NCAA Conference Realignment

[venture]

Potentially huge news coming tonight...

Conference USA and Mountain West have announced a joint conference call tonight to announce some form of merger/combination of football programs.

[venture]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...-hike-exit-fee

Report for the Big East conference call today...the Big East has issued invitations to 5 schools.

Houston, Southern Methodist (SMU), and Central Florida will join in all spots.
Air Force and Boise State will join in football only.

The invitations were done little different. UCF was sent an invite separate of the other 4.

The other 4 are conditional upon the remaining schools agreeing to an exit fee increase to around $10 million. However, the exit fees won't be agreed upon unless ALL 4 conditional schools agree to join. Confused yet?

Big East is also still working with Navy to get them to join, but that isn't going so well.

To add more drama to this. MWC & CUSA went ahead to form their merged conference for football only taking it to...22...yes...TWENTY TWO...schools that will compete and participate in a conference championship. Boise State, Air Force, and UCF all participated in the CUSA/MWC vote today but did acknowledge being contacted by the Big East.

[venture]

So ran a new scenario based on this new alliance thing that the MWC/CUSA have. I could see another form with the MAC and Sun Belt. Also in my scenario, the dissolution of the Big East and WAC. Also no more independents. Don't ask me how this would work in a BCS scenario. I would say it could be like...Big 12, ACC, Big Ten, PAC, and SEC are all AQs. Then the MAC/Sun Belt and CUSA/MWC either each have an AQ slot or they compete for one. If there is another Top 6 team from the other alliance combo, they can get an at-large spot. However, as much as I love my MAC...I don't see it happening.

The new conferences in my fantasy world...

Big 12
North - Kansas St., Iowa St., Colorado St., Louisville, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Air Force, Boise St.
South - Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Baylor, TCU, Kansas, Memphis

Side thought...I need to rethink my Big 12 South because holy crap that is a basketball division if I ever saw one. LOL

ACC
North - Syracuse, Rutgers, N. Carolina St., Boston College, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Connecticut
South - Miami (Fla.), Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Clemson, Duke, Wake Forest, South Florida, Florida St.

MAC/Sun Belt Alliance
Northeast - Ohio, Buffalo, Akron, Temple, Umass, E. Michigan, Kent St.
Northwest - C. Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, W. Michigan, Ball St.
Southwest - La.-Monroe, North Texas, La.-Lafayette, New Mexico St., Univ TX San Ant, Texas State
Southeast - Arkansas St., S. Alabama, W. Kentucky, Fla. Atlantic, Troy, M. Tenn. St.

Conference USA/MWC Alliance
South - Tulane, Rice, Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, Navy, Army
East - Marshall, East Carolina, UAB, Southern Miss, UCF, FIU
Southwest - New Mexico, Wyoming, SMU, Idaho, UTEP, Houston
West - UNLV, Hawaii, Fresno St., Utah St., San Jose St., Nevada

Big Ten
East - Michigan St., Ohio St., Michigan, Indiana, Penn St., Purdue, Maryland
West - Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Notre Dame

PAC 14
North - Oregon, BYU, Oregon St., Utah, Washington, Colorado, Washington St.
South - UCLA, San Diego St., USC, Arizona, Arizona St., California, Stanford

SEC
East - South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn
West - LSU, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi St., Mississippi, Missouri, Texas A&M

[venture]

Looks like Boise and Air Force could be stuck and not able to accept a Big East invite. They currently can't find a conference to take their others sports, besides football, since their current conferences won't let them stay. The non-FBS conferences aren't wanting to expand either right now, so they are looking at becoming homeless if they move football to Big East.

[venture]

Some news for us today. OSU and OU are in favor of taking the conference to 12 teams. Texas is favoring 10 teams but could be persuaded. Looks like they just need to tell Texas to deal with it and go back to 12 or even 14.

SEC is still talking with Missouri. Alabama wants them in the SEC East in order to give their blessing.

[Just the facts]

SEC is still talking with Missouri. Alabama wants them in the SEC East in order to give their blessing.

That is because geographically Alabama would have to move the SEC-East if Missouri was added. Alabama doesn't want to play every team in the SEC-East every year.

