Notre Dame and Villanova are in bed together, but that goal is mutually maintaining the status quo in the Big East, even beyond 2010. Villanova also could be quite pleased with the perils Temple is experiencing.

I find this part of the article to be absolutely shocking:

Selig said Western is not in compliance with the federal mandate that schools must provide equal opportunities for men and women. In what Selig described as an unusual situation, the athletic department is spending 6 percent more proportionally in scholarships for women than men. One way to correct the imbalance would be the addition of 22 football scholarships that would bring the Hilltoppers to the I-A limit of 85.

I agree with that entirely. Should the hybrid not hold up I wonder if ND and Nova would go with the BB schools. The league split is probably the 8 FB and 8 BB schools on paper. However it may be the 7 BB schools with ND going with the FB schools and the 3 game agreement with bowl tie ins. Originally I heard that only 6 teams needed to be together to carry on with an automatic conference bid to the NCAA tournament. Then I read that 7 were needed. Does any one know the right number for sure?

If it is only 6 then I would not be surprised to see Nova move to 1-A and ditch the BB schools with ND for the FB conference for over all survival in 1-A sports. All you read on their boards by many is don't leave us behind. If the hybrid holds up however I think that there is less than a 60% possibility that Nova moves up to 1-A. Another 1-A team will be added first for the scheduling issues. Saving the hybrid by moving up to 1-A is not high on Nova's list. As a matter of fact I think they are hoping that another 1-A FB team is added to save the hybrid so they don't have to move up.

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SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS - SEC
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS - BIG EAST / AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE / BIG TEN

And wat does this have to do with the Sun Belt Conference?

Nothing, but some folks at WKU apparently thing Villanova is going to move up based on the article in the C-J.

This conversation started under the Sunbelt conference because that where the article originated that implied that Nova might be moving up to 1-A to keep the BE Hybrid together, and then with WKU and Nova in the 1-A fold, 1-A would shut down for future admissions. Otherwise yes this topic belongs under the BE - ND thread but thanks for asking.

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SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS - SEC
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS - BIG EAST / AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE / BIG TEN

Western Kentucky is announcing that they intend to "move up."

http://www.wkusports.com/news.cgi?article=4842

The Sun Belt has effectively dashed Jacksonville State's chances of joining the league in the near term.

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1184747326311630.xml&coll=2

JSU's only real chance to get in would be if the Big East or ACC taps someone from Conference USA who in turn taps someone from the Sun Belt. Texas State, Appalachian State, and maybe even Southern Illinois or Illinois State may all have something to say about that.

There's a rather long-winded press release at http://sunbeltsports.org/ regarding the conference's initiative to raise academic and athletic standards.

The most interesting highlights include playing a minimum of 11 home games every two years in football, all future members must play I-A football, and New Orleans and Denver getting a five-year grace period to sponsor 15 conference sports.

Column from Razorback country suggesting that the SBC continue to expand so that they can provide more non-conference FB foes for the SEC.
Link at http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/05/20/columns/harry_king/052108king.txt

Thanks Freaked for posting.

I have usually thought that a school with a 8-4 record is pretty decent to go to a bowl, wining three-fourth of their regular season games. A 7-5 record should get by, if the school has a couple or so of very notable wins.

A 6-6 record is mediocre, and unless the school won the conference championship by that, it really makes the bowl look quite meaningless and should appear embarrassing to someone.

So, there will be 34 bowls for the upcoming post-season. And there were 71 schools in 2007 that had records of 6-6 or better.
Yet last year, the system managed to overlook TROY, whereby the SunBelt had only one tie-in.

Maybe the NCAA should drop the 6-6 charade, and approve every bowl petition, and have a match up in Columbia (Palmetto?) of RICE VS DUKE.

If this scenario happened last year, Notre Dame would still have been fought over, and Notre Dame wouldn't have been sitting home, still enjoying millions from the BCS disbursement system.

And just how many tie-ins to bowls is Navy going to have? Either patriotic zeal has gone to the far reaches, or those clever Navy administrators are getting smarter than Notre Dame in playing the system.

Navy has one bowl tie-in, the Congressional. The contract with Meineke was for one year. The Poinsetta bowl found a replacement in the Pac-10.

Notre Dame is part of the Big East contracts with the bowls. They gave up their at-large seats to help out the Big East. (I doubt the bowls complained much either - being able to commit fully to other conferences.)

[quote author=rferry board=1a thread=1449 post=39552 time=1211414912]
Notre Dame is part of the Big East contracts with the bowls. They gave up their at-large seats to help out the Big East. quote]

Oh my! How can the Big East ever re-pay Notre Dame back for their gracious and unselfish contribution! ::)

Denver (University) in search of a new conference

http://media.www.duclarion.com/media/sto....-33 73576.shtml

good for them. this will be beneficial for everyone involved. any word on the early favorites.