American Athletic Conference

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

SLU is in a much better place than the dregs of the Valley. While they aren't exciting, it would be exciting to be part of a conference where middling teams still aren't a major drop to the RPI.

I agree. St. Louis finished in the KenPom top 150 every year from 2002 to 2014. Majerus didn't arrive until 2007, so it wasn't all his doing. Don't let the last 2 lousy seasons fool you. St. Louis is a better program than at least half of the MVC.

[ShockerGorilla]

I agree. St. Louis finished in the KenPom top 150 every year from 2002 to 2014. Majerus didn't arrive until 2007, so it wasn't all his doing. Don't let the last 2 lousy seasons fool you. St. Louis is a better program than at least half of the MVC.

So you're saying they can beat KU too?

[Kung Wu]

Nope. Just a West-Sider.

/me ducks.

/headbutt

[Veritas]

My apologies if previously posted.
Simply anxious to get out of the MoVal

http://www.a10talk.com/a-crazy-or-brilliant-conference-expansion-idea/

[molly jabali]

My apologies if previously posted.
Simply anxious to get out of the MoVal

http://www.a10talk.com/a-crazy-or-br...xpansion-idea/

Maybe just me, but I LOVED this!

[Ta town]

Maybe just me, but I LOVED this!

That is fantasy land

[WuDrWu]

Maybe just me, but I LOVED this!

It's just you.


The good news is that at least this isn't pie in the sky anymore. Progress is being made. IF it can be done, it's going to be done, and sooner than later.

[Jhook89]

I am driving 12 hours for work today and while I'm sitting here I started to day dream about the talent HCGM could bring in if we were attached to a bigger conference... I feel some of the biggest factors that work against WSU in recruiting are conference affiliation (Because what coveted recruit wouldn't want to play against the likes of Drake, Bradley, and Loyola!) and the fear that HCGM will leave for a bigger job. A switch to a bigger conference would drastically improve both of those areas. Imagine what HCGM could get out of kids with first round talent...

[Veritas]

It's just you.


The good news is that at least this isn't pie in the sky anymore. Progress is being made. IF it can be done, it's going to be done, and sooner than later.

Sorry, but I've misplaced my WuDrWu decoder ring. Can you help clarify...
IF it can be done, what is your intel on timeline?

[DwShock]

Has anyone invented a WuDrWu decoder ring? One that doesn't tell us to drink our Ovaltine...

[AndShock]

It's just you.


The good news is that at least this isn't pie in the sky anymore. Progress is being made. IF it can be done, it's going to be done, and sooner than later.

We are getting football?!?!?!

[RoyalShock]

Maybe just me, but I LOVED this!

Besides the geography issues with the A10, there are two things I don't like about the Series A and B proposal:

1. Using RPI.
2. Next year is predicated by this year.

Imagine a situation like Evansville if the MVC were run that way. They were good this year. Good enough to be in Series A next year. But they are going to fall to Drake's level and would keep a more deserving team out of Series A. The converse is also true. A team on an upward swing, who might be NCAA at-large worthy would be at a disadvantage because of their previous year, or due to the aforementioned Evansville. That then brings down the schedule strength of everyone in Series A. With the volatility of NCAA rosters, a promotion/demotion system isn't good, in my opinion.

[WuDrWu]

I might go for something like that if you played an unbalanced schedule though @RoyalShock:.

What about if it's kind of the same set up and you played 2 games against your "half" and only 1 against the other half? Obviously you couldn't have 20 teams....but 16 looks good. 14 even better.

It would never be perfect but it would be more likely the top half wouldn't be punished by being drug down by the dumpster fires and the occasional good bottom half probably gets to build a decent if not great WL record.

[MadaboutWu]

I might go for something like that if you played an unbalanced schedule though @RoyalShock:.

What about if it's kind of the same set up and you played 2 games against your "half" and only 1 against the other half? Obviously you couldn't have 20 teams....but 16 looks good. 14 even better.

It would never be perfect but it would be more likely the top half wouldn't be punished by being drug down by the dumpster fires and the occasional good bottom half probably gets to build a decent if not great WL record.

I love the talk of two halves. A challenge with playing the top half twice is geography and travel. 14-16 team conferences are far-flung and the geographic division structures helps with the travel.

[im4wsu]

I love the talk of two halves. A challenge with playing the top half twice is geography and travel. 14-16 team conferences are far-flung and the geographic division structures helps with the travel.

Travel for one sport is not that big a deal. Travel becomes very costly when all the "olympic" sports are taken into consideration. The divisions could be unique for MBB, unique for WBB and then unique for all the other sports.