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The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
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Kittonhead Offline
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Post: #61
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
I don't think we'll see a split anytime soon because a lot of CUSA/SBC presidents are probably nervous of getting left behind.

Rice and Marshall have the best chances of coming out on the right side of the split. Rice could go AAC/MWC or into a new SWC. Marshall would be an automatic invite in a CUSA East split, FB oriented split or a MAC expansion because of the name value they bring.

On the other end of the spectrum sits ULM and Coastal. They are probably the last two in any CUSA/SBC reshuffle to get placed. If left out they may have to drop out of FBS without conference money to support their programs.
09-14-2018 10:27 AM
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geauxcajuns Offline
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Post: #62
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-14-2018 08:25 AM)WesternSkillet Wrote:  Every time I see a CUSA/Sunbelt reshuffle thread I think of this article from sports business daily.


A common-sense solution for conference realignment.
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour...nment.aspx

[Image: pg-26-InDepth-Current-alignment.ashx?la=...A7A6A65F62]

[Image: pg-27-InDepth-Realignment1.ashx?la=en&am...712B15DB3D]

This is absolutely the best case scenario for the majority of the current SBC and CUSA schools, with few exceptions. Dissolve the SBC and rebrand it as the new Southwest Conference.

It instantly creates better and more regional rivalries. It’s a shame that the university presidents and athletic directors refuse to see the monetary value in regional rivalries. Then set up 2 cross conference rotating home and home games on a long term basis to help solve OOC scheduling issues.
(This post was last modified: 09-14-2018 11:11 AM by geauxcajuns.)
09-14-2018 11:07 AM
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AppManDG Offline
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Post: #63
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-12-2018 11:58 AM)MarshallHerdFanz Wrote:  Give the SunBelt UAB and Troy. Have C-USA take FAU and FIu
No!!

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09-14-2018 11:41 AM
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JTApps1 Offline
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Post: #64
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-12-2018 11:52 AM)cmett003 Wrote:  I have finally found the best realignment for the 2 conferences.

New Sunbelt (12 football, 14 basketball, UTEP goes to MW)
FAU
FIU
UTSA
Texas State
Rice
North Texas
La Tech
La Monroe
La Lafayette
Southern Miss
South Alabama
Arkansas State
Arkansas LR (bball only)
UT Arlington (bball only)

New C-USA (14 teams)
Old Dominion
JMU
Liberty
Marshall
WKU
App State
Charlotte
Coastal Carolina
MTSU
UAB
Troy
Ga State
Ga Southern
UMass

Although I dont think everyone will be happy with this, its the best possible alignment.

No need to have 14 on the eastern side so might as well let Umass and Liberty stay indy. Other than that it makes sense. Now try to get 26 AD's to agree to this...
09-14-2018 02:39 PM
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TheOriginalBigApp Offline
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Post: #65
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-14-2018 11:07 AM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  
(09-14-2018 08:25 AM)WesternSkillet Wrote:  Every time I see a CUSA/Sunbelt reshuffle thread I think of this article from sports business daily.


A common-sense solution for conference realignment.
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour...nment.aspx

[Image: pg-26-InDepth-Current-alignment.ashx?la=...A7A6A65F62]

[Image: pg-27-InDepth-Realignment1.ashx?la=en&am...712B15DB3D]

This is absolutely the best case scenario for the majority of the current SBC and CUSA schools, with few exceptions. Dissolve the SBC and rebrand it as the new Southwest Conference.

It instantly creates better and more regional rivalries. It’s a shame that the university presidents and athletic directors refuse to see the monetary value in regional rivalries. Then set up 2 cross conference rotating home and home games on a long term basis to help solve OOC scheduling issues.

and every time i see (posts like) this I'm reminded that no one aligns their own school with the F_U's, placing them in the other conference.
09-14-2018 03:19 PM
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Wedge Offline
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-13-2018 12:13 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  There are ways it could all be done "disorderly" and result in no new conference being created.

For example say CUSA East as a group choses to defect (maybe add UAB). They announce their intent to withdraw from CUSA and form a new league.

