More Realignment

[ColoradoEagle]

@PeteThamelNYT

BREAKING: Syracuse and Pittsburgh in talks with the ACC. http://nyti.ms/oBLVQK

[emmitt01]

This was all a foregone conclusion. The Big East (with their unbalanced numbers of basketball playing and all sports playing institutions) and the Big XII are gonna be the casualties of this realignment movement. The only real question is which schools will be cut off from the hind teet of the cash cow (Baylor, Rutgers, Kansas, etc) and how long will litigation hold off Armageddon? Those that think the Bog East is gonna be the life raft for anyone are kidding themselves...the "big boys" would love to find any way possible to unseat them from the big boy table.

[ColoradoEagle]

I was thinking more along the lines of the Big East reloading with ECU and UCF, opening two spots in CUSA...

[GrayEagle]

I was thinking more along the lines of the Big East reloading with ECU and UCF, opening two spots in CUSA...

It's looking like anything's possible but I think that you can color the Big East gone as far as a football conference if they lose Pitt and Syracuse. That would only leave two of the original eight and West Virginia is being talked about as a SEC member to match A&M. All of the others are former CUSA members except for Rutgers.

Would the Big East be able to keep their AQ status if they had to take in seven CUSA, MAC or Sun Belt members? I'd say that it's doubtful.

[Rudy]

The best bet for those not getting an invite to the Bc$ are to form 12+ team regional conferences. 3 or 4 conferences coving the West, Midwest, East, and Northeast.

[Green Mean]

Why can't UNT shoot high and try to get in to the Big East if all this happens? I realize its a longshot but we need to whore our school out and see where it takes us. TCU needs a traveling partner. As it is CUSA is pretty meh and you take out UCF and ECU that is a pretty cruddy conference.

[CaribbeanGreen]

I was thinking more along the lines of the Big East reloading with ECU and UCF, opening two spots in CUSA...

Report this morning is that the Big East may try to "reload" with Baylor and Iowa State - both of whom reportedly initiated contact with the BE. We'll see what there is to this one.

[ColoradoEagle]

Well, they're both now gone. ACC will be announcing in a few hours.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/story/2011-09-17/acc-approves-syracuse-pittsburgh-big-east/50448806/1

The presidents of the Atlantic Coast Conference voted Saturday morning to accept Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the league, according to an official in the ACC. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the league has not announced the move.

The ACC has scheduled a news media teleconference Sunday at 9:30 a.m., ET ostensibly to discuss the expansion, but no details were given.

It's also being rumored that the ACC wishlist for #15 and #16 are UT-Austin and Kansas. Just wondering where we shake out at the end of this. Maybe we'll be welcoming our new conference mates Baylor and Texas Tech.

[Rudy]

RV needs to be on the phones yesterday with Baylor, TTU, ISU, Kstate, and anyone else who may get left out, and start forming a conference covering the Central Time Zone. Maybe get Ark St, one of the New Mexico schools, Tulsa, Houston, SMU, Rice and TCU if the Big East gets raided. That has the makings of a decent md major.

[Side Show Joe]

I'm sure RV is working the phones to try and position North Texas as best he can. All we can do is fill the stands and make lots of noise for the Mean Green. With a bad Indiana team coming to town next week, and Tulsa losing their QB, we have a chance to make a run.

If invitations are extended, and replacements need to be added, it will probably not reach down to our level until after this season.

I think as fans the best thing we can do to improve our chances in realignment is to focus on attendance and creating an intimidating atmosphere at Apogee. Post another 28,000 plus attendance for the Indiana game and make playing at North Texas hell for Indiana.

ESPN just reported the ACC has accepted Pitt and Syracuse. It looks like the top conferences are moving fast.

[UNT90]

The lesson in all this is geography means nothing..

I fear what crumbs will be left for the smaller programs (see: UNT) after all of this shakes out.

[Wag Tag]

Super conferences and regional conferences. The rerional make money by filling up stadiums !

