What makes a college basketball conference either Major or Mid-Major?

[WuShock Reaper]

Is it the number of national championships?

Number of teams in the NCAA Tournament?

The aggregate amount paid their head coaches?

Average Conference RPI?

How many years are included?

What is the cut off? Top 3, top 5, top 10 for classification as Major?


I am sure their are a dozen indicators that determine individual's perspectives. I am interested in reading yours.

[WuShock Reaper]

I like conference RPI with a span of like 3 to 5 years, and with a cut off at the top ten out of the 30+ conferences:

Here is the rank of the some of the conferences over the last 3 years using Warren Nolan data as a reference:

1 Big 12
2 ACC
3 Big Ten
4 Big East
4 Pac 12
6 SEC
7 Atlantic 10
8 American Athletic
9 Missouri Valley
9 West Coast
11 Mountain West
11 Mid-American
13 Colonial Athletic
14 Conference USA

[wu_shizzle]

BCS Football.

[ShockTalk]

At one time, ESPN coined the word "Quasi-Major" in reference to the strongest non-P5 conferences in basketball. I think that term does point out the difference between P5 conferences and any other conference. Just like the Big East does not look upon WSU as a good match to be in their conference (for various reasons), so does the P5 look at the Big East as not the same (primarily, football, financial war chest, and general size of institutions).

I pulled my info from CBS Sports on conference RPIs (didn't appear to be their own, but the NCAA's) over the last 3 years. Here's the results based on the average RPI over those 3 years:

1 - Big 12 - 1
2 - Big East - 3.3
3 - ACC - 3.7
3 - Big 10 - 3.7
3 - Pac-12 - 3.7
6 - SEC - 6
7 - A-10 - 6.7
8 - AAC - 8
9 - WCC - 10.7
9 - MAC - 10.7
11 - MWC - 11
12 - MVC - 12
13 - CAA - 14.3
14 - Summit - 16.3
14 - Ivy - 16.3
16 - Horizon - 16.7
17 - Big West - 17
18 - C-USA - 17.3
19 - Sun - 18.7
20 - MAAC - 19

While the Big East has done very well, so has the A-10 in just being behind the SEC by .7. The A-10 is NOT a major conference despite its good showing. Neither is the Big East, particularly in the eyes of the P5 which may be the only one that counts. The Big East is a very strong basketball conference. That's where it ends.

I do believe that there are "tiers" in basketball. Schools within several of those tiers are very competitive with the top tier conferences. This is different than football, but remember, football is in the driver's seat. Right now, if you're not a P5 conference, you're not a major conference.

If the P5 breaks away from the NCAA in football, the drawing line is clear. It's just those 5 conferences.

If there is a break away in basketball, I don't believe the P5 will go by themselves. Too many other quality conferences and quality schools within other conferences. Will a line be drawn with the top 8? Will it go as far as the top 12? There are clear lines at those break points. Unfortunately, the Valley is currently muddying the water as two of the conferences below the MVC above, finished higher than the Valley last year.

Whether one considers the Big East a major conference or not, I don't care, nor does it really matter.

[MoValley John]

The P-5 might break away in football. Might.

The problem is outside of football, the P-5 has a huge problem with scheduling competition. The P-5 cannot and will not support Olympic sports with only 70 teams spread across the country.

I can't see the remaining NCAA teams playing P-5 teams in volleyball, the P-5 would have a scheduling and competitive nightmare.

[WuShock16]

If the Power 5 breaks off, then the rest of Division 1 needs to stop playing them, particularly and especially in football. It would be difficult because of the financial aspect as the smaller conference schools rely on those guarantee game checks. However, refusing to play the P5 schools is the only recourse that the non-P5s could have to send a message to the P5s.

As mentioned, it would be a scheduling nightmare. Not everyone can have 7-8 home games a year. It would almost have to be 6 home, 6 road straight up. Also, it would take a physical toll. No longer would the P5's get to beat up on overmatched FCS and lower-level FBS opponents for 2-3 games in the non-conference slate. There'd be 12 games against mostly equal level competition (not everyone can play Kansas). That would be a mini NFL schedule that would mostly certainly decimate teams with injuries.

[MoValley John]

If the Power 5 breaks off, then the rest of Division 1 needs to stop playing them, particularly and especially in football. It would be difficult because of the financial aspect as the smaller conference schools rely on those guarantee game checks. However, refusing to play the P5 schools is the only recourse that the non-P5s could have to send a message to the P5s.

As mentioned, it would be a scheduling nightmare. Not everyone can have 7-8 home games a year. It would almost have to be 6 home, 6 road straight up. Also, it would take a physical toll. No longer would the P5's get to beat up on overmatched FCS and lower-level FBS opponents for 2-3 games in the non-conference slate. There'd be 12 games against mostly equal level competition (not everyone can play Kansas). That would be a mini NFL schedule that would mostly certainly decimate teams with injuries.

Exactly. The P-5 wants and needs the NCAA. They just want to posture so everyone crumbles and let's them have their cake.

[WuShock Reaper]

"Inside the up-transferring boom: Which schools are winning & losing?" - Sports Illustrated

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/07/18/uptransferring-update-graduate-transfers-canyon-barry-austin-nichols

by Luke Winn
July 18, 2016

Here is an article, on transfers of players from one school to another and the impact it is having, particularly the last five years. What I agree mostly with, is his classification of conferences as being major, but also adding other "perennial power" schools for his analysis.


"...• Transferring from a low- or mid-major to a major (in the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 or SEC).

• Transferring from a low- or mid-major to a perennial power outside the big six conferences (Gonzaga, San Diego State, Wichita State, Memphis, or VCU; Xavier and Butler pre-Big East; AAC-era UConn and Cincinnati).

• Transferring from a lesser major-conference team to a program that won a national championship in the past 10 years...."

[Ricardo del Rio]

All I know is that WSU is mid-major, due to the company it keeps. i.e. Missouri Valley Conference.

[ShockingButTrue]

Billy Packer?

[engrshock]

Having a Div. 1 - FBS football team from one of 5 conferences. Without FBS Football the best a basketball team can be is a somewhat high major team. Doesn't make sense but that is the fact. You can be the worst team in a FBS Power 5 team and your basketball team will be considered a high major team. You can be a school that has a basketball team that makes the NCAA tourney for many years in a row, stays up in the rankings and gets to the Sweet Sixteen or Final Four and they will be considered a mid-major team.

[another shocker]

rdr deems wichita state basketball mid-major. now there's a surprise.

wichita state has one of the top-10 highest paid coaches in college basketball. so, actually, that's the company they keep.

[pinstripers]

Having a Div. 1 - FBS football team from one of 5 conferences. Without FBS Football the best a basketball team can be is a somewhat high major team. Doesn't make sense but that is the fact. You can be the worst team in a FBS Power 5 team and your basketball team will be considered a high major team. You can be a school that has a basketball team that makes the NCAA tourney for many years in a row, stays up in the rankings and gets to the Sweet Sixteen or Final Four and they will be considered a mid-major team.

sad fact