I agree this is unlikely to ever happen, but it's the most likely (or least unlikely) scenario. The group that moves first has to be willing to take some risks. The key is putting the remaining schools in a position where they have to negotiate with the departing group or try to keep their existing conference together by inviting some combination of NMSU, Liberty, UMass, and schools from the other conference to join as full members.

In your example, 8 CUSA schools depart and there are 6 remaining. The risk for the breakaway group is that the 6 remainers call their bluff by, say, inviting NMSU and Texas State to join them. Then CUSA has 8 football teams and SBC has 9. The breakaway group has 8 schools, but has no autobids and still has to pay their CUSA exit fees. So maybe a departing group of 8 isn't large enough to force the conferences to negotiate.
09-14-2018 03:42 PM
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Post: #67
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
If there is no movement from the MWC and AAC contract negotiations, this is what I would like to see happen...

SWC

West Division

New Mexico State/UTEP
Texas State/UTSA
North Texas/Rice

South Division

Louisiana/Louisiana Tech
Arkansas State/Southern Miss
UAB/(Troy or South Alabama)


The remaining CUSA schools could go to a North/South format with most of the rest of the SBC. Whatever they do, it would have to be enough to finish off the SBC to please the CFP Gods.
09-14-2018 03:57 PM
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balanced_view Offline
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Post: #68
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
Leave things alone for now, and let these current conferences play themselves out for some time. BUT, BUT if change must happen, im all for creating the best combination league of football and basketball that has regional pairs and rivalries as a bonus. let the rest figure out whats best for them after that.

14 teams

WEST:

1. North Texas
2. Arkansas State
3. Louisiana
4. Louisiana Tech
5. Southern Miss
6. UAB
7. USA

EAST:

1. Troy
2. Western Kentucky
3. Middle Tennessee
4. Georgia State
5. Georgia Southern
6. Marshall
7. Appalachian State
(This post was last modified: 09-14-2018 05:19 PM by balanced_view.)
09-14-2018 05:16 PM
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solohawks Online
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-12-2018 04:38 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  If there is a commissioner, or university president/chancellor, or athletic director at a CUSA or Sun Belt school who has the magnetic personality and skills of persuasion to convince the 24 Sun Belt /CUSA football schools (or 26 hoops schools) to realign in a purely geographic manner I would love to be introduced to them.

Now you want to tell me that ODU and MTSU might get disgruntled and try to convince App and another seven to nine schools to join them in going rogue and starting something new? I'll listen.
Want to tell me that USM is tired of how they are aligned and will start calling their peers in the region about a defection? I'll listen to that as well.

There is essentially no precedent for nice, neat, and orderly.

Big 10 birthed anew, MAC as well but with only one charter left. ACC and SEC were the result of members of the Southern Conference getting frustrated and choosing to do their own thing. Big 12 was born out of the Big 8 needing the prime properties of the SWC in order to survive. The Pac-12 emerged out of the preceding conference being in turmoil. The MWC was birthed out of frustration over WAC16. Conference USA born out of the inability of Great Midwest and Metro to meet the new need to have a football conference and resulted in not everyone getting invited to come along. AAC was birthed out of the collapse of the Big East and the Big East football league rose out of the need to have a football league and the Great Metro failing to launch. Sun Belt football was born out of the inability of the Big West to fill its ranks with western schools and the desire of the Sun Belt football members to have a league.

Seriously if MTSU, ODU, WKU, Marshall sat down and said we want a 12 team conference they might well end up producing something that looks like the monthly SBC/CUSA merger posts but it is just as likely that it varies in spots.

Let's start with the above as the premise: ODU and MTSU want to pull an MWC and breakaway from CUSA to start a new. They seem to be the most vocal so that would make sense. Assuming auto bids and CFP payouts were not an issue, who would they invite with them?

MTSU would certainly want WKU and Marshall, while I believe ODU would push for Charlotte and JMU. App St would seem like a logical pick that both camps would support so they would be 7. App would likely push hard for Ga Southern while Ga State just makes too much sense not to include. FAU would be logical #10 as I just dont see this conference not having a presence in Florida.