[untjim1995]

The lesson in all this is geography means nothing..

I fear what crumbs will be left for the smaller programs (see: UNT) after all of this shakes out.

I tend to agree here. I got to thinking some more about all of this over the weekend and wondered if we get effectively dropped back down to FCS, what will all of these conference affiliationa look like then? If there are 64 teams that will be in AQ-BCS conferences (and Notre Dame), who will be left behind, because there are 68 teams playing AQ football right now (not TCU yet). Assuming this 64 number in 4 superconferences is set, who will get knocked back? Some are obvious: Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State seem SOL. Missouri, West Virginia, Rutgers, UConn and Louisville seem to be the schools that will find homes in the superconferences pretty quick. Two schools that went to BCS Bowls look to be the most in limbo, Kansas and Cincinnati, along with South Florida.

If the ACC gets UConn and Rutgers as curently being mentioned, theya re set at 16. The Pac-16 looks to be set now. So that leaves the SEC with three spots available and the Big Ten with 4 open. It would seem that the SEC will add West Virginia to get to 14. So, after this, there are 6 spots left. Funny thing is that Kentucky wants nothing to do with Louisville being in the SEC, nor does Florida want another in-state conference bunkmate (USF). This could mean Kansas and Mizzou are the new SEC schools. What about the Big Ten? Their academics are supposed to be superior, but the only school left in the group available with solid academics is Iowa State, who brings almost nothing to their table, which means they could be fighting over the KU/MU duo with the SEC. K-State, Iowa State, Cincinnati, South Florida, Baylor, and TCU are going to have find new homes somewhere different from what they have been used to or planning for.

All of this leads to the next level of play. Assuming we see a new separation that is even more clear than today, the teams that will have the FCS-type label will be the MWC, CUSA, MAC, WAC, and Sun Belt, plus, BYU, Army, Navy, TCU, Baylor, Iowa State, K-State, Cincy, and South Florida. That totals 61 schools when you factor in South Alabama, Texas State, and UTSA. Of course, there will probably be some more current FCS schools that can now move upward to compete at this level, as well. What does that mean for the schools at this level? Expenses will really matter now. I can see a few schools leaving the college football business altogether, schools like Tulane, ULM, and San Jose State all come to mind. This could potentially be the final nail in the coffin for the old mindset of "We won't ever be associated with you in a conference." SMU and UNT, UTEP and NMSU, La Tech and anyone else in Louisiana, etc...maybe this ends it. I guess the unanserwable question is what kind of support would schools at this level get in attendance and TV. Would a game between SMU and UNT still motivate you to attend, even if it is a FCS-level game? How about SMU-TCU in the Iron Skillet game, could their fans still get fired up about playing them to create a decent crowd if they are now at the FCS level? Maybe it still would, but knowing how fickle the sports fan of the Metroplex is, I doubt it. Who knows, though, maybe this level would do better than we think? At UNT, we might get better conference opponents, even if it meant less media coverage, which could boost our revenues. This is just crazy that this stuff got here so fast. It seems like it wasn't that long ago that the SWC ruled the roost around here. We barely even got to know the Big XII, in comparative terms. Now, we will truly get the NFL's almost official minor league.

[rcade]

I fear what crumbs will be left for the smaller programs (see: UNT) after all of this shakes out.

Me too. I see no outcome here that's good for schools in UNT's position.

I'd like to see the non-AQ conferences get really creative here and form some kind of umbrella organization. They could schedule each other preferentially and stop laboring under the illusion there will ever be a spot for us at the BCS table.

[TIgreen01]

The superconferences are being created to what end?? Access to more and more TV money? An attempt to get to give the TV execs their coveted "playoff" system by having the conference championship act as a quarterfinal round? If that is the reason, then you have to think that anti-trust lawsuits would be a very real possibility as it would effectively cut out 61 schools from having the opportunity to compete in that playoff.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Super conferences and regional conferences. The regionals make money by filling up stadiums !

