Conference USA General Realignment Thread

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2012 3:40 pm

JPSchmack wrote:

I think you guys are missing the point.

WKU was a Sun Belt school with FCS football. Now they're a Sun Belt school with FBS football. They aren't worse off at all now.

Also, ODU has a board meeting on May 14 in which the realignment will be discussed.

The board actually has little if any information about it and has to go over some briefings first.

I know what you mean, but all of the fans on the FCS board as their whipping boy along w/ NMSU and Idaho. WKU could go 12-0 and they'd all find something wrong w/ it. Points is almost everyone cares about BCS schools. some care about CUSA/MWC. less care about SBC and MAC, even less care about FCS, even less about D-II, right on down the line. SBC vs FCS is who's the tallest midget argument. Both have their fans, I see it as equal to people that like CFL more than the NFL.

D-II board always bashes FCS too, they say why move up to that wasteland just so you can have your name on espn bottom line. The more air time the better but everyone wants to find a way to knock someone who is seen as better than them when they don't see it that way.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Sat May 05, 2012 2:30 am

Wedge from csn board, CUSA could go to 16.

http://blogs.dailymail.com/marshall/2012...additions/

Quotes from Banowsky on a Friday afternoon conference call:

14 schools, or 16?

“I said earlier that we liked an even number and we wanted to get bigger. We talked internally about 16, but our focus in the short run is probably 14. But you never know.”

8 or 9 conference games in football?

“Not hearing a lot of folks saying we need to move to 9."

Vague about partnering with the MWC:

“Our discussions with our good friends in the Mountain West continues,” Banowsky said. “What form the partnership ultimately takes remains to be seen.”

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7054

Article out of Hampton Roads reporting that ODU apparently believes that they have until June 30 to respond regarding C-USA invitation situation at http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/room-on ... a-decision

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7054

Report out of Murfreesboro that MTSU is still in the mix for a C-USA spot at http://www.dnj.com/article/20120505/BLU ... k-mix-CUSA

Quinn · **Joined:** Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:05 am **Posts:** 3756

freaked4collegefb wrote:

Report out of Murfreesboro that MTSU is still in the mix for a C-USA spot at http://www.dnj.com/article/20120505/BLU ... k-mix-CUSA

I think CUSA dropped the ball in ODU. 2 full months to decide is too long when you factor in the limited ODU value. Granted, mtsu isn't a homerun either.

JPSchmack · **Joined:** Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:21 pm **Posts:** 851

Quinn wrote:

freaked4collegefb wrote:

Report out of Murfreesboro that MTSU is still in the mix for a C-USA spot at http://www.dnj.com/article/20120505/BLU ... k-mix-CUSA

I think CUSA dropped the ball in ODU. 2 full months to decide is too long when you factor in the limited ODU value. Granted, mtsu isn't a homerun either.

I think ODU has incredible potential. No one is really near them in Virginia. They could cultivate a large fan base with success in FBS.

They're in the #36 US Market (!!! surprising to discover). And the area has zero major pro teams. They do have minor league baseball and hockey. But they're also an area that produces some pretty amazing athletes (in baseball, for example, David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman, BJ and Justin Upton).

seanbo · **Posted:** Sun May 06, 2012 2:34 pm

freaked4collegefb wrote:

Article out of Hampton Roads reporting that ODU apparently believes that they have until June 30 to respond regarding C-USA invitation situation at http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/room-on ... a-decision

If I'm CUSA, I'm not waiting to the last day(June 30th) before I go to plan B.

dbackjon · **Joined:** Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:50 pm **Posts:** 267

They will decide before then. Some of the hold up is clarification of timing of when they would be eligible for playoffs or not, and whether the CUSA would take them in all sports but football, then declare for FBS AFTER the season is over, and be on the same track to join as Charlotte. in football.

seanbo · **Posted:** Sun May 06, 2012 10:26 pm

During Fridays CUSA press conference, Banowsky said that Conference USA and the Mountain West continue to discuss a merger and expansion remains a possibility.

"The discussions with the Mountain West are ongoing," Banowsky added. "What form the relationship will take is still to be determined, but both remain committed to working together."

To review, the MWC and CUSA at one point wanted to become 1 merged league with 4 divisions, have a conference semi-finals and championship game. Are they copying a similar conference model.

Compare, the PAC and B1G, two conferences totaling 24 teams, with 4 divisions and 2 CCGs (semi-finals) and the 2 winners meeting in the Rose Bowl (Championship game).

Am I saying that CUSA and the MWC are trying to be the PAC and B1G? Hell no! But, it's not a bad pattern to follow.

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 1491

I was thinking along those lines as well. The mega-conference seems silly, since it would have to be chopped up with divisions or pods that likely wouldn't play each other in a given year.

The deal with football semi-finals, then finals didn't WOW me.

I think the better solution is to remain two conferneces that each have a Football CCG, then try to line up a semi-major Bowl Game on New Year's Day that pits the MWC Champ vs. the CUSA Champ.
Somewhere in Texas - maybe at Reliant Stadium.

So, although nobody would confuse this "alliance" for the PAC12 - B1G, it would be the same concept.

The FBS football landscape would ideally (for me) turn into 10 conferences with no independents.
Here's what I'd like to see:

Army to BE (FB only, just like Navy)
BYU to Big XII (I suppose with Louisville, to give the Big XII an actual XII teams).
Boise back to MWC for all sports
SDSU back to MWC for FB, BW for other sports (just like Hawaii).
This gives MWC 12/10, add UTEP and Idaho for all Sports -> 14/12
CUSA loses UTEP, does not add ODU -> 14 all-sports.
Sun-Belt adds UTA, NMSU
Notre Dame & UConn to ACC for all-sports = 16
BE relpaces UConn with UMass (all-sports).

dbackjon · **Joined:** Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:50 pm **Posts:** 267

Why the hell would SDSU do MWC for football only, and leave other sports in the Big West?

Fans are howling about having basketball in the Big West - they would go back to MWC for all sports.

The Bishin Cutter · **Joined:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:41 am **Posts:** 540

dbackjon wrote:

Why the hell would SDSU do MWC for football only, and leave other sports in the Big West?

Fans are howling about having basketball in the Big West - they would go back to MWC for all sports.

Is it more the Big West itself (competitive drop-off), or the 18-game conference schedule, or both? Wouldn't the obvious thing for SDSU be to take the Gonzaga and Xavier-like approaches and schedule the most ridiculous OOC slates to pad against a potentially "soft" conference?

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7054

Article out of Hampton Roads discussing ODU/C-USA at http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/best-ca ... estination

westwolf · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 10:21 am

Thanks, Freaked. I can see why ODU wants to qualify for 2012 FCS playoffs; it will be a long time before they experience post season play again at the FBS level.

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7054

Article out of Richmond with comments from Richmond AD who believes that a ODU to C-USA announcement "could" be made next Monday.Link at http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/20 ... .lylKRRnwu

Conference USA General Realignment Thread

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