with: Appalachian St, Marshall, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB
MWC (11) gets into Texas with: North Texas, UTEP, UTSA
CUSA (7) merges with SBC (9)

XII
East: Central Florida, Cincinnati, Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St, Memphis, West Virginia
West: Baylor, Boise St, BYU, Houston, Oklahoma St, TCU, Texas Tech

AAC
East: Appalachian St, East Carolina, Marshall, South Florida, Temple, UAB
West: Navy*, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa
* Football-only
^ Non-football: Wichita St

MWC
East: Air Force, Colorado St, New Mexico, North Texas, UTEP, UTSA, Wyoming
West: Fresno St, Hawaii*, Nevada, San Diego St, San Jose St, UNLV, Utah St
* Football-only

CUSA
East: Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Georgia St, Old Dominion, Troy
West: Arkansas St, Texas St, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee St, South Alabama, UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, Western Kentucky

Very well presented.

(09-20-2021 11:09 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

I like this MAC, not these divisions. Buffalo needs to be in a division with Kent/Akron the schools are just too close. Throw geography out the window because really, for most of the MAC it's a non factor.

Division A: Buffalo, Akron, Kent, Miami, Ohio, WKU, MT
Division B: CMU, WMU, EMU, Toledo, Bowling Green, BSU, NIU

* Keeps the Michigan Schools together
* Keeps BG/Toledo together
* Keeps Akron/Kent together and close the Buffalo
* Keeps Ohio/Miami together
* Keeps WKU/MT together
* Keeps BSU/NIU together

Every pairing you want is preserved and it's still a 99% bus league for non revenue sports (MT <-> Buffalo is the only real hike.

With WKU and MTSU coming in I would send both of them to the west and shift Toledo east.

DID A DOMINO FALL????? Just asking.

(09-20-2021 12:05 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 10:09 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I really don't think it's worth it for the AAC to go any further west than Colorado if Boise and SDSU aren't involved. Colorado schools aren't a massive geographic outlier in a division with schools in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, but it starts getting whacky any further west you go.

I basically agree.

Still, I would like for the AAC to get five MWC programs: AFA, CSU, BSU, SDSU and UNLV.

I think that would be fine. AFA and CSU make sense on their own but any further western expansion only makes sense with Boise. UTEP is slightly further west and both AFA and CSU and C-USA has been doing that for approaching 20 years now for a fraction of the TV revenue.

(09-20-2021 11:06 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 09:34 AM)virgosports Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  A lot has happened in the last five days. Rumors are swirling about the AAC and MWC. So without further ado, here are my next dominoes.

The AAC decides to take a bite out of the apple in the MW. Unable to persuade the two biggest names in the MW (SDSU and Boise State), they grab Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, and Wyoming. They also grab Rice and UAB out of C-USA to form a 14-team league.

West: AFA, CSU, UNM, Wyoming, Rice, SMU, Navy
East: Tulsa, UAB, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, Temple, USF

At this point the MW is down to 8 schools, most in the Pacific time zone. But first, Gonzaga looks around and decides to stand pat due to the defections from the MW.

The new strategy for the MW is to get into Texas, so they do. They add UTEP, NMSU, North Texas, and UTSA to get to 12.

West: SJSU, SDSU, Fresno State, Hawaii, UNLV, Nevada
East: Boise State, USU, UTEP, NMSU, UNT, UTSA

With C-USA down to 9 members, the MAC senses it can upgrade both its football and basketball prospects at the expense of the former while gently expanding their border. The MAC invites WKU and MTSU to get to 14 schools.

South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

Army, UConn, and UMass look around and decide to stay independent.

This leaves us with 18 schools: Liberty, the 10 Sun Belt schools, and 7 remaining C-USA schools (Charlotte, FAU, FIU, ODU, Marshall, LaTech, Southern Miss).

At this point, I think the Sun Belt is in the driver's seat. It decides to add four schools to eliminate a competitor. Adding Liberty does not achieve this goal, so they remain independent. The Sun Belt adds Marshall, Southern Miss, LaTech (who holds their nose), and FAU.

West: Texas State, Arkansas State, UL Monroe, LaTech, Louisiana, Southern Miss, South Alabama
East: Marshall, FAU, CCU, App State, Troy, Georgia State, Georgia Southern

The remaining independents are Notre Dame, Army, UConn, UMass, Liberty, FIU, ODU, and Charlotte.

FIU joins the A-Sun for Olympic sports. ODU and Charlotte join the CAA for Olympic sports.

If SDSU and Boise st are a no, and CSU and AFA are a yes then I can see AAC taking unlv and UAB and call it done at 12.

All these dominoes...have to make sense two ways: Money (does your TV payout go up or at worst revenue neutral?) and geographical sense (airports and drivability)

UNLV fits an extra category...they have the ability to host a post season bowl games and conference championships so...they are a special case with in regards to the top 2 points.

So that would make the American tournament the 4th or 5th most important one in Vegas?

