Conference Shake Up 2.0

[GoShockers89]

Creighton mentioned as a potential A-10 member here:

http://www.cbssports.com/general/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18045227/vcu-george-mason-butler-in-discussions-to-join-atlantic-10

If they pull this off and leave us in the dust, I will commit seppuku.

[ShockTalk]

Creighton mentioned as a potential A-10 member here:

http://www.cbssports.com/general/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18045227/vcu-george-mason-butler-in-discussions-to-join-atlantic-10

If they pull this off and leave us in the dust, I will commit seppuku.

I like one of the posts in comments where he thought St L and Butler to the Valley would make sense.

[Ta town]

CU fits the mold for the A-10, WSU does not. VCU/GMU really don't fit the mold either but they have F4's in recent history and are in east coast markets.

[SubGod22]

Starting to sound like the "National Conference" may not happen and they go back to some sort of scheduling agreement for football and remain two seperate conferences. That probably limits the ability for Wichita to slide in as a nonfootball member. In a large conference I could see that happening, with a 10 to 12 team conference I just don't.

Also sounds like AFA may head to the BE and that the MWC is looking at USU and SJSU.

[shoxlax]

Don't forget SMU is going to the Big East in 2013, which may be fueling some of the strange Buzz Williams rumors.

Well that sucks. Come on A-10, please, please, please.

[SubGod22]

Don't forget SMU is going to the Big East in 2013, which may be fueling some of the strange Buzz Williams rumors.

Well that sucks. Come on A-10, please, please, please.

If the A-10 goes any farther West, they'd take Creighton. It's practically a private school only conference as it is and I don't see them inviting us any time soon. Seems to also be some talk of trying to get a few CAA teams. Pretty sure they'd like to stay as far East as possible.

Options for us are shrinking.

[SubGod22]

I've been thinking and reading and wondering. What if both CUSA and MWC stay as they are with the only exception being that the MWC disbands football and they all join CUSA for football only? The MWC then becomes a basketball conference and could look to make a few additions that way? If they were to add a team that had football, they'd have to get it approved through CUSA or that school would have to place their football program elsewhere. Would Wichita be interested in joining the MWC if something like this happened? A conference with New Mexico, Air Force (maybe), Colorado State, UNLV, Fresno State and Nevada. They would need to at least get to 8 basketball members. They'd be at 5 or 6 right now depending on AFA. If they went nonfootball, the WAC could benefit as a football conference by taking any school that joined the MWC but couldn't get into CUSA for football. Utah State would be a nice addition if the WAC was open to such an idea.

Hypothetically, if the above worked, they could even try to move to 12 and split an East/West for travel.

West:
UNLV
Nevada
Fresno
San Diego State
BYU
(Utah State, Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Long Beach State, Pepperdine, Pacific)

East:
Wichita State
New Mexico
Colorado State
Wyoming
Air Force
(UTEP, UT-A, Denver, Creighton)

Getting a WCC school would probably be pretty difficult. Not sure UTEP would switch either.

Travel for each side wouldn't be too bad really. And would beat a 10 team conference where travel expenses would go up. A conference tournament in Las Vegas wouldn't totally suck. Air fare is relatively cheap. Hotels not so much. Could it be rotated to Denver to go back and forth between East and West?

Not sure any of this could ever happen, but it's something I've thought about recently. Thought I'd throw it out there.

[_kai_]

I'd be totally down for that move. Also the rotating conference tournament at LV and Denver would be infinitely better than St. Louis.

[SubGod22]

I think the above is my new favorite wish for us. I'd guess that Creighton wouldn't join and would end up in the A10. Maybe we could still schedule a H/H series with them.

Denver and UT-A are both schools I've been hearing some talk about from others. They're seen as schools on the rise and have leadership they many take them in the right direction. This conference would already have two schools in Colorado though and I believe both are already close to Denver (I need to work on my CO geography). Which would lead me to lean towards UT-A and a presence in Texas and Dallas.

On the West, Utah State would be a favorite. Not sure if CUSA would accept their football or not or if the WAC would let them keep it there. Pacific is announcing that they're joining the WCC after next year and I think it'd be hard to pull any of those private schools away from eachother. So I lean towards Long Beach State.

That's a pretty solid conference and one that I'd think would get 4 or 5 bids pretty consistently. At least 3.

Media Markets would be:

2 Los Angeles (LBSU)
5 Dallas/Fort Worth (UT-Arlington)
18 Denver (CSU)
28 San Diego (SDSU)
33 Salt Lake City (BYU)
42 Las Vegas (UNLV)
44 Alberquerque (UNM)
55 Fresno (FSU)
69 Wichita (WSU)
91 Colorado Springs (AFA)
108 Reno (Nevada)
197 Casper (Wyoming)

That's 7 in the Top 50 and 10 of the 12 in the Top 100. Not shabby. And it's balanced pretty well between East and West if that would matter for any reason.

[_kai_]

That would be such a stellar hoops conference. And if I'm not mistaken, would be a decent baseball conference. Not sure how all those schools stack up on other olympic sports.

[rrshock]

Once a year on the other Olympic sports, like previously me ruined, isn't a big deal. I'm betting track and field isn't too bad. Golf is probably pretty decent. The major sports would be in a better place and that is what is important.

[wu_shizzle]

For media visibility and recruiting, we should be playing teams east of us.

[SubGod22]

For media visibility and recruiting, we should be playing teams east of us.

I understand that, but the options are very limited and not very likely. Our noncon schedule would pretty much have to be focused on teams to the East. I would think though with a conference like this, it would become easier to schedule certain teams. This is a conference that would get a lot of respect in the basketball world and could lead to more desireable noncon games.

[rrshock]

This has been quiet for a few days. Anything new been seen or heard?

[SubGod22]

I've been on vacation and haven't spent much time online or looking into the rumors. I'll get back to it later this week.