Division 1 College Conference Realignment

[Scrumptious Ham 598]

On 7/23/2020 at 11:06 PM, rams80 said:

 

Not as long as Jerry Falwell Jr. calls the shots; waaaay to many political liabilities, especially given his handling of COVID.

Today he resigned after news broke that he's a :censored:. Sweet lord, how hilarious. 

[Geoff 575]

On 8/21/2020 at 10:53 AM, Seadragon76 said:

Honestly, I'm shocked that they haven't thought about cutting hockey until now. Both Alaska schools are so far away from the rest of the WCHA (soon to be CCHA) that I'm pretty sure that the travel budget is problematic.

They had. The higher ed budget situation, hell the whole state's budget situation, in Alaska is BAD. Some of the people in power in the state right now are wanting to kill public higher ed but would settle for a one university with three campuses (Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Southeast in Juneau) setup.

 

I've kicked this idea around for a while but Fairbanks might be best served going to USports or BCIHL for hockey if not fully flipping to USports. If Simon Fraser can be NCAA, and potentially go D1 (at least in hockey), I'd love to see an American team give it a go in USports.

[sc49erfan15 2,374]

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2020/11/16/21569697/report-asun-expansion-atlantic-sun-ovc-southland-eku-jacksonville-state-central-arkansas

 

Eastern Kentucky (OVC), Jacksonville State (OVC), and Central Arkansas (Southland) look to be heading to the ASun for 2021-22.

 

Remember ASun's harebrained scheme to expand to 20 members by way of annexing some swimming & diving association and then mitosis itself into two conferences? Looks like this is one of the steps.

 

Word on the street is that Liberty is orche$trating thi$.

[Seadragon76 871]

It's weird for a few reasons.. one being that EKU and Jacksonville State would leave for this half assed scheme. Same for Central Arkansas.

 

But, something tells me that Liberty may really want an A-Sun football conference. There are a few hurdles with this plan, none bigger then Liberty being an FBS school while the remaining members (The three newcomers plus Kennesaw State, North Alabama and Stetson) are FCS schools. They also have to convince Stetson, a member of the Pioneer League, to pay for scholarships... a very hard sell in this day and age.

[GDAWG 1,806]

44 minutes ago, Seadragon76 said:

It's weird for a few reasons.. one being that EKU and Jacksonville State would leave for this half assed scheme. Same for Central Arkansas.

 

But, something tells me that Liberty may really want an A-Sun football conference. There are a few hurdles with this plan, none bigger then Liberty being an FBS school while the remaining members (The three newcomers plus Kennesaw State, North Alabama and Stetson) are FCS schools. They also have to convince Stetson, a member of the Pioneer League, to pay for scholarships... a very hard sell in this day and age.

 

Plus A-Sun is a non football league and all three have football teams.

[Seadragon76 871]

To add a little extra intrigue here... The WAC is also looking into getting football back

[GDAWG 1,806]

38 minutes ago, Seadragon76 said:

To add a little extra intrigue here... The WAC is also looking into getting football back

 

I find it hard to believe that Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin would consider a move to the WAC.  I am always of the opinion if one of those 4 Texas schools leave the Southland it would be for a move up to the FBS via CUSA or Sun Belt.

[rams80 4,276]

Southland's shakier than you might think.  Louisiana public higher ed is in BAD financial shape at the lower tiers; WAC might be a safer bet right now.

[GDAWG 1,806]

13 hours ago, rams80 said:

Southland's shakier than you might think.  Louisiana public higher ed is in BAD financial shape at the lower tiers; WAC might be a safer bet right now.

 

Perhaps, but if that's the case, don't just take ACU, Lamar, SHSU and SFA.  Also take Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist.  If you want a non football school as well, bring in Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

[Seadragon76 871]

2 hours ago, GDAWG said:

 

Perhaps, but if that's the case, don't just take ACU, Lamar, SHSU and SFA.  Also take Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist.  If you want a non football school as well, bring in Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

 

The WAC isn't interested in UIW or Houston Baptist (although the Huskies are already a WAC affiliate member in men's soccer).

 

This whole plan by the WAC (and to a lesser extent, the Atlantic Sun's plan) is fueled by the hopes and dreams of FBS money. The two biggest issues towards this are these.

 

1.) Attendance. Of the teams mentioned in both the plans for the WAC and the A-SUN, only two of three schools looked at by the A-Sun (Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State) have stadium numbers above the 15,000 threshold required to be an FBS member (even though this rule is rarely, if ever, enforced). Everyone else has to add seats to hopefully reach that threshold, which costs money.

 

2.) Scholarships. Does anyone out there think that any of these schools have the money to pay for 20+ more scholarships?!?