(09-20-2021 12:09 PM)indianasniff Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 11:09 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

I like this MAC, not these divisions. Buffalo needs to be in a division with Kent/Akron the schools are just too close. Throw geography out the window because really, for most of the MAC it's a non factor.

Division A: Buffalo, Akron, Kent, Miami, Ohio, WKU, MT
Division B: CMU, WMU, EMU, Toledo, Bowling Green, BSU, NIU

* Keeps the Michigan Schools together
* Keeps BG/Toledo together
* Keeps Akron/Kent together and close the Buffalo
* Keeps Ohio/Miami together
* Keeps WKU/MT together
* Keeps BSU/NIU together

Every pairing you want is preserved and it's still a 99% bus league for non revenue sports (MT <-> Buffalo is the only real hike.

With WKU and MTSU coming in I would send both of them to the west and shift Toledo east.

That could work as well with Toledo/BG shifting east.

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  At this point, I think the Sun Belt is in the driver's seat. It decides to add four schools to eliminate a competitor. Adding Liberty does not achieve this goal, so they remain independent. The Sun Belt adds Marshall, Southern Miss, LaTech (who holds their nose), and FAU.

West: Texas State, Arkansas State, UL Monroe, LaTech, Louisiana, Southern Miss, South Alabama
East: Marshall, FAU, CCU, App State, Troy, Georgia State, Georgia Southern

Well done overall.

I’m not sure La.Tech would opt to join. I think they’d do a Captain Smith and stay with their boat.

While no Sun Belt presidents and AD’s nor the commissioner have any experience dealing with La.Tech outside of UL and ULM, I think there are still staffers in the league office and at various schools who would urge rejection based on institutional knowledge of working with them.

ULM would be an enthusiastic Yes, I think they get harder to find among UL, AState, and USA.

But my guess is it never reaches a vote because the president and AD at Tech don’t want the fan blowback of joining ULM.

I would also think that eliminating a competitor isn’t on the table. With 14 schools I think you have to get CUSA to four or fewer to have a chance of it closing up shop as an FBS league, probably below four. We know NMSU would join. I would expect Liberty would join. EKU and Jacksonville State have made noise about FBS and would join. That takes four to eight and they are alive and maybe adding UMass and UConn football only.

So bare minimum probably have to see 11 teams leave CUSA to have any real chance to kill it.

If you run the table and the better conferences beat each other up you can be last cat standing undefeated and slide into an Access slot.

(09-20-2021 11:43 AM)TheBigEastSucks Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  A lot has happened in the last five days. Rumors are swirling about the AAC and MWC. So without further ado, here are my next dominoes.

The AAC decides to take a bite out of the apple in the MW. Unable to persuade the two biggest names in the MW (SDSU and Boise State), they grab Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, and Wyoming. They also grab Rice and UAB out of C-USA to form a 14-team league.

West: AFA, CSU, UNM, Wyoming, Rice, SMU, Navy
East: Tulsa, UAB, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, Temple, USF

At this point the MW is down to 8 schools, most in the Pacific time zone. But first, Gonzaga looks around and decides to stand pat due to the defections from the MW.

The new strategy for the MW is to get into Texas, so they do. They add UTEP, NMSU, North Texas, and UTSA to get to 12.

West: SJSU, SDSU, Fresno State, Hawaii, UNLV, Nevada
East: Boise State, USU, UTEP, NMSU, UNT, UTSA

With C-USA down to 9 members, the MAC senses it can upgrade both its football and basketball prospects at the expense of the former while gently expanding their border. The MAC invites WKU and MTSU to get to 14 schools.

South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

Army, UConn, and UMass look around and decide to stay independent.

This leaves us with 18 schools: Liberty, the 10 Sun Belt schools, and 7 remaining C-USA schools (Charlotte, FAU, FIU, ODU, Marshall, LaTech, Southern Miss).

At this point, I think the Sun Belt is in the driver's seat. It decides to add four schools to eliminate a competitor. Adding Liberty does not achieve this goal, so they remain independent. The Sun Belt adds Marshall, Southern Miss, LaTech (who holds their nose), and FAU.

West: Texas State, Arkansas State, UL Monroe, LaTech, Louisiana, Southern Miss, South Alabama
East: Marshall, FAU, CCU, App State, Troy, Georgia State, Georgia Southern

The remaining independents are Notre Dame, Army, UConn, UMass, Liberty, FIU, ODU, and Charlotte.

FIU joins the A-Sun for Olympic sports. ODU and Charlotte join the CAA for Olympic sports.

My gut feeling is Ucon should just shut down the football program. Each week the bar just gets lower and lower. No way we are adding these schools small fry.

UConn and UMass both need to seriously look at going back to the FCS.

(09-20-2021 01:39 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 11:43 AM)TheBigEastSucks Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  A lot has happened in the last five days. Rumors are swirling about the AAC and MWC. So without further ado, here are my next dominoes.

