First for the MAC - I assume that there are a bunch of MAC teams that may not make the 1A criteria (just guessing). Take ECU, Lou, Cincy, Army and Navy and join them with 7 MAC teams. (or if some of the above get the big bcs ring, congratulations and good luck).

What you have left is almost a perfect geographic league, conducive to sensible scheduling and a big reduction in travel expenses.
League 2

UCF - USF (close)
Tulane - Southern Miss (90 miles away)
TCU-SMU (same metro area)
Rice - Houston (same city)
It gets a little trickier here:
Memphis - UAB
Tulsa - La Tech (sort of a problem - tough to get to tech and not very close to Tulsa; can't think of another way to do it; too bad la tech isn't in shreveport ).

Put the league office in Memphis (where c-usa should be located today). EAsily splittable into an east and west (fla, mem/uab, usm/tu in the east; houston, dfw, tech/tulsa in the west).
For EVERY sport except football and baseball, take one trip and play 2 games. Then come home and play 2 games. Just like the PAC 10 and a HUGE reduction in travel expenses.

The football will be fine - it will maintain 4 or so bowl games and will still get a ESPN deal.

And I would argue that every team has a BETTER chance of getting to the NCAAs out of this league than out of the current WAC or C-USA. Basketball tv may be a problem.

I agree U could make a good combined league... though I doubt it will happen. If it did I guess that Lousiville goes bcs. Some bb only go their own way and some fb goes 1aa. USM, USF, UCF, Marshall, tcu, smu, bowling green.

OK, this is a good discussion:

Let's take all 54 non-BCS I-A teams and re-arrange them (after delections to I-AA) into a few workable conferences.

MWC (8 - 1 + 1 = 8 teams):
= Utah, BYU, ColState, NewMex, SDSU, UNLV, AirForce
+ add Hawaii
- lose Wyom - drops FB or drops to I-AA

WAC (10 - 6 + 4 = 8 teams):
= Nevada, UTEP, BoiseSt, FresnoSt
+ add UtahSt, Idaho, NMSU, UNT from SBC
- lose Hawaii to MWC
- lose La-Tech, Rice, Tulsa and SMU to new SWC
- lose SJSU - drops FB or drops to I-AA

New SWC (10 teams):
= TCU, Houston, Tulane and SoMiss from C-USA
= La-Tech, Rice, Tulsa and SMU from WAC
= La-Laf, ArkSt (or TroySt from independents) from SBC

this alignment allows the SWC area schools to shed high cost travel in the WAC or SBC, as well as shedding the non-FB members from the SBC. C-USA schools get a more regional conference with some traditional as well as some non-traditional nearby rivals

SBC (8 - 8 = 0 teams):
- UtahSt, Idaho, NMSU, UNT to WAC
- La-Laf, ArkSt (or to I-AA) to New SWC
- MTSU to MAC
- lose La-Mon - drops FB or drops to I-AA

C-USA (11 - 5 + 4 = 10):
= Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, USF, ECU, Army
+ UCF, Marshall from MAC
+ Temple, Navy from independents (BigEast right now)
- lose UAB - drops FB or drops to I-AA
- lose TCU, Houston, Tulane and SoMiss to New SWC

this alignment with 8 all-sports members and 2 FB-only teams (Army and Navy) allows C-USA to retain its 4 non-FB schools and shrink the BB conference to a more managable 12 teams. It also shrinks the conference geographically

MAC (14 - 7 + 1 = 8 teams):
= NoIll, WestMich, CentMich, Toledo, BGSU, Miami(OH), Ohio
+ MTSU from SBC
- lose BallSt, EastMich, Akron, KentSt, Buffalo - drop FB or drop to I-AA
- Marshall, UCF to C-USA

independents (3 - 3 = 0 teams)
- lose Navy and Temple to C-USA
- lose TroySt - drops FB or drops to I-AA

