Sun Belt Conference Expansion & Realignment Thread

sec03 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 2:09 pm **Posts:** 1806

CONGRATULATIONS COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 2016 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONS!

sec03 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 2:09 pm **Posts:** 1806

sec03 wrote:

CONGRATULATIONS COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 2016 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONS!

Note: The championship needs to be recognized and credited as members of The Big South Conference. CCU officially becomes Sun Belt members today (July 1).

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 9041

SBJ article(previously posted in another thread)exploring the idea of the SBC and C-USA trying to realign their conferences in a way that is more geographically asvantageous.Link at http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour ... nment.aspx

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 2260

Makes a lot of sense for 2 conferences where "markets" aren't generating a ton of TV money.
May as well "rationalize" their conference footprints and save a lot of travel money and the student - athletes need not have such long bus trips.

Actually, the AAC "American" footprint largely over-laps the Sun-belt and CUSA too !

Perhaps if and when the Big XII gets "absorbed" into a P4, and the left-overs go looking for new homes, a realignment will shake out involving:
1) Big XII left-overs
2) AAC
3) CUSA
4) Sun-Belt.

Maybe that'll be the trigger to cause such a realignment...

Huan · **Posted:** Sat Dec 03, 2016 9:44 pm

It makes sense, so forget about it.

What they should do is for both conferences to approach ESPN, FoxS, CBSS and the digital streamers (Amazon, Netflix) and renegotiate a new deal as two new conferences. Two conferences better than one super conference because that wouldn't solve the travel cost.

New names might be amusing as well
East: South Atlantic Conference?
West: Gulf Coast Conference?

Huan · **Posted:** Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:09 pm

tute79 wrote:

Makes a lot of sense for 2 conferences where "markets" aren't generating a ton of TV money.
May as well "rationalize" their conference footprints and save a lot of travel money and the student - athletes need not have such long bus trips.

Actually, the AAC "American" footprint largely over-laps the Sun-belt and CUSA too !

Perhaps if and when the Big XII gets "absorbed" into a P4, and the left-overs go looking for new homes, a realignment will shake out involving:
1) Big XII left-overs
2) AAC
3) CUSA
4) Sun-Belt.

Maybe that'll be the trigger to cause such a realignment...

I don't see the AAC giving up on being P6 or G5+

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 2260

Right now the AAC and MWC seem to be a middle tier between the P5 and CUSA / SunBelt / MAC in terms of depth of quality football programs.

I thin that'll continue....

Phlipper33 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 30, 2017 7:32 am

Has the Sun Belt ever decided on divisional play or full round robin in 2018 and beyond? A quick google search just finds articles from last summer when they announced the championship game, but hadn't yet decided if they'd have divisions.

I would prefer going to divisional play, avoiding full round robin schedules. Full round robin guarantees a rematch in the championship game. Going to two 5 team divisions and playing an 8 game schedule gives the possibility of not having a rematch, and frees up another game for non-conference play - which I think most teams would like in order to get a buy game from a P5 team. 8 game schedule also keeps it even at 4 home and 4 road games for every team.

I'd strongly consider going to only a 7 game schedule with two 5 team divisions as well. Would still play every team from the other division 3 times in a 5 year (every team at home and on the road at least once during a typical college students enrollment), and it frees up yet another game for out of conference play. I think the Sun Belt could really use this to try to improve their perception against the other G5 conferences. Along with everyone getting a buy game (or two) at a P5 team, they still have plenty of scheduling opportunities to play C-USA and MAC teams to try to improve their records.

Pretty much every team is going to have a buy game, and while wins in those games are huge, they are mostly going to be L's on the record. If there are only 3 OOC games per team it's going to be very difficult for the conference to get anywhere near a .500 record in those games because most of them will be against the bigger P5 programs. Increasing that number to 5 games gives the conference a decent chance to get more teams to have winning records. It's also of course a bigger risk because your conference could lose most of the games even against the other G5 conferences and fall further down in perception.

It's certainly a risk but I think a majority of the teams in the Belt are improving and I'd probably be willing to take that gamble to only play 7 conference games. Whatever they decide to do they need to announce it relatively quick so games can be scheduled (either that or I need more coffee if it already was announced and I'm just not finding it)

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 2260

Haven't heard a decision.

