This is an idea that essentially consists of combining the best teams from a large number of conferences to form one very large, nationwide conference with divisions to reduce travel. It isn't very feasible, and I'm not going to pretend it is likely or even necessary an option. But I think the possibilities are endlessly interesting.

Here are the teams I am envisioning, along with possible alternatives:

East: Connecticut, Temple, VCU, Richmond, Siena, Duquesne, Saint Joseph's, Saint Bonaventure
West: Brigham Young, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Saint Mary's, UNLV, New Mexico, Utah State, Nevada
North: Cincinnati, Northern Iowa, Tulsa, Akron, Wichita State, Illinois State, Ohio, Indiana State
South: Memphis, George Mason, UTEP, Belmont, Southern Miss, Murray State, Oral Roberts, Missouri State
Alternates: Rhode Island, Central Florida, Boise State, Middle Tenn, Bucknell, Detroit, Bradley, Houston, Denver, Lehigh, Louisiana Tech

This conference would have an average RPI around 77, high enough to put it in conversations as a top four conference despite its size (it would be the fourth ranked conference by RPI). Every single team has a 5 year RPI in the top 150, and the divisions are designed so at least one team could be dominant (Connecticut, Gonzaga, Cincinnati, and Memphis).

You can make an 18 game schedule fairly easy with such a set-up, with 9 divisional games and 3 games in each other division. 4 of those 18 games would be protected H&H games played every year. From what I've seen, the conference would promote a schedule in the 20-60 range without any OOC scheduling, with the potential for a very strong schedule if desired.

What is the benefit of having such a large conference? It does three things:

1. Create a large network of media markets
2. Huge inventory, and massive tournament (31 game tournament)
3. Kill off at-large competition in about 6 leagues, and lower the number of automatic bids

So you have a fairly strong conference, with most of the major media markets, and over 600 games in the inventory (counting the tournament). That gives you a huge TV playout, potentially enough to offset some of the funding advantage that the football conferences have and the new Catholic "Big East" will have. Additionally, I think the tournament would be a huge money generator, and good for the teams involved.

A 32 team conference sounds extreme, but I think it is the biggest selling feature of the conference. Everyone knows college basketball is a post-season sport, and this gives these schools the closest thing to the NCAA tournament before the NCAA tournament. In order to win the super-conference tournament, you have to go through 5 games. The winner would get a huge amount of media publicity, and tournaments inflate win/loss and RPI numbers (potentially win up to 5, but can only lose 1).

Finally, imagine what the NCAA tournament would look like with this type of conference in existence. Out of maybe 40 possible at-large bids (with the removal of the A-10, Big East, MWC, and MVC automatics), 15 could go to super conference teams. That means that nearly half the bubble talk and pre-tournament speculation would go to the super conference. When the tournament actually starts, you would have super conferences teams in 10-15 of the 34 games.

I think this sort of thing could even work with football and non-revenue sports. I can go into more detail if needed.

TL;DR: A 32-team conference could dominate media coverage in the post-season, be competitive with power conferences, and potentially be attractive enough to get a better media deal than the conferences could by themselves.

first of all, you have Ohio listed twice

I won't take the easy route and bash you for the plan. There would be some benefits to an association like this, IF the football playing members were independents and wanted to remain so (unless invited to a power conference).

(03-01-2013 09:18 PM)Theodoresdaddy Wrote:  first of all, you have Ohio listed twice

Oops. I think I originally had a different team in that division instead of them. Fixed.

(03-01-2013 09:20 PM)Zombiewoof Wrote:  I won't take the easy route and bash you for the plan. There would be some benefits to an association like this, IF the football playing members were independents and wanted to remain so (unless invited to a power conference).

IMO, no team listed will likely be in a power conference, with the possible exception of Cincinnati to the ACC after it gets raided. I think the MWC and Big East football schools are chasing a dream of BCS money, a dream that will be very hard to achieve.

EDIT: As far as other FBS football schools, I think the football can be managed separately from the basketball, or in combination with the divisions. Heck, you could have a MWC/Big East combined conference, or let the them keep their football programs out of the mega-conference.

(03-01-2013 09:25 PM)College Basketball Fan Wrote:  IMO, no team listed will likely be in a power conference, with the possible exception of Cincinnati to the ACC after it gets raided. I think the MWC and Big East football schools are chasing a dream of BCS money, a dream that will be very hard to achieve.
EDIT: As far as other FBS football schools, I think the football can be managed separately from the basketball, or in combination with the divisions. Heck, you could have a MWC/Big East combined conference, or let the them keep their football programs out of the mega-conference.

Nice read. Feasible or not, I think it's great to think outside the box, taking time to formulate, & share your plan.
Well done sir.

(03-01-2013 10:06 PM)AtlantaEagle Wrote:  Nice read. Feasible or not, I think it's great to think outside the box, taking time to formulate, & share your plan.
Well done sir.

Thanks for the compliments. I know that these sort of ideas are always unlikely to happen, but sometimes it is refreshing to think about conference realignment from a different perspective.

How about a million-bajillion team conference?

I like how no matter how crazy-ass a conference scenario some people come up with, we still can't get in.

you put Belmont ahead of mtsu and then put murray ahead of WKU??? I like the concept but lets not kid ourselves...once oompaloompa is gone, murray will suck like they always have.

FWIW, the conference has 14 FBS members, and several more who have expressed interest into moving to FBS:

UNLV
Nevada
BYU
Utah State
New Mexico
San Diego State
UTEP

Cincinnati
Ohio
Connecticut
Temple
Southern Miss
Memphis
Tulsa

Quote:you put Belmont ahead of mtsu and then put murray ahead of WKU??? I like the concept but lets not kid ourselves...once oompaloompa is gone, murray will suck like they always have.

The conference was formed mathematically, by using the best 5-year RPI marks, with few exceptions (mostly funding based). Middle Tennessee had a 151 average RPI over 5 years, and Belmont had an average RPI of 91. Murray had a 105, while Western Kentucky had a 115.6.

(03-02-2013 09:52 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  FWIW, the conference has 14 FBS members, and several more who have expressed interest into moving to FBS:

UNLV
Nevada
BYU
Utah State
New Mexico
San Diego State
UTEP

Cincinnati
Ohio
Connecticut
Temple
Southern Miss
Memphis
Tulsa

I know that, but none of those members are a threat to go to a BCS conference, with the possible exception of Cincinnati/Connecticut. If those schools leave, they could be replaced with schools like UMass.

Besides which, that breakdown is actually convenient. That gives you a two division football conference, along with the much larger basketball super conference.

This isn't intended to be a non-football conference like the C7, but a basketball-first conference. I know that football still dominates, but I feel that the better option for non-BCS schools is basketball, because of the enormous expense of football.

The intention is to connect the disparate groups that have one common feature, a lack of BCS level funding. They'll never be competitive in football without that funding, but they can be competitive in basketball without horribly sacrificing football.

Again, all theoretical.

The key is you need a way to have a powerful team emerge and have a tough enough schedule to be taken seriously. Did this two years ago but the concept still works. A football only league that the gang of five owns and stocks with their top teams.

Basketball could do a similar concept.
http://www.arkst.com/college-premier-league/