I'm not sure if they would want 12 or not but if they did I would add Liberty and FIU. This way everyone would have a travel partner.
Marshall-Liberty
ODU-JMU
MTSU-WKU
Charlotte-App
Ga St-Ga Southern
FAU-FIU

UAB would likely want to be apart of this as would Coastal Carolina but since we are starting from scratch, I just dont see either of them having the support necessary to get in, nor would there be a desire to 14 to make room for them.

After this action, CUSA would be down to the 7 CUSA west schools: UTEP, Rice, UTSA, N Texas, La Tech, USM, UAB. The Sunbelt would also be at 7: Texas St, ULL, ULM, Ark St, Troy, USA, Coastal. CUSA west with their Texas core would likely have the advantage and thus could swipe Texas St very easily to get back to 8. ULL and Arkansas St would make a great #9 and #10 and would likely take the CUSA offer versus trying to rebuild the Sunbelt again.

CUSA would be the 5 Texas schools - Rice, N Texas, UTSA, Texas St, and UTEP plus the 5 non Texas schools - LA Tech, ULL, Ark St, USM, and UAB.

The Sunbelt would be in a very tough spot. They would have to give NMSU an all sports invite to get back to 5. They would then have to find 3 schools willing and able to upgrade. EKU was a finalist last time so they might be interested at #6 and Lamar is always discussed so they may be a good #7. Not sure who would be a good #8 and #9 though. Perhaps by the time this happens some of these up and coming FCS publics like Kennesaw and North Alabama may ready. A decent geographic conference could be formed, with NMSU as the outlier of course, but it is doable.
09-14-2018 08:36 PM
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bullet Offline
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-13-2018 11:43 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  
(09-13-2018 01:14 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  I think you are more likely to see 3 conferences instead of one. The western group of the CUSA split to the WAC or MVC something like that. CUSA would be the east schools. Sun Belt would be its own. Few schools from the Sun Belt move to one of the others but not the entire group.

Long-time administrator told me about 10 years ago that only two paths existed in the southeast for the non-AQ. Two mid-level regional leagues and entry league (ie. would take new members from FCS instead of other leagues) or one mid-level regional league and two regionally aligned entry leagues.

The second option is basically here except for the regional alignment.
CUSA didn't listen to that administrator. Otherwise they would have invited Arkansas St. and ULL instead of Charlotte and ODU. ULM and Troy would be the only Sun Belt schools that weren't "entry level." And Troy only moved up in 2002. 10 most recent moveups are 1 indie, 6 SB and Charlotte, ODU and UTSA of CUSA.

Of course the next 10 include 1 SB, 5 CUSA, 1 MAC, 1 indie and 2 AAC (USF/UConn).
09-14-2018 09:20 PM
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Hilltop75 Online
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-13-2018 06:39 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  
(09-13-2018 05:04 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  That is why Lamar should be in the SBC, and boot UTA back to the WAC. Lamar would make a much better travel partner for Texas State. All I am seeing is that east vs west in the conference who they wanted to join. I bet the west schools would like Lamar or Sam Houston State if they can't have. In the future, I could see Central Oklahoma could be a target for a future FBS team. They could make another heavy populated parts of the state. That is in the future if UCO gets an invite to an FCS conference. Missouri Southern in Joplin could make another sense for their population. You might see some large cities that would love to make a lot of money from D1 fans playing their schools in all sports.

Lamar WAS in the Sun Belt. They left the Belt and did so on bad terms. Theres no interest on the part of the Belt in them returning. The Belt would take NMSU back before they added Lamar. EKU would get in before Lamar as well. Since both would join, theres little chance of Lamar getting an offer.
09-14-2018 11:03 PM
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
David St. Stop the eku to FBS nonsense
Their president recently stated with all
The state budget cuts that is off the table they are staying fcs
09-14-2018 11:05 PM
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esayem Offline
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
Looking back at history, you all should realize these reorganizations never happen. It’s dog eat dog, rat eat rat. C-USA>Sun Belt in the great totem pole of college athletics. Maybe Rice and UTEP escape to the Mountain West, but that’s about it.
09-14-2018 11:17 PM
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Post: #74
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-14-2018 11:17 PM)esayem Wrote:  Looking back at history, you all should realize these reorganizations never happen. It’s dog eat dog, rat eat rat. C-USA>Sun Belt in the great totem pole of college athletics. Maybe Rice and UTEP escape to the Mountain West, but that’s about it.

