ESPN KC's Mid Major Top 10

[Talon90]

Mean Green moving up!

GMG!

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33251350/wyoming-new-no-2-kevin-connors-mid-major-top-10-basketball-family-thrives-detroit-mercy

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Talon90

[UNTcrazy727]

I don't understand why UAB is still regarded so highly when they've lost to a mediocre Rice team and an awful Marshall team that was without their best player. 

[Mab2015]

Not sure if this has been addressed on this site before, but will UNT and UAB still be considered mid-major when they move to the American? I’d have to think sharing a conference with Memphis, Wichita St and Temple might change things. 

[Eagle71]

Don't overlook Rice.  We lost down there two years ago.

 

[BillySee58]

1 hour ago, Mab2015 said:

Not sure if this has been addressed on this site before, but will UNT and UAB still be considered mid-major when they move to the American? I’d have to think sharing a conference with Memphis, Wichita St and Temple might change things. 

I don’t think there is a clear definition. I’ve seen at least one reputable site (College Insider) exclude both CUSA and AAC teams from Mid Major top 25 consideration. This ESPN poll excludes AAC but includes CUSA. Mid-Major Madness’ “The Other Top 25” includes both AAC and CUSA. 

[Mean Green 93-98]

24 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

I don’t think there is a clear definition. I’ve seen at least one reputable site (College Insider) exclude both CUSA and AAC teams from Mid Major top 25 consideration. This ESPN poll excludes AAC but includes CUSA. Mid-Major Madness’ “The Other Top 25” includes both AAC and CUSA. 

IIRC, the AAC contacted some of these sources that rate mid-majors and specifically asked to be excluded.  All part of the "P6" campaign.

[glick1980]

38 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

I don’t think there is a clear definition. I’ve seen at least one reputable site (College Insider) exclude both CUSA and AAC teams from Mid Major top 25 consideration. This ESPN poll excludes AAC but includes CUSA. Mid-Major Madness’ “The Other Top 25” includes both AAC and CUSA. 

What’s even more strange is that Gonzaga is excluded but every other team in the WCC (including BYU) is included.

[greenminer]

34 minutes ago, glick1980 said:

What’s even more strange is that Gonzaga is excluded but every other team in the WCC (including BYU) is included.

The media is lazy.  Look no further than using "P5/G5" in college basketball lexicon, terms that were originally created in regard to BCS football contracts.

[keith]

The whole mid-major stuff has really morphed over the decades. I will include a link to an article at the wayback machine that gives a perspective of mid-majors back in 2010.

The first use of the term was back in 1977 and was only related to basketball originally (there are a lot more D-I basketball programs than there are D-I football programs).  Over the years it migrated to football and is now generally used to distinguish between P5 football conferences and G5 football conferences regardless of the sport in question, but the term originated way before there was ever a P5 or G5.

Personally, I've never liked the concept of mid-major as a way to distinguish between D-I programs.  We're either D-I or not.  Anyway, here's a link for your journey back to 2010.

https://web.archive.org/web/20100410203339/http://www.midmajority.com/redline.php

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by keith