If this CAA expansion goes down, the AEast and MAAC will likely want to grow with both being at 8 and 9 respectively. Neither would have to, but if I was the NEC I would be nervous.

The NEC and Big South may end up with the non Howard MEAC schools put of necessity

Those New England land grants and SUNY schools probably prefer private schools over low budget HBCUs.

It might be D2 for most of the MEAC.

(01-15-2022 09:15 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Those New England land grants and SUNY schools probably prefer private schools over low budget HBCUs.

It might be D2 for most of the MEAC.

The only two MEAC schools I could ever see going DII are the non-football ones, Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore, both of which are much like Chicago State at this point in terms of profile.

(01-15-2022 11:10 AM)DCAbloob Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 09:15 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Those New England land grants and SUNY schools probably prefer private schools over low budget HBCUs.

It might be D2 for most of the MEAC.

The only two MEAC schools I could ever see going DII are the non-football ones, Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore, both of which are much like Chicago State at this point in terms of profile.

I'm not sure Morgan State would have a great landing spot either, unless a conference just needed to shore up football membership.

It's so weird that D1 keeps growing, yet the number of conferences has only grown by two since 1999 to accommodate the new members. Average number of members has grown quite a bit. (I don't care to do the actual math, haha.) We instead look to have more and more D1 members, yet it seems inevitable that one or more leagues are eventually going to bite the dust.

As I just said in another thread, much of conference realignment outside of FBS and the Big East is based more on self-preservation and fear than on greed.

(01-15-2022 11:36 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  It's so weird that D1 keeps growing, yet the number of conferences has only grown by two since 1999 to accommodate the new members. Average number of members has grown quite a bit. (I don't care to do the actual math, haha.) We instead look to have more and more D1 members, yet it seems inevitable that one or more leagues are eventually going to bite the dust.

As I just said in another thread, much of conference realignment outside of FBS and the Big East is based more on self-preservation and fear than on greed.

Yeah, I was just thinking about this yesterday. Power conferences create a vacuum by adding members (to get themselves more money), and as the vacuum is filled D1 expands as conferences fight to survive. Then you'll have fans from power conferences complaining about how big Division 1 has gotten, not realizing it was those P5 conferences that created the environment for expansion. It's not sustainable in my opinion.

(01-15-2022 11:45 AM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 11:36 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  It's so weird that D1 keeps growing, yet the number of conferences has only grown by two since 1999 to accommodate the new members. Average number of members has grown quite a bit. (I don't care to do the actual math, haha.) We instead look to have more and more D1 members, yet it seems inevitable that one or more leagues are eventually going to bite the dust.

As I just said in another thread, much of conference realignment outside of FBS and the Big East is based more on self-preservation and fear than on greed.

Yeah, I was just thinking about this yesterday. Power conferences create a vacuum by adding members (to get themselves more money), and as the vacuum is filled D1 expands as conferences fight to survive. Then you'll have fans from power conferences complaining about how big Division 1 has gotten, not realizing it was those P5 conferences that created the environment for expansion. It's not sustainable in my opinion.

This guy is absolutely right. Every realignment at the top of the pecking order creates a cascade effect, and the consequence is that the conferences are the bottom of the pecking order have to admit new members to replenish their ranks.

The way the rules are, there will probably never be fewer than 32 conferences.

(01-15-2022 05:38 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  Because nothing says "Mid-Eastern" like Chicago.

They should really add the University of Dubai instead.

(01-15-2022 11:45 AM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 11:36 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  It's so weird that D1 keeps growing, yet the number of conferences has only grown by two since 1999 to accommodate the new members. Average number of members has grown quite a bit. (I don't care to do the actual math, haha.) We instead look to have more and more D1 members, yet it seems inevitable that one or more leagues are eventually going to bite the dust.

As I just said in another thread, much of conference realignment outside of FBS and the Big East is based more on self-preservation and fear than on greed.

Yeah, I was just thinking about this yesterday. Power conferences create a vacuum by adding members (to get themselves more money), and as the vacuum is filled D1 expands as conferences fight to survive. Then you'll have fans from power conferences complaining about how big Division 1 has gotten, not realizing it was those P5 conferences that created the environment for expansion. It's not sustainable in my opinion.

D1 conferences upgrade members from D2 until the configuration eventually resembles the D2 conference everyone was in before. Its starting to happen with the Summit conference as they are considering upgrading Minnesota D2 schools.

(01-15-2022 01:21 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 11:45 AM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 11:36 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  It's so weird that D1 keeps growing, yet the number of conferences has only grown by two since 1999 to accommodate the new members. Average number of members has grown quite a bit. (I don't care to do the actual math, haha.) We instead look to have more and more D1 members, yet it seems inevitable that one or more leagues are eventually going to bite the dust.

As I just said in another thread, much of conference realignment outside of FBS and the Big East is based more on self-preservation and fear than on greed.

Yeah, I was just thinking about this yesterday. Power conferences create a vacuum by adding members (to get themselves more money), and as the vacuum is filled D1 expands as conferences fight to survive. Then you'll have fans from power conferences complaining about how big Division 1 has gotten, not realizing it was those P5 conferences that created the environment for expansion. It's not sustainable in my opinion.

D1 conferences upgrade members from D2 until the configuration eventually resembles the D2 conference everyone was in before. Its starting to happen with the Summit conference as they are considering upgrading Minnesota D2 schools.