[GDAWG 1,806]

3 hours ago, Seadragon76 said:

 

The WAC isn't interested in UIW or Houston Baptist (although the Huskies are already a WAC affiliate member in men's soccer).

 

This whole plan by the WAC (and to a lesser extent, the Atlantic Sun's plan) is fueled by the hopes and dreams of FBS money. The two biggest issues towards this are these.

 

1.) Attendance. Of the teams mentioned in both the plans for the WAC and the A-SUN, only two of three schools looked at by the A-Sun (Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State) have stadium numbers above the 15,000 threshold required to be an FBS member (even though this rule is rarely, if ever, enforced). Everyone else has to add seats to hopefully reach that threshold, which costs money.

 

2.) Scholarships. Does anyone out there think that any of these schools have the money to pay for 20+ more scholarships?!?

 

the WAC is going to need to bring back the BYU Cougars in order to even get a chance at the FBS.  That's not going to happen.  

[Seadragon76 871]

17 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

 

the WAC is going to need to bring back the BYU Cougars in order to even get a chance at the FBS.  That's not going to happen.  

 

Why BYU? The WAC already has New Mexico State, which is an FBS member.

[rams80 4,276]

I'd say its less attendance and more facilities in general, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Lamar, and Abilene Christian have significantly larger football and basketball facilities than Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist.

[GDAWG 1,806]

13 hours ago, Seadragon76 said:

 

Why BYU? The WAC already has New Mexico State, which is an FBS member.

 

BYU would be a major draw to the league and give them national attention

[rams80 4,276]

Assuming BYU would be persuaded to abandon its "Mormon Notre Dame" model, their preferences would be as follows.

 

1. P5 conference

 

2. Returning to the MWC in everything, tail between their legs.

 

 

 

 

(deliberately large gap)

 

 

 

 

3. Joining another football league, such as the WAC as presently or soon to be futurely constituted.

[Magic Dynasty 2,435]

The Big 12's already shown that, if given the option of BYU or no one, they will choose no one. If they're out of the picture, the only other power conference that makes sense geographically is the Pac-12, who also will never take them due to their religious affiliation (and, while this is just speculating, I don't think Utah wants BYU on an equal level to them again after decades of being the "little brother"). That's not even taking into account the not playing on Sunday issue.

 

Basically, assuming the bridge between BYU and the Mountain West is irreparably burned, there's not really an option other than staying right where they are. Which, as long as Gonzaga doesn't jump for greener pastures, I think they're probably alright with. They get to be Mormon Notre Dame in football while also being in a surprisingly strong basketball conference (well, the rest of the conference sucks, but Gonzaga and St. Mary's along with BYU put the WCC in the upper tier of midmajors).

[sportsfan7 433]

On 11/22/2020 at 2:33 AM, rams80 said:

Southland's shakier than you might think.  Louisiana public higher ed is in BAD financial shape at the lower tiers; WAC might be a safer bet right now.

Public schools in Louisiana are always in financial trouble. I seem to remember a proposal to drop football at LSU as a tactic to get more higher ed funding a few years ago.

[Matthew24 163]

On 11/21/2020 at 4:44 PM, GDAWG said:

 

I find it hard to believe that Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin would consider a move to the WAC.  I am always of the opinion if one of those 4 Texas schools leave the Southland it would be for a move up to the FBS via CUSA or Sun Belt.

Honestly doubt SFA would move for just football. Basketball maybe but the football program isn't that great. I still remember their beating by TCU years ago. 

 

As for the WAC getting back in football, I'm confused why? I actually forgot why they left the football program stuff years ago? Can someone remind me on that. I'm up for more football conferences but it seems weird.

[Seadragon76 871]

2 hours ago, Matthew24 said:

Honestly doubt SFA would move for just football. Basketball maybe but the football program isn't that great. I still remember their beating by TCU years ago. 

 

As for the WAC getting back in football, I'm confused why? I actually forgot why they left the football program stuff years ago? Can someone remind me on that. I'm up for more football conferences but it seems weird.

 

As far as the WAC is concerned, it was a mass exodus of schools from the conference that forced their hand. This came to ahead in 2013 when 6 of the 8 football playing schools at that time left for other conferences. All that was left was Idaho and New Mexico State.

 

In turn, the WAC looked the schools that needed a stable home (Seattle and Utah Valley), took on projects from Division II (Grand Canyon) and schools that were essentially vagabonds (UMKC and Chicago State).

 

As I mentioned before, the dreams for the WAC is getting a piece of the sweet, sweet FBS money.

[GDAWG 1,806]

So what would it take for the WAC to go back to the FBS, even if they bring football back?