Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

[Bulldog Tom]

Won’t feel much like separation and we won’t be looking down into anyone’s basement when we’re playing Sam Houston State!

That's sad, but true. In football, the Belt has been better for the last 2-3 years, other sports not so much.

None of this might matter as much once the autonomy conferences break away. I use to think this would happen within my lifetime, but farther down the road. Now I think it is going to happen sooner rather than later.

Once that happens the only money, we will be getting is our conference tv money (pennies) and money from away games played at the autonomy conference schools, if that is offered to us.

[Dowty]

Tech should take its share of the exit fees, go Independent for a bit, make some money, and look for something when the next round of poaching happens. There's no reason to stick around in some piecemeal conference where we're traveling all over the place to play FCS teams that are only getting called up because Judy needs them to keep her job. Screw the CUSA teams that are still here. Once USM jumped, we had no one left worth caring about. We just need to take care of ourselves.

[TruDawg]

Tech should take its share of the exit fees, go Independent for a bit, make some money, and look for something when the next round of poaching happens. There's no reason to stick around in some piecemeal conference where we're traveling all over the place to play FCS teams that are only getting called up because Judy needs them to keep her job. Screw the CUSA teams that are still here. Once USM jumped, we had no one left worth caring about. We just need to take care of ourselves.

I believe independent in football could absolutely work, but how would this function with other sports?

[Gladzilla]

Tech should take its share of the exit fees, go Independent for a bit, make some money, and look for something when the next round of poaching happens. There's no reason to stick around in some piecemeal conference where we're traveling all over the place to play FCS teams that are only getting called up because Judy needs them to keep her job. Screw the CUSA teams that are still here. Once USM jumped, we had no one left worth caring about. We just need to take care of ourselves.

You seriously think that the admin is bold, now that's funny.

[inudesu]

Tech should take its share of the exit fees, go Independent for a bit, make some money, and look for something when the next round of poaching happens. There's no reason to stick around in some piecemeal conference where we're traveling all over the place to play FCS teams that are only getting called up because Judy needs them to keep her job. Screw the CUSA teams that are still here. Once USM jumped, we had no one left worth caring about. We just need to take care of ourselves.

If we want to play in bowls, chance to finally get back into the basketball tournament, return to baseball playoffs we need a conference. If CUSA can hit the bare minimum for members, we can help make up for the travel costs to El Paso and Miami by playing our non-conference games nearby (there are lots of OOC options in the region now). If we have 7 CUSA games (half of which will be at home) and then pad the OOC with a money game or two plus some mix of UNT/USM/Rice (we already have USA and SMU on the schedule I think) then that's not terribly worse from a travel standpoint than we often see now (a little worse, not a whole lot worse). Ride that out for a few years and maybe the Big 12 adds Memphis or the MWC expands somehow to 14 (without adding just FCS programs or UTEP or whatever, maybe tries to get into Texas) and then we cross our fingers for a spot to open up. Or maybe something bigger happens.

But Independent is no fun.

[Dowty]

If we want to play in bowls, chance to finally get back into the basketball tournament, return to baseball playoffs we need a conference. If CUSA can hit the bare minimum for members, we can help make up for the travel costs to El Paso and Miami by playing our non-conference games nearby (there are lots of OOC options in the region now). If we have 7 CUSA games (half of which will be at home) and then pad the OOC with a money game or two plus some mix of UNT/USM/Rice (we already have USA and SMU on the schedule I think) then that's not terribly worse from a travel standpoint than we often see now (a little worse, not a whole lot worse). Ride that out for a few years and maybe the Big 12 adds Memphis or the MWC expands somehow to 14 (without adding just FCS programs or UTEP or whatever, maybe tries to get into Texas) and then we cross our fingers for a spot to open up. Or maybe something bigger happens.

But Independent is no fun.

You only need a conference for 2 of those. Those sports can join their own conference without football, and we can still play in bowls without a conference affiliation.

There are more than enough regional teams to play competitive, equally-matched games or whatever you want to call it for most of the season, while also having a couple of money games and without being forced to play whatever becomes of CUSA. It wouldn't be that hard to pull off until the next round of realignment.

[Mad Italian]

Just saw ODU makes it official going to Sun Belt!

[techman05]

Looking more and more like we will not have a conference at all in 2 years. No exit fee income. We need to have a landing spot worked out before 2023.

[inudesu]

You only need a conference for 2 of those. Those sports can join their own conference without football, and we can still play in bowls without a conference affiliation.

There are more than enough regional teams to play competitive, equally-matched games or whatever you want to call it for most of the season, while also having a couple of money games and without being forced to play whatever becomes of CUSA. It wouldn't be that hard to pull off until the next round of realignment.