The AAC decides to take a bite out of the apple in the MW. Unable to persuade the two biggest names in the MW (SDSU and Boise State), they grab Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, and Wyoming. They also grab Rice and UAB out of C-USA to form a 14-team league.

West: AFA, CSU, UNM, Wyoming, Rice, SMU, Navy
East: Tulsa, UAB, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, Temple, USF

At this point the MW is down to 8 schools, most in the Pacific time zone. But first, Gonzaga looks around and decides to stand pat due to the defections from the MW.

The new strategy for the MW is to get into Texas, so they do. They add UTEP, NMSU, North Texas, and UTSA to get to 12.

West: SJSU, SDSU, Fresno State, Hawaii, UNLV, Nevada
East: Boise State, USU, UTEP, NMSU, UNT, UTSA

With C-USA down to 9 members, the MAC senses it can upgrade both its football and basketball prospects at the expense of the former while gently expanding their border. The MAC invites WKU and MTSU to get to 14 schools.

South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

Army, UConn, and UMass look around and decide to stay independent.

This leaves us with 18 schools: Liberty, the 10 Sun Belt schools, and 7 remaining C-USA schools (Charlotte, FAU, FIU, ODU, Marshall, LaTech, Southern Miss).

At this point, I think the Sun Belt is in the driver's seat. It decides to add four schools to eliminate a competitor. Adding Liberty does not achieve this goal, so they remain independent. The Sun Belt adds Marshall, Southern Miss, LaTech (who holds their nose), and FAU.

West: Texas State, Arkansas State, UL Monroe, LaTech, Louisiana, Southern Miss, South Alabama
East: Marshall, FAU, CCU, App State, Troy, Georgia State, Georgia Southern

The remaining independents are Notre Dame, Army, UConn, UMass, Liberty, FIU, ODU, and Charlotte.

FIU joins the A-Sun for Olympic sports. ODU and Charlotte join the CAA for Olympic sports.

My gut feeling is Ucon should just shut down the football program. Each week the bar just gets lower and lower. No way we are adding these schools small fry.

UConn and UMass both need to seriously look at going back to the FCS.

Why? Maybe Syracuse should considering leaving the ACC because they have zero chance at winning the football championship?

Let them live their own football lives.

(09-20-2021 09:14 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 01:39 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(09-20-2021 11:43 AM)TheBigEastSucks Wrote:  

(09-19-2021 09:37 AM)shizzle787 Wrote:  A lot has happened in the last five days. Rumors are swirling about the AAC and MWC. So without further ado, here are my next dominoes.

The AAC decides to take a bite out of the apple in the MW. Unable to persuade the two biggest names in the MW (SDSU and Boise State), they grab Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, and Wyoming. They also grab Rice and UAB out of C-USA to form a 14-team league.

West: AFA, CSU, UNM, Wyoming, Rice, SMU, Navy
East: Tulsa, UAB, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, Temple, USF

At this point the MW is down to 8 schools, most in the Pacific time zone. But first, Gonzaga looks around and decides to stand pat due to the defections from the MW.

The new strategy for the MW is to get into Texas, so they do. They add UTEP, NMSU, North Texas, and UTSA to get to 12.

West: SJSU, SDSU, Fresno State, Hawaii, UNLV, Nevada
East: Boise State, USU, UTEP, NMSU, UNT, UTSA

With C-USA down to 9 members, the MAC senses it can upgrade both its football and basketball prospects at the expense of the former while gently expanding their border. The MAC invites WKU and MTSU to get to 14 schools.

South: WKU, MTSU, Ball State, Ohio, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State
North: Bowling Green, Toledo, Buffalo, NIU, EMU, CMU, WMU

Army, UConn, and UMass look around and decide to stay independent.

This leaves us with 18 schools: Liberty, the 10 Sun Belt schools, and 7 remaining C-USA schools (Charlotte, FAU, FIU, ODU, Marshall, LaTech, Southern Miss).

At this point, I think the Sun Belt is in the driver's seat. It decides to add four schools to eliminate a competitor. Adding Liberty does not achieve this goal, so they remain independent. The Sun Belt adds Marshall, Southern Miss, LaTech (who holds their nose), and FAU.

West: Texas State, Arkansas State, UL Monroe, LaTech, Louisiana, Southern Miss, South Alabama
East: Marshall, FAU, CCU, App State, Troy, Georgia State, Georgia Southern

The remaining independents are Notre Dame, Army, UConn, UMass, Liberty, FIU, ODU, and Charlotte.

FIU joins the A-Sun for Olympic sports. ODU and Charlotte join the CAA for Olympic sports.

My gut feeling is Ucon should just shut down the football program. Each week the bar just gets lower and lower. No way we are adding these schools small fry.

UConn and UMass both need to seriously look at going back to the FCS.

Why? Maybe Syracuse should considering leaving the ACC because they have zero chance at winning the football championship?

Let them live their own football lives.

Exactly. We play all of our games on national TV and play 4 P5 schools most years going forward + Army. We just need to spend on the next coaching staff. We are fine.