Division 1 College Conference Realignment

[heavybass]

Well there goes the only international team in the NCAA

[Dilbert]

6 hours ago, jlog3000 said:

Only time can tell. Realistically both Central Washington and Western Oregon would remain in D-II. However, they have the chance to move upto D-I, if both schools could get funds to invest on their athletic facilities. As they are the only two schools in the D-II ranks within the Pacific Northwest that sponsor the sport of football (as they play in the GNAC for other sports), while the other peer schools from that same conference have dropped the sport over time.

Could the NCAA allow them to move their football to DI (FCS) and remain at D-2, similar to Dallas Baptist for baseball and several hockey schools? That might make the most sense to me is have their football in the Big Sky.

[Germanshepherd]

Oh no PAC-12. oh no

 

 

[EJ_Barlik]

I don't think the Pac-12 is going to survive all this.  I predict a merger with the Mountain West eventually.

[McCall]

5 hours ago, EJ_Barlik said:

I don't think the Pac-12 is going to survive all this.  I predict a merger with the Mountain West eventually.

Not so much a merger as much as the Pac-12 just taking all the Mountain West's good schools to fill the void left by the Pac-12's good schools bolting for greener pastures among the other Power 5, er, Power 4 conferences, i.e. the AAC when the prominent previous-Big East schools left.

[sportsfan7]

22 hours ago, EJ_Barlik said:

I don't think the Pac-12 is going to survive all this.  I predict a merger with the Mountain West eventually.

Yea they wouldn't merge, but the remaining schools would backfill with SDSU, Boise St, Fresno St etc., maybe even SMU, Memphis, Tulane depending on who's left.

[GDAWG]

On 4/6/2023 at 10:55 PM, Germanshepherd said:

Oh no PAC-12. oh no

 

 

 

"After the game stay tuned for Whose Line is It Anyway?"

[McCall]

7 hours ago, sportsfan7 said:

Yea they wouldn't merge, but the remaining schools would backfill with SDSU, Boise St, Fresno St etc., maybe even SMU, Memphis, Tulane depending on who's left.

Unless SDSU, SMU, Memphis and Tulane end up in the Big XII.

[Burmy]

UT-Arlington Mavericks football may be coming back by decade's end, as the school's student government has approved a referendum for an athletics fee increase which would partially fund a program, and is the first of several steps towards ensuring Mavericks football's return.

If UTA does bring football back, they'll most likely join their fellow WAC schools in the new conference being formed together with the ASUN.

[jlog3000]

If it was only done a bit sooner than later by the time UTA had gotten the invite to re-join back to the WAC, then the conference would had been a bit more than alright to sponsor FCS football due to having over 6 or 7 full members that would sponsor the sport (even after UTRGV would have its program debut its season), although it would too little too late. However, it might work for the "partnership" of the WAC/A-Sun group (or MVFC 2.0).

[Seadragon76]

That's going to be the plan as the ASUN is going to down to four football schools after 2024 when Kennesaw State leaves for Conference USA. The WAC is basically propping up the ASUN in this alliance.

[jlog3000]

If that would be the plan indeed, then good luck to 'both sides' for 'only that sport', despite the fact that I'm personally not a fan of single sport-only conferences (S.S.O.C.'s) and all for mainstream clout. Hence also the OVC/Big South "partnership".

 

On a sidenote, there are rumors or sources that the Summit League might absorb the NCHC to sponsor ice hockey as a conference sport, as that S.S.O.C. has 3 schools who are SL full members (Denver, Nebraska-Omaha... I mean Omaha, and North Dakota).

 

Although that is all and dandy, assuming that it will be expected to happen at some point, but it would make sense if the Summit would add 2 more full members that could benefit football and hockey (those being Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State, as both are in D-II for other sports that could possible to move upto D-I for their entire programs while remaining in D-I for hockey).

[Burmy]

13 minutes ago, jlog3000 said:

Although that is all and dandy, assuming that it will be expected to happen at some point, but it would make sense if the Summit would add 2 more full members that could benefit football and hockey (those being Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State, as both are in D-II for other sports that could possible to move upto D-I for their entire programs while remaining in D-I for hockey).

St. Cloud State dropped football in 2019...I wonder what it would take for them to revive it?

Perhaps Minnesota State would work as the other school to move up? 

[jlog3000]

5 minutes ago, Burmy said:

St. Cloud State dropped football in 2019...I wonder what it would take for them to revive it?

Perhaps Minnesota State would work as the other school to move up? 

 

Darn, I almost forgot about that in regards with St. Cloud State; which reminded me of Omaha, who unfortunately had to give up the sport they got success in its history in order to move upto D-I from D-II. But at least Minnesota-Duluth from the D-II NSIC would fit the SL footprint if given the chance for an invitation to join, as that conference is leaning a bit Upper Midwest in a geographic footprint standpoint, despite having exclaves (or enclaves, depending on how it's being taken) with Western Illinois, Oral Roberts and Denver.

 

Minnesota State would also be a solid choice, as they compete in the NSIC as well; plus their hockey team is in the CCHA, also they sponsor football. And speaking of other similar schools that fit similarly, maybe Bemidji State too.

 

But if that were the case (although it might be unlikely), maybe the Summit could also absorb the CCHA, which has St. Thomas (a current full member of the Summit) as a few other MAC schools like Bowling Green to join with Western Michigan and Miami-Ohio, and the remaining four schools who play in the D-II GLIAC for other sports (which all would make hockey affiliates under the SL banner), that way it might form a super-conference in D-I hockey.

[sportsfan7]

I'm sorry, but Bemidji as a D1 school just doesn't make sense. They're relatively small and aren't very successful in hockey. UMD and Kato make much more sense. Augustana in Sioux Falls is perpetually looking to move up and will have a new hockey team, but the Summit has already turned them down at least once.

[heavybass]

Ok i'm happy to see the Mavericks bringing back football potentially.

[GDAWG]

On 4/11/2023 at 1:35 PM, Burmy said:

UT-Arlington Mavericks football may be coming back by decade's end, as the school's student government has approved a referendum for an athletics fee increase which would partially fund a program, and is the first of several steps towards ensuring Mavericks football's return.

If UTA does bring football back, they'll most likely join their fellow WAC schools in the new conference being formed together with the ASUN.

 

UTA will probably want to play at UTA-Maverick Stadium, but eventually they may want to play at Choctaw Stadium.

[Geoff]

They'd likely need to do that in reverse. Mav Stadium needs to be renovated so they can play at Choctaw Stadium while that is being completed.

[Dilbert]

One of the latest Pac12-Big 12 rumors Ive heard is that the Big 12 is only interested in Colorado and Arizona and not Utah or Arizona State.

[MiK]

28 minutes ago, Dilbert said:

One of the latest Pac12-Big 12 rumors Ive heard is that the Big 12 is only interested in Colorado and Arizona and not Utah or Arizona State.

 

That's... huh?

 

ASU and Arizona are very similar in terms of endowment, stadiums, even athletic performance. Academics is where they differ the most; ASU not being an AAU member. However, ASU out earns UA (all three of them actually) from athletic revenue so this is just odd.