I agree. There will be no reorganization without movement from above. Then it'll depend on what happens. If one or two AAC teams get called up to the big leagues then they'll reload from CUSA or SB. Depending on who leaves, CUSA might not have the cache to pull from the SB anymore and may not want or need to with 14 currently. If there's a wholesale plundering of the AAC or MWC or both or if the P5 start to canabilize themselves and widdle their conference ranks down to four then there will be larger shakeups and I could see regional conferences form from the aftermath. But it still won't be polite or orderly. We're in a holding pattern for the next 5-6 years probably.
09-15-2018 07:53 AM
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-15-2018 07:53 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  
(09-14-2018 11:17 PM)esayem Wrote:  Looking back at history, you all should realize these reorganizations never happen. It’s dog eat dog, rat eat rat. C-USA>Sun Belt in the great totem pole of college athletics. Maybe Rice and UTEP escape to the Mountain West, but that’s about it.

I agree. There will be no reorganization without movement from above. Then it'll depend on what happens. If one or two AAC teams get called up to the big leagues then they'll reload from CUSA or SB. Depending on who leaves, CUSA might not have the cache to pull from the SB anymore and may not want or need to with 14 currently. If there's a wholesale plundering of the AAC or MWC or both or if the P5 start to canabilize themselves and widdle their conference ranks down to four then there will be larger shakeups and I could see regional conferences form from the aftermath. But it still won't be polite or orderly. We're in a holding pattern for the next 5-6 years probably.

If they can, the rest of the former SWC give Rice the naming rights of the old conference since SWC was an established FBS conference.
UTEP leaves for MWC. S. Miss. and ODU could wind up in the AAC in the future.

SWC:
Rice
North Texss
UTSA
Texas State
New Mexico State
Missouri State
Arkansas State
La. Tech
La.- Lafayette
Lamar
Sam Houston State
McNeese State

La.-Monroe would still be blocked.

C-USA:
Marshall
FIU
FAU
UAB
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee State
UMass.
Georgia State
South Alabama
James Madison
Stony Brook

SBC:
La.-Monroe
Troy
Appalachian State
Georgia Southern
Coastal Carolina
Jacksonville State
Jackson State
Liberty
Kennesaw State
Chattanooga
NC A&T
FLA&M


Little Rock and UTA go to another conference if they do not add football.


We have to remember that there will not be some schools wanted. UTEP blocks NEW Mexico State from joining C-USA.
La. Tech have blocked La.-Monroe from joining.
09-15-2018 01:12 PM
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-14-2018 09:20 PM)bullet Wrote:  
(09-13-2018 11:43 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  
(09-13-2018 01:14 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  I think you are more likely to see 3 conferences instead of one. The western group of the CUSA split to the WAC or MVC something like that. CUSA would be the east schools. Sun Belt would be its own. Few schools from the Sun Belt move to one of the others but not the entire group.

Long-time administrator told me about 10 years ago that only two paths existed in the southeast for the non-AQ. Two mid-level regional leagues and entry league (ie. would take new members from FCS instead of other leagues) or one mid-level regional league and two regionally aligned entry leagues.

The second option is basically here except for the regional alignment.
CUSA didn't listen to that administrator. Otherwise they would have invited Arkansas St. and ULL instead of Charlotte and ODU. ULM and Troy would be the only Sun Belt schools that weren't "entry level." And Troy only moved up in 2002. 10 most recent moveups are 1 indie, 6 SB and Charlotte, ODU and UTSA of CUSA.

Of course the next 10 include 1 SB, 5 CUSA, 1 MAC, 1 indie and 2 AAC (USF/UConn).

