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Thread: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

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    Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    I can't figure out which thread has actual conference re-alignment discussion given the amount of ULL back-and-forth trash talk. I wanted to start a fresh thread to have some open discussion on Tech's options moving forward. I don't want to blow the re-alignment out of proportion, but it feels like the next couple of months are extremely important to the long-term health of our athletics program. The below breakdown assumes that Marshall, Old Dominion, and James Madison join the Sun Belt conference.

    As it currently stands, C-USA is likely down to 5 teams:
    - Louisiana Tech
    - Florida International
    - Middle Tennessee
    - Western Kentucky
    - UTEP

    The other non-Power 5 conferences have the following numbers (given the assumptions listed above):
    - AAC: 14 teams
    - MAC: 14 teams
    - Sun-Belt: 12 teams
    - Mountain West (MWC): 12 teams

    I can only assume that Tech would have already received an invitation to join the Sun-Belt and AAC if an invitation was going to be extended. Additionally, the MAC and MWC do not make geographic sense, and the MWC also appears to be content with 12 teams.

    Given those assumptions, we have the following options:
    - Stay in a depleted C-USA, with the best possible additions being UConn, NMSU, UMass, and an outside shot at Liberty, to get to 8+ teams.
    - Go independent in football and remain in C-USA for all other sports

    Am I missing something in the above discussion? Regardless, what is the general consensus on the best option moving forward?

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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    So removing EGOs out of the equation conference realignment is less about geography and more about fairy tales.

    The G5 (probably should be G4) schools are by and large interchangeable. From the AAC to the C-USA. None of these schools are going to matter much to the new cartel P5.

    So removing egos, what G4s should do is create real change by forming regional conferences that negotiate tv deals as an alliance not as a conference.

    MWC should add UTEP and NMSU to go to 14.

    AAC should add 2 to go to 16.

    MAC should add Marshall and WKU to go to 16.

    Sunbelt should add 2 to go to 14.

    C-USA is done and the G4s are set.

    Then the G4s (ALL the G4s) should enact a scheduling agreement similar to what the pac12 and the big10 did. The time for pettiness is behind you. If you are in a G4 conference you are all in the same boat.

  3. #3
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    I think ESPN is the biggest player (winner?) in all of this.

    AAC (ESPN) picks 6 schools from C-USA (CBS/Stadium) after trying to poach from MWC (CBS/FOX)
    SBC (ESPN) picks 1-3 schools from C-USA

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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    We're pretty much screwed. How much does the SBC hate us (or how much have we pissed them off over the years) to take a FCS school over us:

    https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/college-football/conference-realignment-sun-belt-reportedly-adding-4-new-members/

    S
    o, who's left with out a conference? Tech, WKU, FIU, UTEP, and MTSU, plus the independents, Liberty, Army, UMass, UConn and NMSU. What a misfit collection of misfits.

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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by kfj View Post
    Tech, WKU, FIU, UTEP, and MTSU, plus the independents, Liberty, Army, UMass, UConn and NMSU. What a misfit collection of misfits.
    Invite all the other misfits to join.

    It wont be pretty, but it'll do in a pinch.

  6. #6
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by TruDawg View Post
    I can't figure out which thread has actual conference re-alignment discussion given the amount of ULL back-and-forth trash talk. I wanted to start a fresh thread to have some open discussion on Tech's options moving forward. I don't want to blow the re-alignment out of proportion, but it feels like the next couple of months are extremely important to the long-term health of our athletics program. The below breakdown assumes that Marshall, Old Dominion, and James Madison join the Sun Belt conference.

    As it currently stands, C-USA is likely down to 5 teams:
    - Louisiana Tech
    - Florida International
    - Middle Tennessee
    - Western Kentucky
    - UTEP

    The other non-Power 5 conferences have the following numbers (given the assumptions listed above):
    - AAC: 14 teams
    - MAC: 14 teams
    - Sun-Belt: 12 teams
    - Mountain West (MWC): 12 teams
    The MAC only has 12 members and the Sun Belt will be up to 14 members with the addition of USM, JMU, ODU and Marshall.

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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by Champ967 View Post
    Invite all the other misfits to join.

