Conference Shake Up 2.0

[SubGod22]

A million thoughts on conference reallignment - Sounds like the MAC may have approached both Delaware and James Madison.

[Rlh04d]

I think the announcement today about a new SEC/Big 12 alliance could have pretty big ramifications.

From my perspective, it's the beginning of the four super conferences in football. Clearly the ACC has been left out of the big boy's table. If the ACC football teams see this as the beginning of the end of football relevancy, FSU and Clemson are just the starting point. I'm hearing a lot of talk about Georgia Tech leaving the ACC now as well. If the ACC has a major exodus, they'll continue to poach the Big East as the pecking order goes. The Big East at that point either disintegrates or poaches more from below them.

Also, if the SEC/B12 manage to make that bowl game jointly run, and completely cut out the corrupt bowl commities, it could start another huge swing on football. It makes no sense for them not to do it. Why share money with anyone else? They run it, they split the profits 50/50. Screw the bowl employees that are making millions for doing nothing. Could be the end of all major bowl games as we know them.

I still believe the current move is that the four major conferences will expand to 14-16 teams. The ACC will be devoured and move to take the Big East's position as premier basketball conference. The Big East will die, and the A10 will take over as the second strongest basketball conference.

[SubGod22]

Looking more and more like Arlington will end up in the Belt as a nonfootball member. 10 for football and 12 for basketball. If this does happen, I'd think you could kiss any rumors of NMSU to the Belt goodbye

[SubGod22]

Apparently rumors have been popping up about Notre Dame to the XII on Twitter recently. Everything but football until their NBC contract runs out in '16, then all in. I'm not sure I buy it but it's out there and being discussed. I know every conference wants them. Who would they pair up as number 12 then?

[rrshock]

Apparently rumors have been popping up about Notre Dame to the XII on Twitter recently. Everything but football until their NBC contract runs out in '16, then all in. I'm not sure I buy it but it's out there and being discussed. I know every conference wants them. Who would they pair up as number 12 then?

my guess would be Louisville or Florida state.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Apparently rumors have been popping up about Notre Dame to the XII on Twitter recently. Everything but football until their NBC contract runs out in '16, then all in. I'm not sure I buy it but it's out there and being discussed. I know every conference wants them. Who would they pair up as number 12 then?

Florida State without a doubt.

If the ACC is in play, and it is starting to look like it may just be, FSU is the most desirable. They are one of the only football first schools (along with Va. tech) and they open up the fertile recruiting grounds of the state of Florida to everyone else in the conference. On top of that, they reap the least amount of benefit from the ACC's TV contract.

[Ta town]

One has to hope that the ACC gets raided who in turn raids the BEAST which then causes the basketball schools to break away while adding a few A-10 schools. Then you have to hope that out of SLU, Butler, Dayton ( I think Xavier would be shoe in for basketball only BEAST) 2 get left out and the Valley can then try to add whatever 2 of the 3 are left out.

[DoubleJayAlum]

One has to hope that the ACC gets raided who in turn raids the BEAST which then causes the basketball schools to break away while adding a few A-10 schools. Then you have to hope that out of SLU, Butler, Dayton ( I think Xavier would be shoe in for basketball only BEAST) 2 get left out and the Valley can then try to add whatever 2 of the 3 are left out.

Honestly, at this point, I'd be more afraid of Marquette, Georgetown and maybe one or two others joining the A10. That seems like a lot more viable position financially than starting a whole new league.

[SubGod22]

There hasn't been much talk about L'ville in a long time. Not sure what that means. There are rumors that FSU would only come if Clemson came with them. I don't know if ND would trump that or if the XII would go to 14. If the XII did go to 14 and added ND, L'ville, Clemson and FSU, I'd guess the BE would fall apart in a few years. The ACC would go after UConn and maybe Rutgers from the BE and the BE would be stuck adding ECU, Fresno and Air Force which I think would officially piss off the basketball schools. And the BE still needs to add one as it is. You'd be looking at a very diluted conference with little firepower and way too many schools.

I'm still not sure if a BE explosion/implosion helps CU and WSU. I could see the basketball only schools banding together to form an eastern conference by taking some of the A10. Georgetown, Providence, St. Johns, Seton Hall, Marquette, DePaul, Dayton, Xavier, UMass*, St. Joes, Butler and Duquesne being the premier non-football a conference.

*UMass has at least considered to some degree moving from FCS to FBS.

The best left for WSU and CU would seem to be Richmond, Saint Louis, Rhode Island, La Salle, George Washington, Fordham, George Mason and VCU. That's 10 with most on the East Coast. Maybe 12 with an E/W split would work. But there's already 7 that are to the east. Maybe you just deal with the travel and go with the 10. Perhaps you look to 12 and don't split up in divisions kind of like the A10 now? If you chose to leave out one of the above and to the E/W conference then you leave out one of La Salle and Fordham.

East - Richmond, Rhode Island, G. Washington, George Mason, VCU, La Salle/Fordham
West - Wichita, Creighton, Saint Louis, Bradley, Detroit, Wright State maybe?