I was also somewhat dismayed when C-USA dipped into FCS for ODU and Charlotte for new members. I suspect former member ECU had a lot to do with their inclusion, wanting regional foes. I think they would have been better off with ULL and Ark St, schools with a proven track record. SBC could have taken the "project" schools and JMU and Liberty could have been a part of that.
09-15-2018 01:31 PM
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-15-2018 01:31 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  
(09-14-2018 09:20 PM)bullet Wrote:  
(09-13-2018 11:43 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  
(09-13-2018 01:14 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  I think you are more likely to see 3 conferences instead of one. The western group of the CUSA split to the WAC or MVC something like that. CUSA would be the east schools. Sun Belt would be its own. Few schools from the Sun Belt move to one of the others but not the entire group.

Long-time administrator told me about 10 years ago that only two paths existed in the southeast for the non-AQ. Two mid-level regional leagues and entry league (ie. would take new members from FCS instead of other leagues) or one mid-level regional league and two regionally aligned entry leagues.

The second option is basically here except for the regional alignment.
CUSA didn't listen to that administrator. Otherwise they would have invited Arkansas St. and ULL instead of Charlotte and ODU. ULM and Troy would be the only Sun Belt schools that weren't "entry level." And Troy only moved up in 2002. 10 most recent moveups are 1 indie, 6 SB and Charlotte, ODU and UTSA of CUSA.

Of course the next 10 include 1 SB, 5 CUSA, 1 MAC, 1 indie and 2 AAC (USF/UConn).

I was also somewhat dismayed when C-USA dipped into FCS for ODU and Charlotte for new members. I suspect former member ECU had a lot to do with their inclusion, wanting regional foes. I think they would have been better off with ULL and Ark St, schools with a proven track record. SBC could have taken the "project" schools and JMU and Liberty could have been a part of that.

We’re good with how it turned out.
09-15-2018 02:05 PM
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Post: #78
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-15-2018 01:12 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  
(09-15-2018 07:53 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  
(09-14-2018 11:17 PM)esayem Wrote:  Looking back at history, you all should realize these reorganizations never happen. It’s dog eat dog, rat eat rat. C-USA>Sun Belt in the great totem pole of college athletics. Maybe Rice and UTEP escape to the Mountain West, but that’s about it.

I agree. There will be no reorganization without movement from above. Then it'll depend on what happens. If one or two AAC teams get called up to the big leagues then they'll reload from CUSA or SB. Depending on who leaves, CUSA might not have the cache to pull from the SB anymore and may not want or need to with 14 currently. If there's a wholesale plundering of the AAC or MWC or both or if the P5 start to canabilize themselves and widdle their conference ranks down to four then there will be larger shakeups and I could see regional conferences form from the aftermath. But it still won't be polite or orderly. We're in a holding pattern for the next 5-6 years probably.

If they can, the rest of the former SWC give Rice the naming rights of the old conference since SWC was an established FBS conference.
UTEP leaves for MWC. S. Miss. and ODU could wind up in the AAC in the future.

SWC:
Rice
North Texss
UTSA
Texas State
New Mexico State
Missouri State
Arkansas State
La. Tech
La.- Lafayette
Lamar
Sam Houston State
McNeese State

La.-Monroe would still be blocked.

C-USA:
Marshall
FIU
FAU
UAB
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee State
UMass.
Georgia State
South Alabama
James Madison
Stony Brook

SBC:
La.-Monroe
Troy
Appalachian State
Georgia Southern
Coastal Carolina
Jacksonville State
Jackson State
Liberty
Kennesaw State
Chattanooga
NC A&T
FLA&M


Little Rock and UTA go to another conference if they do not add football.


We have to remember that there will not be some schools wanted. UTEP blocks NEW Mexico State from joining C-USA.
La. Tech have blocked La.-Monroe from joining.

Please stop.
09-15-2018 02:14 PM
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RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-14-2018 08:36 PM)solohawks Wrote:  
(09-12-2018 04:38 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  If there is a commissioner, or university president/chancellor, or athletic director at a CUSA or Sun Belt school who has the magnetic personality and skills of persuasion to convince the 24 Sun Belt /CUSA football schools (or 26 hoops schools) to realign in a purely geographic manner I would love to be introduced to them.