========================================

The NEW I-A Non-BCS conferences (new geographically split and after new attendence rules applied)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
MWC = 8
WAC = 8
New SWC = 10
C-USA = 10
MAC = 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-BCS I-A = 44

10 teams trimmed from I-A ranks (10th is either TroySt or ArkSt - whoever doesn't get into the New SWC)

=======================================
BOWLS: (8 team conferences get 3, 10 team conferences get 4)

MWC
1) LibertyBowl vs C-USA #1
2) LasVegasBowl vs WAC #2
3) HawaiiBowl vs New SWC #3

WAC:
1) CowTownBowl vs New SWC #1
2) LasVegasBowl vs MWC #2
3) GMACBowl vs MAC #3

New SWC:
1) CowTownBowl vs WAC #1
2) NewOrleansBowl vs C-USA #3
3) HawaiiBowl vs MWC #3
4) HoustonBowl vs Big12 #8

C-USA:
1) LibertyBowl vs MWC #1
2) OrlandoBowl vs MAC #2
3) NewOrleansBowl vs New SWC #2
4) NashvilleBowl vs BigEast #6

MAC:
1) MotorCityBowl vs Big11 #7
2) OrlandoBowl vs C-USA #2
3) GMACBowl vs WAC #3

I cant think this far down the line. Everything depends on what happens higher up. I read an article yesterday I think from a S fla paper..... the writer said his sources said UM's Ad was leaning toward acc. Rumor has it UM VT and Louisville to acc. this adds 2 very good n 1 pretty good fb program and 1 very good bb program. also fits in with geography. would save Um alot of travel money. If this were to happen then whats next.... the big 10 to add a team??? Nd???Pitt??? BE would still have bcs status for 2 or 3 years Need to reload quickly with programs which have potential . UCF USF CINCY and for fb only Marshall make sense. In a bcs conf and being in fla UCF and USF probably recruit very well. Might be able to hold on to bcs ties with this bunch considering they have a couple of years to improve. then comes the shake out below.... who knows where that goes.

The article says that Miami would consider it IF either Syracuse or BC were also leaving the BigEast for the ACC. That woud mean that only one of Va-Tech, Louisville or the other of Syracuse or BC is even possible. Of that group, I would think Louisville would be the least likely third team in.

Dunno...Louisville probably has a better shot than Virginia Tech in that they bring in a new tv market, whereas VT is in a market where we already are.

From everything I have read on the matter it all depends mainly on three schools (Miami, Syracuse, BC), with a fourth minor possibility(Pittsburgh)

Thing is, I don't see UNC and Duke voting for any expansion because it lessens their hold on ACC politics. And if history holds, then NC State and Wake will fall right in line with the blue two and block it altogether.

I any case the only saving graces for no bcs team is.. #1.... 3 to 5 of them become bcs. 3 to 7 lowest drop out of 1a. will open up chance for 1 or 2 pretty good non bcs fb conferences.

I don't know about that Catdaddy. I've really began to see football really take hold at NC State, and they're building a program in the same mold as Clemson or Tennessee (back when the Vols were just starting to make a name for themselves in football. ;) FBfan, just out of curiosity, aren't there similarities between Amato and Neyland (early years, of course)?

DawgNDuckFan,
I a sorry, but I cannot be of much help. While I am beginning to feel old, the General was still before my time, and I don't know anything about Amato. A humorous note was that Neyland was hired to beat Vandy. How times have changed. I cannot even remember when Vandy was a serious year-in year-out competitor. If Amato is anything like the General, NC is in store for a very good run.

FBfan

Football will never be king at NC State the way it is at Clemson or Tennessee. The Pack has historically put a little more significance on football than anybody except North Carolina among the Tabbaky Rd schools, but even then basketball is far and above their sport of choice.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that. I think changes are coming to NC State, at least. Duke and UNC aren't going to change, and I don't see any prospects for change on the horizon. Wake Forest is anybody's guess, although I think they'll fall lock in-step with UNC and Duke.