There are certainly more bowls now than there were in 1997 or 1999. But as we learned in 2012, most of those bowls have back-up plans already in place. They've all got primary tie-ins and secondary tie-ins already.

And what conference were you hoping to park our non-football sports in while we look around? The Southland? The WAC? Why would those conferences be interested in doing that?

And yeah, there are more FBS teams now than in the late 90s, and because of these giant conferences in the region all those school have fewer non-conference options than they once did (like SMU and UNT can't play OOC anymore). But the middle and later part of the season can get pretty bare when everyone else is in conference mode. If we're going to be playing UMass and UConn anyway in November, we might as well be playing FIU and UTEP so we can get some scraps of the football playoff money and keep some bowl ties.

Neither is what we'd want but if the choices are crappy CUSA (FIU, MTSU, WKU, UTEP + FCS call-ups) for a few years or Independent for a few years, I think CUSA is the way to go. In either case, the "for a few years" is the key. We really need the new trend in conferences to go to 16 (or another big to medium trickle down shake-up).

[SicemDawgz]

Power 4? Where is the Big 12 going?

Texas an Oklahoma was the bell cow for the Big 12, and now that they are gone, that conference will fall apart. I won’t be surprised to see the B1G go after Kansas and possibly WVU if they ever become a member of the AAU. That’s coming soon.

[BhadDawg]

We may not like the look of CUSA in two years, but if we can hold it together, we NEED to hold it together. Independence does not seem to be the path that can keep us at any kind of FBS level that we want.

Unless you are ND with your own TV contract, pickings will be slim when it comes to recruiting and finances. BYU saw the handwriting on the wall, they know affiliation is better than independence and they do have a national following.

The object is for us to get to eight in all sports, that is not UN-doable, maybe distasteful, but I think can be accomplished. With only eight FB members, we have a very open schedule, we can play seven conference games, play one money game or two, play two OOC games (USM,NT,UAB...) and try to establish some H&H games with some other TX teams for recruiting. We will also be able to collect exit fees which it seems every defector thinks they will negotiate down, maybe they will, someone more knowledgeable than me will have to explain that though. We really need to be at ten in FB though, that way we are guaranteed more home games and we will be at max payout per team.

We may pull in a couple of really good BB programs also, programs that make tournament appearances and tougher competition helps elevate play across the board. Watching two or three FCS teams come up could be exciting, especially with a few upsets. Some of these FCS teams already have bigger budgets, bigger universities, more population than what some CUSA members have. Maybe create a conference that sticks together, that could be important down the line and maybe develop some notoriety for that.

I am not a sunshine pumper, but no Henny Penny either, the sky is not falling...yet.

We are all speculating on what is going on and the opinions vary wildly, but even under Judy Jeep, there are calls being made, negotiating and bargaining going on, and discussions between universities we will never know about. I don't think this puts us in a better conference by getting these adds, not that naive, but we survive and we have more than enough lemons to open a lemonade superstore!

[inudesu]

We really need to be at ten in FB though, that way we are guaranteed more home games and we will be at max payout per team.

I agree with most of what you wrote, but I think BYU joining the Big 12 was just because it was the Big 12. They weren't giving up independence to go back to the MWC.

And the part above I disagree with - we don't need 10 teams for football. 9 is the ideal number for football (10 is better for basketball).

[BhadDawg]

I agree with most of what you wrote, but I think BYU joining the Big 12 was just because it was the Big 12. They weren't giving up independence to go back to the MWC.

And the part above I disagree with - we don't need 10 teams for football. 9 is the ideal number for football (10 is better for basketball).

You are correct about BYU, they were just waiting it out in independence, but they knew they needed a conference and were able to stick it out until the Big 12 came along. The reason I say ten is if we wanted to develop a CCG, we would have the choice to do so or not do so. I am under the assumption the CFP(?) money is at its max with ten members though, not sure that is enough to justify a tenth member though.

What it boils down to is everyone we negotiate with will have different demands, opinions on who will be in conference with them, some will want to bring along a travel partner. There are a LOT of moving parts in this and I am not confident Judy can orchestrate it all. If we had better leadership from our AD all the way up to Conference commissioner, I would not be nearly as concerned.

[techman05]

Silver lining guys. If we go Indy, we can’t afford to play Southeastern, McNeese, Nichols, or NWSt. We won’t have to risk being beat by our neighborhood FCS members.

[Bulldog Tom]

Texas an Oklahoma was the bell cow for the Big 12, and now that they are gone, that conference will fall apart. I won’t be surprised to see the B1G go after Kansas and possibly WVU if they ever become a member of the AAU. That’s coming soon.

I think the Big 12 will leave the NCAA in a few years with the rest of the autonomous conferences. At least before WVU gains AAU membership. WVU fits muh better in the ACC anyhow.