--- I think a lot of schools may be ignoring that... If Baylor was in a conf. such as the Big East... they would have be almost completely responsible for filling a stadium (or gym). if a school can't be a "Big Dog" in a Big Conf. then they need to be in a regional one to pull in fans..... a problem for smaller universities especially without their state's name which draw due to state pride.

[Wag Tag]

Playoffs are the next step. You r talking a national championship game that could demand Super Bowl Ad money ! You have to have it set up along the lines of the NCAA tourney where regional conferences are involved and have a shot even through they may not b in a $UPER CONF. This would help prevent lawsuits based on antitrust.

[TIgreen01]

Playoffs are the next step. You r talking a national championship game that could demand Super Bowl Ad money ! You have to have it set up along the lines of the NCAA tourney where regional conferences are involved and have a shot even through they may not b in a $UPER CONF. This would help prevent lawsuits based on antitrust.

If this is the path, what incentive is there for the big schools to join forces, thus making their regular season and path to the playoff much more difficult??

Make no mistake, if a football playoff is coming out of all this superconference consolidation, it most certainly does not include the also-rans.

[UNT90]

I tend to agree here. I got to thinking some more about all of this over the weekend and wondered if we get effectively dropped back down to FCS, what will all of these conference affiliationa look like then? If there are 64 teams that will be in AQ-BCS conferences (and Notre Dame), who will be left behind, because there are 68 teams playing AQ football right now (not TCU yet). Assuming this 64 number in 4 superconferences is set, who will get knocked back? Some are obvious: Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State seem SOL. Missouri, West Virginia, Rutgers, UConn and Louisville seem to be the schools that will find homes in the superconferences pretty quick. Two schools that went to BCS Bowls look to be the most in limbo, Kansas and Cincinnati, along with South Florida.

If the ACC gets UConn and Rutgers as curently being mentioned, theya re set at 16. The Pac-16 looks to be set now. So that leaves the SEC with three spots available and the Big Ten with 4 open. It would seem that the SEC will add West Virginia to get to 14. So, after this, there are 6 spots left. Funny thing is that Kentucky wants nothing to do with Louisville being in the SEC, nor does Florida want another in-state conference bunkmate (USF). This could mean Kansas and Mizzou are the new SEC schools. What about the Big Ten? Their academics are supposed to be superior, but the only school left in the group available with solid academics is Iowa State, who brings almost nothing to their table, which means they could be fighting over the KU/MU duo with the SEC. K-State, Iowa State, Cincinnati, South Florida, Baylor, and TCU are going to have find new homes somewhere different from what they have been used to or planning for.

All of this leads to the next level of play. Assuming we see a new separation that is even more clear than today, the teams that will have the FCS-type label will be the MWC, CUSA, MAC, WAC, and Sun Belt, plus, BYU, Army, Navy, TCU, Baylor, Iowa State, K-State, Cincy, and South Florida. That totals 61 schools when you factor in South Alabama, Texas State, and UTSA. Of course, there will probably be some more current FCS schools that can now move upward to compete at this level, as well. What does that mean for the schools at this level? Expenses will really matter now. I can see a few schools leaving the college football business altogether, schools like Tulane, ULM, and San Jose State all come to mind. This could potentially be the final nail in the coffin for the old mindset of "We won't ever be associated with you in a conference." SMU and UNT, UTEP and NMSU, La Tech and anyone else in Louisiana, etc...maybe this ends it. I guess the unanserwable question is what kind of support would schools at this level get in attendance and TV. Would a game between SMU and UNT still motivate you to attend, even if it is a FCS-level game? How about SMU-TCU in the Iron Skillet game, could their fans still get fired up about playing them to create a decent crowd if they are now at the FCS level? Maybe it still would, but knowing how fickle the sports fan of the Metroplex is, I doubt it. Who knows, though, maybe this level would do better than we think? At UNT, we might get better conference opponents, even if it meant less media coverage, which could boost our revenues. This is just crazy that this stuff got here so fast. It seems like it wasn't that long ago that the SWC ruled the roost around here. We barely even got to know the Big XII, in comparative terms. Now, we will truly get the NFL's almost official minor league.