If they were to go to two 5-team divisions, it seems they would have to split up Troy and South Alabama (one in the East, one in the West).
In which case, they might then implement the "rivalry" game in the schedule, which would pair Troy and USA, but not really be that much of a rivalry for everyone else.

All this might drive them to a 9-game round robin, and the Champ. Game would then necessarily be a re-match.
Which I suppose is what the Big XII will be doing (?)

msjraz64 · **Joined:** Mon Apr 21, 2014 3:02 pm **Posts:** 3

Phlipper33 wrote:

Has the Sun Belt ever decided on divisional play or full round robin in 2018 and beyond? A quick google search just finds articles from last summer when they announced the championship game, but hadn't yet decided if they'd have divisions.

I would prefer going to divisional play, avoiding full round robin schedules. Full round robin guarantees a rematch in the championship game. Going to two 5 team divisions and playing an 8 game schedule gives the possibility of not having a rematch, and frees up another game for non-conference play - which I think most teams would like in order to get a buy game from a P5 team. 8 game schedule also keeps it even at 4 home and 4 road games for every team.

I'd strongly consider going to only a 7 game schedule with two 5 team divisions as well. Would still play every team from the other division 3 times in a 5 year (every team at home and on the road at least once during a typical college students enrollment), and it frees up yet another game for out of conference play. I think the Sun Belt could really use this to try to improve their perception against the other G5 conferences. Along with everyone getting a buy game (or two) at a P5 team, they still have plenty of scheduling opportunities to play C-USA and MAC teams to try to improve their records.

Pretty much every team is going to have a buy game, and while wins in those games are huge, they are mostly going to be L's on the record. If there are only 3 OOC games per team it's going to be very difficult for the conference to get anywhere near a .500 record in those games because most of them will be against the bigger P5 programs. Increasing that number to 5 games gives the conference a decent chance to get more teams to have winning records. It's also of course a bigger risk because your conference could lose most of the games even against the other G5 conferences and fall further down in perception.

It's certainly a risk but I think a majority of the teams in the Belt are improving and I'd probably be willing to take that gamble to only play 7 conference games. Whatever they decide to do they need to announce it relatively quick so games can be scheduled (either that or I need more coffee if it already was announced and I'm just not finding it)

The Sun Belt will play divisions and an 8-game schedule. Since college football has been playing a 12-game schedule for several years, there will be 4 OOC games and no need for a 7-game conference schedule. The perception of the Sun Belt has risen greatly in the last two years and is already equal to or better than the MAC or C-USA. In the 2016-17 bowl season, the Sun Belt finished tied for 2nd with the Big 12 behind 1st place ACC.

jlog3000 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 30, 2017 4:32 pm

msjraz64 wrote:

The Sun Belt will play divisions and an 8-game schedule. Since college football has been playing a 12-game schedule for several years, there will be 4 OOC games and no need for a 7-game conference schedule. The perception of the Sun Belt has risen greatly in the last two years and is already equal to or better than the MAC or C-USA. In the 2016-17 bowl season, the Sun Belt finished tied for 2nd with the Big 12 behind 1st place ACC.

But why missing out facing one more conference member due to an 8-game conference schedule, when the Sun Belt could apply a full round-robin schedule, like the Big XII has applied?

46566 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:06 am **Posts:** 231

jlog3000 wrote:

msjraz64 wrote:

The Sun Belt will play divisions and an 8-game schedule. Since college football has been playing a 12-game schedule for several years, there will be 4 OOC games and no need for a 7-game conference schedule. The perception of the Sun Belt has risen greatly in the last two years and is already equal to or better than the MAC or C-USA. In the 2016-17 bowl season, the Sun Belt finished tied for 2nd with the Big 12 behind 1st place ACC.

But why missing out facing one more conference member due to an 8-game conference schedule, when the Sun Belt could apply a full round-robin schedule, like the Big XII has applied?

I think no divisions and a 9 game schedule will work. Should teams need a tie breaker head to head would work.

jlog3000 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 30, 2017 5:25 pm

46566 wrote:

jlog3000 wrote:

msjraz64 wrote:

The Sun Belt will play divisions and an 8-game schedule. Since college football has been playing a 12-game schedule for several years, there will be 4 OOC games and no need for a 7-game conference schedule. The perception of the Sun Belt has risen greatly in the last two years and is already equal to or better than the MAC or C-USA. In the 2016-17 bowl season, the Sun Belt finished tied for 2nd with the Big 12 behind 1st place ACC.

