(05-18-2013 10:41 AM)BruceMcF Wrote: (05-17-2013 11:06 PM)Freshy Wrote: (05-17-2013 10:48 PM)BruceMcF Wrote: But isn't there already a CUSA/Sunbelt bowl? Surely if the Sunbelt is getting more bowls, it would want a wider range of opponents.
Unless CUSA suddenly guarantees the New Orleans Bowl its no 2 or 3 team or puts some sort of arrangement in place that guarantees a CUSA team that the bowl has some input in choosing, then the New Orleans Bowl will be Sun Belt vs AAC in the future. Even if CUSA did that, the New Orleans Bowl might go AAC anyway.
Aha, I had not heard that.
Yes, if the CUSA is at risk of losing its bowl with the Sunbelt bowl, it would make sense for both sides to work on developing a replacement Sunbelt bowl if that should happen.
Just as the MAC would want to keep a bowl with the MWC, but if the MWC loses a tie-in with a more appealing bowl than the Potato Bowl and wants to swap the MAC into that one, and play the Sunbelt in the Potato Bowl, that would be fine.
You almost have a situation now in that if the MAC, CUSA, SBC and AAC all want 5 bowls they are going to have to play each other.
This is what I am projecting for the 4 conferences for the 2014-19 cycle..
AAC (6 bowls)
1) Liberty (vs. B12 #6)
2) Military (vs. ACC #7)-Navy invitational
3) Shreveport (vs. SEC #9)
4) Orlando (vs. CUSA)-UCF invitational
5) Beef O'Brady (vs. MAC)-USF invitational
6) New Orleans (vs. SBC)-Tulane invitational
MAC (4 Bowls)
1) Detroit (vs. B1G)
2) Mobile (vs. SBC)
3) Beef O' Brady (vs. AAC)
4) New Mexico (vs. MWC)
Backup: Poinsettia, Armed Forces
CUSA (4 Bowls)
1) Orlando (vs. AAC)
2) Hawaii Bowl (vs. MWC)
3) Armed Forces Bowl (vs. BYU/Army)
4) Little Rock (vs. CUSA)
Sun Belt (4 Bowls)
1) Mobile (vs. MAC)
2) New Orleans (vs. AAC)
3) Little Rock (vs. CUSA)
4) Boise (vs. MWC)-Idaho invitational
-For the AAC, starting a second Florida bowl makes a lot of sense with two programs located in the state and the destination/recruiting value. Going in on a new Florida Bowl it makes sense for the AAC to partner with CUSA with the AAC bowl in Tampa becoming a MAC match up.
-It would make sense for the MAC to trade out its tie-in with the bowl in Boise with a game in New Mexico so the SBC can take care of Idaho in the post season.
-CUSA will likely be looking at 4 bowl games for a 14 team conference. They over expanded with MTSU and FAU when ECU and Tulane left. They will probably hold onto the Armed Forces and Hawaii bowl because nobody else wants those games.
The B1G is firm about staying in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Since the B12 is losing the Cotton, Pinstripe and Holiday Bowls I think they'll take holding onto the Dallas Bowl seriously.