    It wont be pretty, but it'll do in a pinch.
    We would need 8 full members to comply with NCAA's rules to survive as a conference. UMass, Army, and UConn will not be sending their Olympic sports to this conference. It's rumored on the CUSA board that Liberty has already said no to CUSA. NMSU will sign anything to join up with UTEP. CUSA will have to call up FCS schools in order to reach 8.

    With the addition of NMSU, we'd be starting at 6 with a vast geographic footprint. Focusing on the area around WKU, MTSU, and Tech will be important. NMSU/UTEP and FIU will probably have to be stuck on islands. Just some options in no particular order are:

    SHSU
    SFA
    Tarleton St.
    UT-A (non-football)
    UA-Little Rock (Non-football)
    Missouri St.
    EKU
    Chattanooga
    Jacksonville St.

  8. #8
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by Dawgonit View Post
    Just some options in no particular order are:

    SHSU
    SFA
    Tarleton St.
    UT-A (non-football)
    UA-Little Rock (Non-football)
    Missouri St.
    EKU
    Chattanooga
    Jacksonville St.
    Hold on -- If UALR & UTA really are in play, then why not add the northeastern FBS indies for football only?

    TECH
    WKU
    FIU
    MTSU
    UTEP
    NMSU
    Liberty (??)
    UTA (non-fball)
    UALR (non-fball)
    Army (fball only)
    UConn (fball only)
    UMass (fball only)

    That's 9 bball, 10 football. Even without Liberty, it's still enough. (barely)

    It would be held together with duct tape and chewing gum. But it's something.

  9. #9
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by Champ967 View Post

    It would be held together with duct tape and chewing gum. But it's something.
    And lets be completely honest, we need those exit fee payouts.

  10. #10
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by JuBru View Post
    And lets be completely honest, we need those exit fee payouts.
    This^^

    Relationships with old members don’t matter. We have to get these fees. I have a feeling we get NMSU because they just want to belong. Just like us now. I agree we have to go for other teams between Ruston and Bowling Green.

  11. #11
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Or…we try to save CUSA, but the MAC (ESPN) swoops in and steals WKU and MTSU. We’re left with no conference and no buy-out.

    If we CAN get into the Belt, we have to.

  12. #12
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by johnnylightnin View Post
    Or…we try to save CUSA, but the MAC (ESPN) swoops in and steals WKU and MTSU. We’re left with no conference and no buy-out.

    If we CAN get into the Belt, we have to.
    For what I was told, the SBC west pushed for 12 or 16. There was no desire for 14, but ESPN stepped in with financial and exposure incentives.

    The SBC east was against 16 because it would still keep the balance of power in the SBC west. So 14 became the compromise after ESPN stepped up.

    There will be no more adds or a push to get to 16. Unless the MWC comes for Texas St, the SBC appears to be stable and content with 14.

  13. #13
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by chew4219 View Post
    For what I was told, the SBC west pushed for 12 or 16. There was no desire for 14, but ESPN stepped in with financial and exposure incentives.

    The SBC east was against 16 because it would still keep the balance of power in the SBC west. So 14 became the compromise after ESPN stepped up.

    There will be no more adds or a push to get to 16. Unless the MWC comes for Texas St, the SBC appears to be stable and content with 14.
    And if JMU can’t get legislative support for moving up?

  14. #14
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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by chew4219 View Post
    For what I was told, the SBC west pushed for 12 or 16. There was no desire for 14, but ESPN stepped in with financial and exposure incentives.

    The SBC east was against 16 because it would still keep the balance of power in the SBC west. So 14 became the compromise after ESPN stepped up.

    There will be no more adds or a push to get to 16. Unless the MWC comes for Texas St, the SBC appears to be stable and content with 14.
    I bet the SBC would take McNeese or SELU before they took us. The administration has burned every damn bridge.

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    Re: Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by johnnylightnin View Post
    And if JMU can’t get legislative support for moving up?
    If JMU wants move up they will be under the lower limit for student fee transfers as a percentage of their total budget by 2026 I believe. I think the percentage is 55%. For the 2019-2020 fiscal year, 66.63% of ODU's revenue was from student fees. To comply with that rule but maintain its current revenue level, right at $5.7 million of student fee revenue will have to be replaced by 2026 with income from another source.

    The situation is far worse for James Madison if it tries to move to FBS. For 2019-2020, 78.45% of its revenue is from student fees. It would have to replace over $13.6 million with income from another source to maintain its 2019-2020 revenue level.

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