Seadragon76

Well, Tucson it is then. It makes sense, I think... Tucson can serve as the middle point to connect the California teams with San Antonio and Texas in the Pacific Division. BTW, they should all play 76 games... is it really that damn hard to have the California teams play another eight games? Damn wimps.

To be honest, CLEstones, your source smells of total BS. Why in the world would the Big Ten need to expand at this point? What schools out there would be worthy to join the league? What schools would be good enough for them to justify this?

One thing to add on football wise and it was passed over... The Sun Belt is giving the boot to Idaho and New Mexico State after the 2017 season. At least Idaho has a back up plan for football as they have an open invite to the Big Sky. New Mexico State... ugh... they are in no man's land. You can't survive as an Independent (unless your name is Notre Dame or BYU) and the only viable option in the area, the Mountain West, really nothing to do with them.

Problem is that they're really the only Independent program in D-1 ice hockey. They would need to find a home and if the Big Ten is the one that gives them the home, they aren't turning that down. Although I think the NCHA might be a better option because of it's smaller travel footprint.

It's only one of the logos... Here's the rest of them:

Guess I didn't get to it earlier, but the new Gresham team in the West Coast League has a nickname and logos now... I present to you, the Gresham GreyWolves.

That's not bad for the Texas League. Personally, myself.... I'm waiting for the new entry for the West Coast League. If anyone has followed, two teams have left (Klamath Falls and Medford) and added one team in Gresham (who will be in the new South division with Bend, Corvallis, Cowlitz, Kitsap and Yakima Valley. The North has Bellingham, Kelowna, Victoria, Walla Walla and Wenatchee). I hope for a decent nickname and logo set from the Gresham team.

Pure dumbassery. They should have been trying to get an ECHL team for at least the last year. That I agree with. The ECHL wants to have 30 teams so that every NHL team has an AHL affiliate and a ECHL affiliate. Peoria would perfect for the league.

I'd go with the second option largely because the A-Sun can't survive another raid at this point. Not to mention they've done a partnership with the SoCon for lacrosse... why not a partnership here and, in the case of the Big South, throw in Campbell from the Pioneer to boot? Now, you get a Big South with 5 current members (Campbell, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Liberty and Presbyterian) and 4 associate members (Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Monmouth and Stetson)

Well, college wise, here is how I see it... It's mostly what if, so take it with a grain of salt. FBS 2016: Army and UMass join the American to give the league 14 members. UMass is placed in the East Division and at the request of Army, the Black Knights are in the West Division. The only trade off is that now the Army-Navy game is played on Thanksgiving weekend instead of the 2nd weekend in December. BYU relents on it's half assed attempt at independence and becomes a football playing member of the Big XII. 2017: UAB returns to Conference USA 2018: Cincinnati moves from the American to the Big XII giving that conference the needed 12th football member to stage a championship game. To keep the conference at 14 members, the American convinces Louisville to come back after a few so-so years in the ACC. What this does is allow the biggest move yet to come to happen.... 2019: Sensing that the walls are closing in, Notre Dame relents and finally joins the ACC in football. It brings the league back up to 15 teams. FCS 2016: East Tennessee State joins the SoCon 2017: With the money of Warren Buffet behind the rebirth of Nebraska-Omaha football, the Summit League begins on it's plan to sponsor football. Omaha is joined by North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Western Illinois in the league's first season. 2018: The success of the Summit League's first season has convinced fellow league schools IPFW and Denver to start football programs giving the league 7 schools. The Atlantic 10 follows the lead of the Summit League by bringing in football with it's members (Davidson, Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, Rhode Island and Richmond) 2019: The Missouri Valley is reborn as the five MVFC schools add Drake (Current member) and associate school Youngstown State. The Pioneer disbands as the following members find new homes: -Campbell joins the Big South -Butler and Valparaiso join the Summit League -Jacksonville and Stetson join the Southern -Marist joins the NEC -Morehead State joins the OVC -San Diego joins the Big Sky for football

With the NHL looking into teams in Las Vegas and Quebec, why not make the NHL like the NFL.. in the sense of realignment that is. Eastern Conference Canadian Division Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto Northeast Division Boston, Buffalo, New York Islanders, New York Rangers Atlantic Division New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington South Division Carolina, Florida, Nashville, Tampa Bay Western Conference Canadian Division Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg Central Division Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Minnesota Southwest Division Arizona, Colorado, Dallas, St. Louis Pacific Division Anaheim, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Jose 74 Game Schedule (18 against division rivals, 24 against other conference teams, 32 games the other conference) Playoffs: Top two in each division advance. Division winners earn seeds 1-4 while runner ups earn seeds 5-8. All series are Best of 7.