A friend brought up a good point. It would not be shocking to see the BCS settle on a 80 or 82 team, 5 conference set up to include all current BCS teams, plus throwing a bone to TCU, Boise, ECU and a few others. This may be the way they avoid anti-trust litigation since all teams currently in the BCS will remain.

And UNT will not be invited to the dance, unfortunately. The question then becomes would tfe 38 or 49 schools left out of the party risk litigation. I w think they would have to at tfat point.

Edited September 19, 2011 by UNT90

[mgfan]

What about the c-usa, mac, sunbelt and leftovers from mwc to make a super conference? I came across and like this idea since it would possible for UNT to make it into a conference like that.

[TheColonyEagle]

The “powers” are scrambling and not waiting around…I think the non-AQ teams need to do the same. Talking to a Tech grad this morning about the shuffle got me thinking. He is happy to go to the PAC 16 because as he says….they don’t have a choice. Then he said something that caught my attention. He thinks to be successful in the PAC 16 they’re going to have to get a new coach. Tubberville recruits Texas and his contacts are in the South East. He knows nothing about the west coast plus those kids aren’t going to want to play 3 time zones away where their family can’t travel and can’t watch games. Does anyone else think this could impact recruits? Conference games are going to be starting on TV at 9pm and later. Could be an issue.

My next thought was what we have going for us (and many others I’m about to list) is location. Why don’t the Texas “have-nots” and the Florida “have-nots” get together and become the “anti-haves.” Hear me out. I think we would all agree that FIU and SMU and UH, etc. can be pains to the big programs because they get recruits. There is enough talent in Florida and Texas to go around. We have the luxury of sitting in the 2 most talent rich states in the country. Why not join up now (although not considered “BCS” just yet) and grow something? We’ve seen it with our own eyes with the Sunbelt. It’s just a shame that we may have run out of time but the Sunbelt is becoming a good conference… not based on tradition but based on Performance. Why? Because we can recruit athletes.

Why couldn’t the “GULF COAST” conference work? I think a conference like this could be at the big table in 5 years. What other choice do we all really have right now?

West

UNT

SMU

TCU

UH

Rice

Baylor

Tulsa

Ark St

East

FIU

FAU

UCF

Troy

UAB

USM

Tulane

LaLa

While on the surface and publicly this conference doesn’t get anyone’s attention. But this conference can recruit talent, is geographically based, has media markets and can operate profitably given low travel costs. What a conference like this does is says, “We’ll just WIN our way to the table.” I think a conference like this becomes a thorn in the side of the Big 4 conferences. We start knocking off some of these bigger programs and start showing $ numbers….We can get to the top on merit. Some of these “BCS” programs are selling their soul to get their spot at the end of big table. It’s like that job you sell at a cheap price. You sold the job but a few months later when it’s not going like you hoped, you start to have “seller’s remorse.” Some of these schools are going to have seller’s remorse.

And if any of the teams listed above don’t like that scenario….my question is, what is their alternative?

Are any of those teams good enough WITH media market WITH financial support WITH attendance to be coveted by the 4 super conferences? I know some think they are but they’re holding out for chairs that aren’t going to be there. It may be a lot to ask the old SWC teams to let that go….but if they were smart and proactive, they could be in a good position in 5 years. The problem is everyone is saying, “What are we going to do in 2012?” They’re not looking at 2015.

[Wag Tag]

What about the c-usa, mac, sunbelt and leftovers from mwc to make a super conference? I came across and like this idea since it would possible for UNT to make it into a conference like that.

Beebe needs to b working on this !! He is about to loose his 401k. Think about how many teams n the BIG 12 -2 are n the top 25. He should b fired!!!!!

