The fact that the MWC is not moving fast on this will keep this scenario from playing out.

The MWC has looked at TCU, which won't happen, but otherwise seems content to wait for a few months.

After the WAC-3 announce their move in early November, you can bet the WAC will have invitations out by Thanksgiving.

Given the current advantages the WAC has over the SB, and the fact that these schools tried to get into the WAC before, I don't see ID, UT ST & NM ST waiting around 6 months or more to see if the MWC makes a move.

Interesting News from El Paso TX.
http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/sports/joemuench/20031017-33914.shtml

Atlantic 10 Update
By Brian Costa

The Atlantic 10 will likely invite four schools to join the conference within the next several weeks, GW Director of Athletics Jack Kvancz told The Hatchet Today.

With the Big East reportedly set to extend invitations to four Conference USA schools, the A-10 met this week and has developed a expansion plan.

While league officials still declined to comment on specific schools they are looking at, the A-10 is reportedly considering the additions the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Saint Louis University, Boston University and Western Kentucky University.

A-10 Commissioner Linda Bruno said that expansion has not been finalized and no offers have been extended but did say that it could be as many as a four team addition.


A-10 3 Division Alignment

SOUTH
Dayton
Xavier
St.louis
Charlotte
Western Kentucky

CENTRAL
George Washington
Richmond
Duquesne
Temple
St.Joseph's
Lasalle

NORTH
Boston University
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
Fordham
St.Bonaventure

3 divisions thats wierd :D i would go with either 2 or 4.

Why is the A10 going to 16????????????

Boston U. has a weak program. St. Louis is middle of pack CUSA. Charlotte is only slightly better. None of these schools have particularly good fan support. Maybe better than the average A10, but nothing spectacular. WKU had a rough decade in the 90s even though they historically have been very good. I can understand the attraction for each of these programs, but I can't understand what they add that encourages the A10 to go all the way to 16 and to expand its geographic boundaries.

Is the A10 expecting to lose some schools? Maybe to a split BE in a couple of years? Any thoughts or insight?

MY guess is that they may feel the future is better with more teams under their umbrella . Superconferences are probably the wave of the future. The conferences in order to get better tv contracts are looking at expanding into new markets . The major reason the ACC wanted Boston College was that they gave them entry into the Boston market. The three teams mentioned Charlotte, BU, and St.Louis will expand their markets into 3 large areas tv wise. I don't know about them losing schools to the Big East, but they may kick some of their bottom dwellers out like St. Bonaventure, Duquesne and Fordham.

This is an edited article. In the origional article, written by Brian Costa, Western Kentucky is NOT mentioned. Someone has modified the story and posted it. NEVER trust an article unless their is a link to give it validity.

Why are we talking about the A-10 on the Sunbelt thread?

Anyway, I could see it if they think the future is 16 team superconferences. I could see it helpingf scheduling, as you have a couple teams that you play maybe every other year, sorta like a locked in out of conference game. But it would also dilute revenue.

If they want 16 teams, then Butler is a far better program in an also very good market than Boston University. As for the Boston market, Umass already gives them that. And if Western Kentucky wants to upgrade football, they might be better off to stay in the sunbelt, or perhaps the MAC.

I see a split into football/basketball conferences and only those schools playing basketball soon.

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

O.k. the sunbelt invites western kentucky, florida-atlantic, florida-international, florida a&m and temple (football only). this will bring back to 11.

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

SunBelt Should Invite Florida A&M and Louisiana Tech, and La. Tech Should Join. North Tx Shouldn't Go to the WAC, and TCU Shouldn't go to the MWC. Any Southern Schools that wish to go I-A should Go to the Sun Belt.

SBC

Ark. St.
Mid TN St.
UL-Laf
UL-Monroe
La. Tech
Troy St.
Florida A&M
North Texas
*Western KY
*Florida Int.
*Florida Atl.
*NC A&T
*Dozens of others I-AA

*Schools that might/should go to I-A

If they get enough teams for 2 divisions, they could swing a second bowl game in Florida

mb I agree with you except teams like montana, montana st and idaho st should belong to the wac. If the teams in the Big west conference. Decide to pursue football again they shouls go to 1-AA then to the wac for 1-A.

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

Here is what I see happening:

MWC: Invites Boise State and TCU
CUSA: Invites LA Tech
WAC: Invites Idaho
Sun Belt: Invites FAMU and FIU.

I don't see N. Texas going anywhere. Adding a few florida schools could increase the possibility of another bowl for Sun Belt. Sun Belt would lose it's western-most member (Idaho) but after losing NMSU and USU, there are no other western schools (save Denver). Western Kentucky should upgrade in football. This would give Sun Belt 9 full members.

I think that the NCAA should at least regulate that every conference in 1-A should have two bowl tie-ins. I think that it sucks when you get second place (8 or 9 win season) and get shafted over other schools in the "better" conferences with only 6 wins. Maybe the NCAA should raise the bowl eligibility to 8 wins. I hate watching those bowls that have the 6 or 7 win teams. They usually don't do very well and I think that an 8,9 or 10 win team from a "Mid-Major" conference (MAC, SunBelt, WAC) would be a better game...

VandalFan, I like your idea of upping the win requirement for bowl teams. That would certainly be one way of increasing the participation from some of the non-BCS schools. It also has the advantage that it could be experimented with modestly to see what effect it has. Raise the requirement by just one win and see what happens for 3 years.

:D