I don't know. You could also look into Milwaukee or if you wanted to go even farther west you could consider Denver.

But I think that it'd be more likely that those eastern schools would look to stay together and add with other eastern schools. Perhaps this is where the MVC would pick up SLU. But they'd fight like crazy to stay connected to an eastern conference.

[Good News]

It doesn't look like anyone's posted this yet; regardless, it belongs in this thread anyway.

http://www.cnnsi.com/2012/writers/luke_winn/05/22/conference.rankings/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_wr_a1

Very interesting analysis and conclusions, with a slightly positive implication (so far) for the Valley.

[SubGod22]

I'm not so sure we should be ranked ahead of the A10 and the MWC is still strong with UNLV and UNM and the addition of USU is nice. But seeing those numbers make me feel a bit better about our position. I don't think it'll last, but maybe it's not QUITE as bad as I've thought.

[Rlh04d]

Apparently rumors have been popping up about Notre Dame to the XII on Twitter recently. Everything but football until their NBC contract runs out in '16, then all in. I'm not sure I buy it but it's out there and being discussed. I know every conference wants them. Who would they pair up as number 12 then?

There's almost no doubt about FSU now. I'd say it's at a 95% chance of happening. Supposedly (according to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees), the board is unanimous in wanting to talk with the B12. The football coach definitely wants the move. Ingram Smith had an article out late last week saying the move was "inevitable," and his sources on the situation are supposed to be very good. http://dev.chuckoliver.net/2012/05/f...is-inevitable/

I don't think Notre Dame is in the discussion as a 12th team right now. The rumors I've heard have been regarding joining in all other sports, and football when their TV deal runs out. I think the B12 is looking to go to 12 teams before ND could join, so I see them joining as the 13th or 14th team. FSU and Clemson will bring it back to 12 ... ND would (if true) likely join with Louisville or Boston College to bring it to 14. Boston College is only on the table if ND demands they come, though.

I buy the ND to the B12 move far more than I ever bought the rumors about them going to the ACC. The ACC is neutered through their television contract. The B12's TV deal allowing the sale of Tier 3 rights would be massive for ND compared to the ACC's. The only question is whether ND thinks they have to make a move to stay relevant. Although the relevance of a team that hasn't been in the national title picture in over twenty years, has won two bowl games over that stretch, and has had as many losing seasons as winning ones over that stretch is up for debate. They still have brand power, though.

Also, supposedly Miami was a demand of FSU when things originally started, as well. FSU won't stay in the ACC for Clemson.

[Rlh04d]

Florida State without a doubt.

If the ACC is in play, and it is starting to look like it may just be, FSU is the most desirable. They are one of the only football first schools (along with Va. tech) and they open up the fertile recruiting grounds of the state of Florida to everyone else in the conference. On top of that, they reap the least amount of benefit from the ACC's TV contract.

It's Florida State, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Miami, and Georgia Tech that are the "football first" schools.

FSU and Clemson are almost certainly going to the Big 12. Georgia Tech has supposedly just started talking with the B12 as well. I don't think anyone really wants Miami, although they're still a great ratings draw. And Virginia Tech will likely be in the SEC the moment they decide to expand further. Along with either NC State or UNC, although I believe UNC/Duke are a package deal.

[Rlh04d]

FWIW, according to Chip Brown: The B12 studied the possibility of adding Louisville and it "didn't come back favorably," essentially eliminating them from the expansion talks. Which sounds like Louisville was in when they were the best they could do ... with what looks like the implosion of the ACC around the corner, they're on the back burner. He also said that FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Miami are all in informal talks with the B12. I'm surprised he left Georgia Tech off of that, as I'd heard they had recently started talking with them.

Chip Brown appears to be a double-edged sword. He's essentially a mouth-piece for Texas, so he's very well connected, but he only puts out the info that Texas wants him to put out. Three weeks ago he was saying the B12 was happy with 10 teams and definitely wasn't expanding.

Also to note: TCU and WVU are not voting members of the B12 until June. Nothing will happen until they can vote at the earliest. The time from for anything happening this year is between the date they can vote and the date where teams have to tell the ACC they're leaving ... mid August, I believe.

[SubGod22]

Now there are rumors of either Air Force or BYU joining the BE in the near future. The BE does need another team in the West. Either member would be football only. So BYU's other sports wouldn't be impacted as they're a part of the WCC. AFA on the other hand would need to find a new home for their Olympic Sports programs. I know they were interested in the MVC but that interest never seemed to go the other way. The only other real option for them would be to join the WAC. Question is, what happens to the WAC? Will they add a bunch of FCS and Independents to maintain their FBS status? Would they take AFA as a non football member? If not, what other option would AFA have? Perhaps the Summit would grant them membership. I don't see the Big West or WCC extending an invite. The Big Sky requires football. The Great West may fall apart if the WAC pulls in a few of those schools. The Great West isn't even a full fledged conference I don't think. If it's AFA, it'll be interesting to see what happens to the other sports.