But why missing out facing one more conference member due to an 8-game conference schedule, when the Sun Belt could apply a full round-robin schedule, like the Big XII has applied?

I think no divisions and a 9 game schedule will work. Should teams need a tie breaker head to head would work.

That's true. But look at the SWAC of the D-I FCS. That conference has 10 member schools, with 2 divisions, has a round-robin 9-game conference-play schedule and hosts its own conference championship game. Why not a 10-team FBS athletic conference attempt to give it a shot? Otherwise, I would still go with adding 2 more teams to make it upto 12 member schools with 2 6-team divisions; as it's been the minimum traditional requirement.

msjraz64 · **Joined:** Mon Apr 21, 2014 3:02 pm **Posts:** 3

jlog3000 wrote:

msjraz64 wrote:

The Sun Belt will play divisions and an 8-game schedule. Since college football has been playing a 12-game schedule for several years, there will be 4 OOC games and no need for a 7-game conference schedule. The perception of the Sun Belt has risen greatly in the last two years and is already equal to or better than the MAC or C-USA. In the 2016-17 bowl season, the Sun Belt finished tied for 2nd with the Big 12 behind 1st place ACC.

But why missing out facing one more conference member due to an 8-game conference schedule, when the Sun Belt could apply a full round-robin schedule, like the Big XII has applied?

The conference likes the flexibility that 4 OOC games gives them. Each school uses those games to help fill their own needs. Strangely the Sun Belt does not use a full round-robin in baseball, one team is missed each year. Missing one conference mate does not seem to bother anyone.

Quote:

If they were to go to two 5-team divisions, it seems they would have to split up Troy and South Alabama (one in the East, one in the West).
In which case, they might then implement the "rivalry" game in the schedule, which would pair Troy and USA, but not really be that much of a rivalry for everyone else.

Troy will be in the east, South Alabama in the west. Five permanent crossover pairings with one obviously being USA-Troy, don't know what the others will be.

46566 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:06 am **Posts:** 231

jlog3000 wrote:

46566 wrote:

jlog3000 wrote:

msjraz64 wrote:

The Sun Belt will play divisions and an 8-game schedule. Since college football has been playing a 12-game schedule for several years, there will be 4 OOC games and no need for a 7-game conference schedule. The perception of the Sun Belt has risen greatly in the last two years and is already equal to or better than the MAC or C-USA. In the 2016-17 bowl season, the Sun Belt finished tied for 2nd with the Big 12 behind 1st place ACC.

But why missing out facing one more conference member due to an 8-game conference schedule, when the Sun Belt could apply a full round-robin schedule, like the Big XII has applied?

I think no divisions and a 9 game schedule will work. Should teams need a tie breaker head to head would work.

That's true. But look at the SWAC of the D-I FCS. That conference has 10 member schools, with 2 divisions, has a round-robin 9-game conference-play schedule and hosts its own conference championship game. Why not a 10-team FBS athletic conference attempt to give it a shot? Otherwise, I would still go with adding 2 more teams to make it upto 12 member schools with 2 6-team divisions; as it's been the minimum traditional requirement.

NCAA rules now allow 10 team championship games. It adds more money (in theory) to the schools already in the conference. About the only problem I can see with going to 9 conference games may be the loss of potential of a additional "money" game out of conference. With 3 ooc games I see the SBC discouraging playing more then one money game a year. With the way it is now would the conference gain more money by moving to 9 games.
I'm assuming at best the championship game adds 1 million dollars to the conference. Assuming even distribution of money and the conference doesn't take anything then it's worth around 100k per school. Should there be a sponsor which most likely will happen then it could add let's say a additional million at a low end. What would a additional home game in conference gain a school, let alone what would teams lose with 4 home games.
I'm personally a fan of 14 teams in P-5 conferences and 12 in G-5 conferences. I do think eventually the Sun Belt will go back to 12. I just think there is no clear 11 and 12 school. I think the Sun Belt may want a additional football team in Texas and another in the east. I don't think NSMU and Liberty are wanted by either the conference or members. New Mexico state is to far away to be of help in the worst and liberty has their own problems. Right now there isn't a good FCS team to expand with and wants to expand. I think Liberty may be hoping that by moving up on their own they look better to FBS conferences.

Sun Belt Conference Expansion & Realignment Thread

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