My take: BYU should be option number 1 no matter what. Yes, travel will be a little difficult. But, as of now, the Cougars are in the literal no man's land in terms of playoff hopes. Being in the Big 12 for football can easily give them a chance to compete for a New Year's Six game on a yearly basis. Plus, the Big XII is just going to ask for football membership so any issues on the 'We don't play on Sundays' front can be deflected. As for the other team... I think Cincinnati is a nice option. Gives West Virginia a nearby rival.

Is it really that hard to play eight more games there, California teams? Either you guys play 76 like the rest of us or the rest of us can play 68 games like you twits are.

I'm happy they found a conference...but were the NEC's expectations too lofty for them? That's not the case... this is easily a marriage of convenience. NJIT needed a home and the Atlantic Sun were a raid or two away from death. This works out big time for both parties.

I heard about this in the local news.. I personally think that Portland is the best option because they have a hockey ready arena (The Moda Center, which this team might have to share with the Winterhawks... but only part of the time since they split their home games between there and the Memorial Coliseum)

Hate to say it, but Rams is right here Burmy. It takes a lot for a school at the Division II level to jump up to the Division I level. Rams mentioned what went down with Morris Brown and Winston-Salem State was the last school that attempted a move to D-I only to abort and return to D-II. And it's not just D-I. McMurry tried to make the jump to D-II, but saw the writing on the wall money wise and went back down to D-III. If anything, the four year transition period makes sense. It give schools enough time to comply with the rules and regulations of Division I. If you can't make it, go back down to D-II, where you might feel like the competition is at your level. For anyone moving to Division II, it is a two year period, but after last year's circus of errors that resulted in many appeals, not many want to take that chance now.

Nova Southeastern has the money to make a move, so it's a logical idea... UAB might need a home and Atlantic Sun will gladly take them over the D-II schools for one HUGE reason: eligibility. With the D-II schools mentioned, you have to deal with the four year waiting period for them to be eligible. Any raid of members would kill the A-Sun. With UAB in, they go to eight members and are off the edge for now.

The moratorium on movement has passed, sc49erfan. Why? Well, this article mentions a few possible candidates (like UAB, North Alabama, Columbus State, Georgia Regents [AKA the school formerly known as Augusta State] and Nova Southeastern)

They probably won't announce anything until after the playoffs.

News just came out that Las Vegas is pulling the plug.

No need for 12 teams. You can get a waiver to host a conference championship game with 10 teams... the SWAC does a CCG with 10 teams. Why can't the Big 12?

Personally, I think it's more about location then recruits. C-USA has had UAB in the fold since the league's beginning, so losing a in Alabama creates a gap in the footprint. Adding South Alabama gives them another school in that state, not to mention that it's location (Mobile) can be quite a gem for the conference. You may literally be the first person in history to use Mobile and gem in the same sentence. Well, I've never been to Mobile, so my assessment might be a tad bit rosy.

Personally, I think it's more about location then recruits. C-USA has had UAB in the fold since the league's beginning, so losing a in Alabama creates a gap in the footprint. Adding South Alabama gives them another school in that state, not to mention that it's location (Mobile) can be quite a gem for the conference.

Not only was the stadium issue a part of this, but the Board of Trustees is heavily skewered towards Tuscaloosa. The board's role in the stadium issue and what went down with Jimbo Fisher is a part of the iceberg. You got Bear Bryant's kid, who is the head of the Board, and I guess back in the early 90's he was pissed at Gene Bartow (former basketball coach and AD at UAB) because Bartow nearly busted Alabama for cheating. It's been said that before he retires, he wants to kill off UAB football as punishment for said actions. Conference wise... UAB is done in C-USA. The best option is a swap: UAB goes to the Sun Belt (Where it was once a member) and South Alabama goes to C-USA.

What the shuck? Sorry, had to do that.