I'd be willing to bet most of those D2 Minn. schools could easily be in the top half of the Summit in their first couple years as well.
I'm a firm believer that any D2 team that has the funds to move up should.

Sent from my SM-G996U1 using Tapatalk

I'm wondering if there will only be 30 Division I conferences by the time this cycle completes. The MEAC will be the first casualty. Which one of the OVC/Southland/WAC falls next depends on other moves.

(01-15-2022 01:49 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  I'm wondering if there will only be 30 Division I conferences by the time this cycle completes. The MEAC will be the first casualty. Which one of the OVC/Southland/WAC falls next depends on other moves.

The only conference at risk of falling apart is the MEAC because they have no D2 options.
The only other casualty could be OVC football.

Sent from my SM-G996U1 using Tapatalk

(01-15-2022 01:49 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  I'm wondering if there will only be 30 Division I conferences by the time this cycle completes. The MEAC will be the first casualty. Which one of the OVC/Southland/WAC falls next depends on other moves.

The WAC is not in danger of falling. Ridiculous statement.

(01-15-2022 01:52 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:49 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  I'm wondering if there will only be 30 Division I conferences by the time this cycle completes. The MEAC will be the first casualty. Which one of the OVC/Southland/WAC falls next depends on other moves.

The WAC is not in danger of falling. Ridiculous statement.

They are more secure now than the last cycle.

D1 is too small in certain parts of the country that needs more members.

(01-15-2022 02:42 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  D1 is too small in certain parts of the country that needs more members.

Well guess what David, the same can be said about D3 and D2.

(01-15-2022 01:58 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:52 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:49 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  I'm wondering if there will only be 30 Division I conferences by the time this cycle completes. The MEAC will be the first casualty. Which one of the OVC/Southland/WAC falls next depends on other moves.

The WAC is not in danger of falling. Ridiculous statement.

They are more secure now than the last cycle.

Agree the WAC is trending in the right direction, but a series of well-coordinated events would be fatal to the WAC: C-USA taking three WAC FCS members, and Gonzaga leaving the WCC. Gonzaga's departure opens up spots in the WCC for Seattle (travel partner for Portland) and Cal Baptist (evens out travel partner arrangements in California).

Even then, that would leave the WAC with eight schools, four of whom play FCS football, and four of whom play soccer - as long as no one else bails they should be able to get through it.

(01-15-2022 11:17 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:58 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:52 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:49 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  I'm wondering if there will only be 30 Division I conferences by the time this cycle completes. The MEAC will be the first casualty. Which one of the OVC/Southland/WAC falls next depends on other moves.

The WAC is not in danger of falling. Ridiculous statement.

They are more secure now than the last cycle.

Agree the WAC is trending in the right direction, but a series of well-coordinated events would be fatal to the WAC: C-USA taking three WAC FCS members, and Gonzaga leaving the WCC. Gonzaga's departure opens up spots in the WCC for Seattle (travel partner for Portland) and Cal Baptist (evens out travel partner arrangements in California).

Even then, that would leave the WAC with eight schools, four of whom play FCS football, and four of whom play soccer - as long as no one else bails they should be able to get through it.

The WAC cannot die. It's like a cockroach.

(01-15-2022 11:22 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 11:17 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:58 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:52 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:49 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  I'm wondering if there will only be 30 Division I conferences by the time this cycle completes. The MEAC will be the first casualty. Which one of the OVC/Southland/WAC falls next depends on other moves.

The WAC is not in danger of falling. Ridiculous statement.

They are more secure now than the last cycle.

Agree the WAC is trending in the right direction, but a series of well-coordinated events would be fatal to the WAC: C-USA taking three WAC FCS members, and Gonzaga leaving the WCC. Gonzaga's departure opens up spots in the WCC for Seattle (travel partner for Portland) and Cal Baptist (evens out travel partner arrangements in California).

Even then, that would leave the WAC with eight schools, four of whom play FCS football, and four of whom play soccer - as long as no one else bails they should be able to get through it.

The WAC cannot die. It's like a cockroach.

W-ild
A-thletic
C-ockroach

(01-15-2022 11:22 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 11:17 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:58 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:52 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(01-15-2022 01:49 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  I'm wondering if there will only be 30 Division I conferences by the time this cycle completes. The MEAC will be the first casualty. Which one of the OVC/Southland/WAC falls next depends on other moves.

The WAC is not in danger of falling. Ridiculous statement.

They are more secure now than the last cycle.

Agree the WAC is trending in the right direction, but a series of well-coordinated events would be fatal to the WAC: C-USA taking three WAC FCS members, and Gonzaga leaving the WCC. Gonzaga's departure opens up spots in the WCC for Seattle (travel partner for Portland) and Cal Baptist (evens out travel partner arrangements in California).

Even then, that would leave the WAC with eight schools, four of whom play FCS football, and four of whom play soccer - as long as no one else bails they should be able to get through it.

The WAC cannot die. It's like a cockroach.

I agreed until recently, when we let all the Texas schools in, who also are looking for the first route out when it becomes available. Then, the WAC may be in trouble. Not only has the Texas schools addition prompted Chicago to get the boot, it will also likely take RGV out of the WAC when the others leave. Sad turn of events for a conference that has survivied so long.