Right now all schools are hurting but particularly G5 schools in spread out conferences. Conference USA is probably the worst conference for revenue vs travel costs. ODU is reportedly spending $4 million per year on travel which is unsustainable in this current climate.

Does this pandemic force conference realignment so that schools align more regionally to avoid stupid travel costs. I think ODU would be better off independent in football and A10 in all other sports, and they would also jump at a magical AAC invite (which probably wont happen). ODU is definitely not the only school going through hard times right now.

Are conference changes coming in the near future?

(04-04-2020 07:15 PM)cmett003 Wrote:  Right now all schools are hurting but particularly G5 schools in spread out conferences. Conference USA is probably the worst conference for revenue vs travel costs. ODU is reportedly spending $4 million per year on travel which is unsustainable in this current climate.

Does this pandemic force conference realignment so that schools align more regionally to avoid stupid travel costs. I think ODU would be better off independent in football and A10 in all other sports, and they would also jump at a magical AAC invite (which probably wont happen). ODU is definitely not the only school going through hard times right now.

Are conference changes coming in the near future?

It would be interesting to see what will happen from now on in college sports. I would think it would be beneficial for schools to realign into conferences based on locations. The issue is the structure between power schools and middle (G5) schools. We all know this is killing college sports but it will not be discussed efficiently. I like what one ECU fan posted on a thread, which shows a more accurate ACC conference:
https://csnbbs.com/thread-896772-page-3.html
It would be great for travel purposes, but it wouldn't be ideal to some people. As for LU, Independence seems to be quite beneficial for now, but hopefully we find a stronger conference for our Olympic sports.

Not in the next two years or so, unless FBS football independence suddenly becomes a feasible option for multiple schools besides the current ones.

Most non-revenue sports already play regional schedules, no matter what conference you're in.

For example, Cincinnati tennis is scheduled to play Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, Miami (OH), Dayton, IUPUI, Western Michigan, Tennessee, Wright State, NKU, Xavier, and Marshall in addition to conference foes USF, UCF, UConn, ECU, and Memphis and tournaments at Purdue, Indiana, Akron, and Middle Tennessee.

So despite being in a very spread-out conference, 75% of the schedule is against schools within a 4 hour drive.


Cincinnati cross-country's only meets are at Northern Kentucky, at Dayton, at Memphis, at Indiana State, at Memphis for AAC conference, at Wisconsin, and at Indiana State again for the NCAA championships.

Cincinnati's swimming's only meets are at University of Indianapolis, Miami (OH), IUPUI, Akron, Northwestern, Kentucky, the AAC championship in Houston, the NCAA's in Lexington, the US Open in Atlanta, and 5 home games against IUPUI and 4 local Ohio teams.

Football only conferences, more regional for other sports.

At the moment it seems like the MAC's travel costs and CUSA's travel costs are just about equal.

(04-04-2020 10:43 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  At the moment it seems like the MAC's travel costs and CUSA's travel costs are just about equal.

I dont see how that would be possible. Please explain.

Potential is there but I'm not sure exactly what that realignment would be.

Would it be driven by destabilized TV contracts? No deal has made a conference rethink itself before.

(04-04-2020 10:49 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(04-04-2020 10:43 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  At the moment it seems like the MAC's travel costs and CUSA's travel costs are just about equal.

I dont see how that would be possible. Please explain.

Nobody but the conference offices traveling right now.

(04-04-2020 10:52 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(04-04-2020 10:49 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(04-04-2020 10:43 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  At the moment it seems like the MAC's travel costs and CUSA's travel costs are just about equal.

I dont see how that would be possible. Please explain.

Nobody but the conference offices traveling right now.

Okay. I get it now, lol.

The story that just keeps giving is Chicago State and the WAC. So, did stoppage help financially for CSU, or did it further cripple? What’s your call, WAC? They shouldn’t be in the conference at this point, but, there they are...

(04-05-2020 08:16 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  The story that just keeps giving is Chicago State and the WAC. So, did stoppage help financially for CSU, or did it further cripple? What’s your call, WAC? They shouldn’t be in the conference at this point, but, there they are...

Chicago State wants to leave the WAC. The problem is no one else wants them. Beg the Summit League to take them.

(04-05-2020 08:16 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  The story that just keeps giving is Chicago State and the WAC. So, did stoppage help financially for CSU, or did it further cripple? What’s your call, WAC? They shouldn’t be in the conference at this point, but, there they are...

The other school I wonder about is Bethune-Cookman. They were in pretty dire straits before COVID got really bad in the U.S.

Quote:"2020 will be a pivotal year in history of B-CU," Chrite wrote in the letter dated Jan. 27. "It will be the year our beloved university prepared to close its doors or it will be the year we turned a corner and began moving toward an exciting future."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news-jo...ate=ampart

That was a quote from the president of the university in a January 27 letter to alumni.

I suppose that the shutdown of all colleges not named Liberty may buy some time for B-CU, but I think that what may happen is an acceleration of its closure.

Conferences don't form or reconfigure because of a short term event, no matter how dire. The same conditions and motivations that existed before this pandemic came will still exist in large measure once it has passed. Granted, many schools will have taken a big financial hit, but that will largely be a sunk cost, not an ongoing one.