Now you want to tell me that ODU and MTSU might get disgruntled and try to convince App and another seven to nine schools to join them in going rogue and starting something new? I'll listen.
Want to tell me that USM is tired of how they are aligned and will start calling their peers in the region about a defection? I'll listen to that as well.

There is essentially no precedent for nice, neat, and orderly.

Big 10 birthed anew, MAC as well but with only one charter left. ACC and SEC were the result of members of the Southern Conference getting frustrated and choosing to do their own thing. Big 12 was born out of the Big 8 needing the prime properties of the SWC in order to survive. The Pac-12 emerged out of the preceding conference being in turmoil. The MWC was birthed out of frustration over WAC16. Conference USA born out of the inability of Great Midwest and Metro to meet the new need to have a football conference and resulted in not everyone getting invited to come along. AAC was birthed out of the collapse of the Big East and the Big East football league rose out of the need to have a football league and the Great Metro failing to launch. Sun Belt football was born out of the inability of the Big West to fill its ranks with western schools and the desire of the Sun Belt football members to have a league.

Seriously if MTSU, ODU, WKU, Marshall sat down and said we want a 12 team conference they might well end up producing something that looks like the monthly SBC/CUSA merger posts but it is just as likely that it varies in spots.

Let's start with the above as the premise: ODU and MTSU want to pull an MWC and breakaway from CUSA to start a new. They seem to be the most vocal so that would make sense. Assuming auto bids and CFP payouts were not an issue, who would they invite with them?

MTSU would certainly want WKU and Marshall, while I believe ODU would push for Charlotte and JMU. App St would seem like a logical pick that both camps would support so they would be 7. App would likely push hard for Ga Southern while Ga State just makes too much sense not to include. FAU would be logical #10 as I just dont see this conference not having a presence in Florida.

I'm not sure if they would want 12 or not but if they did I would add Liberty and FIU. This way everyone would have a travel partner.
Marshall-Liberty
ODU-JMU
MTSU-WKU
Charlotte-App
Ga St-Ga Southern
FAU-FIU

UAB would likely want to be apart of this as would Coastal Carolina but since we are starting from scratch, I just dont see either of them having the support necessary to get in, nor would there be a desire to 14 to make room for them.

After this action, CUSA would be down to the 7 CUSA west schools: UTEP, Rice, UTSA, N Texas, La Tech, USM, UAB. The Sunbelt would also be at 7: Texas St, ULL, ULM, Ark St, Troy, USA, Coastal. CUSA west with their Texas core would likely have the advantage and thus could swipe Texas St very easily to get back to 8. ULL and Arkansas St would make a great #9 and #10 and would likely take the CUSA offer versus trying to rebuild the Sunbelt again.

CUSA would be the 5 Texas schools - Rice, N Texas, UTSA, Texas St, and UTEP plus the 5 non Texas schools - LA Tech, ULL, Ark St, USM, and UAB.

The Sunbelt would be in a very tough spot. They would have to give NMSU an all sports invite to get back to 5. They would then have to find 3 schools willing and able to upgrade. EKU was a finalist last time so they might be interested at #6 and Lamar is always discussed so they may be a good #7. Not sure who would be a good #8 and #9 though. Perhaps by the time this happens some of these up and coming FCS publics like Kennesaw and North Alabama may ready. A decent geographic conference could be formed, with NMSU as the outlier of course, but it is doable.

If I were planning a split I'd work it the other way, with the 7 C-USA West schools breaking off and adding Texas St, ULL, and Ark St to their number for 10 members.

C-USA East fills their ranks with JMU, GA St, and GA Southern.

SBC membership stands at ULM, USA, Troy, Coastal Carolina, App St, and their non-fb schools UTA and UALR. They can then rebuild with Liberty, NMSU, etc.
09-15-2018 02:16 PM
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debragga Offline
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Post: #80
RE: The Great C-USA/Sunbelt Regional Split
(09-15-2018 02:16 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  
(09-14-2018 08:36 PM)solohawks Wrote:  
(09-12-2018 04:38 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  If there is a commissioner, or university president/chancellor, or athletic director at a CUSA or Sun Belt school who has the magnetic personality and skills of persuasion to convince the 24 Sun Belt /CUSA football schools (or 26 hoops schools) to realign in a purely geographic manner I would love to be introduced to them.

