Burmy

http://www.gocsucougars.com/news/2012/12/4/GEN_1204120253.aspx?path=baseball (Sorry, for some reason they took away my ability to paste text on links.) Chicago State's joining the WAC in 2013-14...that leaves one conference dead (Great West-only remaining member is NJIT) and another TOTALLY desperate.

Posted both here and in the general college football thread:

I think they are getting by on two things. To make FSU feel at home in the Big12. Also, Miami still brings in ratings. Strange, I know. I can see Fox wanting them. Miami's also about to get carpet bombed by the NCAA. I'm not sure Florida State will want to bring along Miami after that. They wont get it as bad as people think. No way they get it worse than Penn St. There's no dispute about the NCAA's jurisdiction here and Miami has far fewer resources with which to build a recovery. The NCAA also just flat out said that they'll assume the testimony they got is truthful unless the former Miami players come to them to contradict it. I have a feeling Miami's self imposed bowl ban is going to save them a lot of trouble (the NCAA seems to get off on schools punishing themselves). Which is why Ohio State REALLY should've self-imposed a bowl ban after going 6-6 last season; instead of losing the Gator Bowl last season, the Buckeyes could've been playing in the BCS National Championship. Of course, that would mean my Badgers would likely have had to settle for the Buffalo Wild Wings or Meineke Car Care bowl...

They'll settle out of court and Maryland will either pay a smaller fee or agree to a "payment plan"...

I doubt Conference USA will let ECU stay as non-football members...so, where are they going in that regard? CAA? Big South? SoCon?

What we all knew is official-the WAC has announced the 2012 football season will be its last. Personally, I don't see the WAC going on even as a non-football conference after this year...on top of that, look for the holes in the bowl bids to possibly (by NO means a certainty) motivate the Big Sky to jump up to FBS.

University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals jumping from D-II to D-I, joining Southland Conference School's based in San Antonio-they're hoping this'll fill in the space lost by UTSA's departure. Is it me, or does the Southland Conference seem to really have its eye on religiously-affiliated schools right now? First ORU (Charismatic), then HBU (Baptist), and now UIW (Catholic)...what's next, the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs? Could Dallas Baptist finally go D1 for all sports?

Actually, both are staying in the America East for all other sports...they're just joining the CAA for football: http://www.caasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=48484&SPID=4660&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205569011&DB_OEM_ID=8500

1. The Big Ten said REPEATEDLY after they got Nebraska was that 12 teams was how they'd stay for now. Wonder if the landscape's changed enough where they really would go for more now? 2. Virginia Tech I could see, but NC State's just not elite enough to make that jump IMHO. 3. So the Big 12's going to Georgia and South Carolina? Geographical relevancy is officially DEAD now... 4. I would like to see a Big East-Atlantic 10 elite basketball-only conference...if only to see Marquette FINALLY win another conference title (they're the best of all these non-football schools in basketball right now)

I believe that moratorium is expiring July 1...

Here's the official announcement-but they're joining THIS season rather than waiting for 2013-14.

VCU is officially joining the Atlantic 10. Source says the reason Mason's staying in CAA is because the A-10 was only looking for one more school to replace Charlotte (as Butler is replacing Temple), and VCU got the nod. That VCU-Richmond rivalry will be AMAZING, I can tell...

It's official...geography officially means NOTHING to the Big 12 anymore.

And here are the official press releases: San Jose State, Utah State to Mountain West FIU, Louisiana Tech, UTSA, North Texas, Charlotte to Conference USA Apparently ODU's still thinking about whether or not to accept their invite...

And Utah State and San Jose State are poised to join the Mountain West. Methinks Idaho and New Mexico State might either move down to FCS or drop football altogether...

How do you say "Make it Eight" en francais? Le Make it Eight Make it Huit Faites-Huit.

And Pacific makes 10 for the West Coast Conference! This is why I'm glad Gonzaga, even with all their offers to join the WAC and the Mountain West, stayed in the WCC...because of their dynasty, not only have other schools in there stepped their game up during their time (St. Mary's, San Diego, Pepperdine, etc.), but it's also become an attractive conference for other schools to join (BYU and now Pacific).

If that does happen...then the Atlantic 10 might just take the Pac-12's place as a "major" CBB conference! (Some have said they'd be the Little Big East if all three of these schools join) I think they could have a point-almost as many teams, similar geographic footprint, conference tournament in NYC (at Brooklyn's Barclays Center).

Nope...they also own the old Whalers marks. It's a leaguewide thing.

I think the NHL owns all past nicknames...in the Jets scenario, they said they'd let the team use it free of charge. I imagine they'd do the same with the Nordiques.

It wouldn't surprise me. You don't play home games in the Georgia Dome as a start up with an ultimate goal of the CAA. And C-USA/MWC would love to get a toehold in Atlanta. Makes sense. Isn't UTSA (Texas, San Antonio) pretty much joining the WAC after a few startup years in FCS? They play home games in the Alamodome. Yeah. The difference is that while Georgia State is taking their time before trying to make a move while UTSA is making the move just one year after they started their football program up. You also had to consider that the WAC needed members after losing Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii so any delay in the move would be horrendous for them. UTSA may not join the WAC on July 1. They could abandon that plan to go to the Sun Belt. When the SUN BELT looks more attractive by comparison, then you know it's time for the WAC to just give up...

Perhaps he meant Georgia State's ultimate goal is to join C-USA...their basketball programs have been CAA for years now too, so perhaps they're joining C-USA (or the super-conference they and the Mountain West may form) in the long term.

The true excitement comes in 2013 (when the all-sport move becomes official)...if you thought the 'Nova-Temple rivalry was fierce before, wait 'till it becomes a conference one! Once again, two questions come up: 1. Which FCS school is the MAC going after to replace Temple for football? 2. Which school is the A-10 going after to replace Temple for all other sports? 1. None likely 2. None likely 1. The MAC doesn't need and probably won't look to add another team. They did Temple a solid because they brought them into the fold and kept their football program from dying had they been left to the wolves as independents. To classify the MAC as a joke is just not true. They play quality football in the MAC and won the ESPN Bowl Challenge Trophy because they WON. They win in the MAC. Unfortunately not at Kent but they could finally maybe be turning the corner. 2. The Atlantic 10 may stay at 13 or let another team go awawy for the even dozen. And we might have our answer for #2: Two-time national runners-up Butler! Personally, I say it would be a good move if it happens...increases the A-10's profile even more (especially now that they got four bids) and also puts a bit of a bridge between Dayton/Xavier and St. Louis geographically-wise.

The true excitement comes in 2013 (when the all-sport move becomes official)...if you thought the 'Nova-Temple rivalry was fierce before, wait 'till it becomes a conference one! Once again, two questions come up: 1. Which FCS school is the MAC going after to replace Temple for football? 2. Which school is the A-10 going after to replace Temple for all other sports?

Here's the compromise I think I have in mind for Syracuse and Pitt...they pay the newly raised exit fee, and in return the Big East will let them leave for 2013-14. I think that sounds reasonable...