Individual schools may decide to change their approach to athletics, but those will likely be ones who would have done so whether COVID19 hit or not. If conferences were satisfied with their geographical footprint before, they will probably still be satisfied.

(04-05-2020 12:20 PM)ken d Wrote:  Conferences don't form or reconfigure because of a short term event, no matter how dire. The same conditions and motivations that existed before this pandemic came will still exist in large measure once it has passed. Granted, many schools will have taken a big financial hit, but that will largely be a sunk cost, not an ongoing one.

Individual schools may decide to change their approach to athletics, but those will likely be ones who would have done so whether COVID19 hit or not. If conferences were satisfied with their geographical footprint before, they will probably still be satisfied.

And if they weren't?

(04-05-2020 11:12 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(04-05-2020 08:16 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  The story that just keeps giving is Chicago State and the WAC. So, did stoppage help financially for CSU, or did it further cripple? What’s your call, WAC? They shouldn’t be in the conference at this point, but, there they are...

The other school I wonder about is Bethune-Cookman. They were in pretty dire straits before COVID got really bad in the U.S.

Quote:"2020 will be a pivotal year in history of B-CU," Chrite wrote in the letter dated Jan. 27. "It will be the year our beloved university prepared to close its doors or it will be the year we turned a corner and began moving toward an exciting future."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news-jo...ate=ampart

That was a quote from the president of the university in a January 27 letter to alumni.

I suppose that the shutdown of all colleges not named Liberty may buy some time for B-CU, but I think that what may happen is an acceleration of its closure.

Guess you didn't take the time to actually research any of this but just reading titles from the same mainstream newspaper and media who said there was no problem ("it's just the flu")which spread this variation of the corona virus. But this isn't about truth as usual, carry on.

It depends on how things go. Aren't school's still collecting athletic fees and the like? Unless school's have to pay a cancellation fee for games should football and the like are called off, wouldn't the schools actually make money? I'm under the assumption that schools have to pay for a football or basketball stadium outside of their school. They may have to pay the coaching staff depending on the contract is written. Would schools be fine with the conference payout, NCAA payout and what ever athletic fees they collect?

(04-04-2020 07:15 PM)cmett003 Wrote:  Right now all schools are hurting but particularly G5 schools in spread out conferences. Conference USA is probably the worst conference for revenue vs travel costs. ODU is reportedly spending $4 million per year on travel which is unsustainable in this current climate.

Does this pandemic force conference realignment so that schools align more regionally to avoid stupid travel costs. I think ODU would be better off independent in football and A10 in all other sports, and they would also jump at a magical AAC invite (which probably wont happen). ODU is definitely not the only school going through hard times right now.

Are conference changes coming in the near future?

https://www.pilotonline.com/sports/colle...story.html

One of the key items in the ODU study was this:

“Conference membership decisions need to be made” to reduce travel expenses and missed class time while generating more fan interest in the form of ticket sales.

(04-05-2020 02:15 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  

(04-04-2020 07:15 PM)cmett003 Wrote:  Right now all schools are hurting but particularly G5 schools in spread out conferences. Conference USA is probably the worst conference for revenue vs travel costs. ODU is reportedly spending $4 million per year on travel which is unsustainable in this current climate.

Does this pandemic force conference realignment so that schools align more regionally to avoid stupid travel costs. I think ODU would be better off independent in football and A10 in all other sports, and they would also jump at a magical AAC invite (which probably wont happen). ODU is definitely not the only school going through hard times right now.

Are conference changes coming in the near future?

https://www.pilotonline.com/sports/colle...story.html

One of the key items in the ODU study was this:

“Conference membership decisions need to be made” to reduce travel expenses and missed class time while generating more fan interest in the form of ticket sales.

Yup---It appears the virus may very well be a catalyst that sets the table for meaningful conversations involving the creation of a more efficient realignment between Sunbelt and CUSA schools.

(04-05-2020 02:15 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  https://www.pilotonline.com/sports/colle...story.html

One of the key items in the ODU study was this:

“Conference membership decisions need to be made” to reduce travel expenses and missed class time while generating more fan interest in the form of ticket sales.

Ah, yes, conference realignment as the solution to all problems. "When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

Changing conferences is not going to solve ODU's money shortfall. If just moving to the Sun Belt makes them happy -- they can apply any time they want to -- then great, it's their decision to make. But... Travel savings are over-exaggerated. It's just a fantasy that 26 schools are going to happily agree on how to be shuffled amongst themselves while also agreeing to let everyone move without the non-movers getting to collect those hefty exit fees.

ODU's biggest challenge is going to be raising money from donors hurt by this year's very bad economy, to compensate for the athletic department being hurt by the same very bad economy, while (if possible) maintaining that article's stated ambition to spend enough money to be as good in basketball as San Diego State was this past season and (presumably) to be one of the best G5 programs in football as well. That fundraising effort is a hard job that they will have to tackle, and IMO the idea of a 26-school conference shuffle is just a distraction from that necessary task.