Now you want to tell me that ODU and MTSU might get disgruntled and try to convince App and another seven to nine schools to join them in going rogue and starting something new? I'll listen.
Want to tell me that USM is tired of how they are aligned and will start calling their peers in the region about a defection? I'll listen to that as well.

There is essentially no precedent for nice, neat, and orderly.

Big 10 birthed anew, MAC as well but with only one charter left. ACC and SEC were the result of members of the Southern Conference getting frustrated and choosing to do their own thing. Big 12 was born out of the Big 8 needing the prime properties of the SWC in order to survive. The Pac-12 emerged out of the preceding conference being in turmoil. The MWC was birthed out of frustration over WAC16. Conference USA born out of the inability of Great Midwest and Metro to meet the new need to have a football conference and resulted in not everyone getting invited to come along. AAC was birthed out of the collapse of the Big East and the Big East football league rose out of the need to have a football league and the Great Metro failing to launch. Sun Belt football was born out of the inability of the Big West to fill its ranks with western schools and the desire of the Sun Belt football members to have a league.

Seriously if MTSU, ODU, WKU, Marshall sat down and said we want a 12 team conference they might well end up producing something that looks like the monthly SBC/CUSA merger posts but it is just as likely that it varies in spots.

Let's start with the above as the premise: ODU and MTSU want to pull an MWC and breakaway from CUSA to start a new. They seem to be the most vocal so that would make sense. Assuming auto bids and CFP payouts were not an issue, who would they invite with them?

MTSU would certainly want WKU and Marshall, while I believe ODU would push for Charlotte and JMU. App St would seem like a logical pick that both camps would support so they would be 7. App would likely push hard for Ga Southern while Ga State just makes too much sense not to include. FAU would be logical #10 as I just dont see this conference not having a presence in Florida.

I'm not sure if they would want 12 or not but if they did I would add Liberty and FIU. This way everyone would have a travel partner.
Marshall-Liberty
ODU-JMU
MTSU-WKU
Charlotte-App
Ga St-Ga Southern
FAU-FIU

UAB would likely want to be apart of this as would Coastal Carolina but since we are starting from scratch, I just dont see either of them having the support necessary to get in, nor would there be a desire to 14 to make room for them.

After this action, CUSA would be down to the 7 CUSA west schools: UTEP, Rice, UTSA, N Texas, La Tech, USM, UAB. The Sunbelt would also be at 7: Texas St, ULL, ULM, Ark St, Troy, USA, Coastal. CUSA west with their Texas core would likely have the advantage and thus could swipe Texas St very easily to get back to 8. ULL and Arkansas St would make a great #9 and #10 and would likely take the CUSA offer versus trying to rebuild the Sunbelt again.

CUSA would be the 5 Texas schools - Rice, N Texas, UTSA, Texas St, and UTEP plus the 5 non Texas schools - LA Tech, ULL, Ark St, USM, and UAB.

The Sunbelt would be in a very tough spot. They would have to give NMSU an all sports invite to get back to 5. They would then have to find 3 schools willing and able to upgrade. EKU was a finalist last time so they might be interested at #6 and Lamar is always discussed so they may be a good #7. Not sure who would be a good #8 and #9 though. Perhaps by the time this happens some of these up and coming FCS publics like Kennesaw and North Alabama may ready. A decent geographic conference could be formed, with NMSU as the outlier of course, but it is doable.

If I were planning a split I'd work it the other way, with the 7 C-USA West schools breaking off and adding Texas St, ULL, and Ark St to their number for 10 members.

C-USA East fills their ranks with JMU, GA St, and GA Southern.

SBC membership stands at ULM, USA, Troy, Coastal Carolina, App St, and their non-fb schools UTA and UALR. They can then rebuild with Liberty, NMSU, etc.

CUSA East would pick up App, not JMU
09-15-2018 02:26 PM
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