[keith]

The superconferences are being created to what end?? Access to more and more TV money? An attempt to get to give the TV execs their coveted "playoff" system by having the conference championship act as a quarterfinal round? If that is the reason, then you have to think that anti-trust lawsuits would be a very real possibility as it would effectively cut out 61 schools from having the opportunity to compete in that playoff.

They already have all the money. This is to make sure no one else gets any of it.

Latest I've heard is Mizzou, WVU and TCU join A&M in the SEC. This is getting crazy. Whoever described this a musical chairs is right.

Keith

[cdizzle86]

The “powers” are scrambling and not waiting around…I think the non-AQ teams need to do the same. Talking to a Tech grad this morning about the shuffle got me thinking. He is happy to go to the PAC 16 because as he says….they don’t have a choice. Then he said something that caught my attention. He thinks to be successful in the PAC 16 they’re going to have to get a new coach. Tubberville recruits Texas and his contacts are in the South East. He knows nothing about the west coast plus those kids aren’t going to want to play 3 time zones away where their family can’t travel and can’t watch games. Does anyone else think this could impact recruits? Conference games are going to be starting on TV at 9pm and later. Could be an issue.

My next thought was what we have going for us (and many others I’m about to list) is location. Why don’t the Texas “have-nots” and the Florida “have-nots” get together and become the “anti-haves.” Hear me out. I think we would all agree that FIU and SMU and UH, etc. can be pains to the big programs because they get recruits. There is enough talent in Florida and Texas to go around. We have the luxury of sitting in the 2 most talent rich states in the country. Why not join up now (although not considered “BCS” just yet) and grow something? We’ve seen it with our own eyes with the Sunbelt. It’s just a shame that we may have run out of time but the Sunbelt is becoming a good conference… not based on tradition but based on Performance. Why? Because we can recruit athletes.

Why couldn’t the “GULF COAST” conference work? I think a conference like this could be at the big table in 5 years. What other choice do we all really have right now?

West

UNT

SMU

TCU

UH

Rice

Baylor

Tulsa

Ark St

East

FIU

FAU

UCF

Troy

UAB

USM

Tulane

LaLa

While on the surface and publicly this conference doesn’t get anyone’s attention. But this conference can recruit talent, is geographically based, has media markets and can operate profitably given low travel costs. What a conference like this does is says, “We’ll just WIN our way to the table.” I think a conference like this becomes a thorn in the side of the Big 4 conferences. We start knocking off some of these bigger programs and start showing $ numbers….We can get to the top on merit. Some of these “BCS” programs are selling their soul to get their spot at the end of big table. It’s like that job you sell at a cheap price. You sold the job but a few months later when it’s not going like you hoped, you start to have “seller’s remorse.” Some of these schools are going to have seller’s remorse.

And if any of the teams listed above don’t like that scenario….my question is, what is their alternative?

Are any of those teams good enough WITH media market WITH financial support WITH attendance to be coveted by the 4 super conferences? I know some think they are but they’re holding out for chairs that aren’t going to be there. It may be a lot to ask the old SWC teams to let that go….but if they were smart and proactive, they could be in a good position in 5 years. The problem is everyone is saying, “What are we going to do in 2012?” They’re not looking at 2015.

I understand the logic behind this, but all the private schools just don't get me excited. Plus the recruiting front is going to change significantly once the superconferences come around. I agree there is a lot of talent between Texas and Florida, but I'm not sure there is that much. Just my .02.

[TheColonyEagle]

Plus the recruiting front is going to change significantly once the superconferences come around. I agree there is a lot of talent between Texas and Florida, but I'm not sure there is that much. Just my .02.

See....I disagree. There are still only so many scholarships a team can offer and I believe there IS enough talent to go around. We should be focusing on keeping that talent here. There's a reason Lance Dunbar came to UNT and not the other BCS schools he had offers from. He wanted to play close to home. He's not the only star that thinks that way.