I count no less than 3 active threads that concern themselves with some level of cooperation between Conference USA and the Sun Belt. Would a mod like to start a Mega Thread for all News, Rumors, and Speculation on this topic? It seems like 1 of this board’s favorite topics and often bleeds into other threads. Merging existing conversations and encouraging future links to be posted to that thread would be helpful.

Here’s my shot. It’s clear the Alabama schools prefer the east - which means no room for JMU/Liberty. It’s also clear Arkansas St should be divisionally aligned with the Louisiana schools.

The problem is finding a call-up for the ArkSt/LT/UL/ULM/USM division because AR/LA/MS don’t have FCS schools ready to jump.

CUSA is a 2x7 zipper alignment. SBELT is a 2x6 straight alignment (2x7 with UALR/UTA).

(Crossover in parentheses)

Conference USA East (7)
Marshall (WKU - 4:05)
ODU (Troy - flight)
Charlotte (UAB - 5:50)
App St (MTSU - 5:20)
CCU (USA - flight)
GA Southern (Georgia St - 2:57)
F_U (F_U - 0:55)

Conference USA West (7)
WKU (Marshall - 4:05)
MTSU (App St - 5:20)
UAB (Charlotte - 5:50)
USA (CCU - flight)
Troy (ODU - flight)
Georgia St (GA Southern - 2:57)
F_U (F_U - 0:55)

Sun Belt East (6/7)
USM
ULL
ULM
LT
(+ UALR)
Arkansas St
Missouri St

Sun Belt West (6/7)
(+ UTA)
UNT
Texas St
Rice
UTSA
UTEP
NMSU

(05-27-2020 12:22 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Here’s my shot. It’s clear the Alabama schools prefer the east - which means no room for JMU/Liberty. It’s also clear Arkansas St should be divisionally aligned with the Louisiana schools.

The problem is finding a call-up for the ArkSt/LT/UL/ULM/USM division because AR/LA/MS don’t have FCS schools ready to jump.

CUSA is a 2x7 zipper alignment. SBELT is a 2x6 straight alignment (2x7 with UALR/UTA).

(Crossover in parentheses)

Conference USA East (7)
Marshall (WKU - 4:05)
ODU (Troy - flight)
Charlotte (UAB - 5:50)
App St (MTSU - 5:20)
CCU (USA - flight)
GA Southern (Georgia St - 2:57)
F_U (F_U - 0:55)

Conference USA West (7)
WKU (Marshall - 4:05)
MTSU (App St - 5:20)
UAB (Charlotte - 5:50)
USA (CCU - flight)
Troy (ODU - flight)
Georgia St (GA Southern - 2:57)
F_U (F_U - 0:55)

Sun Belt East (6/7)
USM
ULL
ULM
LT
(+ UALR)
Arkansas St
Missouri St

Sun Belt West (6/7)
(+ UTA)
UNT
Texas St
Rice
UTSA
UTEP
NMSU

I think you just keep NMSU indy and leave the Sun Belt at 10 football teams

The SBC-W should join the MWC en masse. The leftovers join CUSA

Let me say first that I am very much in favor of a realignment that puts App State in a league that makes sense for savings on travel for non revenue sports. Heaven knows we need all the savings we can get after yesterday's sad news. Also, I would prefer, for recruiting purposes and fan interest, that App play schools like Charlotte and Marshall over Texas State and ULM. Even the Florida schools would be preferable over Texas schools. Last I counted, App had 14 players from Florida for football and none from Texas. In a realignment, sure, I would miss playing western SB members like Arkansas State and Louisiana, but they can always be played in non conference games.

Setting that aside, though, and looking just at the SB vs. C-USA, it's clear which league came out the winner in realignment, despite the winner seeing five schools leaving for the loser.

- C-USA stretches farther west (El Paso vs. San Marcos), east (Norfolk vs. Conway, SC), north (Huntington, WV vs. Boone, NC) and south (Miami vs. Mobile, AL). When TV revenue is pretty much equal in each league, travel costs tilt the scales. Advantage: Sun Belt

- C-USA divides CFP revenue among 14 members. The SB divides it among only 10. Even for the NCAA tournament, C-USA divides among 14 vs. 12 for the SB. Both are one bid leagues. Advantage: Sun Belt

- CFP revenue is in part based on performance. The SB has had the upper hand most of the past six years here as well. Advantage: Sun Belt

- One league has a contract with ESPN, putting all games on ESPN/2/U/+. The other has games scattered across CBSSN, the NFL Network, Facebook, Stadium, and maybe other platforms. Their own fans are confused where to find their games. Advantage: Sun Belt

- In fairness, I'll acknowledge an area where C-USA has something I wish the SB had: better bowl tie ins. C-USA has a tie in with a P5 league (see La. Tech bowl vs. Miami while 12-1, 20th ranked App State played 8-4 UAB). They also have a tie in with better AAC teams (see FAU vs. SMU while the SB's Cure Bowl team gets a 6-6ish AAC team, if there are enough bowl eligible AAC teams). Advantage: C-USA.

All this to say I'm glad App is in the SB rather than C-USA, but I would still prefer a league with more nearby opponents and fewer ones who are far away.

So looking at the CUSA/SBC realignment idea, I pulled a string and it began a chain reaction affecting no fewer than 10 Division I conferences.

It starts with CUSA and SBC deciding to regionalize. However, Texas St and UL Monroe are not included as voted by the other schools. Instead, they head down to FCS (Southland) along with New Mexico St. CUSA and SBC split after inviting James Madison, Towson, Delaware, and Liberty. Southland, now bloated, splits. The Southland "haves" in one league while the WAC reforms with the other Southland schools plus a couple others. The WAC football join a new-look Summit which lost some and added some. CAA football "enhances" after Connecticut and Massachusetts see the writing on the wall and drop to FCS.

Here's how it shook out:

> Schools are full, football-playing members, unless otherwise designated
> Conferences rosters only provided for new (or mostly new) conferences

-- FBS --

Sun Belt: new version after reshuffle and drops
West: UTEP, UTSA, North Texas, Rice, Louisiana Tech, UL Lafayette
East: Arkansas St, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee St, Southern Miss, UAB, South Alabama

CUSA: new version after reshuffle and additions
North: Delaware, Towson, Marshall, James Madison, Old Dominion, Liberty, Charlotte
South: Appalachian St, Georgia St, Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, Troy, Florida Atlantic, Florida International

-- FCS --

Southland: new version after split and additions
New Mexico St, Texas St, Sam Houston St, Stephen F. Austin St, Lamar, Central Arkansas, UL Monroe, Northwestern St, McNeese St, Nicholls St, Southeastern Louisiana

Big Sky: same minus Northern Colorado and Southern Utah

MVC: same minus Valparaiso but plus North Dakota, North Dakota St, South Dakota, and South Dakota St (MVFC folds)

CAA: same minus Delaware, James Madison, and Towson but plus Connecticut and Massachusetts for football-only

Summit: new version (now sponsoring football)
Western Illinois, Northern Colorado, Southern Utah, St. Thomas (membership assumed)
Non-football members: Chicago St, Omaha, UMKC, UALR, UT Arlington
Football-only: Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, Tarleton St, Dixie St (all WAC football-playing schools)

-- NON-FOOTBALL --

Horizon: same plus Valparaiso

WAC: new version
Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, UTRGV, Tarleton St, New Orleans, Oral Roberts, Denver, Dixie St, Utah Valley, Grand Canyon, California Baptist, Seattle