With all the changes which are the power FCS conferences only looking from a football perspective

I'd go with

1 = Big Sky, CAA, MVFC
4 = SoCon, WAC
6 ASUN
7 = Big South, Southland
9 Patriot
10 OVC
11 NEC
12 Pioneer

Not sure where SWAC & MEAC fit in (possibly 4/5/6 & 9/10/11)

Not included Ivy as they have a different mission

Thoughts?

1-MVC
2-Big Sky
3- CAA
4-SoCon
5-ASUN
6- Southland
7-WAC
8-Big South
9-Patriot
10-SWAC
11-OVC
12-NEC
13-MEAC
14-Pioneer

(01-27-2022 10:04 AM)Blue76 Wrote:  With all the changes which are the power FCS conferences only looking from a football perspective

I'd go with

1 = Big Sky, CAA, MVFL
4 = SoCon, WAC
6 ASUN
7 = Big South, Southland
9 Patriot
10 OVC
11 NEC
12 Pioneer

Not sure where SWAC & MEAC fit in (possibly 4/5/6 & 9/10/11)

Not included Ivy as they have a different mission

Thoughts?

I put the SWAC at 10 because one of their best teams played the second place team of your number 7 league in the playoffs and got blowout. I think the SWAC is improving, but I think it has a long way to go before its a top 5 league.

1-Missouri Valley
2-Big Sky
3-Colonial
--------------
4-Southern
5 WAC
6-A-SUN
7-SWAC
8- Ivy
9- Southland
10-OVC
11-Big South
--------------
12-NEC
13-Patriot
14-MEAC
15-Pioneer

(01-27-2022 10:14 AM)cottager Wrote:  1-MVC
2-Big Sky
3- CAA
4-SoCon
5-ASUN
6- Southland
7-WAC
8-Big South
9-Patriot
10-SWAC
11-OVC
12-NEC
13-MEAC
14-Pioneer

WAC behind Southland?

Talk about regional bias, I had always thought the Ohio Valley was one of the better ones.

(01-27-2022 10:20 AM)Blue76 Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 10:14 AM)cottager Wrote:  1-MVC
2-Big Sky
3- CAA
4-SoCon
5-ASUN
6- Southland
7-WAC
8-Big South
9-Patriot
10-SWAC
11-OVC
12-NEC
13-MEAC
14-Pioneer

WAC behind Southland?

I could be convinced otherwise. I forgot that Word was moving to the wac. I didn’t count Sam Houston as a wac team. I view the wac as a bad Southern Utah, two D2 call ups and the average middle of the Southland. SLU is equal to Word and the rest are comparable.

(01-27-2022 10:20 AM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Talk about regional bias, I had always thought the Ohio Valley was one of the better ones.

The current OVC doesn’t have JSU or EKU. It’s a much weaker conference now.

Has anyone on here actually looked at what schools are left in the Southland? Hello!!!

(01-27-2022 10:29 AM)BlueDragon Wrote:  Has anyone on here actually looked at what schools are left in the Southland? Hello!!!

I honestly can’t tell if you’re arguing for a higher rank or a lower rank.

Assuming all pending realignment moves actually happen (e.g. Kennesaw State and UNA actually pull out of the Big South, etc.)
1. MVFC
2. Big Sky
3. CAA
4. SoCon
5. WAC
6. ASUN (assuming they hold their AQ together)
7. Southland
8. Big South (assuming they hold their AQ together)
9. MEAC
10. SWAC
11. OVC
12. NEC
13. Pioneer

SWAC and MEAC are tough to place because they're irregular postseason participants. Conventional wisdom would suggest the SWAC is superior, but their two best teams both got wrecked in the postseason, including one at the hands of a MEAC school.

But the Valley is the top conference in FCS pretty much as long as North Dakota State is in it.

(01-27-2022 10:35 AM)cottager Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 10:29 AM)BlueDragon Wrote:  Has anyone on here actually looked at what schools are left in the Southland? Hello!!!

I honestly can’t tell if you’re arguing for a higher rank or a lower rank.

They should be lower. Seriously they have 5 schools and a callup.

(01-27-2022 11:00 AM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  Assuming all pending realignment moves actually happen (e.g. Kennesaw State and UNA actually pull out of the Big South, etc.)
1. MVFC
2. Big Sky
3. CAA
4. SoCon
5. WAC
6. ASUN (assuming they hold their AQ together)
7. Southland
8. Big South (assuming they hold their AQ together)
9. MEAC
10. SWAC
11. OVC
12. NEC
13. Pioneer

SWAC and MEAC are tough to place because they're irregular postseason participants. Conventional wisdom would suggest the SWAC is superior, but their two best teams both got wrecked in the postseason, including one at the hands of a MEAC school.

But the Valley is the top conference in FCS pretty much as long as North Dakota State is in it.

However MEAC teams would move to SWAC if asked (and they did)

For now I can't see a SWAC moving the other way

Of course things can change, just look at CUSA/Sun Belt

(01-27-2022 11:00 AM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  Assuming all pending realignment moves actually happen (e.g. Kennesaw State and UNA actually pull out of the Big South, etc.)
1. MVFC
2. Big Sky
3. CAA
4. SoCon
5. WAC
6. ASUN (assuming they hold their AQ together)
7. Southland
8. Big South (assuming they hold their AQ together)
9. MEAC
10. SWAC
11. OVC
12. NEC
13. Pioneer

SWAC and MEAC are tough to place because they're irregular postseason participants. Conventional wisdom would suggest the SWAC is superior, but their two best teams both got wrecked in the postseason, including one at the hands of a MEAC school.