[venture]

NYT and CBS reporting that Missouri will likely move forward and withdraw from the Big 12 after a meeting on Thursday. Sad to see this happens, but this should give the kick in the pants to get us back to 12.

Also Big East members all voted in favor of raising exit fees to $10 million (from $5M) if Air Force and Navy agree to join. I have to wonder...is $10 million really going to be enough to keep WVU, UL, and Cincy in place if the Big 12 comes calling?

[dankrutka]

I hate the idea of Missouri leaving, but not as bad as I hate the idea of this conference staying at 10 teams. If Mizzou leaves then I hope this leads us to invite West Virginia, Louisville, and Cincinnati to get back to at least 12. The conference could the go to divisions that look like this:

Big 12 North: West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State
Big 12 South: OU, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU

The South would be stronger than the north (like it has been in the past), but at least West Virginia is a strong football program.

That's certainly a drop off from the old Big 12, but it would still be strong enough to fall anywhere from the 2nd to 5th strongest football conference in the country in any given year.

[MDot]

Well, not surprised to see that considering Mizzou's actions over the past 2 years.

[ljbab728]

Well, not surprised to see that considering Mizzou's actions over the past 2 years.

You're right about that. They've been like the smallest kid on the playground when teams were being chosen. They've had their hand up in the air jumping up and down saying "ME, ME, ME".

[kevinpate]

Might be nice if they could somehow take Bevoheads along for their ride. One can dream.

[venture]

CBS reporting that Houston and SMU were contacted by the Big East to join, no official invite just yet it appears.

[Roadhawg]

That's going to be a whole lot of traveling for some of these teams, not just football but there are a lot of other sports that participate more than just once a week.

[venture]

Yeah, especially when Houston, SMU and UCF are going to be all sports members.

[Roadhawg]

If Mizzou goes to the SEC East they better buy a couple 737's or have Scotty beam them to the other schools.

[Just the facts]

If Mizzou goes to the SEC East they better buy a couple 737's or have Scotty beam them to the other schools.

Most of their games would be against the SEC-East. Their travel would probably go down considerably. They border 3 SEC states and we be closer to Atlanta than half the Big XII teams in Texas.

[Roadhawg]

Are you thinking of the SEC West? The East would be farther away

[Just the facts]

Are you thinking of the SEC West? The East would be farther away

Yes - thanks. SEC West. Alabama would have to move to the SEC-East to make way for Missouri and they don't want to do it. Auburn already moved to the SEC-East to make way for A&M.

[Roadhawg]

and what Bama wants Bama usually gets.... if Mizzou want's in they will have to go to the East until the conference goes to 16.

[MDot]

I just now thought of this but if Missouri goes to the SEC, then the SEC will have 3 teams who are called the Tigers.

[venture]

Mmhmm. Talk about confusing. Should know more about Missouri tomorrow morning.

[Thunder]

I don't think Missouri will make that fatal mistake leaving the Big 12. If they do..they can kiss their program good-bye in the SEC. lmfao

[Native Okie]

I truly hope Mizzou does not leave. If they do OU strongly needs to consider a move of their own. Be Pro-Active not reactive.

[venture]

I truly hope Mizzou does not leave. If they do OU strongly needs to consider a move of their own. Be Pro-Active not reactive.

Not going to happen. Even if Missouri leaves, who cares? They are middle of the pack typically for the conference, but do contend for championships every few years. With Missouri leaving it will get the Big 12 back to 12 (hopefully) with Cincy, UL, and WVU. Those schools are pretty close to Missouri caliber, if not a bit higher, in how they compete in football and also media market contributions (except WVU).

[Snowman]

Not going to happen. Even if Missouri leaves, who cares? They are middle of the pack typically for the conference, but do contend for championships every few years. With Missouri leaving it will get the Big 12 back to 12 (hopefully) with Cincy, UL, and WVU. Those schools are pretty close to Missouri caliber, if not a bit higher, in how they compete in football and also media market contributions (except WVU).

If it were not for how unevenly the conference football teams were split then it would have been much rarer for them to play in the conference championships, they were 7th in the conference in all time wins since it went to 12.