But the Valley is the top conference in FCS pretty much as long as North Dakota State is in it.

I like your rankings but I’d place the SWAC over the MEAC.

(01-27-2022 11:00 AM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  Assuming all pending realignment moves actually happen (e.g. Kennesaw State and UNA actually pull out of the Big South, etc.)
1. MVFC
2. Big Sky
3. CAA
4. SoCon
5. WAC
6. ASUN (assuming they hold their AQ together)
7. Southland
8. Big South (assuming they hold their AQ together)
9. MEAC
10. SWAC
11. OVC
12. NEC
13. Pioneer

SWAC and MEAC are tough to place because they're irregular postseason participants. Conventional wisdom would suggest the SWAC is superior, but their two best teams both got wrecked in the postseason, including one at the hands of a MEAC school.

But the Valley is the top conference in FCS pretty much as long as North Dakota State is in it.

They very well might be the top conference even if NDSU isn't in it.

(01-27-2022 10:28 AM)cottager Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 10:20 AM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Talk about regional bias, I had always thought the Ohio Valley was one of the better ones.

The current OVC doesn’t have JSU or EKU. It’s a much weaker conference now.

I see. Thanks!

The Patriot has fallen off some of these recent lists. No surprise, but still...

(01-27-2022 11:00 AM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  Assuming all pending realignment moves actually happen (e.g. Kennesaw State and UNA actually pull out of the Big South, etc.)
1. MVFC
2. Big Sky
3. CAA
4. SoCon
5. WAC
6. ASUN (assuming they hold their AQ together)
7. Southland
8. Big South (assuming they hold their AQ together)
9. MEAC
10. SWAC
11. OVC
12. NEC
13. Pioneer

SWAC and MEAC are tough to place because they're irregular postseason participants. Conventional wisdom would suggest the SWAC is superior, but their two best teams both got wrecked in the postseason, including one at the hands of a MEAC school.

But the Valley is the top conference in FCS pretty much as long as North Dakota State is in it.

No Patriot League?

(01-27-2022 11:41 AM)Blue76 Wrote:  However MEAC teams would move to SWAC if asked (and they did)

For now I can't see a SWAC moving the other way

Of course things can change, just look at CUSA/Sun Belt

I don't disagree with you, though I do find it interesting how the MEAC seems to have the SWAC's number on a neutral field. To your point, many of those MEAC wins were by teams that have since joined the SWAC. But the MEAC still wins the Celebration Bowl and the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

(01-27-2022 01:57 PM)TallTexan Wrote:  They very well might be the top conference even if NDSU isn't in it.

Possibly, but I think it's closer with the Big Sky if NDSU leaves and Montana and MSU get back on their feet (which they will the moment they can get any continuity at QB).

(01-27-2022 04:34 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 11:00 AM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  Assuming all pending realignment moves actually happen (e.g. Kennesaw State and UNA actually pull out of the Big South, etc.)
1. MVFC
2. Big Sky
3. CAA
4. SoCon
5. WAC
6. ASUN (assuming they hold their AQ together)
7. Southland
8. Big South (assuming they hold their AQ together)
9. MEAC
10. SWAC
11. OVC
12. NEC
13. Pioneer

SWAC and MEAC are tough to place because they're irregular postseason participants. Conventional wisdom would suggest the SWAC is superior, but their two best teams both got wrecked in the postseason, including one at the hands of a MEAC school.

But the Valley is the top conference in FCS pretty much as long as North Dakota State is in it.

No Patriot League?

Oversight on my part. Should be:

11. Patriot
12. OVC
13. NEC
14. Pioneer

I think the Patriot League produces a team every few years that can be really interesting. Colgate was that team in 2018, Holy Cross was that team this year (though how much they benefitted from playing Sacred Heart in the first round is tough to say). I would like to see more than one quality team at a time from them. And it's not like those schools don't have money to spend on football if they want to be good at it.

(01-27-2022 01:57 PM)TallTexan Wrote:  

(01-27-2022 11:00 AM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  Assuming all pending realignment moves actually happen (e.g. Kennesaw State and UNA actually pull out of the Big South, etc.)
1. MVFC
2. Big Sky
3. CAA
4. SoCon
5. WAC
6. ASUN (assuming they hold their AQ together)
7. Southland
8. Big South (assuming they hold their AQ together)
9. MEAC
10. SWAC
11. OVC
12. NEC
13. Pioneer

SWAC and MEAC are tough to place because they're irregular postseason participants. Conventional wisdom would suggest the SWAC is superior, but their two best teams both got wrecked in the postseason, including one at the hands of a MEAC school.

But the Valley is the top conference in FCS pretty much as long as North Dakota State is in it.

They very well might be the top conference even if NDSU isn't in it.

Yeah, the MVC compares very evenly with the MAC on the field these days.

Which makes sense. Institutionally, they're almost interchangeable in terms of quality, money, and mission (other than the top 2-3 MAC schools and the bottom 1-2 MVC schools).